Kruger

Quick facts

Population

The park has no town. Skukuza, the village of the main camp and administrative seat, had 1,599 residents in the 2011 census; Hazyview, the most used base town outside the gate, had 4,236 in the same census

Founded

1898, when the government of the South African Republic (the Transvaal) protected the area as the Sabie Game Reserve; Kruger National Park was created by the National Parks Act of 1926, which joined that reserve with the Singwitsi reserve and neighboring farms

Country and region

South Africa: the provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, in the Lowveld; to the east, the border with Mozambique, and to the north the Limpopo River, the border with Zimbabwe

Language

English at reception desks, on signs and on guided drives; in Mpumalanga, the languages most spoken at home are siSwati, isiZulu, Xitsonga and Sepedi (2022 census), and many place names are in Afrikaans

Currency

South African rand (ZAR, R). The park's fuel stations accept Visa and Mastercard; ATMs only at Skukuza and Letaba

Time zone

South Africa Standard Time (SAST), UTC+2, with no daylight saving time

Best time to go

May to September; it is the dry season, with lower bush and animals near the water. April and October are transitional, and from November to March it rains, is hotter and the malaria risk is higher

Average daily cost

Budget around ZAR756; mid-range around ZAR1,730; comfortable around ZAR3,300 per person per day, based on spending reported by travelers to Budget Your Trip (checked October 2026). Indicative figures, excluding travel to the destination.

What to see

01

Skukuza Rest Camp

EssentialMbombela Local Municipality · Half a day or moreCheck tickets and reservations

The park's largest camp and its administrative headquarters, on the south bank of the Sabie River, 12 km from the Paul Kruger Gate. It has a reception, restaurant, shop, bank, ATM, fuel station, car rental, pools for guests and, 5 km away, Skukuza airport. It is a good starting point for the SANParks guided drives (morning, sunset and night) and for the south of the park, where SANParks says the Big Five can be seen in the surroundings. From the riverbank you can see the old Selati railway bridge, where a hotel has operated since 2019. It is large and busy, and anyone looking for peace will find more calm in the smaller camps.

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02

Sunset Dam

EssentialUp to half an hour · Late afternoon

A small dam beside the paved road, 1 km from the Lower Sabie gate, with hippos, big crocodiles and many waterbirds, and a coming and going of other animals that arrive to drink. Viewing is done from inside the car. Because it is so close to the camp, it fills up with cars, especially in the late afternoon, before the gate closes.

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03

Lake Panic Bird Hide

Worth a visitUp to half an hour · Late afternoon

An observation hide over a reservoir about 7 km from Skukuza, where you sit in silence in front of the water. Hippos, crocodiles and many bird species are frequent. It is the place to rest from the wheel in the late morning or in the afternoon, because at the hide you are allowed to get out of the vehicle.

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04

Lower Sabie Rest Camp

Worth a visitMpumalanga · Half a day or moreCheck tickets and reservations

A camp on the bank of the Sabie, with a view of the river and the Lebombo Mountains, surrounded by huge sycamore figs. The surrounding area, of basalt and sweet grass, gathers lions, cheetahs, elephants, hippos, rhinos and herds of buffalo that, according to SANParks, reach 800 animals. It has a restaurant, shop, fuel station and pool, but no ATM. It is 34 km from the Crocodile Bridge gate and about 58 km from the Paul Kruger Gate, almost two hours at an average of 30 km/h.

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05

Sabi Sand Nature Reserve

Worth a visitMpumalanga · Half a day or moreCheck tickets and reservations

South Africa's first private nature reserve, founded in 1948, with about 650 km² between the Sabie and Sand rivers, adjoining Skukuza to the west and with no fence between it and Kruger since 1993. Lodges such as Londolozi, MalaMala and Singita run guided safaris for their guests. Entry through the Shaws, Newington or Gowrie gates is only allowed for lodge guests and carries its own fee, per person and per vehicle. It is the alternative for anyone who prefers being driven to driving, at the price of lodge rates.

Check access

Admission: ZAR 170 (checked Oct 2026) source

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06

Satara Rest Camp

Worth a visitHalf a day or moreCheck tickets and reservations

The park's second-largest camp, in the center, in an area of open bush where animals are abundant and varied; it is big cat country, and during South African school holidays the roads and sightings get crowded. The huts are laid out in circles. It is about 94 km from Skukuza, more than three hours at the recommended speed, and so it works better as an overnight stay than as a round-trip outing.

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07

Nkuhlu Picnic Spot

If there is timeUp to half an hour

A picnic area on the bank of the Sabie River, on the H4-1 road, about 20 km from Lower Sabie. It is one of the authorized stops for getting out of the car, having coffee or lunch while looking at the river, halfway between Skukuza and Lower Sabie.

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08

Olifants Rest Camp

If there is timeOne to two hoursCheck tickets and reservations

A camp on top of a hill above the Olifants River, with viewpoints from which you look down at the river and the animals that come to drink. It lies in the center of the park, far from the southern gates, and calls for at least one overnight stay.

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09

Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Library

If there is timeUp to half an hour · Late afternoon

A library and small museum inside Skukuza camp, opened in 1961, with books on ecology and history, objects from the park and the memory of James Stevenson-Hamilton. It fits into the hot hours of midday, when the animals rest.

Check access

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Nilo’s itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1 · From Hazyview to Skukuza through the south of the park

   1. 9Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial LibraryUp to half an hourIf there is time
   2. 3Lake Panic Bird HideUp to half an hourWorth a visit

   1. Leave Hazyview before dawn and be at the Phabeni gate, 10 km away, when it opens (5:30 a.m. from October to March, 6:00 a.m. from April to September), with the gate registration form already filled in and your passport at hand.

   2. Pay the conservation fee, keep the gate permit, which will be asked for on exit, and drive slowly to Skukuza: the 39 km take about an hour and 20 minutes at an average of 30 km/h, and with stops the whole morning goes on this stretch.

   3. Check in at Skukuza (the chalets are available from 2:00 p.m.), check the reception's sightings board for what was seen that morning and book the guided sunset drive at reception.

   4. In the midday heat, have lunch at the camp and visit the Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Library; from the riverbank you can see the old Selati railway bridge.

   5. In the middle of the afternoon, drive the 7 km to Lake Panic Bird Hide and sit for an hour in front of the reservoir, with hippos and birds.

   6. Return to Skukuza in time for the sunset drive, about three hours in an open vehicle, which ends with a stretch in the dark with a spotlight. Have dinner around your unit's barbecue.

2. 2

   Day 2 · The Sabie River road to Lower Sabie

   1. 7Nkuhlu Picnic SpotUp to half an hourIf there is time
   2. 2Sunset DamUp to half an hourEssential

   1. Be at the camp gate when it opens and make the most of the first hours, the best for seeing animals, in the surroundings of Skukuza; if you prefer, you can book the morning guided walk, with two armed guides, for people over 12.

   2. Come back for coffee and vacate the unit by 10:00 a.m.

   3. Head east on the H4-1, the road that follows the Sabie River to Lower Sabie, about 46 km; it is the busiest road in the park, and it is worth stopping wherever there is water in sight.

   4. Stop at Nkuhlu Picnic Spot, about 20 km from Lower Sabie, for lunch or coffee on the riverbank.

   5. Check in at Lower Sabie from 2:00 p.m. and rest at the pool or in the river-facing restaurant area during the hottest hours.

   6. In the late afternoon, go to Sunset Dam, 1 km from the gate, and stay in the car watching hippos and crocodiles until close to the closing of the camp gate.

3. 3

   Day 3 · One last morning in the south and departure

   1. Leave when the Lower Sabie gate opens and make the short loop to the Mlondozi dam, 17 km away, where there is a picnic area; the round trip adds up to about an hour and 10 minutes without stops, and buffalo, lions and cheetahs roam the basalt plains of the area.

   2. Return to Lower Sabie and vacate the unit by 10:00 a.m.

   3. To do the Panorama Route the next day, leave through the Paul Kruger Gate, about 58 km from Lower Sabie on the H4-1 via Skukuza, almost two hours without stops, and continue to Hazyview (41 km); leave with room to spare, counting the stops, before the gate closes.

   4. Sleep in Hazyview.

   5. Anyone not doing the Panorama Route who continues to KMIA or Johannesburg can leave through the Crocodile Bridge gate, 34 km from Lower Sabie, and take the N4.

If you stay longer

1. 4

   Day 4 · Panorama Route and Blyde River Canyon

   Day trip

   1. The road along the Drakensberg escarpment, west of Hazyview, brings together viewpoints and waterfalls of the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. From Hazyview to Graskop it is about 49 km, an hour by car. From Graskop, the R534 passes the Pinnacle, a 30 m quartzite column, 3 km away, and God's Window, 9 km away, a viewpoint over 700 m cliffs from which you see the Lowveld; near there, along side roads west of the R532, Lisbon Falls drops 92 m and Berlin Falls 80 m. Going north on the R532 are Bourke's Luck Potholes, about 35 km from Graskop, cylindrical holes carved in the rock where the Treur and Blyde rivers meet, and the Three Rondavels viewpoint, about 53 km away, three rounded peaks that resemble traditional huts above the canyon. The return to Hazyview via the north adds up to about 90 km and an hour and 40 minutes. Most viewpoints charge admission at the entrance; go on a clear day, because the escarpment's mist can hide the view.

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Food

Where to eat

• Kruger camps

  Braai at your own unit: the camp shops sell meat, boerewors, wood and charcoal, and almost all units have a kitchen and a barbecue. The restaurants in the larger camps, such as Skukuza and Lower Sabie, handle breakfast after the early drive and lunch, with a short menu. To eat in the middle of the day without going back to the camp, bring a snack and biltong and stop at an authorized picnic spot, such as Nkuhlu.

• Hazyview

  The town has the biggest choice of restaurants in the region, from cafés with pancakes and breakfast to à la carte restaurants and a brewery, almost all along the R40 and the road to Sabie. It is the place for a dinner with more choice after a day in the park, and for buying bananas and macadamias from the surrounding plantations.

• Graskop

  The town is known for its pancake houses, with sweet and savory fillings, and is the most practical lunch stop on the Panorama Route, between God's Window and Bourke's Luck.

· 2026-10-19

Day trips

Where to begin

From Hazyview to Skukuza through the south of the park

Leave Hazyview before dawn and be at the Phabeni gate, 10 km away, when it opens (5:30 a.m. from October to March, 6:00 a.m. from April to September), with the gate registration form already filled in and your passport at hand.

• Lake Panic Bird Hide
• Sabi Sand Nature Reserve
• Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Library

The Sabie River road to Lower Sabie

Be at the camp gate when it opens and make the most of the first hours, the best for seeing animals, in the surroundings of Skukuza; if you prefer, you can book the morning guided walk, with two armed guides, for people over 12.

• Nkuhlu Picnic Spot
• Sunset Dam

Money

Getting there and around

Safety

Etiquette tips

Mistakes to avoid

Useful phrases

Where to stay

• Skukuza Rest Camp · First-time visitors who want the center of the south of the park, with more services: It is 12 km from the Paul Kruger Gate and 5 km from Skukuza airport, has a bank, ATM, car rental, restaurant and all the SANParks guided drives, and the Big Five can be seen in the surroundings. Sleeping inside the park lets you be on the road as soon as the camp gate opens. The drawback is size: it is the busiest camp, and the nearby roads have more cars.
• Lower Sabie Rest Camp · Those who want a riverside camp, in one of the areas with the most animals in the south: It has a view of the Sabie and the Lebombo Mountains, Sunset Dam 1 km away and easy access to the basalt plains and the H4-1. It is 34 km from the Crocodile Bridge gate, convenient for anyone coming along the N4. It has no ATM, and from Hazyview you have to cross the south of the park.
• Hazyview · Those who prefer a hotel or guesthouse, travel on a tighter budget or want to combine the park with the Panorama Route: It is 10 km from the Phabeni gate and 41 km from the Paul Kruger Gate, has many hotels, guesthouses and restaurants, and is the natural starting point for Graskop and the Blyde canyon. In return, each day in the park starts and ends at a gate, with the daily fee paid on each entry, and the first part of the morning is spent on the road to the Skukuza area, an hour and 20 minutes from Phabeni at the recommended average.
• Sabi Sand · Those who prefer to be guided and can afford lodge rates: The reserve's lodges run guided safaris for their guests, in an area with no fence between it and Kruger. Access through the Shaws, Newington and Gowrie gates is only for guests, and each entry pays the reserve fee on top of the lodge rate, which varies from one lodge to another.
• Graskop · Those who want to sleep on the escarpment to see the viewpoints early, before the mist and the tour buses: It is 3 km from the Pinnacle and 9 km from God's Window, at about 1,400 m of altitude, with cooler nights. It is about an hour from Hazyview and farther from the Kruger gates, so it serves the night of the Panorama Route, not the safari days.

· 2026-10-19

Districts

History

Geography and shape of the city

Culture

Festivals and events

Books and films

Frequently asked questions

Kruger: how do you get there?

There are daily flights from Johannesburg to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA, code MQP), between Mbombela and White River, which also receives flights from Cape Town and Durban. Airlink flies from Johannesburg and Cape Town to Skukuza airport, inside the park, and there are flights to Hoedspruit (Eastgate), closer to the Orpen gate. From KMIA to Hazyview it is about 50 km by road. By car from Johannesburg, SANParks calculates 430 km to the Phabeni gate and 460 km to the Paul Kruger Gate, along the N4 to Mbombela and then the R40. Most foreign visitors fly to the edge of the park and rent a car: there are rental companies at KMIA, in Hoedspruit and inside Skukuza camp. There is also a transfer service between KMIA and the park, of about an hour and 20 minutes.

Kruger: how many days should you stay?

I'd stay three days in Kruger, with two nights inside the park: the first at Skukuza and the second at Lower Sabie, both in the south, where there are more animals and the gates are less than an hour's drive from Hazyview. Three days allow two mornings on the road at camp opening, a guided sunset drive and the late afternoon at Sunset Dam, without the rush of covering distances. With a fourth day, I'd sleep in Hazyview on the way out and do the Panorama Route, from God's Window to the Three Rondavels. Anyone who doesn't want to drive can swap the two nights in the camps for two nights in a Sabi Sand lodge, with the safaris run by guides. The center and north of the park, from Satara to Punda Maria, call for another trip, with more days.

Kruger: is it better to sleep inside the park or in Hazyview?

Anyone who sleeps at Skukuza or Lower Sabie starts the day already in the middle of the south, without spending the first hour on the road to the gate, and can return from the guided sunset drive straight to the cabin. From November to January, the camp gates open at 04:30, an hour before the entrance gates. Hazyview is 10 km from the Phabeni gate and 41 km from the Paul Kruger Gate, has many hotels, guesthouses and restaurants, and is the natural starting point for Graskop and the Blyde canyon. In return, each day in the park starts and ends at a gate, with the daily fee paid on each entry, and the first part of the morning is spent on the road to the Skukuza area, an hour and 20 minutes from Phabeni at the recommended average. Bookings at the camps normally open 11 months before the date, which matters for Skukuza and Lower Sabie in the dry season and during South African school holidays.

Kruger: what time do the gates open and close?

The entrance gates open at 05:30 from October to March and at 06:00 from April to September. They close at 17:30 from May to July, at 18:00 in March, April, August, September and October, and at 18:30 from November to February. The camp gates close at the same time, but open at 04:30 from November to January. Arriving late at the entrance gate means being kept out. Late entry, until 21:00, is accepted only in an emergency, with proof, and with a paid escort (R500 per vehicle) to a designated camp: from the Paul Kruger Gate to Skukuza, from Numbi to Pretoriuskop, from Malelane to Berg-en-Dal and Malelane, from Crocodile Bridge, Punda Maria and Orpen to the camps of the same name. At Phabeni, Phalaborwa and Pafuri there is no late entry.

Kruger: what is the park fee and how is it paid?

On top of accommodation, each visitor pays a daily conservation fee for each day in the park, charged at the gate, with three bands: foreigners, citizens of SADC countries (the Southern African Development Community), and South Africans and residents, and a reduced price for children aged 2 to 11. SANParks adjusts the schedule every year and publishes the rates on the Kruger tariffs page; check the rate for the year of your trip. A 1% community levy is added to all accommodation and activity bookings. For long trips, it is worth comparing with the SANParks international Wild Card, an annual pass that replaces the daily fees in participating parks. Guided drives, walks and the bush braai are charged separately, with a price per adult and per child given at booking.

Kruger: can you do a safari without driving?

Anyone who doesn't drive has two options: the open-vehicle guided drives that leave from the camps (in the morning, about half an hour before the gate opens; at sunset; and at night, at 19:30 or 20:00, depending on the season), which do not accept children under 6, or a safari operator from Hazyview. There is also a transfer service between KMIA and the park, of about an hour and 20 minutes. Another option is to sleep in a lodge in Sabi Sand, a private reserve with no fence between it and Kruger, where the lodges run guided safaris for their guests. Access through the Shaws, Newington and Gowrie gates is only for guests, and each entry pays the reserve fee on top of the lodge rate, which varies from one lodge to another.

Kruger: when is the best time to go?

The recommendation of this guide is May to September; April and October are transitional months that also work. From April to September it is the dry season: warm, dry days, cold nights and low bush, with water limited to the rivers and dams, where the animals gather; it is the time SANParks gives as the best for seeing animals. At Skukuza, average highs are between 26 and 31 °C in those months, lows fall to about 6 °C in June and July, and on night drives you need warm clothing. From October to March the heat and the rains arrive: from November to March highs exceed 32 °C, December and January each have about 100 mm of rain, the bush turns green and tall and the animals spread out, which makes them harder to find. It is also when the malaria risk is higher (November to April), when days are longer and the gates open at 05:30. In September, National Parks Week usually brings more South African visitors to the south of the park.

Kruger: which gate should you use?

Choose the gate by the camp: for Skukuza, enter through the Paul Kruger Gate, 12 km from the camp; for Lower Sabie coming from the N4, through Crocodile Bridge, 34 km away. Phabeni is the closest to Hazyview, but has no late entry. The British government reports that SANParks advises against using the Numbi gate, after a violent attack that killed a tourist, and records protests and violent incidents on the R538, the road that leads to it; for the southwest of the park, the Phabeni and Paul Kruger gates serve the same region. Protests by neighboring communities have also blocked other access roads, such as the Mkhuhlu road, which leads to the Paul Kruger Gate; check the SANParks advisories before setting out.

Kruger: is it safe?

Inside the park, the main risk is the animals themselves: stay in the car outside marked areas and do not walk around the camps at night without a flashlight. Walks take place only with two armed guides, for a maximum of eight people over 12. Kruger is in a malaria area, with a risk that is generally low but higher from November to April; SANParks recommends consulting a doctor about prophylaxis, using repellent and keeping the screens closed from dusk to dawn. Anyone who has a fever up to five weeks after the trip should ask for a malaria test. Violence against tourists inside the park is rare; in May 2026, two South African visitors were killed in an attack inside Kruger, and the suspects were arrested. The British government reports that SANParks advises against using the Numbi gate, after a violent attack that killed a tourist, and records protests and violent incidents on the R538, the road that leads to it; for the southwest of the park, the Phabeni and Paul Kruger gates serve the same region. Outside the park, the general precautions for South Africa apply: the British government warns of car theft and robberies at traffic lights, intersections and gas stations, especially at night. Keep windows closed and belongings out of sight in towns, fill up before the tank reaches half and avoid driving at night off the main roads. Protests by neighboring communities have also blocked other access roads, such as the Mkhuhlu road, which leads to the Paul Kruger Gate; check the SANParks advisories before setting out. The SANParks roadside assistance number is 0800 030 666.

Kruger: what is the day trip outside the park?

The Panorama Route, the road along the Drakensberg escarpment, west of Hazyview, brings together viewpoints and waterfalls of the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. From Hazyview to Graskop it is about 49 km, an hour by car. From Graskop, the R534 passes the Pinnacle, a 30 m quartzite column, 3 km away, and God's Window, 9 km away, a viewpoint over 700 m cliffs from which you see the Lowveld; near there, along side roads west of the R532, Lisbon Falls drops 92 m and Berlin Falls 80 m. Going north on the R532 are Bourke's Luck Potholes, about 35 km from Graskop, cylindrical holes carved in the rock where the Treur and Blyde rivers meet, and the Three Rondavels viewpoint, about 53 km away, three rounded peaks that resemble traditional huts above the canyon. The return to Hazyview via the north adds up to about 90 km and an hour and 40 minutes. Most viewpoints charge admission at the entrance; go on a clear day, because the escarpment's mist can hide the view.

Itineraries through here