A Travel Price Comparison for South Africa Kruger National Park vs. Johannesburg for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Kruger National Park or Johannesburg?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Kruger National Park and Johannesburg can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Kruger National Park or Johannesburg?

Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park, in northeast South Africa hugs the border of Mozambique in the east, Zimbabwe in the north, and the Crocodile River to the south. Covering nearly 20,000 square kilometers, it hosts a variety of habitats with a thriving population of wildlife and indigenous plant species, making it a safari destination like no other.

Johannesburg

Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa with a population of over 3 million people. Most of the population is made up of South Africa's black residents, who predominately reside in the Soweto area. There are approximately half a million white residents and 300,000 residents of other descent. Half of the population live in the Soweto area as well as the nearby suburbs.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in South Africa, The Best 10-Day Tours in South Africa, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in South Africa, and The Best 2-Week Tours in South Africa.


Which place is cheaper, Johannesburg or Kruger National Park?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Kruger National Park is $92, while the average daily cost in Johannesburg is $107. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Kruger National Park and Johannesburg in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Kruger National Park $48
    Johannesburg $54
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Kruger National Park $96
    Johannesburg $108
Compare Hotels in Kruger National Park and Johannesburg

Looking for a hotel in Kruger National Park or Johannesburg? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Kruger National Park


Hotels in Johannesburg


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Kruger National Park Hotel Prices and Johannesburg Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Kruger National Park $25
    Johannesburg $16

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kruger National Park

Also for Kruger National Park, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Shuttle Transfer from Greater Kruger to Gauteng: $62

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Johannesburg

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Johannesburg:


  • Taxi Ride
    $3.21

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:

  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Johannesburg HTL-APT (JNB): $38
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Johannesburg APT-HTL (JNB): $38
  • Transfers Between OR Tambo and Pilanesburg : $199
  • Tour operator. airport and hotels transfers chauffeur and safari tours services.: $31
  • Suncity Transfer: $197
  • South Africa Airport Transfer, Johannesburg Guided day Tour: $134
  • Shuttle Transfer from Johannesburg Airport to Hazyview: $67
  • Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Sedan Car: $63
  • Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Van: $74
  • Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Car: $106
  • Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Sedan Car: $63
  • Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Luxury Van: $74

Is it cheaper to fly into Kruger National Park or Johannesburg?

Prices for flights to both Johannesburg and Kruger National Park change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Kruger National Park $27
    Johannesburg $29

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Johannesburg

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Johannesburg.

  • Maboneng Street Art and Street Food Tour: $50
  • Unique street food tour from at least 6 different cultures!: $60
  • Pan-African Cooking & Dinning Experience: $63
  • Zulu Food Cooking & Dining Experience with a local Chef: $81
  • A Private Traditional Cape Malay Cooking Class, with a MKR Finalist: $95
  • Zulu Food Cooking and Dining Experience with a local Chef: $101
  • Lesedi Cultural Experience + Lunch or Dinner: $118
  • Lesedi Cultural Village with lunch or dinner cultural food: $126
  • Soweto Township Tour with Cooking Class: $137

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Kruger National Park $21
    Johannesburg $21

Tours and Activities in Kruger National Park

For Kruger National Park, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Citrus farm tours with Primos gin tastings: $23
  • Full-Day Guided Tour in the Kruger National Park: $85
  • Private 4x4 Safari Tour in Kruger National Park: $113
  • Sabie Game Reserve Sunset Safari Tour with Sundowners: $158
  • Private Guided Panorama Full Day Tour : $173
  • Private Full Day Kruger National Park Safari Tour from Hoedspruit: $183
  • Kruger National Park Sunrise Half-Day Safari Tour: $183
  • 3-Day Safari Tour and Treehouse Stay: $737

Tours and Activities in Johannesburg

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johannesburg are as follows:

  • Full-day Johannesburg Bike Or Walking tour - With Transport: $76
  • Golf Tour, Sun City , Gary Player Course - Rated the Best: $231
  • Half-Day Safari Tour of the Magaliesberg Mountains by Zipline: $124
  • Private Full Day Johannesburg apartheid museum and Soweto Tour : $112
  • Rhino and Lion Park Safari Tour : $113
  • (Meet the Artist)Art Gallery & Street Art tour with lunch: $38
  • 1 Day Pilanesberg Safari with Tour Guide: $271
  • 2 Days Kruger Fly-in Big 5 Safari Tour from Johannesburg: $1,014
  • 2-Day Kruger National Park Safari Tour from Johannesburg: $953
  • 2-Day Kruger Overland Big 5 Safari Tour: $858
  • 3 Day Kruger Safari Tour from Johannesburg: $952
  • 4 Day Kruger Fly in Big 5 Safari Tour from Johannesburg: $1,483

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Kruger National Park $4.13
    Johannesburg $4.69

Sample the Local Flavors in Johannesburg

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Johannesburg:

  • Wine Tasting Experience in Johannesburg: $8.42
  • Wine Tasting: $11
  • Hop on Hop Off Johannesburg Pub Crawl: $12
  • Wine Tasting and Cableway Half Day Tour: $139


When comparing the travel costs between Kruger National Park and Johannesburg, we can see that Johannesburg is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Africa, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kruger National Park Expensive? and Is Johannesburg Expensive?.