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

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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.

Which place is cheaper, Johannesburg or Kruger National Park?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Kruger National Park is $78, while the average daily cost in Johannesburg is $90. 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 $46
    Johannesburg $52
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Kruger National Park $92
    Johannesburg $104
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 $24
    Johannesburg $15

Typical Local Transportation prices in Johannesburg

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


  • Taxi Ride
    $3.08

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:

  • Transfer and Shuttles: $50
  • Tour operator. airport and hotels transfers chauffeur and safari tours services.: $37
  • Suncity Transfer: $151
  • Round Trip O.R. Tambo Airport (JNB) Transfer to Johannesburg City Center: $84
  • Return Private Transfers to Sun City from OR Tambo Airport or Joburg Hotels: $141
  • Private transfer: Johannesburg to Johannesburg Airport (JNB): $38
  • Private transfer: Johannesburg Airport (JNB) to Johannesburg: $38
  • Private transfer service from OR Thambo, Lanseria and Wonderboom Airport: $33
  • Private Transfer: Johannesburg, Pretoria or Sun City to JNB Airport by Minivan: $64
  • Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Sun City/Pilanesberg National Park: $125
  • Private Transfer: JNB Airport to Johannesburg, Pretoria or Sun City by Minivan: $76
  • Private Johannesburg Airport Arrival Transfer: $49

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 $15
    Johannesburg $16

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Johannesburg

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

  • JoburgPlaces Secret Underground Storytelling Dinner: $57
  • JoburgPlaces Migrant Cuisine Storytelling Dinner: $57
  • Johannesburg Cooking Class: $60
  • A Private Traditional Cape Malay Cooking Class, with a MKR Finalist: $95
  • Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve Tour with Carnivore Dinner: $154
  • 3-Day Kruger National Park Safari including Breakfast and Dinner: $672
  • 4-Day Kruger National Park Safari including Breakfast and Dinner: $850
  • 4-Day Kruger Park Safari & Panoramic Tour Combo including Breakfast and Dinner: $903
  • 5-Day Kruger National Park Safari including Breakfast and Dinner: $1,115
  • 5-Day Kruger Park Safari & Panoramic Tour Combo including Breakfast and Dinner: $1,119

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Kruger National Park $20
    Johannesburg $20

Tours and Activities in Johannesburg

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

  • 10 Day - Kruger Park - Swaziland - Durban - Lesotho - Drakensberg Tour: $2,214
  • 15 Days - Johannesburg, Kruger National Park and Cape Town Tour: $4,025
  • 2 Days/ 1 Night - Dinokeng Safaris and Cullinan tours: $312
  • 3 Day Unlimited Kruger National Park Safari Game Drive from Johannesburg Tour: $639
  • 3 days tour package - Soweto/Apartheid Museum/ Pretoria/Lion Park: $312
  • 3-Day Kruger National Park Experience: $794
  • 3-Day NON-SHARED Private Group Kruger Safari Camping Tour from Johannesburg: $3,013
  • 3-day Cradle of Human Kind, Sun City and Pilanesberg Big 5 Tour: $990
  • 4 Hour Johannesburg City Tour: $74
  • 4-Day Johannesburg to Soweto Pretoria Private Tour Farm Stay: $503
  • 4-Day Private Guided Safari Tour of Madikwe with Meals: $938
  • 5 Day Greater Kruger National Park Adventure Safari: $1,066

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Kruger National Park $3.95
    Johannesburg $4.49

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: $10
  • Johannesburg Pub Crawl: $57

About these numbers

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kruger National Park and Johannesburg, we can see that Johannesburg is more expensive. And not only is Kruger National Park much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Kruger National Park would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kruger National Park and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Johannesburg would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Johannesburg than you might in Kruger National Park.

Related Articles for Kruger National Park
Cape TownDurbanJohannesburgSowetoPretoriaPort Elizabeth

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Kruger National Park vs. Johannesburg Travel Comparison

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