This site is operated by The Travel Corporation, not by Costco. Use of this site (and any destination you reach through this site) is subject to The Travel Corporation’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, rather than those of Costco.
Skip to content
Call Us   (877) 789-3558
Amalfi coast

Learn To Be A Safari Guide In Kruger National Park

Everyday Price From

$1,535

8 days

No Countries

Overview

Ever dreamed of being a safari ranger? This is the trip for you. Set in the heart of Kruger National Park, you'll get up close with the Big 5 and even closer to what life’s like for the Game Rangers who protect them. With expert Game Ranger guides leading the way, you’ll learn to navigate, track, and survive in one of the world’s most iconic wildernesses. Your days will be filled with learning, game drives, tranquil trails and unforgettable wildlife encounters. Get ready to discover what it's like to live life on the wild side.

Locations Visited

Johannesburg, Kruger

Countries Visited

South Africa

Travel Style

Detour, For 18 - 35 year olds

Accommodations

7 nights included

Age Requirements

Social travel experiences for 18-35 year olds

learn-to-be-a-safari-guide_2024_pad-1.png

Itinerary

COLLAPSE ALL EXPAND ALL

Day 1

Johannesburg

Welcome to South Africa! An included transfer will take you to your hotel close to the airport. You have today to explore Johannesburg - head to the Apartheid museum for a dose of history, check out sprawling Soweto, or take the Gautrain to the shopping destinations of Rosebank or Sandton. 

  • Accommodation

    A conveniently located hotel


Departing Johannesburg today, we'll drive to Pafuri Gate, the entrance to Kruger National Park.

After meeting our guides and taking the safety briefing, we'll get acquainted with Makuleke Camp. The agenda for tonight? Set up a crackling bonfire, chill with your crew and get ready for all the magic that awaits us tomorrow.

  • Accommodation

    Glamping in Kruger National Park (Or similar)


  • Meals

    Breakfast

    Dinner

Highlights

highlights.title

Glamping in Kruger National Park

Welcome to Makuleke Concession – the ancestral land of the Makuleke people (and one of the best birding spots in Kruger!). Here, you’ll stay in permanent glamping tents with proper beds, en suite bathrooms, and chef-cooked meals. Best part? By staying at this camp, you're directly contributing to wildlife conservation and helping preserve this beautiful and vital land for future generations.

highlights.title

10 Game Drives or walks

During this trip, you'll take take 10 guided ‘Game Drives’ or walks throughout Kruger National Park on a quest to spot the ‘Big Five’ and more. #bucketlist 

Rise and shine! Today is all about Ecology & Conservation, so after a cooked breakfast we'll head out on a game drive or bush walk. Along the way our Game Ranger guide will teach us about the area's ecology and geology, as well as how the wildlife interact with the land. Back at camp we'll enjoy an interactive discussion by our instructor about the inter-relatedness of geology and soils, weather and atmosphere, food webs and energy flows, and habitats and conservation. Clued up on all things ecology, we'll then head out on another game drive, incorporating game viewing with an emphasis on ecology and the topics covered during the lecture. 

  • Accommodation

    Glamping in Kruger National Park (Or similar)


  • Meals

    Breakfast

    Lunch

    Dinner

Today's topic is tracking, an essential skill if you want to be a safari ranger! We'll take a morning bush walk and learn all about how to identify animal tracks. After living our best Aragorn lives, it's back to camp for our daily lesson, focussing on track identification and trailing skills. Then it's time to put it into practice, as we take a bush walk and try and trail some animals.

  • Accommodation

    Glamping in Kruger National Park (Or similar)


  • Meals

    Breakfast

    Lunch

    Dinner

Highlights

highlights.title

Learn the Secrets of a Safari Guide

Learn all about their experiences and daily activities in this tour, which is designed to mirror actual Safari Guides training. 

 

Good morning! Today's topic is bird identification and behaviour, so we'll take a morning walk and learn how to spot different types of birds using reference guides. Back at camp we'll enjoy another interactive discussion, this time on Kruger's magnificent birdlife. Then it's time for our game drive, as we try to spot hornbills, storks, kingfishers, starlings and more, learning about their behaviour and conservation status. 

  • Accommodation

    Glamping in Kruger National Park (Or similar)


  • Meals

    Breakfast

    Lunch

    Dinner

Another day, another fascinating topic - this time Navigation & Orientation. We'll take a trail from camp and learn how to use nature as a tool to navigate and orientate ourselves in the bush. Making our way to the midday picnic spot, we'll enjoy lunch in the bush, discussing everything we've learned, before heading back to camp. Here we'll take our interactive discussion around bush skills and navigation, including how to use landmarks, the sun, a compass and maps to make our way in the wild. Tonight, we'll spend a night under the stars! So, settle down into your camps and snooze to the view of the star-studded sky of the Southern Hemisphere. Oh, and if you're up for it - you can even take turns on night watch!

  • Accommodation

    Glamping in Kruger National Park (Or similar)


  • Meals

    Breakfast

    Lunch

    Dinner

Highlights

highlights.title

Spend a Night under the African Stars

Ready for a sleep-out you'll never forget? Tonight, we'll delve into the Southern Hemisphere's starry skies, spot constellations, and soak up the silence. What's more? You & your crew can even take on optional night watch responsibilities for the full safari guide experience.

One more day of lessons, and today's topic is animal identification and behaviour. We'll take our customary morning bush walk, trailing from camp and learning about the behaviour of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish and arthropods. Then we'll enjoy another interactive discussion on how to identify and study wildlife, before another afternoon game drive, with a focus on spotting Big Game animals. 

  • Accommodation

    Glamping in Kruger National Park (Or similar)


  • Meals

    Breakfast

    Lunch

    Dinner

Highlights

highlights.title

One-day ‘Game Drive’ in Kruger National Park

Keep watch for 'The Big Five' on a full day game drive in the Kruger National Park.

It's our final day! But don't feel blue: we've still got time for one more unforgettable game drive to end the trip on the high... 

Then it's back to Johannesburg where our adventure comes to an end. But having lived life on the wild side, it's hard not to start planning our next safari...Botswana, anyone? 

  • Meals

    Breakfast

  • { "url": [ "http://content1.travcorpservices.com/media/17501/safari-1.jpg" ], "alt": "Glamping in Kruger National Park" }
  • { "url": [ "http://content1.travcorpservices.com/media/qvlc3xu5/nicholas-ferreira_1-1.jpg" ], "alt": "10 Game Drives or walks " }
  • { "url": [ "http://content1.travcorpservices.com/media/mozhnrvn/ecotraining_jono_roff-_final-dump-46-1.jpg" ], "alt": "Learn the Secrets of a Safari Guide" }
  • { "url": [ "http://content1.travcorpservices.com/media/yk1bkowv/day6_delta-game-drive-1_top90_shot_06.jpg" ], "alt": "Spend a Night under the African Stars" }
  • { "url": [ "http://content1.travcorpservices.com/media/doznhaz4/elephant_makuleke_apr-2023_cameron-clements-2-of-3-1.jpg" ], "alt": "One-day ‘Game Drive’ in Kruger National Park" }

Highlights

Host

  • Head to Kruger National Park and discover what it takes to do this dream job! 

FAQs

  • Our Detour trips are minibreaks packed full of unique, local-led experiences. They’re perfect if you’re looking for a short weekend trip or just wanna spend a little more time at your destination.

  • You know we love social travel here. While most of our trips have large groups, the Detour trips are all about small group travel. Check out the maximum group size on the trip page above, your group will never be larger than this.

  • In classic Contiki style, your accommodation and transport are included in the trip. Plus, we’ll sort out some meals and activities that are outlined in the itinerary. That’s not all, though. You’ll also have an expert Local Host to give you an inside scoop at every destination. 

  • All you have to do is check whether you need a visa (and apply for one if you do!), book your insurance and arrange your transport to the start location of the trip. We’ll handle the rest!

  • Our trips are short & sweet (and loaded with fun activities). That’s why we don’t offer pre or post trip accommodation. 

  • Lions, leopards, rhinoceros, elephants and buffaloes make up the Big 5 AKA the most prestigious animals to spot on safari.

  • Not much. There’s some walking on this trip but it’s suitable for those with basic fitness.

  • Nope, whether you’re young or just young at heart – everyone is welcome on this trip.  

  • This trip is your chance to make new friends from all around the world (even beyond Contiki!). You’ll find a mix of people on this trip who may have booked through other operators. Don’t worry, you’ll still get the same awesome experience, we promise. 

  • There won’t be a specified Contiki Trip Manager on this trip. But don’t worry. You’ll have professionally trained safari guides with you the whole time. They’re absolute experts in their field & are the perfect people to show you the Safari ropes. Plus, they’re locals too!

  • Your Host will endeavour to cater for specific dietary requirements where possible. Vegetarianism, lactose intolerance, and gluten intolerance will be catered for in most instances. There are, however, some meals and activities that are fixed in advance and therefore cannot be modified to suit dietary requirements. Please use My Contiki to notify us of any dietary requirements at the time of booking. For those suffering from particular food allergies, your Host will endeavour to disclose to their fullest knowledge the main ingredients in the dishes being consumed. It is, however, your personal responsibility to ensure that you do not ingest any foods to which you are allergic.

  • As the name suggests, a Special Stay ain't your ordinary accommodation - it's much more than that. Think of it as an experience in its own right. On this trip, you'll be able to camp under the stars (all while being surrounded by wildlife) at your Special Stay.

  • You don't have to. Your road crew will set up camp, cook meals, and clean up afterwards - but you're always welcome to help!

  • You'll have access to your very own private ensuite (shared with just one more traveller). These come with proper toilets, hot showers and everything you need.

  • Nope, you're all good! All equipment (tents, sleeping bags, etc) will be provided for you.

What's Included

Whats Included

  • Love wildlife? Always wanted to be a safari ranger? This adventure puts you in the heart of Kruger National Park, where you'll get up close and personal with the Big 5 whilst experiencing what life is like for Game Rangers. With your expert Game Ranger guides, you'll participate in game drives and walks, discovering what it's like to live life on the wild side. 

Results: loading...

Definite Departures Only

Special Offers

Airfare is not included, but can be added to quote upon request.

Tour Version Selected

You have successfully selected a different version of this tour

Terms & Conditions

Trip Notes:

  • ​Please note that airfare to and from your start/end destinations are not included in the cost of your trip.
  • Call 1-877-456-0527 for great deals from the USA to & from all start/end cities for your selected itinerary.
  • Internal flights as specified on individual trip itineraries are included as part of the trip price.
  • Travel to Europe from the USA often requires an overnight flight. Please arrange flights to arrive on or before Day 1 of your itinerary start date.

Terms & Conditions:

  • ​Prices listed are land only & do not include airfare to and from the start/end of the tour.
  • Prices listed are per person, based on twin or multi-share. If you’re traveling solo, we can pair you with a same-sex roommate at no extra cost or you can upgrade to a single for an additional cost, based on availability.
  • For departure points and stay longer accommodation options call 1-877-456-0527 for more details.
  • ​​'Exclusive Costco Member Price' is available upon member login. 
  • 'Price with Current Deals' reflects current applicable 'Last Minute Deals.' Last Minute Deals are available on select departures only and only available to travelers departing from the United States; not combinable with any other promotional offers; full payment due at time of booking. 
  • All discounts are for new bookings only, subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Call or request a quote for complete details.
  • ​​​Trip prices and information are correct at the time of the products going live, however are subject to confirmation - please confirm all details at time of quote and booking.
  • For full details, please refer to our Terms & Conditions or FAQs page.
  • For Travel Insurance, please refer to our Travel Insurance page.
  • Other conditions may apply. CST#1001728-20