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.

The average daily cost (per person) in Kruger National Park is $79, while the average daily cost in Johannesburg is $93. 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 $47
    Johannesburg $53
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Kruger National Park $94
    Johannesburg $106
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 $16

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kruger National Park

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

  • Transfer - Skukuza Airport to Southern Sabi Sand Reserve: $184

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Johannesburg

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


  • Taxi Ride
    $3.15

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:

  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Johannesburg APT-HTL (JNB): $38
  • Transfers Between OR Tambo and Pilanesburg : $173
  • Tour operator. airport and hotels transfers chauffeur and safari tours services.: $30
  • Sibunono Shuttles and Transfers : $25
  • Shuttle Transfer from Johannesburg to Hazyview: $65
  • Shuttle Transfer from Johannesburg Airport to Hazyview: $65
  • Return Private Transfers to Sun City from OR Tambo Airport or Joburg Hotels: $116
  • Private Van Airport Transfers : Johannesburg, Sandton, Pretoria: $71
  • Private Transfers from Johannesburg Airport to Hotel/Game Lodge: $105
  • Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Sedan Car: $62
  • Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Car: $104
  • Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Sedan Car: $62

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 Kruger National Park

For Kruger National Park, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Sabi Game Reserve Sunset Safari Tour with Dinner: $137

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: $39
  • Taste of Africa Food Tour: $45
  • A Private Traditional Cape Malay Cooking Class, with a MKR Finalist: $95
  • Johannesburg Culture and food tour: $97
  • Pan-African Cooking & Dinning Experience: $210

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Kruger National Park $21
    Johannesburg $20

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:

  • Kruger Safari Tour - Morning Half Day: $52
  • Kruger National Park Sunrise Half-Day Safari Tour: $178
  • 3-Day Safari Tour and Treehouse Stay: $677

Tours and Activities in Johannesburg

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

  • Golf Tour, Sun City , Gary Player Course - Rated the Best: $222
  • Half-Day Safari Tour of the Magaliesberg Mountains by Zipline: $119
  • Private Full Day Johannesburg Historical Tour : $189
  • Rhino and Lion Park Safari Tour : $96
  • Soweto half day tour including Mandela House.Private transport: $57
  • 10 Days Overland Tour-Johannesburg and Cape Town: $2,624
  • 15 Days Johannesburg, Kruger National Park – Cape Town Tour: $3,935
  • 3 Day Kruger National Park Tour from Johannesburg: $834
  • 3 Days 2 Nights Panorama Tour & Kruger National park Safari: $1,076
  • 3 Days Big 5 Kruger National Park Tour from Johannesburg: $1,191
  • 4-Days Overnight Experience in The Panorama Route & Safari: $1,685
  • 5 Days -Johannesburg Tour with Kruger 3 Days Safari: $1,600

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Kruger National Park $4.05
    Johannesburg $4.60

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: $8.20
  • Private Johannesburg Wine Tasting and Cableway Half Day Tour: $112


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.

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?.