Day1
Arrival in Johannesburg
Land at OR Tambo, pick up your rental car and rest after the flight. A first night near the airport sets you up for the drive east in the morning.
Safari & scenery · Mpumalanga
Safari & Panorama Route
South Africa's other great classic: the cliffs and waterfalls of the Panorama Route, the Blyde River Canyon, and the Big Five in the Kruger and the private reserves. The country's flagship safari, easy to drive.
Duration
8 days
Distance
~750 km
Best season
May – Sep
Ideal for
A first safari
Overview
Two of South Africa’s greatest sights in one week: the cliffs and waterfalls of the Panorama Route, and the Big Five in the Kruger. It’s the country’s flagship safari, and it sits within easy reach of Johannesburg on good tarred roads.
The trip opens with the scenery. From Graskop you take in the escarpment at God’s Window, then drive the Panorama Route past the Three Rondavels above the Blyde River Canyon, the strange carved rock of Bourke’s Luck Potholes and a string of waterfalls. From there the road drops down to Hazyview at the gate of the Kruger, where the safari begins.
You’ll have several days in the bush: the open southern Kruger, where you can self-drive at your own pace, and a private reserve like the Sabi Sand, where expert rangers track off-road for the closest sightings of all. It works well as a first safari and as a malaria-aware finale to a longer trip, and every stage can be shortened, extended or paired with the Cape.
Day by day
The full itinerary
Eight days, from the rim of the Blyde River Canyon to the heart of the Kruger.
Day2
Johannesburg → the Panorama Route
Head east across the highveld to the edge of the escarpment. Settle in at Graskop and take a first look from God's Window and the Pinnacle as the afternoon light comes in.
God's WindowGraskopEscarpment
Day3
The Panorama Route & the Blyde River Canyon
The great scenic drive: the Three Rondavels above the Blyde River Canyon, the carved rock of Bourke's Luck Potholes, and the waterfalls around Graskop. Drop down to Hazyview at the door of the Kruger.
Three RondavelsBourke's LuckWaterfalls
Day4
Into the Kruger
Enter the southern Kruger, the busiest part of the park for game, and spend the afternoon on your first drive. Keep an eye out for the first of the Big Five before sundown sends you to camp.
Big FiveGame driveBushveld
Day5
A full day in the Kruger
A whole day in the park, out at first light when the animals move. Self-drive the road network or join a guided drive, and break at a rest camp or a hide over a waterhole through the heat of the day.
LionElephantSelf-drive
Day6
A private reserve & the Big Five
Move to a private reserve such as the Sabi Sand, on the Kruger's unfenced western edge. Expert rangers, off-road tracking and dawn and sunset drives give the closest sightings of the trip, leopards above all.
Private reserveRangerLeopard
Day7
Last morning safari
One more drive at dawn, when the reserve is at its best, then a relaxed transfer towards Mbombela for the last night. Time to look back over the week's sightings before the flight home.
Dawn driveBushveld
Day8
Departure
Drop the car at Kruger Mpumalanga International (Mbombela) and fly home via Johannesburg — or extend the trip with the Cape and the Garden Route, or a few days in eSwatini.
The route
From Johannesburg to the Kruger
Plan & book
How to book each step
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Flights
Compare flights into Johannesburg and home from Kruger Mpumalanga (Mbombela).
Search on Skyscanner →Stays
Lodges and camps handpicked at each stop, from the escarpment to the reserves.
Find a stay →Car hire
One-way rental: pick up in Johannesburg, drop off at Kruger Mpumalanga.
Compare cars →Safaris & tours
Guided game drives, the Panorama Route and the Blyde River Canyon.
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Plan & book
Book the experiences along the way
From guided game drives to the Panorama Route and the Blyde River Canyon, book the activities of this trip through GetYourGuide and our trusted partners — the same price as booking direct.
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