Getting to Your Photographic Safari

Flights to Johannesburg

Guests should plan their travel to arrive at the Johannesburg (OR Tambo) airport the morning of the first published trip date.

We recommend guests fly to JNB through New York Kennedy (JFK) airport. This flight offers several advantages over the other options: (see below for other options)

  • Non-stop flight. From our years of traveling to Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, it may seem like a long time in the plane, but layovers are far more taxing and add days and dollars to your travel.

  • It arrives in Johannesburg in the morning which allows the group to get to our lodge by afternoon and start experiencing wildlife. It also minimizes your time in the less secure city and gets you out into the country where it is more worry-free.
  • Easy connections to and from your home city

South Africa Airlines code shared flight with United Airlines / Star Alliance

Date Flight From Depart Arrive Destination
April 16SA204 JFK 11:15 am 8:35 am April 17 JNB
April 26 SA203 JNB 20:35 6:40 am April 27 JFK
12 Day Safari Travel Dates
May 29 SA204 JFK 11:15 am 8:35 am May 30 JNB
June 10 SA203 JNB 20:35 6:40 am June 11 JFK

The return trip is also non-stop and leaves conveniently in the evening. You will be able to enjoy the morning at the lodge and do some activity before departing for the airport

The flight arrives back in New York in the early morning which will allow you to catch onward flight home.

 

Other ways to get to Johannesburg:

From Australia: Please choose a flight that arrives before 9:30 am in order to meet up with the group or else we can assist you with a clean, safe, and economical hotel in JNB for the night. We can meet you at the hotel after picking up the guests from the USA/JFK flight

 

Delta Flights from ATL (Atlanta) or SAA/United Flights from IAD (Washington Dulles)

These flight leave in the evening which is convenient for connected from your home city, but they arrive in JNB in the late afternoon and will require you to arrive a day early and overnight in Johannesburg. We can recommend a safe, economical hotel which is convenient for us to pick you up the next morning after we have collected the rest of the group.

PROS: The advantage here is that you can sleep off the long flight and you will be picked up mid morning with the other guests

CONS: Not a nonstop flight. The stop either on the return or outbound flight will add an hour or more to your time in the plane (and disturb your sleep) You will need to arrive a day before the rest of the group and stay in an airport hotel in Johannesburg.We will then pick you up on our way from the airport around 9:30 am.

Flying through Europe: if you do this I recommend taking a few days in your layover city to break up the flight. Please choose a flight that arrives before 9:30 am in order to meet up with the group or else we can assist you with a clean, safe, and economical hotel in JNB for the night. We can meet you at the hotel after picking up the guests from the USA/JFK flight

Guests who are planning to experience other parts of South Africa or Africa either before or after our safari should look into flying to our regional airport of Hoedspruit (HDS – Eastgate).