Safari Holidays to South Africa and Namibia for independent travellers.

For self-drive visitors to the Park, the are 8 main gates which are open from sunrise to sunset throughout the year.

The busiest gate is the Paul Kruger Gate, about 40 km from Hazyview, and this road leads straight the park headquarters at Skukuza (about 12 km from the gate) from where there are roads leading to all parts of the Park.

If you are staying in Hazyview, rather than at one of the rest camps in the Park, the new Phabeni Gate is less than 15 km from the centre of town, and this allows visitors based here to spend longer in the Park without having to drive to the Paul Kruger Gate.

Visitors travelling by car to one of the private lodges should check which gate they should use: the Sabi Sand Reserve in not accessible by road from the self-drive part of the Park, and there are separate private gates that provide access to these lodges.

Self-Drive Entrance Fees

Self-drive visitors to Kruger have to pay an entrance or conservation fee per person (currently for overseas visitors - R132 per adult; R66 per child) at the gate, after which you will be issued with an entry permit. 

Keep this with you at all times, as it will be required to exit the Park and you will need to produce it if you are staying overnight in the Park at one of the many camps. 

Overnight visitors will have to pay a further R132 per person for every additional day they spend in the Park, which is payable at the accommodation camps. 

Don't be alarmed if the guard on the gate, having checked your paperwork, asks to look in the boot of your car - it is just to ensure that you are not 'smuggling' anyone or anything into the Park!

Day Visitor Advance Booking System

Day visitors to the Park can book ahead of time to secure their entrance to South Africa’s most well known National Park.

Visitors who wish to use this facility should be advised that advanced bookings can be made no less than one day prior to the date of arrival at the Kruger National Park and that using this facility will come at a minimal and non-refundable cost (currently R20 per adult and R10 per child entering the Park - rates subject to change).

This fee will be payable (in advance) by all who wish to make a day visitor booking in advance. Guests with day visitor bookings will also be expected to arrive at the booked gate by not later than 1 pm on the date of booking, after which time the booking lapses.

Advanced day visitor bookings will only constitute 60% of the gate’s day visitor quota, with 40% being kept open for visitors to enter on a first-come first-served basis. The gate quotas are limits per gate on the number of day visitors that the area and infrastructure adjacent to each gate is able to support to ensure a good visitor experience.