2-night itineraries
Any visit to Kruger is a wonderful experience, so much so that you might find yourself wishing you’d spent longer than 2-nights in the park…! But if that is all that time allows, then an itinerary that maximises game driving time is the right way to go.
Sticking to one rest camp for both nights is a good way to explore a single area of interest in the park (see the detailed rest camp profiles for more info on what to expect from each area) and it is worth balancing access from your prior destination and to your next destination to give yourself the most time possible inside Kruger.
Equally, if you don’t mind changing rest camps, staying at two different camps can allow you to explore much more of Kruger’s diverse habitats during a 2-night visit.
There are hundreds of ways to create a 2-night self-drive trip inside Kruger, so we’ve just collated a couple of our favourites here. Note we haven’t included any itineraries that incorporate the north of the park because the time required to travel to get to these more remote areas of Kruger is significant and works less well during such a short visit.
Exploring the Sabie River
Rest camps: Skukuza (2-nights)
Perfect for… Easy access to high-density game viewing
For the first-time visitor or someone short on time, Skukuza rest camp has it all – lots of accommodation options, plenty of facilities including the best restaurants in the park, stunning views over the Sabie River and outstanding wildlife viewing in the surrounds. Gate access is also excellent, meaning more time in the park too.
Day 1
Enter Kruger via one of Paul Kruger Gate, Numbi Gate or Phabeni Gate, all approximately a 4-hour drive from Johannesburg. Search for lions and cheetahs along some of The Great Gates Loop route and visit the outstanding Lake Panic Hide as a last stop before sunset (the best time for photography at this world-famous birding spot). Accommodation is at Skukuza rest camp, the largest in Kruger. Enjoy a braai or visit the excellent Skukuza Cattle Baron restaurant with its stunning views over the Sabie River.
Day 2
Leaving the rest camp as the gates open at sunrise, today is a full day’s drive exploring The Big 5 Triangle route. Some of this route follows the perennial Sabie River and its superb bush habitats that support some of the greatest densities of predators, herbivores and birdlife you are likely to find in any African national park.
Stop into Lower Sabie for lunch and another superb view over the might Sabie. North of Lower Sabie you will climb into the Nkumbe hills for staggering views over the plains below before returning towards Skukuza rest camp to enjoy cold drinks and good food after what will have been a long but memorable day of exploring the bush!
Day 3
Depending on the time you have available and the direction of your next destination, pick some roads that you are yet to explore en-route to the most convenient entrance gate to try and tick off a few more new species before departing. Alternatively, you could do an organised dawn game drive with the SANParks guides to explore some of Kruger and maybe spot a rare nocturnal species before the sun rises.
Skukuza-Satara Combo
Rest camps: Skukuza (1-night), Satara (1-night)
Perfect for… Exploring different habitats in limited time
If you only have 2-nights available, splitting them across two different rest camps can give you access to a greater variety of habitats and the opportunity to see a more diverse range of wildlife. The perfect example is the Skukuza-Satara Combo which takes you through the riverine and bushveld environs of the Sabie River and the dramatic open grassveld plains around Satara.
Day 1
Enter Kruger via one of Paul Kruger Gate, Numbi Gate or Phabeni Gate, all approximately a 4-hour drive from Johannesburg. Search for lions and cheetahs along some of The Great Gates Loop route and visit the outstanding Lake Panic Hide as a last stop before sunset (the best time for photography at this world-famous birding spot). Accommodation is at Skukuza rest camp, the largest in Kruger. Enjoy a braai or visit the excellent Skukuza Cattle Baron restaurant with its stunning views over the Sabie River.
Day 2
Leaving the rest camp at dawn, an epic day of game driving will take you from the bushveld of the Skukuza and Sabie River region to the dramatic vistas and open grasslands of the Satara area of central Kruger. Follow the Skukuza to Satara route to learn about these changing habitats and find an incredible diversity of wildlife. The Big 5 and all of the big cat species can potentially be encountered today! A lunch stop-off can be taken at the café at the Tshokwane Picnic Site, and don’t forget to explore the S100 before sunset – one of Kruger’s most famous wildlife sightings roads. Overnight is at Satara rest camp, one of the best to hear nightly quarrels between laughing hyenas and roaring lions…!
Day 3
The nearest park entrance to Satara is Orpen Gate, so your journey will take you west from the rest camp, but there are plenty of excellent game viewing roads, dams and waterholes along the Satara to Orpen route to explore. If you have more time, and depending on your next destination, you could head north along some of the best big cat roads in Kruger and make your way to Phalaborwa Gate instead.
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All of the itineraries are suggested only – they can be reversed, changed or adapted as part of a wider trip depending on availability in each of the rest camps, but they are a great start point.
All enquiries for SANParks accommodation within Kruger National Park are handled by the wonderful team at our excellent and carefully selected partner Safari.com. They will be able to check availability, help with adjusting an itinerary depending on availability and get your reservation confirmed.
Their team can also help with booking SANParks accommodation at any other National Park within South Africa too – just let them know!