About this trip
Ten days through South Africa's national parks in search of the Big 5, with a detour into Eswatini for a different pace and perspective. This is one for wildlife-focused travellers happy to spend long days on game drives and in open landscapes.
You'll spend time in Kruger, one of Africa's biggest game reserves, and Hluhluwe iMfolozi, home to the largest rhino population on the continent. There's also a stop at the Zulu battlefields for some history, the wetlands of St Lucia, and time in Eswatini getting to know Swazi culture and a different style of safari.
The Mlilwane sanctuary in Eswatini shifts things down a gear, with walking safaris beneath the Nyonyane Mountains replacing the jeep for a more intimate look at the wildlife.
What you'll do
- Game drive in Kruger National Park in search of the Big 5
- Explore Hluhluwe iMfolozi, home to Africa's largest rhino population
- Walking safari through Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary in Eswatini
- Learn the history of the Zulu battlefields
- Explore the wetlands of St Lucia
- Spend time with the Swazi people in Eswatini
- Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, even in parks as rich as Kruger
- Mix of game drives by vehicle and on foot, so some days are more active than others
Worth it if you're after diverse wildlife close-up and a proper safari experience. Think twice if you prefer slower pace—itinerary packs a lot in.
- Wildlife encounters are genuinely close and varied: elephants, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, snakes, colourful birds across multiple parks.
- Guide quality makes the trip: Graeme repeatedly praised for going above and beyond, transforming itinerary into cohesive highlights.
- Packed itinerary covering Kruger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, St Lucia, Drakensberg, Eswatini, Blyde River Canyon means limited downtime between locations.
- Smaller reserves like Hluhluwe-iMfolozi offer less commercialised feel than Kruger but equally rewarding wildlife viewing.
Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.
The same-vibe trips, side by side — price, value per day, and how each is moving. Only we can lay two operators' trips out honestly.
Sorted by fit — never by who paid. Price moves and fill fill in from our own tracking as it builds.
Departing in Aug is cheapest — from £1,330, about 49% below the priciest month (Jan).
Getting there
Opens Trip.com, pre-filled — one-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown there.
Where to stay
A night before your tour in Johannesburg · 12 Aug – 13 Aug
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