Panorama Route & Kruger road trip: Johannesburg to the park
≈ 585 km driving in total · ~9 h · ideal in 9 days · 6 stops
The drive to South Africa's great game park, taken the long way — over the escarpment where the highveld drops away into one of the world's largest canyons, past waterfalls and river potholes, and down into the lowveld to finish with the Big Five. Self-driving Kruger is genuinely easy, and doing your own game spotting beats being handed it.
Photo: Unsplash
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The route at a glance
- Johannesburg — 1 night
- Dullstroom — 1 night
- Graskop — 1 night
- Blyde River Canyon — 1 night
- Hazyview — 1 night
- Skukuza — 3 nights
The stops
- 1
Johannesburg
Give it a morning: the Apartheid Museum is one of the best museums anywhere, and Soweto tours run from the city. Then head east.
- 2
Dullstroom
A misty fly-fishing village at 2,000 m — log fires, whisky bars and trout dams. The last cold place before the escarpment drops.
- 3
Graskop
Base for the Panorama Route. God's Window looks 900 m down into the lowveld, and Bourke's Luck Potholes are cylinders drilled into rock by two rivers meeting.
- 4
Blyde River Canyon
One of the largest canyons on Earth and the greenest — 25 km of red sandstone under subtropical growth. The Three Rondavels viewpoint is the picture.
- 5
Hazyview
The staging town at Kruger's Phabeni Gate — stock up here, because prices inside the park are what you'd expect.
- 6
Skukuza
Kruger's main camp on the Sabie River. Drive the loops at dawn and dusk, when everything moves; the S1 and Lower Sabie roads are the reliable ones.
Good to know
May–September is dry season: thin bush, animals concentrated at waterholes, and low malaria risk — but check current prophylaxis advice for Kruger regardless. Park gates open at sunrise and close strictly at sunset, with fines for late arrival; plan drives around them. The Panorama Route viewpoints charge small individual entry fees, cash is useful. Roads are good tar throughout; inside Kruger, stay in the car except at designated sites.
Panorama Route & Kruger road trip: Johannesburg to the park — FAQ
- How long does the Panorama Route & Kruger road trip take?
- 9 days is comfortable — about 9 hours behind the wheel across 6 stops, ≈ 585 km of driving in total.
- How far is Skukuza from Johannesburg?
- This itinerary covers ≈ 585 km (364 miles) of driving in total, via Dullstroom, Graskop, Blyde River Canyon and more.
- What are the best stops between Johannesburg and Skukuza?
- Dullstroom, Graskop, Blyde River Canyon, Hazyview — each one is on the route below. Open the trip on the map to add, drop or reorder them.
- Where should you stay on the Panorama Route & Kruger road trip?
- The itinerary sleeps in Johannesburg, Dullstroom, Graskop, Blyde River Canyon, Hazyview, Skukuza. Open it on the map to see places to stay along the route and what the nights will cost.
More road trips
Wondering what it adds up to? See what this and every other route costs — stays, food, getting around and fuel, priced by region and season before you book anything.
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