Kruger Park

Top Attractions

The basic way to see the wildlife is to tour the park by car during the daylight hours when the park is open. This is a very effective way of seeing wildlife, even for first timers. There are many other wildlife experiences on offer.

Wildlife experiences

  • Crocodile River view point is nearby the Crocodile Camp travelling north on the main road direction Lower Sabie and then following the sign to the Crocodile River view point on a dirt track for a couple of kilometers. As a reward you can get out of your car and go with a park guide down to the river to watch hippos and crocodiles from a few meters distance.
  • Masorini is a restored Iron Age village about 10km from the Phalaborwa gate. It is probably the most accessible of the remnants of stone and iron age life within the park. There is a picnic area and toilets near the bottom of the hill. You need to be accompanied by the guide to tour the village itself. The huts are reconstructed and show the process the civilisation went through to forge iron. These people were not just forging iron for spears and hunting, they had an entire economy based on selling and trading the iron they forged. Brochures say the guided tours are free, and leave at scheduled time. The reality seems to be that tips are required to the attendant who runs the tours, and if you are interested in taking the tour then the attendant will guide you.
  • Bush drivesFirst time visitors may want to consider to book a guided tour through the KNP with local park guides or a reputable Kruger National Park Safaris Company Bush drives are available from Berg en dal, Letaba, and Skukuza camp and and some other camps, and cost around 170 Rand (~$30USD) per person. Experienced rangers will take you in a 4×4 car to the KNP and explain you the finer details of game spotting.
  • Night drivesDiscovering the KNP on your own is a great adventure, but there are a few things that you can not do without a ranger. One of them is to have a night drive through the park to see nocturnal creatures such as lions, leopards and hyenas. Tours take a couple of hours and leave usually shortly before the main gates close in the night.
  • Wilderness trailDiscover African flora and fauna on foot is an unforgettable lifetime experience and only few places in Africa offer such tours. You join a group of up to 8 mates and 2 rangers on a hiking tour that lasts for 3 days and you learn a lot of things about South African wildlife and there is no way that you could see animals closer than on this tour. Imagine seeing lion, elephant or rhino only a few meters from you. This is a breathtaking experience. Trails follow circular routes and you return each evening to the safety of your camp where dinner awaits. The duration of the trails is two nights and three days, either from Sunday to Wednesday, or from Wednesday to Saturday. Hikers meet at the designated restcamp at 15:30 on Sundays or Wednesdays from where they leave by vehicle for their trail camp after a short briefing.
  • Bushman trailBerg en dal camp offers the bushman trail around the Berg en dal camp which is surrounded by granite rocks. Expect to see elephants, white rhinos and buffalos.
  • Metsimetsi trailIs best enjoyed during the South African winter, check in at Skukuza camp and you will travel north to the N’waswitsontso river nearby the Satara camp.
  • Napi trailCheck in at Pretoriuskop to enjoy the Napi trail and you may see white rhinos, elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs and in the past you saw wild dogs which are rare nowadays.
  • Nyalaland trailCheck in Punda Maria camp in the north of the KNP to spot crocodiles, elephants and hippos as well as bird watching is going to be on your agenda. Buffalo also frequent the area. Birdlife is prolific.
  • Olifants TrailCheck in at Letaba Camp. The trail crosses the Olifants River as well as the Letaba River which supports a variety of wildlife, including large predators, elephant and buffalo. Also listen out for the call of the African Fish Eagle.
  • Sweni TrailCheck in at Satara Camp. The Sweni area is popular, in that, there is a high density of both predator and prey, and a trail experience here give hikers the opportunity to observe lion and even cheetah.
  • Wolhuter TrailIn the southern part of the park (white rhino country), between the Berg-en-Dal and Pretoriuskop.
  • Olifants River Back Pack Trail, R10 560 for up to 8 people.
  • Landrover Lebombo Eco-Trail
  • The 3 brand new ‘Transfrontier Trails do Limpopo
  • The Shingwedzi 4×4 Eco-Trail
  • The Machampane Wilderness Trail
  • The Massingir Hiking Trail