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A female elephant crosses a paved road side-on while a young elephant behind her pulls leaves from a roadside bush, green bush all around

Kruger National Park

South AfricaNortheastern South AfricaNational park

In Kruger, you drive yourself through 360 km of bush, and elephants cross the road in front of your hood. The park has between 1,620 and 1,720 lions, close to a thousand leopards and all of the Big Five. It welcomed nearly 2 million visitors in 2024, and its 12 rest camps let you sleep inside the park.

Why go to Kruger?

  • All of the Big Five, with between 1,620 and 1,720 lions and close to a thousand leopards
  • A park you explore in your own car, on paved roads, at no more than 50 km/h
  • Twelve fenced rest camps where you sleep inside the park, with Skukuza on the Sabie River at the top of the list
  • An airport inside the park, at Skukuza, one hour's flight from Johannesburg
  • The south, between the Sabie and Crocodile rivers, where you see the most lions, leopards and rhinos

The park on the map

Base: Skukuza, 111 km as the crow flies.

See nearby parks on the map

Kruger in pictures

A dark-maned male lion lying on his side in tall green grass, one eye open toward the camera and his legs stretched out
An elephant standing in the sand of a dry riverbed throws sand over its flank with its trunk, green bush behind it
A white rhino grazes head down in green grass behind young tree trunks, the hump on its neck clearly visible and its horn short
A zebra scratches its head with a hind leg in dry grass, two ostriches behind it, a brown female and a black male, with bushes and a flat horizon

Which animals can you see in Kruger?

Kruger is home to 147 mammal species and more than 500 bird species across 19,623 km². The south, between the Crocodile and Sabie rivers, holds the most lions, leopards and white rhinos, and most visitors spend their days there. The center, around Satara, is open plains full of zebras and wildebeest, where lions hunt in prides.

The north, beyond the Olifants, is covered in mopane woodland, with plenty of elephants and buffalo by the hundreds on the plains along the Luvuvhu, at Pafuri. Wild dogs and cheetahs remain rare throughout the park. Leopards live along the rivers, where they sleep in the big trees, and the black rhino hides in the southern thickets.

Sighting calendar
SpeciesJFMAMJJASONDNote
Lionpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonsouth and center, often on the roads at first light
Leopardpossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossibleriverine forest along the Sabie and Olifants, up in the trees
Elephantpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonthroughout the park, in large numbers in the north
Buffalopeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonlarge herds in the north and center
White rhinocerospossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblesouth of the park, seen less and less
Black rhinocerosrarerarerarerarerarerarerarerarerarerarerareraresouthern thickets, very rare
Cheetahpossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossibleopen plains of the center and southeast, few in number
African wild dograrerarerarerarerarerarerarerarerarerarerarerarea rare sighting, packs in the south and center
Spotted hyenapeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonalong the roads at first light
Hippopotamuspeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonSabie, Olifants and Letaba rivers, and dams
Nile crocodilepeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonrivers and dams, Sunset Dam near Lower Sabie
Plains zebrapeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasoncentral plains, around Satara
Wildebeestpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonplains of the center and southeast
South African giraffepeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonacacia bush in the south and center
Greater kudupeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonbush in the south and center, often by the roadside
Impalapeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasoneverywhere, the most numerous antelope in the park
Warthogpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonby the roadside, kneeling in the grass
Ostrichpossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblecentral plains, south of Satara

peak seasonpossiblerare

What is a safari like in Kruger?

You enter through one of the ten gates and drive at your own pace on paved roads and dirt tracks, map in hand. A typical day starts when the gates open, breaks at camp through the hot hours and ends with one last loop before closing time. The 12 main rest camps are fenced, with bungalows, a campsite, a shop and a gas station.

From the camps, SANParks rangers lead drives at sunrise, at sunset and at night, the only ways to stay out after the gates close. Guided walks also leave in the morning. Skukuza, the largest camp, is a village with its own airport and bank.

When to go to Kruger?

idealgoodnot recommended

The dry season, from May to September, is the best time to see wildlife. The grass is short, the trees drop their leaves and the animals come down to drink at the rivers and waterholes, where you wait for them. Winter mornings are cool and the skies stay clear.

From October to April, the summer rains turn the bush green and hide the animals, but antelope give birth in November and December, migrant birds arrive and late-afternoon storms wash away the dust. Malaria is transmitted from September to May, and preventive medication is recommended during that period.

How to get to Kruger?

Airlink flies to Skukuza, inside the park, in one hour from Johannesburg and in 2 hours 25 minutes from Cape Town. Airlink and FlySafair also serve Kruger Mpumalanga airport, near Nelspruit, 50 minutes from Johannesburg. From there, Malelane Gate is 55 km away, Numbi Gate 95 km and Paul Kruger Gate 100 km. Hoedspruit airport serves Orpen Gate and the center of the park.

By road, the N4 takes you from Johannesburg to Malelane Gate in 428 km, about four and a half hours. You can pick up a rental car at every airport, and a sedan is all you need on the park's paved roads.

Stay in Skukuza

Where to stay near Kruger?

Hotels, apartments and rooms around Skukuza, with current prices.

Which hotels to choose near Kruger?

Kruger National Park lodging: our full selection

How did Kruger begin as the Sabie Game Reserve in 1898?

President Paul Kruger had the Sabie Game Reserve proclaimed in 1898, between the Sabie and Crocodile rivers, to stop the hunting that was emptying the Lowveld. James Stevenson-Hamilton, its first warden from 1902 to 1946, extended it northward and in 1926 secured the law that made it Kruger National Park.

Since 2002, Kruger has formed the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park together with Limpopo National Park in Mozambique and Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe. To the west, the private reserves of Sabi Sand and Timbavati no longer have a fence between them and the park, and animals move freely from one to the other.

How has poaching hit Kruger's rhinos?

Kruger long held the largest white rhino population in the world, more than 10,000 animals in 2011. Poaching for horn has driven it down. The park lost 175 rhinos in 2025, twice as many as in 2024, while South Africa as a whole lost 352. Parks now dehorn some of their rhinos so they are worth nothing to poachers, and you will see animals without horns.

Frequently asked questions about Kruger

When is the best time for a safari in Kruger?

From May to September, during the dry season: the grass is short and the animals gather at waterholes. The rains fall from October to April, with births in November and December.

How much is the entry fee for Kruger National Park?

R692 per adult per day for an international visitor and R345 per child aged 2 to 11, from November 1, 2026. The Wild Card, a one-year pass to all SANParks parks, costs R4,680 for an international visitor and pays for itself after seven days in the parks.

Can you visit Kruger without a guide?

Yes, and it is the most common way to visit. You drive your rental car on the paved roads and dirt tracks, at no more than 50 km/h, and you stay in the vehicle outside the camps and picnic sites. Gates close between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m., depending on the month.

How do you get to Kruger from Johannesburg?

By air, Airlink gets you to Skukuza, inside the park, in one hour, with a one-way fare of R1,987 found for a January flight. By car, the N4 takes you to Malelane Gate in 428 km, about four and a half hours.

Is there malaria in Kruger?

Yes. Kruger lies in the malaria transmission zone, mostly from September to May, and preventive medication is recommended if you stay overnight. Also pack insect repellent and long sleeves for the evenings.

Can you visit Kruger with kids?

Yes. Children aged 2 to 11 pay R345 a day and children under 2 get in free. You travel in your own car, at your own pace, and the fenced camps have family bungalows.

Our tip

Sleep in a camp inside the park and head out as soon as the gates open, while the lions are still on the road. For the South African December holidays, book your nights several months ahead, because the southern gates then set quotas for day visitors.

Other parks nearby

Stay in Skukuza

Image credits

Photos under free licenses, credited to their author; the link leads to the source.