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South Africa - Kruger Challenge

© Bateleur Eagle by Clayton Burne
South Africa - Kruger Challenge - Northern pre-tour Extension 2026

06 Feb 2026 - 12 Feb 2026 (7 days)

ZAR47,950 - 3 Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: James Wade Lee

Tour price (Per person): ZAR47,950 * USD2,759 * GBP2,102 * EUR2,408 * AUD4,255

Single Supplement: ZAR3,550 * USD204 * GBP156 * EUR178 * AUD315

South Africa - Kruger Challenge - Cape pre-tour Extension 2026

07 Feb 2026 - 12 Feb 2026 (6 days)

ZAR36,950 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Julian Parsons

Tour price (Per person): ZAR36,950 * USD2,126 * GBP1,620 * EUR1,855 * AUD3,279

Single Supplement: ZAR2,800 * USD161 * GBP123 * EUR141 * AUD248

Flight costs (Linked Tour): ZAR2,310 * USD133 * GBP101 * EUR116 * AUD205

South Africa - Kruger Challenge 2026

12 Feb 2026 - 21 Feb 2026 (10 days)

ZAR32,995 - Spaces Available on this guaranteed departure

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Tour Leader: Rockjumper Tour Leader TBC

Pricing notes : A meal supplement of ZAR5,000.00 will be charged per person to cover all meals for the duration of the Challenge.

Tour price (Per person): ZAR32,995 * USD1,899 * GBP1,447 * EUR1,657 * AUD2,928

Single Supplement: ZAR6,550 * USD377 * GBP287 * EUR329 * AUD581

South Africa - Kruger Challenge - Cape post-tour Extension 2026

21 Feb 2026 - 26 Feb 2026 (6 days)

ZAR36,950 - 2 Spaces Available on this guaranteed departure

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Tour Leader: Jan Pienaar

Tour price (Per person): ZAR36,950 * USD2,126 * GBP1,620 * EUR1,855 * AUD3,279

Single Supplement: ZAR2,800 * USD161 * GBP123 * EUR141 * AUD248

Flight costs (Linked Tour): ZAR2,310 * USD133 * GBP101 * EUR116 * AUD205

South Africa - Kruger Challenge - Eastern post-tour Extension 2026

21 Feb 2026 - 03 Mar 2026 (11 days)

ZAR73,950 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: David Hoddinott

Tour price (Per person): ZAR73,950 * USD4,256 * GBP3,242 * EUR3,713 * AUD6,563

Single Supplement: ZAR3,950 * USD227 * GBP173 * EUR198 * AUD351

This unique and fun birding and wildlife challenge provides the opportunity to explore the world-famous Kruger National Park in north-eastern South Africa, from its remote north to its vast south. Not only will you get to experience amazing birding and wildlife viewing, but you will also be assisting in saving a special bird from imminent extinction. All proceeds raised will go directly to BirdLife South Africa for vital research and conservation work to protect one of Africa’s, and indeed the world's, most endangered and little-known species – the White-winged Flufftail. Rockjumper Birding Tours has volunteered its resources and expertise to arrange and coordinate this event and will not be benefiting financially.

Kruger National Park is one of Africa’s most famous, oldest, largest and magnificent reserves and will play host to this birding and wildlife challenge during February 2026. In total, a maximum of 8 teams will take part in what will be a light-hearted, exciting competition where teams explore Kruger National Park from top to bottom, recording all the species of birds and mammals they encounter over an 8-day period. Each team of up to 9 participants will have its own open safari vehicle, professional safari driver guide, and experienced volunteer birding leader. Each team will be awarded a single point for every species of bird and mammal, regardless of the difficulty associated with locating the species, and the team with the highest score at the end of the 7 days will be crowned the Birding & Wildlife Champions of Kruger. We will be exploring the length of Kruger from Punda Maria in the north to Berg-en-Dal in the south. The challenge will begin in Johannesburg, where we will enjoy a welcome dinner and a briefing. Thereafter, we will all transfer to Mopani and the challenge begins as we enter Kruger National Park. The challenge ultimately concludes in Berg-en-Dal for an epic final night of festivities and prize-giving.

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

Teams of 9 with with 1 expert leader and one driver guide

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

300+

Other Attractions

vast, pristine wilderness

Photographic Opportunities

excellent

What our clients say about us

Daniel Danckwerts
EL, South Africa 2022

Daniel Danckwerts was excellent—great hearing and eyesight and was excellent at pointing out exactly where the skulky bird was lurking. He was able to find the group many birds that various members of the group had missed on previous trips to South Africa. And more importantly, he was a store of information about the birds, animals and Kruger. Teamed up with Daniel was our most excellent Kruger driver-guide Dirk who knew where everything was and could find it. We navigated this very complicated trip (flight to Skukuza, travel in south Kruger, flight to Cape Town, testing for covid, boarding the MSC Orchestra and off on our cruise around the Cape of Good Hope only with Daniel’s help and guidance. I am hoping to return to Kruger (for the third time) to bird with Daniel and Dirk on the Kruger Challenge. More than the birds, the trip was fun.

Heinz Ortmann
JM, South Africa 2016 (Private)

We were very happy to have Heinz Ortmann as our guide. He operated the tour very skilfully in every way and with flexibility when needed to try to get all possible targets. We were also very positively surprised that he had such a great knowledge about mammals, butterflies, reptiles and amphibians beside the birds. Since we also are very interested in all these groups, this was a most welcome bonus. A great tour that we will remember for a long time. We would be very happy doing another private trip with Heinz as our guide.

Daniel Danckwerts
TT - South Africa Rallid Quest 2019

There are not enough superlatives to describe Daniel Danckwerts! He is a superstar of a guide and I am glad I had the opportunity to tour with him, because he will be in great demand when the word gets out how amazing this tour was! Although he is one of your junior guides, he conducts himself with poise and confidence in excess of his years. His passion for birding, culture and history is unsurpassed and his laugh is absolutely infectious.  He knew all the hotspots for the notoriously difficult species on this tour and even when the birds weren't cooperating, he devised innovative means to ensure the group would have the best opportunity to see these very, very elusive birds. We learned a few lessons on this inaugural tour about patience and stamina.... it is certainly not for the faint-hearted because it requires a lot of hard work but the rewards certainly exceeded the effort.  Where else do you have the opportunity to see mythic flufftails and crakes all in one place? I will absolutely travel with Daniel again!

Gregory de Klerk
RO, South Africa 2022

Gregory was an excellent tour leader and bird guide. I would happily travel with him again.

Glen Valentine
BC, South Africa 2021

Hi. Glen and Julian were great guides. I really enjoyed spending time with them. The trip was great, lodging was great. The wineries were amazing, as were the bird and animal sightings. I would travel with Glen or Julian again any time!

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