If there’s one place animal lovers should visit at least once in their life it’s Kruger National Park in South Africa. Kruger has the Big 5 in abundance as well as a plethora of other animals and bird-life. It delivers an enthralling safari experience that will stay with you forever.
Kruger National Park blew us away, both in terms of size, and the incredible wildlife encounters we had!
The anticipation, excitement and eagerness will consume you as you explore the park knowing at any moment you may come face to face with a magnificent leopard stalking its prey, or a mighty elephant herd bounding from one side of the road to the other.
Once inside the park there are no fences, gates or boundaries, except of course for us humans, refined within the constraints of our vehicles or camps that are locked at night!
We instantly fell in love with Kruger. So much so we set our alarms for 5:00 am each morning so we could leave the camp gate by the time it opened at 6:00 am and maximize our game viewing time. We didn’t want to miss a thing! From seeing a huge heard of elephants playing in the mud on our first day to seeing a hyena stealing a leopards kill on the last, Kruger is a place that captures your heart and imagination at every turn.
The Wildlife
The vast and fascinating array of wildlife you can stumble across each day makes Kruger a wildlife lovers paradise, and the unpredictability of not knowing what you may see next only adds to the intrigue and excitement of a Kruger safari.
Kruger is home to all of the Big 5 – lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo, but you will also find an impressive number of other species. 147 mammals, 114 reptiles, 507 birds, 49 fish and 34 amphibians all call Kruger home.
It’s not unusual to see hundreds of buffalo crossing into the river, huge groups of baboons strolling care-free down the road or mighty elephant herds crushing through the trees to get to the other side of the road.
During our time on safari we saw large numbers of elephants, giraffes, buffalo, wildebeest, kudu, impalas, baboons, hippos, zebras, as well as many different types of birds. There are animals that are harder to spot such as lions, leopards, cheetahs and rhinos, but we still saw all of them more than once during our time in Kruger.
The Location
Kruger is located in northeastern South Africa and covers an enormous area of over 7,500 square miles! The distance between the south and the north of the park alone is around 220 miles. In fact it’s so big it’s roughly the same size as some small countries such as Wales and Israel.
The north of the park borders with Zimbabwe and the east borders Mozambique. The only South African town that borders with Kruger National Park is Phalaborwa.
How To Get To Kruger National Park
There are two main ways to get to Kruger National Park and the way you decide to get there will mainly depend on how much time you have and your budget.
By Car
A popular route to Kruger is to fly into Johannesburg’s O.R Tambo Airport, rent a car and drive. This is the route that we chose. You can fly to Johannesburg from a huge number of destinations and there are hundreds of cars that can be hired directly from the airport for a very reasonable cost.
There are a few different routes to Kruger depending on which gate you will be entering the park by. The most popular area of the park is the south and this is also the quickest area to get to from Johannesburg’s Airport.
The quickest and easiest route is using the N4 highway. There are a few places where you will need to pay a toll charge, but the cost is relatively low and worth it for the convenience. The cost from the airport to two of the nearest gates Malelane Gate or Crocodile Bridge Gate is 214 rand. Use this website if you want to know the exact toll cost for your journey before you travel. We got from the airport to the Malelane Gate in 4 hours, but it may take longer depending on traffic.
If you’re heading to the Crocodile Bridge Gate you can continue along the N4 for about another 45 minutes from the Malelane turn off. If you’re heading to the Paul Kruger Gate it is likely to take at least 5 hours. You can still use the N4 for most of the journey, but then you will need to come off onto smaller roads that are slower.
Tip – Ensure you leave enough time to get from the entry gate to your camp as you may get fined if you get to the camp late.
Tip – Make sure ‘avoid toll roads’ is off on whichever GPS map you are using. If you leave it on it will show you a much longer route.
By Air
There are three airports near to Kruger National Park and one inside the park. Cars can be hired from all of them.
To access south Kruger:
- Kruger Mpumalanga International Aiport – 50 minutes flight from Johannesburg, 2 hours 25 minutes from Cape Town and 1 hour from Durban. The nearest Kruger gate is Numbi Gate which is a 50 minute drive. The Malelane and Phabeni Gates are around a 1 hour drive.
- Skukuza Airport – located inside Kruger National Park at the biggest camp also named Skukuza. The flight from Johannesburg is 50 minutes and the flight from Cape Town is 2 hours 30 minutes.
To access central Kruger
- Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport – 1 hour flight from Johannesburg and 2 hours 30 minutes from Cape Town. There is no direct flight from Durban. The nearest gate is Orpen Gate which is a 40 minute drive. Phalaborwa Gate is an hours drive.
To access norther Kruger
- Hendrick Van Eck Aiport (Phalaborwa) – you can only fly here from Johannesburg and it’s a 1 hour 10 minute flight. The nearest gate is Phalaborwa and it’s just a 5 minute drive. The next nearest gate is Orpen Gate which is an 1 hour 30 minute drive.
There are also shuttle flights available from Johannesburg’s O.R Tambo Airport to airstrips at some of the private game reserves such as Sabi Sands and Timbavati, which border Kruger National Park.
The Entry Gates
There are nine entry gates into Kruger National Park. The first camp or lodge you’re staying at will usually determine which entrance gate you’ll use. There can be considerable distances between the gates and camps inside the park, especially when the maximum speed on the tar roads is 50 km/h and 40 km/h on the gravel roads. Be sure to to take this into consideration when planning your Kruger itinerary.
When you first enter the gate you will need to fill in and sign a form. The registration of the vehicle is required, as is the passport number and signature of all members of the group.
All timings below are without stopping to look at or photograph wildlife. You will see plenty of wildlife when travelling between the gates and the camps so allow extra time for this. Timings between Johannesburg Airport and the gates are with no traffic so journey times may be considerably longer.
To access south Kruger
At the lowest south end of Kruger there is the Crocodile Bridge Gate and the Malelane Gate. These are two of the nearest gates to drive to from Johannesburg.
- Crocodile Bridge Gate – the nearest main camp is Crocodile Bridge Camp which is located at the gate. This is also the nearest gate to the popular Lower Sabie Camp. It will take around an hour from the gate to the Lower Sabie camp. The gate is around a 4 hour 45 minute drive from Johannesburg Airport.
- Malelane Gate – the nearest main camp is Malelane Camp which is located at the gate. The gate is around 4 hours from Johannesburg Airport. We left the airport at 8:00 am and got to the gate for 12:00 pm. We stayed at Lower Sabie Camp first which is about 3 hours from the Malelane Gate, although it actually took us 5 hours as we kept stopping to take photos. As we knew we had arrived in plenty of time we choose to enter through this gate. Skukuza Camp, which is the biggest camp, is around 1 hour 45 minutes from the gate.
There are three gates located at the south east of the park. Numbi Gate, Phabeni Gate and Paul Kruger Gate. These are also in the closest proximity to Johannesburg Airport.
- Numbi Gate – the nearest main camp is Pretoriuskop Camp which is 20 minutes from the gate. Skukuza Camp is around 1 hour 30 minutes drive from the gate. The gate is around 4 hours 15 minutes from Johannesburg Airport.
- Phabeni Gate – the nearest main camp is Pretoriuskop Camp which is 45 minutes from the gate. Skukuza Camp is around an hour from the gate. The gate is around 4 hours 30 minutes from Johannesburg Airport.
- Paul Kruger Gate – this is the nearest gate to the biggest camp in Kruger – Skukuza camp. It will take 20 minutes to get to Skukuza from this gate. Lower Sabie Camp is 1 hour 30 minutes from this gate. This gate takes at least 5 hours to get to from Johannesburg Airport so is the furthest southern Kruger camp from the airport.
To access central Kruger
There are two gates located in central Kruger – Orpen Gate and Phalaborwa Gate.
- Orpen Gate – the nearest main camp is Orpen Camp which is located near the entrance gate. The next nearest main camp is Satara Camp located about an hours drive from the gate. You could drive here from Johannesburg Airport, but it would take around 6 hours so only plan to head straight here if you’re leaving the airport early and you’re staying in the Orpen Camp.
- Phalaborwa Gate – the nearest main camp to this gate is Letaba Camp which is about an hours drive away. Olifants camp is around 1 hour 45 minutes from the gate and Mopani camp is around 1 hour 30 minutes from the gate. It’s at least a 6 hour drive from Johannesburg Airport to this gate and with no camp at the gate it isn’t recommended you drive straight here in one day from the airport.
To access north Kruger
There are two gates located in north Kruger – Punda Maria and Pafuri.
- Punda Maria Gate – the nearest main camp is the northernmost main camp in the park which is the Punda Maria Camp. The camp is about 20 minutes from the gate. It’s still possible to drive here from Johannesburg Airport but it will take at least 6 hours.
- Pafuri Gate – this is the northernmost entrance to the park and is very near to the Zimbabwe border. There aren’t any camps in close proximity to this gate so if you enter using this gate you will need to ensure you have enough time to get the nearest main camp Punda Maria Camp. It will take you around 1 hour 30 to get from the gate to the camp.
All gates have an entry and exit cut off time and these must be strictly adhered to, if you arrive at a gate late you may be subject to a fine.
The gates open at either 5:30 am or 6:00 am and close at either 5:30 pm, 6:00 pm or 6:30 pm. The times change depending on the time of year so be sure to double check the times before you travel. The camp gates close at the same time as the entry gates so bear this in mind if your camp is some distance from the gate.
Getting Around Kruger National Park
There are two main options for game viewing in Kruger National Park and that’s to self drive or go on game drives from the camps or lodges. You can of course do a combination of the two, which gives you the best of both worlds.
Self Drive
The self drive option allows you the freedom to explore the park at your own pace. You can decide when you want to stop and for how long, which roads to take and generally spend the day as you please in the comfort of your own air conditioned car.
We loved driving around ourselves and were out all day, everyday exploring as much of the park as we could. We liked to be up early and out into the park when the camp gates opened at 6:00 am and would usually be out till the gates closed. We didn’t want to miss a thing whilst in Kruger and when the park was open we wanted to be out seeing as much wildlife as possible.
We stayed at a different camp each night so we would spend the morning around the camp we had just left before taking a slow drive to our next camp, adding in some detours along the way.
Do you need a 4×4 in Kruger National Park?
In Kruger the roads are very well maintained, with the main roads being tarred and the smaller side roads being good gravel roads so you don’t need a 4×4. A small car is the cheapest option to rent and is perfectly fine for driving round the park.
We knew we would be in the car for most of the day so opted for a small SUV as we wanted to have a more comfortable journey. An SUV gave us a higher ground clearance which was better for viewing wildlife, and afforded us more space to move around and take photos. This was a good compromise for us and more affordable than a 4×4, but it wasn’t a necessity.
Tips for self driving in Kruger National Park
- Ensure you stick to the speed limits of 50 km/h on tar roads and 40 km/h on gravel roads.
- Be patient – animals can block the road sometimes so just wait for them to pass, if it’s a massive herd of buffalo crossing it may take a while. Remember you are in their territory so they have right of way.
- Animals can also step out suddenly into the road from behind the trees and bushes so always be aware. Unfortunately we did see a couple of dead impalas in the road while we were there, which was very sad to see.
- Carry a map with you, and use an offline map to check your location and to get an estimate of travel times to the nearest picnic spot or camp.
- Plan toilet and food breaks into your day and mark the locations on the map. When you’re away from the camps and on gravel roads you can be quite a distance from the nearest toilet so its best to plan in the breaks.
- Take some water and snacks with you in the car. It can get very hot in the day so always ensure you have enough water with you as you may not always be that close to a picnic spot or camp with a shop. We took lunch with us in the car so we could eat whenever we got hungry. It was great to find a quiet spot, pull over and watch the wildlife from the car.
- Keep an eye on the time and make sure you head back to your camp in plenty of time before the gates close. If we got back earlier than we expected we just stayed driving around the roads nearby to the camp and always saw more wildlife.
- If you spot wildlife and you want to stop, pull over onto the side of the road where the wildlife is (even if that is the opposite side of the road). This is printed in the Kruger leaflet you receive at the gate as it means you get to stop and take photos, but cars can still easily get around you if they don’t want to stop.
- Ensure you have unlimited kilometre’s with your rental option as it is likely you will spend a huge part of your day driving round the park and the kilometres’s can soon build up.
- Make a note of the emergency numbers on the leaflet you will be given upon arrival. If you get a flat tire stay in the car and give the number a call, or if you’re phone won’t dial out wait for another car to pass and ask them to call them for you.
Game Drives
Although the abundance of wildlife in Kruger will almost guarantee you’ll have plenty of wildlife sightings, a game drive will allow you a rest from driving and the chance to explore the park with someone who knows it well. The game driver will also have contact with other game drivers who will be able to share their sightings with each other, giving you an insight that you aren’t privileged to on your own.
All of the main SANPark camps offer guided game drives, with many of the camps offering sunrise, sunset and night game drives. The price varies from camp to camp with the rate starting from 328 rand per adult and 162 rand per child.
Wildlife Viewing Tips
Wildlife is just that – wild, so there is only so much you can do to increase your chances of seeing the animals you want to see and the rest is down to luck. With the amount of animals there are in Kruger you’re bound to see the big 5 during your time there, but remember to enjoy all the other animals as well. Here are some tips to help you while you’re there.
- The big cats tend to be more active in the morning and evening when it’s cooler.
- In the winter when there is less water, head to the watering holes and rivers that still have water as you are more likely to find a congregation of wildlife there. Sunset Waterhole near to Lower Sabie Camp is huge and was full of a large number of hippos, with many other animals also going there for a drink.
- Drive slowly as it will be easier to spot animals that are well camouflaged.
- Look under trees for cheetahs and up in the tree branches for leopards.
- Look out for other cars stopped on the road as there is likely to be a good sighting. If you’re late to get there though you may struggle to get a good viewing spot. If you’re lucky enough to be one of the first there pull over to the side of the road where the animal is and park up so there is enough room for others still to get through.
- Check out the sightings boards at the main rest camps. Although a sighting may have been hours earlier it gives you a good indication of where there is lots of wildlife. Unfortunately rhino sightings can’t be added to sighting boards due to poaching.
- Look out for cars driving past you with the window down, it’s likely they are about to share a sighting with you so you can go and try to spot it yourself.
- Keep an eye out for vultures circling above as it is usually a sign that a kill has just been made so you may be able to spot one of the big cats nearby.
- Don’t think that just because you saw an animal in one place on one day that it will still be there the next. Kruger is huge and many of the animals move around a lot so it’s likely to have moved on from one day to the next.
Where To Stay In Kruger National Park
There are many different options to choose from within Kruger National Park, from camping to luxury lodges.
There are also lots of options near to or on the outskirts of the national park, including the many private game reserves such as Sabi Sands. These private game reserves are not actually in the national park, but they do border the park (many with unfenced boundaries).
Due to its popularity accommodation within the park can sell out quickly and up to a year in advance in peak season so ensure you book well ahead.
The different options within Kruger National Park are:
- Main Rest Camps – there are 12 main rest camps within the park. These camps have electricity, a shop, braai and communal kitchen facilities, a restaurant and/or self-service cafeteria and a petrol station. Within each camp there are various accommodation options ranging from camping to huts, bungalows, safari tents and guest houses and cottages. Some accommodation types, like the bungalows, then have different options that also varies the price. For example how many beds, river views, communal or private kitchens.
- Satellite Camps – there are 4 satellite camps and each one varies in terms of facilities, although all are very small with almost no facilities and are situated near to one of the main rest camps where you check in. All offer camping sites, with a couple also having other basic accommodation options. Balule is the most basic as it doesn’t provide any electricity or other facilities so offers a back to basic experience.
- Bushveld Camps – there are 5 bushveld camps, which are smaller and more remote restcamps. These camps don’t have any shops or restaurants. The only accommodation options here are cottages with private ablution and kitchen facilities.
- Overnight Hides – there are 2 overnight hides, which offer a unique accommodation experience. They are a bird hide by day and turn into a primitive overnight dwelling at night where you can experience Kruger National Park’s nightlife firsthand.
- Bush Lodges – there are 3 bush lodges providing a private and exclusive experience within the park. A lodge consists of private units that link to communal areas, making this ideal for larger groups looking for a unique experience. There aren’t any shops or restaurants, but there is a gas stove and braai available.
- Campsites – there is 1 large camping only campsite in Kruger which offers a rustic experience. There are 30 campsites and none have electricity or generators. Each site has its own braai, but the kitchen and ablution facilities are shared.
The above options are all run and booked through SANParks website
- Luxury Lodges – there are 10 different luxury lodges situated within concessions in Kruger National Park and are booked through the lodges own websites. These 5 star lodges offer ultimate luxury so are perfect for if you want to stay in the park, but stay somewhere with all the comforts you could need. You will find a list of the lodges here with links to their websites.
Our Stay In Kruger National Park
During our trip in late September we stayed at 4 different main rest camps – Lower Sabie, Satara, Olifants and Skukuza. We stayed in bungalows with private ablution facilities, some we booked with a private kitchen (which are outdoors) and others without. The bungalows offered all we needed, but they are fairly basic so don’t expect anything fancy when staying in the main rest camps. We thought it was well worth the money though, just to be able to stay within the boundaries of one of the best national parks in the world.
The shops in the camps we stayed in had all the basic food you could need like bread, eggs, fruit, as well as limited meat supplies. They also sell snack food and sandwiches and pasties that you can heat up. Alcohol can also be purchased at the shops, along with souvenirs and other items like torches that you may have forgotten to bring.
Lower Sabie
A very popular camp and was our favorite of the four we stayed in. We really liked the location in the south of the park and we had some fantastic game viewing near the camp. It’s near to a huge waterhole and a large river so in dry season especially there are a lot of animals in this area. There is a small boardwalk that looks down over the river, offering some great views of the area. It has one restaurant open all day that overlooks the river and takeaway is also available. We found the breakfast options here were great. There is also a large shop and a swimming pool.
Olifants
This camp is in the centre of the north and south areas of the park. It has a high vantage point with fantastic views over the huge Olifants River. When we went in late September the river was very dry, so there wasn’t much wildlife, but the views were still incredible. There is a restaurant overlooking the river and we ate there at sunset, which is highly recommended. There is also a shop and takeaway food available. This camp was a lot quieter than the others we stayed in and had a relaxing feel to it.
Satara
This camp is situated in the central area of Kruger, but still nearer the south of the park than the north. This is a large camp, with a shop, restaurant with take away options and a swimming pool. On the main road you take to the camp from the south of the park was where we saw the most big cat sightings during our stay, which included a hyena stealing a leopards kill. The fertile grazing land in the area attracts vast herds of antelope, which in turn attracts the big cats.
Skukuza
This is by far the biggest of the main camps and even has it’s own airport. It has a large shop, 2 restaurants with take away options, 2 swimming pools and every other facility a Kruger camp has to offer. This was also the only campsite that had any WiFi, although it was only available near the restaurants and was rather slow. There is also a completely separate area here for day visitors that includes a swimming pool. The camp is in a great area of the park so is an ideal camp choice to stay at for your first or last night.
How Many Days Do You Need In Kruger National Park?
Kruger National Park is enormous and with all the amazing wildlife to see you may never want to leave, equally if you’re self-driving you will be spending a lot of time behind the wheel so take that into consideration when choosing how long to stay.
We would advise 4 nights as the minimum amount of time to spend in Kruger. This gives you plenty of opportunity to spot the big 5 more than once, and many of the other animals in the park, without it being too rushed. It also allows you to stay in more than one camp so you can see different areas of the park.
The Entrance Fees
There are different entry prices for South African Residents, SADC Nationals and foreign visitors.
The standard daily conservation fee for foreign visitors when visiting Kruger National Park is:
- 372 rand per adult, per day
- 186 rand per child, per day
If you’re going to be in Kruger for a week or more then it would be worth investing in a Wild Card. Wild Card’s can be purchased directly from SANParks website and individual, couple and family cards are available. This card allows access to 80 plus parks and reserves around Southern Africa for a year.
The cost for a couple to visit Kruger for 7 days paying the standard daily conservation fee would be 5,208 rand and the cost of a couple’s Wild Card is 4,530 rand.
Best Time To Visit Kruger National Park
Although Kruger can be visited all year round, the best time of year to visit is when it’s easiest to spot wildlife. During the dry, cooler, winter months of May to September the game viewing is at its best, this is especially so during the latter months of July, August and September.
The lack of rain means less water in the rivers and waterholes so large numbers of wildlife can be seen congregating around the small amounts of water that is still around. The vegetation is also leafless and sparse making it easier to spot a lion stalking its prey in the bush or a leopard relaxing up a tree.
Winter – May to September
- The dry season so almost no rain at all
- During June, July and August it can be a chilly 9 degrees in the morning so pack warm clothing for early game drives or if you’re camping.
- In the daytime it still heats up with temperatures around 26 degrees, sunshine and clear skies.
- In September it starts to get hotter with the heat building to 29 degrees and the mornings are also less chilly.
Summer – October to April
- The first rains usually arrive at the end of October.
- The summer months are hot and humid with temperatures often in the low 30’s, although some days can reach into the late 30’s.
- A lot more rain, with afternoons thunderstorms being frequent.
- The upsides to visiting during summer is that this is when the baby animals are born, the vegetation is lush and green and birding is excellent.
What To Pack For Kruger National Park
- A camera, or two if you can so more than one of you can have a camera when you’re parked up at a good sighting
- A good telephoto lens for getting the best, up close wildlife shots. We weren’t sure on whether this would be necessary, but we’re so glad we had one with us. We recommend at least a 400mm zoom
- Extra batteries and memory cards for the cameras as we guarantee you will take lots of photos
- USB camera charger, you can charge more than one battery at a time and many adapters now come with USB ports
- Binoculars for extra help spotting wildlife
- USB car charger, very useful for keeping phones charged, especially if you are using them for navigating
- Sunscreen and sunglasses, the sun in Africa is very strong so ensure you pack a high sun protection factor and good quality sunglasses
- Torch and/or head torches as the camps can be very dark at night
- Plug adapter – the large three prong adapter – you won’t find this plug on any universal adapter so will need to buy a specific adapter for South Africa
- Light, cotton clothing if visiting in the warmer months as it can get very hot being inside the car all day or out in a safari vehicle
- Layers and warm clothing if visiting in the cooler months as it can get very chilly in the mornings and evenings, especially if going on a game drive in an open vehicle, but then it can warm up by midday
- Comfortable shoes, especially if you’re doing the driving
- A wide brimmed hat to protect the back of your neck, especially if you will be doing game drives
- First aid kit
- Lip balm and moisturiser as it’s very common to get dry lips and skin
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