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General information

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All the information you need about the Kruger National Park.

Location and size	Directions	Gate times	Climate
Speed limit	Distances	Day visitors	Malaria
Conservation fees	Facilities	Best season to visit the park

Location and size

The Kruger National Park is situated in the north-eastern tip of South Africa and stretches over two provinces – Limpopo and Mpumalanga. The park covers a staggering two million hectares (nearly five million acres), which is about the size of Israel. Not all of the park is open to the public. A large section of private game reserves in the south-west has been added in recent years and contains a number of luxury private lodges.

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Directions

By road

The shortest route from Johannesburg to the Kruger National Park is to drive east on the N12 highway. This links up with the N4 highway on which you continue in an easterly direction towards Nelspruit. From Nelspruit, the two closest gates are Malelane and Numbi. Malelane Gate can be reached by continuing east on the N4, while Numbi can be reached by turning north towards Witrivier and Hazyview (R538). Both gates can be reached in about four and a half hours from Johannesburg.

Bear in mind that the Kruger National Park is a huge reserve and that there are numerous entrance gates on the southern and western boundary of the park. We recommend that you buy a road map of South Africa, and study the different options to reach the gate of your choice.

Take a look at our park map to orientate yourself and locate all the park entrances.

By air

There are daily flights from Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo International Airport) to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA), Hoedspruit Airport and Phalaborwa Airport. KMIA also receives daily flights from Cape Town and Durban, while Hoedspruit airport receives a daily flight from Cape Town. Car hire is available at all three airports near the Kruger National Park, as well as in all the major cities and towns in South Africa.

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Gate times

Camp gates and entrance gates open and close at the same time, apart from November to January, when camp gates open an hour earlier than entrance gates.

	Jan	Feb	March	April	May-Jul	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov-Dec
Camp gates open	04:30	05:30	05:30	06:00	06:00	06:00	06:00	05:30	04:30
Entrance gates open	05:30	05:30	05:30	06:00	06:00	06:00	06:00	05:30	05:30
All gates close	18:30	18:30	18:00	18:00	17:30	18:00	18:00	18:00	18:30

Latecomers at entrance gates will be refused entry, while latecomers at camp gates will be fined. Late-entry escorts are available until 21:00 at certain entrance gates at a fee.

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Climate

The Kruger National Park is situated in South Africa's Lowveld, a summer rainfall area that becomes extremely hot in summer. Temperatures can get as high as 42 degrees Celsius (108 Fahrenheit) in mid-summer! Summer months are from October to April and winter months from May to August. Heavy downpours are not uncommon in summertime.

This area does not go through a clear spring and autumn phase. Winters are mild and very pleasant during the daytime. Winter nights can get very cold and we recommend that visitors bring warm clothes during these months.

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Speed limit

The speed limits in the Kruger National Park are 50km/h (31m/h) on tar roads and 40km/h (24m/h) on gravel roads. The recommended speed for game-viewing is 25km/h (15m/h).

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Distances

People often underestimate the distances in the Kruger National Park since they drive slowly and frequently stop for animal or bird sightings. Give yourself enough time to get back to camp in the afternoon. Don't head back too late, because this will increase the chances of speeding and the possibility of injuring wildlife on the road. The table below has been designed to help you plan your drives.

Distances between camps and gates are given in kilometres. Below each distance is the approximate time it would take you to cover that distance if you are driving at game-viewing speed (25km/h).

* 1 kilometre = 0.62 miles
3h45 = 3 hours and 45 minutes

Click to zoom

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Day visitors

The Kruger National Park allows only a limited number of day visitors into the park. On certain days, like public holidays, the park can easily reach its quota of visitors. To avoid disappointment, book in advance as a day visitor if you plan to visit the park on a public holiday or during the school holidays. Follow this link for more information on day visitor bookings.

All the main camps have day visitors areas and there are also a number of picnic spots throughout the reserve where day visitors can enjoy a break. Skukuza and Letaba have day visitors areas with swimming pools.

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Malaria

The malaria risk in the Kruger National Park is higher in the wet season than in the dry season, but precautions should be taken all year round. Be sure to get the right medication in advance and ask your pharmacist about possible drug side effects.

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Conservation fees

All visitors to the Kruger National Park have to pay a conservation fee when they enter the park. Please visit the SANParks website to see the latest conservation fee tariffs. People who visit the park often or for long periods of time should consider buying a Wild Card, which is valid for one year and reduces conservation fee costs. Please follow this link for more information on Wild Cards.

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Facilities

To compare facilities in the main camps of the Kruger National Park, follow this link to our Compare camps page.

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Best season to visit the park

Although many travel agents and wildlife documentaries will tell you that the dry season is the best for game viewing in Africa, this is not necessarily the case. Both wet and dry seasons have advantages and disadvantages, so here are our guidelines:

Dry season (May-October)
The dry season in Kruger has several advantages – temperatures are generally very pleasant, there are few mosquitoes and other insects present, vegetation is not too dense, allowing for easier game viewing, and waterholes and river pools attract large quantities of animals and birds. The disadvantages of the dry season are shorter days, cold nights, dry and dull landscapes, and fewer bird species and young animals present.

Wet season (November-April)
Although rainfall is very unpredictable in the Kruger National Park, November to April are considered the wet months. Despite the heat, these months can be very productive and enjoyable. Many animals give birth to their young, migrant bird species visit the park, the vegetation is lush, green and very colourful, making it ideal for photography. Days are longer than in the dry season, giving you more time to search for animals. Obvious disadvantages of this time of year are the high temperatures, large quantities of insects, and thick vegetation which can make game viewing difficult.

Remember that the animals are in the park year-round, so no matter which time of the year you visit, you have a chance of seeing your favourite animal.

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