5-Day Kruger Safari from Johannesburg: Katekani Lodge
Five days tracking the Big Five across Kruger's open plains
A 5-day safari from Johannesburg based at Katekani Lodge in Kruger National Park, with daily game drives, armed bush walks, and two full days of wildlife viewing on open vehicles. You're picked up from your hotel or airport, driven through the Highveld to the park, and returned to Johannesburg on day five after a morning walk and a stop at Blyde River Canyon's Three Rondawels.
Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Transfer and sunset drive
- Pick up from Johannesburg hotel or airport
- Travel to Tremisana Game Lodge
- 4 hour sunset drive in open Landcruiser
- Bush BBQ dinner at Marula Tree Boma
- Night drive with spotlight
- Overnight at Tremisana Game Lodge
Day 2: Bush walk and game drive
- 4 hour morning bush walk at Olifants River
- Return to Tremisana for brunch
- Relax around pool
- 3.5 hour sundowner game drive
- Transfer to Katekani Lodge
- Overnight at Katekani Lodge
Day 3: Full day Kruger Park game viewing
- Drive to Orpen gate in open game viewer
- Full day game viewing and bird watching
- Return to Katekani Lodge
- Dinner and overnight at Katekani Lodge
Day 4: Another full day in Kruger Park
- Full day in Kruger National Park
- Dinner and overnight at Katekani Lodge
Day 5: Morning walk and return to Johannesburg
- Short morning walk with armed ranger
- Breakfast at Katekani Lodge
- Travel to Blyde River Canyon
- Visit Three Rondawels
- Return to Johannesburg
- Airport dropoff by arrangement
What’s included
- Hotel or airport pickup in Johannesburg.
- transport by air-conditioned minivan to and from the park.
- four nights in air-conditioned, en-suite chalets.
- all game drives and bush walks with a live English-speaking guide.
- National Park entry fees.
- bush barbecue dinner.
- lunch on non-transfer days.
- all taxes and handling charges.
Times
- Every day 09:30
Before you book
Operated by Viva Safaris
Prices and times updated yesterday
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The experience
The tour opens with a 4-hour sunset drive on your first evening, when the light turns gold and nocturnal animals emerge under spotlight after dark. A bush barbecue at the Marula Tree Boma follows, then a night drive back to Tremisana Game Lodge. Day two starts before sunrise with a 4-hour bush walk along the Olifants River. Your ranger carries a rifle and reads the landscape for tracks, scat and the small details that reveal where animals have been. After brunch you rest, then head out on a 3.5-hour sundowner drive before transferring to Katekani Lodge in the evening.
Days three and four are full days in Kruger National Park on open game viewers, with no fixed itinerary. The ranger follows animal movement and the light. You'll stop where sightings happen and move on when the animals do. Lunch is at a rest camp where you can buy food. The lodge provides dinner and overnight stays in air-conditioned chalets with private plunge pools. On the final morning, a short armed walk precedes the drive back to Johannesburg, with a stop at Blyde River Canyon to see the Three Rondawels before airport or hotel drop-off around 5pm.
All transport runs in air-conditioned vehicles except the game drives and walks, which are open to the elements and the animals. Your guide speaks English and leads every activity. National Park fees, accommodation, most meals and all activities are included. You'll buy lunch only on transfer days and during the full Kruger days, when the ranger stops at a camp where vendors operate.
Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're staying in Johannesburg or arriving at O.R. Tambo Airport without a rental car: pickup and all transport to Kruger are arranged, so you step out of your hotel or the terminal and into the safari. The five-day length gives you two full days of game viewing in the park itself, where the rhythm of the animals, not a fixed schedule, decides where you go.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 11 years); Infant (under 2): free.
What animals might I see on the bush walks and game drives?
Kruger National Park is home to the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo) along with giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, hyena and hundreds of bird species. Sightings depend on where the animals are on any given day. Your ranger knows the territory and follows recent tracks and reports from other guides.
How does the 4-hour bush walk work if the ranger is armed?
The armed ranger leads you on foot through the bush, reading signs in the landscape (tracks, droppings, broken branches, alarm calls from birds) to locate and approach animals. You move slowly and quietly, and the ranger positions the group for safety and viewing. This is different from a vehicle drive: you're walking at animal level, which changes what you see and how close you can get.
Do I need to book lunch in Kruger, or is it provided?
Lunch is not included on transfer days (day one and day five) or on the two full days in Kruger (days three and four). The ranger stops at rest camps where you can buy food from vendors. You'll need to budget for those meals. Lunch is included on day two at Tremisana and at Katekani on days two through four.
What's the difference between Tremisana and Katekani lodges?
Tremisana is your base on night one, located inside Kruger with direct access to the park's animals and night drives. Katekani is where you stay nights two through four. It's also in the Kruger area and offers air-conditioned chalets with private plunge pools, a step up in comfort for the bulk of the tour.
How long does the drive back to Johannesburg take on day five?
After your morning walk and breakfast, the drive to Johannesburg with a stop at Blyde River Canyon takes most of the day, with arrival around 5pm. The Three Rondawels stop is a scenic highlight where you can walk and photograph the canyon views before continuing to the city.
5-Day Kruger Safari from Johannesburg: Katekani Lodge
5d · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 1,679 per person
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