Kruger-Cape Town combo: which way to do the circuit?

Alright, this time it's definite—I'm heading to South Africa next October! 😎

Two weeks for a Kruger-Cape Town combo is short... but better than nothing 😉 Before booking the flight tickets, two quick preliminary questions (more will definitely follow): Is there a preferred direction (Kruger first or Cape Town first)? Is it better to go during the first half of October, the second half (or the middle 😏), or does the current unpredictable weather make it all pretty much the same in the end?

Hello,

For those of you who already know the basics, weather-wise, the later in spring you go to Cape Town, the better (so the second half of October). For the same reasons, end your trip in Cape Town.

Hi Muriel 😉

It looks like there are school holidays in early October in South Africa.

So it's best to check the dates and avoid that period for Kruger.

Personally, I’d start with Cape Town and finish in Kruger, but that’s because I find Kruger way more spectacular. (I’ve never gone back to Cape Town—the city—while I’ve been to Kruger several times.) Some people might disagree.

For the weather, I had bad weather in the Cape region even though it was the best season, and it was very hot in Kruger even though it was winter. I don’t know what to think anymore!

As Voyou mentioned, the later you go into spring, the drier the weather should be.

Now that the destination is set 😊, it's time to plan the trip!

To each their own—tastes and colors can’t be debated. Back in 2016, I started with Kruger and ended in Cape Town, a city I loved for its light and the diversity of its landscapes (and nearby vineyards).

And let’s not forget Lion’s Head! Shoutout to Michel, who should dust off his hiking boots!

So, I’d vote for Kruger first.

And if the wallet’s *very* well-stocked, one of my unattainable dreams: the train between Cape Town and Johannesburg…

Thanks to all three of you for your... divergent opinions! 😏

@Jean-Luc: that’s the reasoning I’d followed too... while having the same concerns as Agnès about the weather and how spectacular the two regions are.

@Agnès: I thought I’d be safe from school holidays in October... guess I’ll need to look into that... I wasn’t considering a return to South Africa without a wildlife park where you’re guaranteed to see animals (hence Kruger, even if it means spending days transferring between Johannesburg and Kruger, which feel a bit "wasted"). Similarly, I’ve often thought about exploring the South but always ended up ditching the idea for destinations that seemed more "exotic" or at least more of a change of scenery.

@Bruno: yep, Brazil (well, mostly Iguaçu Falls) will have to wait until 2027 or even 2028.

And if the wallet is (very) well-stuffed, one of my unattainable dreams: The train between Cape Town and Joburg...

Alas, my wallet is far from that full 😕! I definitely haven’t forgotten Lion’s Head (Michel’s mentioned it enough! 😏)... just need to find the time to squeeze it in somewhere. But I’ll come back to you once I’ve booked the tickets (it depends on my travel buddy, who still hasn’t confirmed her dates) and done a bit more planning.

If you don’t wanna waste too much time, you can consider this circuit and tweak it to your liking.

Unless you’re *really* keen on seeing the Big Five, I’d skip Addo.

There are animals in Karoo NP and Mountain Zebra NP, plus some gorgeous landscapes (though not as varied as Kruger, for sure).

Addo is more animal-packed but not as wild.

I’d forgotten you’d deleted all your old VF travel journals 😏 I’ll have to reread 😉 I did think about an eastward loop from the Cape, but I’m worried I’d be disappointed with the wildlife—even though there are animals in the Karoo and Mountain Zebra, spotting them seems pretty hit-or-miss. Plus, it seems like you need a 4x4, and I’d prefer to rent a sedan.

Mountain Zebra and Karoo NP have roads and tracks for regular cars as well as 4x4 trails. It seems Michel saw more animals there than I did. (These parks are still developing)

With a domestic flight, you can do Cape Town, the vineyards, the coast/Little Karoo, Swartberg Pass, Karoo NP, Mountain Zebra, then fly from Port Elizabeth to Joburg and finish with Pilanesberg, where you’ll find the Big Five and nice landscapes without having to drive too many kilometers. The issue is that staying in this park on non-4x4 tracks is quite expensive. Outside the park, it’s not great.

Anyway, to cover fewer kilometers and waste fewer days, you’d swap Kruger for another Big Five park: Addo is the easiest, but if I had to choose, I’d pick Pilanesberg...

Without Pilanesberg, no need for a domestic flight or dropping off the car elsewhere—the most budget-friendly option.

Either way, avoid Addo and Pilanesberg during South African school holidays and on weekends.

A review of Pilanesberg is at the end of this travel journal.

Otherwise, you can also go all the way to KTP if it's the big cats you want to see! 😛 Quite a few kilometers...

The route I took the only time I stayed in Cape Town went through Namibia (in a regular car): Joburg, KTP, Sesriem, Fish River Canyon, Paternoster, and Cape Town if I remember correctly. Lots of kilometers too...

But the simplest and most "Big Five" option is to include Addo or Pila if you want to enjoy the Karoo and the coast. 😉

Clever, now that I’d actually made up my mind relatively quickly for once (me, who usually dithers for weeks 🤔), you’ve gone and planted doubt in my head . Since I’m heading back to Johannesburg anyway, I’d rather do Kruger than Pilanesberg. I thought Addo wasn’t too popular with Southern Africa regulars, but I’ll think about it....

Yeah, Addo isn’t well located—the landscapes aren’t anything special, and it can get really crowded—but it’s the only "Big Five" park in the area. It saves you a ton of kilometers and travel time for a two-week trip.

Also, how long were you planning to stay in Kruger? If it’s 5 nights, why not (though at that point, you won’t see much of the western part of the country...).

Basically, I was planning to spend 5 nights in Kruger, with the last night outside the park after spending the day inside (e.g., Hazyview) to save time getting to the airport. But I just took a look at the different camps: hardly any availability left in what I’ve seen so far 😕

Maybe you're looking at a school holiday period? It's bad for the whole month???

I think I’ll start a new thread about the Kruger part, since they changed the title of this one—it’s getting off-topic now But to answer your question, the small camps are all fully booked (there’s still the odd night available here and there, but not when it works for me, except maybe Tamboti, where there seems to be a bit more space). And in the big camps, all the bungalows with a view are booked up. For the others, though, there are still quite a few available. That’s the case for the whole of October. From what I found online, South African school holidays run from 24/09 to 4/10, so that’s not the issue here.

There are also school holidays in Europe, and I think South Africa is pretty trendy right now. Plus, the small camps are *really* small...

Hi there,

It’s a good question, and the answer isn’t straightforward... Honestly, I don’t think there’s a huge difference between the two options.

You’ll want to consider school holidays to avoid crowds in Kruger National Park (KNP). Other than that... personally, I’d start with Cape Town to catch the peak whale season—fewer whales stick around as the season progresses.

For the flight connection from CT to KNP: via Johannesburg, Mbombela, Skukuza, or Hoedspruit?

On the return to Johannesburg, it depends on your exit point—Dullstroom and the Crichton Hackle Lodge are great stops.

I can confirm that Mpumalanga (MZ) and Karoo National Park were incredibly rewarding for me. But even with that luck (or skill!), the wildlife density doesn’t compare to KNP. Further north, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) is usually less abundant in wildlife but richer in big cats and hyenas—though not in my experience. It’s a high-altitude park, and accommodations often book up *way* in advance.

For anything else... if you’ve got questions, just ask!

Thanks Michel for your reply. KTP—I’ve already been there (and saw very few big cats there too—some cheetahs at the entrance, but otherwise a dying lioness and a very distant lone lion). On the other hand, I was lucky with the accommodations since I managed to book Kieliekranke two months in advance 😎. However, I’ve never been to Kruger (Elephant Plains… but that’s not Kruger ).

For the whales (which I’ve already seen on other trips elsewhere), we’ll keep our fingers crossed 😉 Off to check your other reply…

Not even a word for LH? 😢

Alright, that’s enough of this discussion—you’re gonna make me want to go to South Africa! 😂

Same here! !😉

Hi She noted !

Latest update... Some might say it wasn’t worth asking 😉... but with airfare being so volatile and unpredictable, the Air France flight we’d initially considered, which arrived on a Saturday at 11 AM, shot up in price in no time. Change of plans: we’re going with British Airways (their prices stayed steady) but arriving in Cape Town and flying back from Johannesburg due to flight schedules (too early on Friday from Johannesburg). So it’ll be Cape Town first, then Johannesburg. Fingers crossed for the weather—and thanks for all your advice and tips on the Kruger route (which stays pretty much the same, just the dates have shifted).

Hi Muriel!

I’m also heading to South Africa for my next trip! 🙂 I’ll be there in a month for a journey through St. Lucia / Hluhluwe / Eswatini / Kruger, and Timbavati.

I can give you feedback afterward if all goes well—though right now, Kruger is flooded, which is a disaster.

I’m not gonna help you either, Bruno, ‘cause there’s a good chance this’ll end up in my next travel journal...

Hello Pascale

1 month! So lucky 😉 It’s true that our winter isn’t the best season for Kruger... but by the time you go, let’s hope the weather has improved and there hasn’t been too much damage (I read that people were evacuated from their camp, but it didn’t specify which one).

I’ll be happy to read your feedback 🙂

I won’t help you either, Bruno, because it’s very likely to be my next travel journal...

It’s always a pleasure to read a trip report about these parts of the world! Can’t wait! 😊