Note: This guide is from an Australian perspective – check latest information & supplement with your own research!

Kruger National Park in South Africa is one of Africa’s largest national parks and is home to the Big Five (and plenty more). What makes Kruger and the Greater Kruger region special is the flexibility – you can self-drive, join guided game drives, or head out on multi-day walking trails; stay in simple huts or splash out at private lodges. There’s something for almost every budget. It’s also one of the few major parks designed for self-drive, with extensive tar and gravel roads and well-serviced, fenced camps – making an independent safari safe and straightforward.

Flying to South Africa

Kruger National Park is easily accessible via car from Johannesburg or via direct flights to several airports in and close to the park from Johannesburg or Cape Town.

If you're flying internationally from Australia

• Qantas – Fly direct from Sydney to Johannesburg on an Airbus A380.
  • Depending on the winds, sometimes the flight goes over Antarctica, so try to sit on the left on the way there and on the right on the way back. The flight arrives late afternoon in Johannesburg, so you’ll need to overnight in Johannesburg to connect with the flights to Kruger National Park or make the 4-5 hour drive to Kruger National Park.
  • You can stay overnight at Hotel InterContinental ($400+ AUD) or City Lodge Hotel ($120 AUD), both directly connected to the airport – it's safe and a very short walk.
• Singapore Air – Fly via Singapore – a bit longer, but has a few other advantages.
  • Singapore leg is SIN > JNB > CPT – so if you want to visit Cape Town, you can fly Singapore to Johannesburg and then back from Cape Town on a single ticket.
  • Arrives early (~7am) into Johannesburg, perfect for a domestic flight to Kruger or a drive through to Kruger National Park.

Getting to the park

There are several options to get to Kruger.

• Fly to a regional airport in or close to the park ($200 AUD) – I have flown to/from these airports several times.
  • Hoedspruit (HDS) – ~1 hour west of central Kruger.
  • Kruger Mpumalanga International (MQP) near Mbombela – ~30-60 minutes to southern gates.
  • Skukuza (SZK) – inside the park (central/southern), adjacent to the main rest camp.
• Pick up a rental car at the airport and drive (~5 hours). The drive does not pass through any urban areas of Johannesburg, mostly highway. We did this in 2022 & most recently in 2025 – drive during the day & take the N4 (note: toll road, card payment accepted).
  • Rental cars are often cheaper to rent directly from the local South African site, rather than your country's site.
  • South Africa drives on the left side of the road and no international driving licence is required if your licence is in English.
  • In wetter months, the grass is often higher, so a bit of clearance (e.g. a Toyota RAV4) can be helpful to 'see over' the grass into the bush for wildlife – that said, any car is fine for the park.
  • You can refuel your car at petrol stations in the park, but keep an eye on your range. You can stay in your car as they'll fill up your car, wash your windows and bring the card terminal to the window. Give a tip (e.g. R10-R20) in cash if you can!
• There's a bus as well – but the above two options are better and more flexible.

How the park works

• Roads: Extensive tar (H-roads) and graded gravel (S-roads). 2WD is fine. No off-roading.
• Speeds: 50 km/h on tar, 40 km/h on gravel. Plan on 25-30 km/h average – you’ll stop a lot.
• Camps: Fenced; gates lock from sunset to sunrise. Bigger camps have fuel, shops, restaurants.
• Gate times: Vary by month; check SANParks and plan conservatively – fines for late arrivals.
• Rules: Stay in your vehicle unless at designated spots. No drones. Give animals space – read the info in the gate brochure on elephants!
• Navigation: Buy the park map in camp; mobile signal is patchy – so download offline maps.

Visiting the park

• The park has a daily entrance/conservation fee, however as an alternative you can purchase a one year Wild Card for unlimited entry. It is often more economical to purchase a Wild Card when you're visiting the park for more than 6 or so days.
• The park is managed by South African National Parks (SANParks) and you can easily book & manage all activities, accommodation and trails online. Bookings generally open eleven months prior and it's worth ensuring you can book the combination of activities & accommodation you want prior to locking in any other travel (e.g. international flights).
• Rest Camps – There are numerous rest camps within the park. These are fenced camps with accommodation, a general store (food/liquor/essentials/souvenirs), a restaurant and a variety of facilities such as fuel stations, pools and more (depending on the size of the camp). The cottages/bungalows are reasonably basic but have everything you need – if you can, try to get one on the riverfront so you can watch the wildlife from your porch!
• Wilderness Trails – Wilderness trails are one of my favourite ways to see the park. There are seven wilderness trails within the park, departing every Wednesdays and Sundays. In a group of 2-8, you'll join two trail rangers and be driven to a camp and stay for three nights, staying in a comfortable hut with toilet/shower facilities in camp. There's also a camp cook who will cook and provide all meals around the fire. On Days 2 and 3, you'll wake early for a morning walk in the bush – single file, quiet and behind the two armed trail rangers – and track wildlife on foot and learn about the natural landscape. After a siesta, in the afternoon you'll do a shorter walk to a scenic sundowner spot (bring your G&Ts) to watch the iconic African sunset that's impossible to capture in a photo. We've done five of these walks and it's a really unique way to see the park and its wildlife! For the more adventurous, you can even do a Backpacking Trail – carrying everything on your back and setting up camp as you go!

Around the park

There is plenty to do around Kruger National Park – from fantastic scenery, great towns and some of the most amazing private safari reserves in South Africa!

• Greater Kruger National Park – To the west of Kruger National Park is a series of private game reserves which collectively extend the area of the park as most (not all) have dropped their fences between each other and Kruger National Park. These reserves (e.g. Sabi Sand, Timbavati and more) have a wide selection of private lodges which is a fantastic experience! Prices vary widely, but most will include all meals and two game drives or activities per day.
• Hoedspruit – Hoedspruit is a great town and it's worth staying there for a day or two if you have the time. There are a few large supermarkets, perfect for stocking up for the park (e.g. Pick n Pay), great cafes (Anne's Cotton Club Cafe is a must) and heaps of restaurants including the famous Hat and Creek on the main road. You can also visit Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre & the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre which are both worth a visit!
• Panorama Route – A stunning day trip from Hoedspruit along the Drakensberg escarpment between Sabie, Graskop and Blyde River Canyon. Highlights include Three Rondavels and Lowveld View over Blyde River Canyon, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, God’s Window and the Pinnacle, plus Lisbon and Berlin Falls (add Graskop Gorge Lift if you’ve got time). Roads are tarred and 2WD-friendly and most stops have small entrance/parking fees (cards usually fine).

Tips

• Grab a physical/book map from one of the Park Shops at any of the rest camps – they're better than the maps on your phone, but I still recommend downloading offline maps.
• Bring binoculars! They're essential to making your experience more enjoyable. I'd recommend an 8x42 or 10x42 as a good start.
• Embrace the birds! There's so much more to Kruger than just the Big Five – I'd recommend downloading Kruger Birding by Firefinch to explore and ID birds on the go, and it has great offline general information and maps for the park.
• Malaria is present in the park and is more prevalent between November and April. Seek medical advice on whether you should take malaria prophylactic drugs (there are side effects) and use repellent and long clothing, particularly at dawn and dusk.
• For first-time visitors, I'd recommend spending your time south of the Olifants River for a high density of animals, shorter driving distances and a broader variety of landscapes.
• For the best wildlife sightings, you'll usually be up before sunrise and spend the morning looking for wildlife in the park. The middle of the day is usually quiet – so it's the best time to get some rest, eat and relax, before heading out again in the mid-late afternoon for pre-sunset sightings. Whatever you do – don't forget about the gate closing times!