Our rates are inclusive of Dinner, Bed and Breakfast.

Travelling in South Africa: The Ultimate Bucket List Destinations

The Kruger National Park welcomes visitors. There are plenty of picnic places, rest stations, and day visitor areas. At the entry gates, a map shows all of these stops. Before your vacation, plan how much you can travel and see in a day.

South Africa Bucket List

South Africa is a spectacular vacation spot, but there’s so much to do that it’s almost impossible to choose which destinations to add to your bucket list. Its rich culture, fascinating history, thrilling wildlife, and breathtaking scenery makes it a desirable holiday destination for tourists across the globe. Several trips to this nation would merely provide a taste of the many wild and beautiful experiences the country has to offer. We’ve selected our top 3 South African  bucket list locations.

Kruger National Park

During any journey to South Africa, seeing the Big Five should be at the top of your bucket list. But did you know that in a single visit to Kruger National Park, you have a legitimate opportunity to see all five of Africa’s most famous animals?

The Kruger National Park is home to hundreds of different kinds of animals, including rhinos, leopards, elephants, lions, buffalo, and many more. At the Kruger Gate Hotel join a once-in-a-lifetime Kruger Big 5 Safari to get the best chance of seeing the Big Five. Morning, all-day, afternoon, and night safaris, as well as private or group safaris are available. Guests can even pre-order a packed breakfast to pick up the following morning to snack on during their safari.

Click here for more information on Kruger Gate Hotel’s game drive packages, and book your accommodation here.

Drakensberg

The province of KwaZulu-Natal is home to the magnificent mountain range known as the Drakensberg. The mountains span around 1000 kilometres and end at the Lesotho border. In this region, you may plan a stay at one of the picturesque hotels, B&Bs, guest houses, farm stays, campgrounds, or RV parks and experience a variety of excursions. When visiting the Drakensberg, you have the option to hike at several scenic locations.

For those who are feeling particularly adventurous, staying overnight in a cave is an even more unique experience. The Drakensberg World Heritage Tour and guided horseback rides are two other fantastic local activities. We strongly advise you to visit the Drakensberg to see the landscape for yourself since it speaks for itself.

Table Mountain

Table Mountain is an experience that should be on everyone’s South African bucket list because of its iconic flat summit, amazing vistas, and exhilarating cableway. Ride the aerial cableway up to the rocky plateau, which is covered in lush Cape fynbos. Once there, you will be able to take in the breathtaking views of Cape Town’s beaches and beyond.

While you’re at it, why not add the famous hiking trail, Lion’s Head, to the list? You’ll probably work up a sweat, but when you reach the top, you’ll be treated with one of the most breathtaking views the city has to offer. We’d say it’s 100% worth the exertion.

Guest Reviews

The hotel is fantastic. The staff are super helpful and friendly. The rooms are clean and well presented. The restaurant is a beautiful environment with great food on offer for all palettes. The hotel surroundings/views are out of this world. A special mention to the private dining team, especially Zenda who went above and beyond to ensure our experience was amazing. 10/10.

Posted on 08/05/2026 by Google

Ótimo localização, alimentos e equipe

Posted on 12/05/2026 by Hotels.com

Great experience, nice hotel, nice staff, with a lot of accommodations, in a very nice location (close to Skukuza airport and one of the Kruger gates).

Posted on 11/05/2026 by TripAdvisor

Fantastic stay at Kruger Gate hotel. Our room was gorgeous with a large comfy bed. The breakfast buffet was fantastic with lots of Gluten free options. We loved watching the monkeys at breakfast. The dinners were also very tasty and loved enjoying a drink round the fire after dinner. The main reason for our trip was the safaris. We did one each of the morning shared and the afternoon shared which were both good but our highlights was the full day private safari. It was organised great, they gave us a breakfast box before we left for the day and stopped at the local golf club for lunch. The hotel arranged all our safaris and airport transfers and it all ran super smoothly & we saw the big five. Also to mention the spa was great and lovely to have a massage overlooking the river with elephants in. Would definitely recommend this hotel

Posted on 12/05/2026 by TripAdvisor

This place is absolutely incredible, all the staff are so friendly with a lovely disposition. Dinner is in a beautiful outdoor setting with such a wide range of beautifully prepared dishes. The safari Organization was superb with breakfast packs prepared in the mornings ready to take at 5.30am and they even have a barista on hand for those needing a good coffee. The location is right in front of the Kruger gate and you can see hippos, kudu, impala and crocodiles from the infinity pool area.

Posted on 12/05/2026 by Booking.com

Loved the facilities of the pool bar, gym, shops, bars and restaurants on site. Room was so big and spacious. Very clean and comforting. Food was awesome too!

Posted on 11/05/2026 by Booking.com

Magnifique hôtel avec des chambres très confortables. Nous avions une suite exécutive qui était juste splendide.
les animaux viennent à proximité de la terrasse (Kudu et Impala )
le restaurant et la piscine sont superbe … vue incroyable sur la rivière … on a vu des éléphants ainsi que des hippopotames.
La situation de l’hotel a 500 mètres de la gate. Les games drive organisés étaient top. La nourriture était excellents. On y reviendra avec certitude.

Posted on 07/05/2026 by Booking.com

Geweldig verblijf: de mensen, de kamer, het zwembad, het eten, alles is perfect en iedereen ontziet je. Jammer dat we hier maar drie nachten verbleven.

Posted on 13/05/2026 by Booking.com

Location fantastic, all services provided efficiently and with a smile. Food great, senior chefs oversaw everything

Posted on 08/05/2026 by Booking.com

Lugar espetacular, comida boa e muito bonito.

Posted on 06/05/2026 by Booking.com

Le calme, les animaux devant la piscine à débordement, le sentiment de sécurité, la proximité avec l\'entrée du parc

Posted on 09/05/2026 by Booking.com

Excellent rapport qualité prix . Fortement recommandé.

Posted on 12/05/2026 by Booking.com