Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park
4.5
5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Monday
5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday
5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday
5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Thursday
5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Friday
5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Saturday
5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Sunday
5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
About
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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  • Alessio M
    Verona, Italy600 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    beautiful park
    Beautiful park in south africa. If you are lucky you can see all big five, a two day trip is high raccomanded. Cost 23 euro pro person operation hour 6:00-18:00 the principal area is Skukuzuka with restaurant, hotel camping area, and shops, and fuel station. Only in the center with shop you can find mobile phone service. Sometimes electrical blackout are possible
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 15 October 2023
  • Tourist15656436140
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The best week of my life .. ever!
    KNP was above and beyond our expectations. We saw everything we had hoped to see and more. Our driver and guide was amazing, his knowledge of the park was phenomenal. We still can't quite work out how he spotted the green Boomslang snake in a tiny hollow of a tree! It rained torrents on our first full day out but we just wrapped up in blankets and waterproof ponchos, laughed about it and carried on. It paid off: elephants, giraffes, rhino, zebras, impala, lions and a leopard.. heaven! Not forgetting the numerous beautiful birds. A huge and very special thank you KNP team, we hope to see you again one day
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 4 November 2023
  • Jean Marc P
    62 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful nature South Africa
    Always amazed by the beauty of the park. We visit regularly as we moved near the park for retirement. Will never get bored of the beauty of nature. Best times for viewing are early(and I mean early!) and after 4 pm. Open your eyes and enjoy...
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 24 November 2023
  • JanZ999
    Den Bosch, The Netherlands48 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    AMAZING
    Driving around in Kruger National Park is amazing. We saw the Big 5 and lots of other great animals. We slept at Lower Sabie Park and had a tent next to the river. Absolutely magnificent to see the hippo’s in the water. We have also seen al lot of beuatiful birds.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 7 January 2024
  • Susan K
    New York City, New York1,093 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Kruger is an incredible natural reserve
    We had a wonderful day in the reserve. It has paved roads but that does not distrake from the wonders you see in the park. Try to stay at the open window seats for best views of the animals. Take a jacket as the early mornings could be cool but bu afternoon in February is was very warrm.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 29 February 2024
  • Joe L
    Oakville, Canada116 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    KNP is epic !
    The Kruger National Park is my happy place. Been going there for more than 50 years. Every trip is unique and memorable. This time we took 20 members of our family (3 generations) on an epic safari of two unforgettable weeks. We had the most incredible animal sightings. We spend quality family time every evening have a braai! The Parks board staff was always friendly and helpful. We have an amazing morning walk and evening game drive.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 24 March 2024
  • waynearnold
    60 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Really amazing experience
    What an unbelievable experience. A very early start on our safari was well worth it. While we didn't see all of the 'big 5' what we did see was fantastic. Elephants, Cape Buffalo, wild dogs, hyenas, lions, hippos, zebra, giraffe and many more all pretty much up close and personal. We went with a guide whose incredible knowledge and fact sharing really made the day more enjoyable. Definitely going to go back
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 5 May 2024
  • Richard B
    Edinburgh, United Kingdom5,184 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Kruger National Park
    A masterclass in getting things right.  The South African National Parks might have the worlds best national park.  Truly excellent facilities, easily accessible from the smallest of cars to SUVs.  No special equipment required to visit here. The game is in abundance around the park which covers an enormous area.  Besides the Big 5, the park offers excellent camps and outstanding views all strategically placed around the park in very convenient areas. This is my second self drive visit and I would highly recommend this sanitised adventure to anyone looking to immerse themselves in the beautiful park with all it has to offer.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 6 June 2024
  • Brad
    Hong Kong, China174,740 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Another great trip to Kruger National Park
    We recently spent 9 nights within Kruger National Park (KNP), staying 7 nights at Lower Sabie and 2 nights at Satara Rest Camps. Reservations made 10 months prior to our trip based on the bungalow units that were available at that time. Check-ins at Rest Camp receptions were fine and we liked our bungalows. The BD2U unit at Lower Sabie was great, it had an outdoor kitchenette with nice contingent of cookery, cutlery, cups, plates, microwave and good lighting. The BG2 style bungalow at Satara had an outdoor area with table but no private kitchenette, cookery or cutlery. These things can be purchased at The Park Shop in the rest camp. Both units had braai grill so we were able to do some cooking at both. Both rest camps opened at 6am and closed at 5.30pm in the evening. They both have filling stations, Park Shops and restaurants open until around 8pm if you want to eat out instead of preparing food at your bungalow. We found game drives to be very good in both areas. From Lower Sabie we found it convenient to drive the roads south down to Crocodile Bridge as well as those to the north and northwest toward Tshokwana and Skakusa. During our nine days we spotted a nice range of wildlife including countless bird and antelope species as well as 5 lion and pride sightings, 2 leopards, 2 cheetah, 3 wild dog packs and 3 rhino sightings. We also came across 2 African civets and a honey badger. Overall, it was a great time in KNP even with long gaps in between quality sightings at time. We loved our time and look forward to our next opportunity to visit again.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 July 2024
  • Travel L
    16 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    1 of the best animal parks in Africa
    We have had the opportunity to visit several of Africa's natural parks and I can assure you that Kruger is on par with the best parks in Tanzania. It is very easy to visit on your own, following the marked roads and with your own car. I also recommend booking a sunset drive and sunrise drive, as it is the best way to find big cats. It is essential to book accommodation several months in advance.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 30 July 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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ayesha_rsa
Auckland Central, New Zealand16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021 • Family
Mindblowing! We visited the park on two occasions and were please on both times! The first day we did a self drive from phabeni gate to crocodile bridge and exited at the numbi gate. We saw a pack of wild dog, 3 hyena dens with pups and a lion who was relaxing under the trees - we had just missed it kill a hyena on the road. We spotted leopard on 3 occasions but at a distance. We also saw the usual impala, hippo, crocs, and elephants etc.

We visited the lower Sabie camp - its beautiful on the deck. You can order a meal at mugg and bean and shop in the curio store

On the second visit we went on an early morning game drive with Pascalina from DSL Safaris, we were super lucky to see a pride of about 18 lions including cubs! We also saw a young leopard in a tree

We visited the Skukuza Camp which is beautifully maintained. You can also order a bite and sit on the deck, we saw a HUGE croc going downstream as well as a baby hippo. We also stopped at the new cafe which is to the left of the camp when driving in, its train station inspired with a restaurant in a train that you can eat at but need to make a booking, sadly we didn’t make one. Theres also a clean and neat play area for the kids to play with probably the newest and cleanest toilets in the park

We travelled with a 9 month old and a 4 year old. Id suggest packing lots of snacks and opting for a self drive. We did the game drive without the baby which was the best idea as she is noisy and although we booked the vehicle out she would not have managed with the weather conditions too as it was overcast with a light drizzle
Written 27 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RiaD10
Farnborough, UK160 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Couples
This experience is not to be missed if you are in the country. You can start outside the park to make it more affordable and also do self drives (ZAR880 for 2 adults) but you should do at least one safari with a guide since they know all the best bits. A full day safari is good value but you see the big cats mostly early morning or after 3pm when they start moving around again. So either a sunrise or sunset game drive is good value. The park closes at 5:30pm in winter so if you are self s driving you need to be out by then. Mid day is great for elephants, giraffes, zebras. Surprisingly a lot can be spotted if driving slowly along the main roads. The dirt roads look like small loops but since they are unpaved, and the elephants footprints make large potholes, so you end up spending an hour to drive a 20km stretch.
Rest stops have some snacks n souvenirs, it’s better to pack some food while you drive around so that you won’t be hungry for long.
We saw the big 5 every day for 3 days, multiple times in a day so it can be done!
Written 5 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Danie92
Johannesburg, South Africa306 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020
My 53rd visit since 1998 and stayed in Chalets in Skukuza, Satara and Talamati for 9 days and traveled just under 2000km We had awesome sightings as if the animals wanted to put up a show for us after the Covid lock down. The Park is in the best shape that I've seen it for many years and it is evident that the lock down time has been used to do a lot of upkeep. Gardens, roads, accommodation etc all in a far better shape than before - now is the time to visit this gem.
Written 12 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rebecca B
United Kingdom39 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Family
We were fortunate enough to spend 2 full days at the kruger Park and neither day disappointed.
I travelled with 2 young boys which was a little hard at times as they didn't fully appreciate the safari.
Obviously this is a truly wild experience and a definite must if you love wildlife in their own habitat. The Park is vast, there are no guarantees on seeing the big 5 how ever there are ple types of impala, zebra and kudo to wet the appetite.
I was fortunate enough to see lion, cheetah a few snakes and even a chameleon.

We stopped for lunch I recommend using the takeout option as its slightly cheaper and quicker that said we used both amd both times the meals were lovely. There's a gift shop with many many items and bathroom facilities.

The safaris are mainly taken by open top vehicles and although the weather maybe hot the wind isn't kind, most have blankets on board but definitely need a jumper.
Children did get bored so recommend taking something to occupy them.

Be prepared for long cold days and not necessarily seeing the animals you desire but definitely worth seeing Africa's largest wildlife park in all its glory.
Written 28 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Maria W
55 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Friends
We spent two weeks in Kruger with a friend who has visited before. We flew to Johannesburg stayed in an airport hotel that night( as it is an 11 hour over night flight) then the next day we flew into the airport at Skukuza in the park, ready to hit the ground running. We rented a four wheel drive and spent a few days in seven of the very well set up camps - traveling from south to north then back down to finish at Skukuza. We saw all of the ‘Big 5’ in the first 3 days and managed six leopard sightings altogether ( some very close to the car) and so many lion sightings we almost lost count. We even saw cheetah and a pack of wild dogs ( the 12 pups played on the road around our vehicle) and lots of elephants, hippos, crocs, zebra, giraffes, antelopes galore and lots of birds. I especially loved our hyena encounters. However, I have to mention that the friend with us said we had been ridiculously lucky and their are no guarantees when it comes to what you will see. You do need to invest serious time driving around searching the space around your car to maximize your chances. This location is so well organized ( maps are excellent) and ready for visitors that it is definitely viable to self drive - as long as you make yourself aware of park etiquette and give the animals ‘space and grace’ . I would recommend a reasonable length of stay to ensure the best possible experience. We found early morning and end of day drives the best time to see animals and we took a rest middle day. We stayed in the ‘camps’ that had restaurants and shops ( and pools) so we certainly did not rough it. All camps also had options to pay to go out on guided tours if you wanted to take a break from driving. Just a ‘heads up’ - plan ahead as camps fill up very quickly so I would recommend you start booking accommodation and car hire early- camps open their online booking 11 months ahead( so to visit in July you should be booking in September). Also note online booking takes patience as sites tend to crash regularly. The whole experience was amazing.
Written 5 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alessio M
Verona, Italy600 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Friends
Beautiful park in south africa. If you are lucky you can see all big five, a two day trip is high raccomanded. Cost 23 euro pro person operation hour 6:00-18:00 the principal area is Skukuzuka with restaurant, hotel camping area, and shops, and fuel station. Only in the center with shop you can find mobile phone service. Sometimes electrical blackout are possible
Written 15 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Iris E
336 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023
I visited Kruger NP with a local safari company & had one of the most amazing & memorable experiences. On my very first safari, on my very first sunset game drive, I witnessed a rare sighting...an actual lion kill! It's one thing to see a lion, but to actually see it hunt, attack, kill, then feast on its prey like what you see on National Geographic or Animal Planet...it was absolutely incredible! And I feel lucky to have witnessed such a rare sight. The next day, I was up at dawn ready for a full day of game drives, from 6am til 4pm. The drive started at my camp in Pretoriuskop, heading towards Skukuza, where I had breakfast, then to Afsaal, then back to Pretoriuskop. Kruger is one of the best places where you're almost guaranteed Big 5 sightings, as long as you stay long enough. Even though I only did a full day and sunset game drive, I was lucky enough to see 4 of the Big 5, all except the leopard! But I was even luckier to see a lion kill, as well as a couple of other rare sightings, such as African wild dogs, which are low in numbers. This is in addition to the many other wildlife I saw in Kruger NP. My short experience here at Kruger definitely makes me want to come back for more. Not only for the wildlife, but the staff at Mbombela Experience, the local safari company I booked with, was exceptional!
Written 15 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mienie
Harker Heights, TX44 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2022 • Couples
I used to be a big fan of Kruger and visited the park multiple times over the past 30 years, so it is with great sadness that I write a bad review about one of my favorite places in the world. My review pertains to the accommodations, general upkeep, and game drives (nature is as gorgeous as ever).

We stayed in Satara and the units are falling apart. Many appliances are old or not in working condition and the units were filthy. It is clear that there has been no maintenance for several years/decades. After a few nights, we changed to Onder-Sabie and was delighted to see that some of the units were updated. Unfortunately, the public bathrooms were filthy with no lights (see picture for missing bulb) and the a/c unit had no cover (see picture). It was clear that the a/c unit was probably not up to code, so we decided not to use it (even though it was 38 degrees Celsius). We went on a bush walk and a game drive and were disappointed in the unprofessional demeanor of the rangers. One participant on the game drive was watching videos on his cell phone and receiving messages during the whole drive (even when we stopped to look for a lion) and the ranger said nothing. I do not recommend the over-priced game drives or bush walks. During the bush walk the rangers promoted pseudo-science and stated untrue facts backed up by anecdotes. The roads inside the park are not too bad, but the South African roads, in general, are in terrible shape (see the picture as an example of a few of the many potholes we encountered on our way to the park). I am hopeful that the management of Kruger National Park will take the many complaints to heart and improve the terrible state of affairs.
Written 8 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mike
Middelburg, South Africa3 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Poor service when booking in at Paul Kruger Gate. Staff were slow and too busy chatting to each other,rather than speeding up the process. But the day was amazing as we saw Elephant. Lion. Wild dogs, Cheetah, Zebra Giraffe and buffalo. Loads of Impala and other smaller buck. Service at shops was excellent.
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Titch-the-Witch
Romanel, Switzerland319 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
This time, we started at the very north of the Park and wended our way south to Crocodile Bridge. Our first camp was Punda Maria (no electricity because of the load shedding and the generator wasn't working) then on to Mopane. Here we did a sunset drive before settling for the night in our bungalow. However, it was not a restful night as there were bats in our bungalow that kept walking over my face. I convinced one to move over to the door, which I opened to find another one waiting to come in!
Next camp was Olifants, where we were supposed to do a night drive but this one was cancelled and replaced by a sunrise the following morning. Then on to Skukuza, where we managed to do a night drive. Here we lodged in a tent, which was obviously less comfortable than our previous bungalows as the WC was in a block sufficiently far away to get completely soaked on the way! (Rainy season, I know!) On to Crocodile Bridge, the only camp with no restaurant.
We had a wonderful time in the park and loved the encounters with the animals. You never know what will appear around the next corner. Unfortunately, many of the tracks were closed because of the heavy rains so sometimes we had to make long detours. We self-drove in a rented car and, as mentioned, did several drives organised by the various camps. Some of the rangers were more interesting than others but all did their best to find us some amazing wildlife.
I love this place and although there can be organisational problems, I would return tomorrow if I could!
Written 16 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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KRUGER NATIONAL PARK (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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