Learn to Be A Safari Guide in Kruger National Park

Visit South Africa

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.

Day 2

Johannesburg to Kruger National Park

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. After settling in, it's time for our first adventure, an unforgettable game drive and night drive, to get introduced to the reserve, its wildlife, and that sweeping night's sky.

Day 3

Kruger National Park

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.

Day 4

Kruger National Park

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.

Day 5

Kruger National Park

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.

Day 6

Kruger National Park

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. Then it's time for another game drive, where we'll have the opportunity to take a walk and put everything we've learned into practice.

Day 7

Kruger National Park

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.

Day 8

End 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?

Dining Summary

7 Breakfast (B)

6 Dinner (D)

5 Lunch (L)

FAQs

London: What is a Detour? 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.

London: How many people will be on my trip? 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.

London: What’s included? 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.

London: What’s not included? 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!

London: Can I stay for a few extra days? Our Detour trips are short & sweet (and loaded with fun activities). That’s why we don’t offer pre or post trip accommodation.

Kruger: What are the Big 5? Lions, leopards, rhinoceros, elephants and buffaloes make up the Big 5 AKA the most prestigious animals to spot on safari.

Kruger: How strenuous are the activities on this trip? Not much. There’s some walking on this trip but it’s suitable for those with basic fitness.

Kruger: Is this trip for 18-35s only? Nope, whether you’re young or just young at heart – everyone is welcome on this trip.

Kruger: Is this trip exclusive to Contiki? 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.

Kruger: Is there a Contiki Trip Manager on this trip? 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!

Kruger: Can you cater for dietary requirements? 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.

Host

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

Included Experience

Kruger National Park: 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 

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

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

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