phone-icon 1-888-990-5552 email-icon info@rockjumper.com
user-icon
Log in / Register

South Africa - Flock to Marion - Kruger pre-tour Extension

© Bateleur Eagle by Clayton Burne
South Africa - Flock to Marion - Kruger pre-tour Extension 2028

26 Jan 2028 - 30 Jan 2028 (5 days)

ZAR46,500 SPACES AVAILABLE

client-img

Tour Leader: Rockjumper Tour Leader TBC

Book Now

Tour Price (Per person): ZAR46,500 (USD2,786 * GBP2,145 * AUD4,146 * CAD4,039)

Single Supplement: ZAR4,995 (USD299 * GBP230 * AUD445 * CAD434)

Flight costs: ZAR4,840 (USD290 * GBP223 * AUD432 * CAD420)

Kruger National Park is one of Africa’s great wilderness destinations, a vast expanse of bushveld, woodland and riverine habitat supporting an extraordinary diversity of birds and mammals. Renowned worldwide for its game viewing, Kruger also offers some of the most exciting and rewarding birding on the continent, making it an ideal destination for those wanting to experience the very best of both.

Using the park’s excellent road network, we will explore a range of habitats in search of its rich avifauna and iconic African wildlife. The legendary “Big Five” — Lion, African Elephant, Leopard, African Buffalo and Rhinoceros — will naturally be among the mammal highlights, with Kruger providing exceptional opportunities to observe these impressive animals in their natural environment.

For birders, the park’s immense tracts of protected wilderness support a superb selection of large and charismatic species. Key targets include Common Ostrich, Kori Bustard and the unmistakable Southern Ground Hornbill, while the skies and treetops may produce Martial Eagle, Bateleur, several species of vulture and an outstanding diversity of other raptors. The park’s rivers, grasslands and mixed woodlands add still further variety, ensuring that almost every outing brings something new.

Combining classic African safari experiences with superb bushveld birding, this tour offers the chance to enjoy Kruger at its very best — from close encounters with some of the continent’s most iconic mammals to memorable sightings of its equally impressive birdlife.

Please note: these prices are subject to foreign exchange fluctuations.

 

Top Birds

Common Ostrich, Kori Bustard, Red-crested Korhaan, Southern Ground Hornbill, Bateleur, Martial, Crowned, African Hawk- and Tawny Eagles, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Lizard Buzzard, Lappet-faced, Cape, White-backed, Hooded & White-headed Vultures, chances for the elusive African Finfoot, White-crowned Lapwing, Swainson’s & Natal Spurfowls, Coqui Francolin, Bronze-winged Courser, Double-banded Sandgrouse, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Southern White-faced Owl, Pearl-spotted & African Barred Owlets, Southern Red-billed & Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills, Brown-headed Parrot, Bennett’s Woodpecker, Grey-headed Bushshrike, Burchell’s & Cape Starlings, Magpie & Southern White-crowned Shrikes, Red-headed Weaver, White-throated Robin-Chat, Acacia Pied Barbet, Burchell’s Coucal, Chestnut-vented Warbler, Stierling’s Wren-Warbler, Violet-eared Waxbill, Burnt-necked Eremomela, African Pygmy & Giant Kingfishers, Black, Woolly-necked, Saddle-billed & Yellow-billed Storks, African Openbill.

Top Mammals

The ‘Big 5’, Cheetah, African Wild Dog, Side-striped Jackal, Greater Kudu, Giraffe, Spotted Hyena, Nyala, Common and Central African Large-spotted Genets, Wild Cat, African Civet, Serval, Cape Porcupine, White-tailed Mongoose, Klipspringer, Thick-tailed Greater Galago, Honey Badger, Caracal.

Habitats Covered

acacia savanna, bushveld, terminalia woodland, riverine forest, grasslands, rivers, wetlands

Expected Climate

subtropical with occasional rain, warm to very hot

Max Group Size

Up to 9 with 1 Rockjumper leader & local leader

Tour Pace & Walking

UNDEMANDING: This tour is ideal for birders and wildlife enthusiasts of all experience levels. It’s suitable for most mobility levels and offers a relaxed pace, ensuring an enjoyable experience for everyone.

relaxed

Accommodation

comfortable

Ease of Birding

easy

Number of Species Expected

180+

Other Attractions

vast, pristine wilderness

Photographic Opportunities

excellent

What our clients say about us

Julian Parsons
DT, South Africa

Our short custom tour with two day trips out of Cape Town was really excellent. Our guide Julian was knowledgeable and engaging and generally a great fit for our small family of three. We found almost all our main target species and Julian was always quick to set up the scope to ensure we all got great views of the more distant birds. As a family with a range of interests including not only birds, but also mammals and plants, we really appreciated that Julian found the right balance between trying hard to find some of the more difficult birds and allowing some extra time for studying plants, especially at Kirstenbosch. Thanks Julian, for a great couple of days! Thanks also to Daniel and Laverne for your help with planning and logistics!

James Wade Lee
IS, South Africa - Cape Extension (Small Group) III 2026

I`d like to write some words about our guide, James Wade Lee. I must admit that I haven’t met such a good bird guide in a long time. Despite his young age, Wade is an excellent guide – he knows the calls of all the birds perfectly and can spot them without fail. Many times we all searched through our binoculars in the thick undergrowth for a singing bird, and it was always only Wade who found it – somewhere in the tangle of twigs in the distance. It’s clear he has a fantastic grasp of the terrain. On top of that, he’s polite, friendly, very well-mannered and has good breeding – what more could one ask for? Congratulations on having such a brilliant guide. Please pass on my warmest regards to Wade. With thanks for the wonderful trips.

James Wade Lee
JM - South Africa 2024

Great tour with amazing birds to see. Greg and Ward did a terrific job of finding the birds and making sure we saw everything. Kruger National Park was spectacular and we had unbelievable views of the animals. Loved the safari vehicle through the park and would recommend using it on future tours. The van was good as we all had window seats. Unfortunately there were issues with opening a couple of the windows along with electrical issues with the refrigerator and charging units at each seat but the guides adjusted to the situation as needed to make the experience a good one. The trip had a lot of time inside the van and sighting/seeing birds from the van. I would have liked more walking maybe on the roads when possible but I understand we were trying to see as many birds as possible. Overall a remarkable trip lead by professional, experienced guides and a great group of birders made this trip memorable.

Glen Valentine
AC, South Africa Mega

Glen's pacing of the tour was particularly good - relaxed whenever possible and upping the pace when necessary. His responsiveness and attention to client requests was admirable, as was his general demeanor throughout. Nice to spend such a long trip with someone so enthusiastic and sociable.

James Wade Lee
FZ, South Africa - Zagst (Eastern Pre-Tour Ext) 2026

We had one room without an AC. The manager of the Inn stressed not to leave the windows open because of the monkeys. We were later told that the monkeys were not active a night. You could have your windows open at night and during the day if you were in the room. Wade’s birding skills were top notch, and his local knowledge enhanced the trip. It was very nice having the flexibility of a private tour. We birded hard, but were able to take a couple hours “off” during the afternoon on some days. 310 lifers over 10 days was a great way to start our South Africa trip.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

  • Your details

  • Contact permission

    We would love to send you Newsletters (twice yearly).via Type a message, Promotions/Discounts (weekly), Blog Articles/Image of the Month (monthly) and other content that we think you would find interesting. If you are happy with this then please select your preferences below. If you would like to unsubscribe from previous subscriptions, or leave our mailing list entirely, then please do so by visiting the Preference Centre link at the bottom of these emails.

Route Map

Tour Route Map