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Destination Options Africa

Guided journey

Soweto, Canyon and Kruger.

Seven days from Johannesburg, four nights of them in the bush. A morning in Soweto, the viewpoints of the Panorama Route above the Blyde River Canyon, then the Kruger, with dawn and dusk drives every day and the lodge style you choose.

Ask about this journey or write to enquiries@vdoafrica.com

A lion resting in long grass in Kruger National Park
days
7
nights
6
stops
3

As set out in VDO’s own journey outline of 6 October 2026.

At a glance.

Style
Guided, with a private English speaking guide on touring days
Where
Johannesburg, Mpumalanga and Kruger
When to go
May to September, when the Kruger is dry, cool and at its best for game. April and October are good too.
Suits
Travellers who want the safari above all and have a week, second visits that missed the Kruger the first time, and families with older children.

What it is remembered for

  • Vilakazi Street in Soweto with a guide.
  • God’s Window and the Three Rondavels above the Blyde River Canyon.
  • Four nights of dawn and dusk game drives in the Kruger.

The route.

3 stops, in order.

  1. JohannesburgCity. 1 night.
  2. Mpumalanga escarpmentMountains. 1 night.
  3. KrugerSafari. 4 nights.

Day by day.

Breakfast is daily from the first morning. Other meals are included only where a day shows them. Travel times are approximate.

  1. Day1 Arrive JohannesburgJohannesburg.

    Travel: private transfer from the airport, about 30 minutes.

    Morning. Met at arrivals and driven to Houghton, one of the old garden suburbs, where the streets run under tall trees.

    Afternoon. Rest. Long flights land here, and tomorrow starts in Soweto. The garden is quiet and the pool is yours.

    Evening. A welcome dinner with your guide, and the plan for the week in the bush.

    Included
    • Private airport transfer.
    • Welcome dinner.
    Stay
    A boutique hotel in Houghton, Johannesburg.
    Meals
    Dinner.
  2. Day2 Soweto, then to the escarpmentJohannesburg to the Mpumalanga escarpment.

    Travel: about 45 minutes from Soweto to the airport, a flight of about 55 minutes, then about one and a half hours by road.

    Morning. Soweto with a guide: Vilakazi Street and the Hector Pieterson Memorial. Then straight to the airport.

    Afternoon. A short flight east, and up onto the escarpment, where the air is cooler and on a clear day the view runs across the lowveld towards Mozambique.

    Evening. Dinner at the hotel.

    Included
    • A morning in Soweto with a private guide.
    • Private transfers on both sides.
    • Dinner.
    Not included
    • The flight to the Kruger airport.
    Stay
    A hotel on the escarpment near Graskop.
    Meals
    Breakfast, dinner.
  3. Day3 The Panorama Route, then into the KrugerThe escarpment to the Kruger.

    Travel: about four hours in the day, in short legs.

    Morning. The Panorama Route, early, before the mist can rise: God’s Window, the potholes at Bourke’s Luck, and the Three Rondavels above the Blyde River Canyon, one of the largest canyons on earth.

    Afternoon. Down off the escarpment into the lowveld. You reach the Kruger by mid afternoon, and your first game drive goes out in the last light, which is when the bush wakes up.

    Evening. Dinner at the lodge.

    Included
    • Private guide and vehicle.
    • Viewpoint fees.
    • Afternoon game drive.
    • Dinner.
    Worth knowing
    • This is a malaria area. Speak to your doctor before travel.
    Stay
    Your choice of safari style: a lodge on the river at a gate of the Kruger National Park, or a lodge in a private reserve beside the park.
    Meals
    Breakfast, dinner.
  4. Day4 SafariThe Kruger.

    Morning. Out before sunrise, coffee in hand. This is the drive that matters: the cats are still moving and the light is gold.

    Afternoon. Back for breakfast and the heat of the day. Pool, deck, sleep. The animals rest too. Out again at four.

    Evening. Home as the light goes, and dinner under the stars. In a private reserve the drive runs on after dark with a spotlight.

    Included
    • Dawn and dusk game drives.
    Stay
    As day 3.
    Meals
    Breakfast, dinner.
  5. Day5 Further into the parkThe Kruger.

    Morning. A longer drive today, beyond the loops near the lodge: breakfast packed, a stop on a river bank, and the animals that keep their distance from the gates.

    Afternoon. Back by early afternoon. The pool, the deck and the heat of the day.

    Evening. A dusk drive for those who want one more, or an early dinner and the night sounds from the deck.

    Included
    • A long morning game drive with a picnic breakfast.
    • Dusk game drive.
    • Dinner.
    Stay
    As day 3.
    Meals
    Breakfast, dinner.
  6. Day6 SafariThe Kruger.

    Morning. A last full day. By now you are reading the bush yourself.

    Afternoon. At leisure, then the last dusk drive.

    Evening. A boma dinner around the fire.

    Included
    • Dawn and dusk game drives.
    • Boma dinner.
    Stay
    As day 3.
    Meals
    Breakfast, dinner.
  7. Day7 A last dawn, and homeThe Kruger to Johannesburg airport.

    Travel: about one hour by road to the Kruger airport, then a flight of about 55 minutes.

    Morning. One last drive at first light, then breakfast and goodbye to your ranger.

    Afternoon. A short flight to Johannesburg, to meet your flight home that evening.

    Included
    • Dawn game drive.
    • Private transfer to the airport.
    Worth knowing
    • Allow at least three hours in Johannesburg between this flight and an international departure.
    Not included
    • The flight to Johannesburg.
    Meals
    Breakfast.

What is included.

Included

  • Private airport transfers and a private vehicle throughout.
  • A private English speaking guide on touring days.
  • Hotels and lodges, with breakfast daily and the lunches and dinners named in the plan.
  • Entrance and park fees for everything marked included.

Not included

  • International and domestic flights, unless a day says otherwise.
  • Travel insurance, visas and tips.
  • Drinks, and meals not named in the plan.
  • Anything marked optional.
  • On self drive tours: fuel, tolls and entrance fees paid on the day.

Good to know.

  • This is the second half of The Grand Tour of South Africa. To begin in Cape Town, take the full 14 days.
  • The same route can be driven yourself: see Self drive: Panorama and the Kruger.
  • All of the Big Five roam free in the Kruger, and four nights gives a good chance of most of them but never a promise. Malaria area: speak to your doctor before travel.
  • Stays are described by style and place.
  • Travel times are approximate driving or flying times without stops, rounded up.
  • Flights are not included unless a day says so. Scheduled flights change by season: the days and times are checked for each journey.
  • The Kruger and northern Botswana are malaria areas, and Etosha carries a seasonal risk. Speak to your doctor before travel. The Cape, the Karoo and the Garden Route are free of malaria, and in Windhoek, the Namib and on the Namibian coast the risk is very low.
  • Wildlife is wild. Each tour says plainly what its reserve holds, and no sighting is ever promised.

What happens next.

  1. Send a request

    Dates, travellers and the feel you want.

  2. We reply with a plan

    A consultant replies within one working day with a plan and an estimate. Estimates are labelled as estimates.

  3. We confirm in writing

    We confirm with our partners, then with you in writing.