Your Kruger gateway
Kruger National Park from Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit sits on Kruger's western boundary. Orpen Gate is under an hour away, and four private reserves between the town and the park share an unfenced border with it.
- 50 min
- To Orpen Gate
- 19 485 km²
- Park size
- All present
- Big 5
Kruger gates from Hoedspruit
All distances from Hoedspruit town centre.
| Gate | Distance | Drive time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orpen GateOurs | 67 km | about 50 min | Central Kruger, Satara, the S100, big cats |
| Phalaborwa Gate | 75 km | about 55 min | Northern Kruger, Letaba, elephants |
| Numbi Gate | 280 km | about 3 h 30 | Southern Kruger, PretoriuskopToo far for a day trip from Hoedspruit. |
| Crocodile Bridge | 350 km | about 4 h | Southern Kruger, the Komatipoort sideToo far for a day trip from Hoedspruit. |
Kruger from Hoedspruit: common questions
- Can I do a Kruger day trip from Hoedspruit?
- Yes. Orpen Gate is 67 km from Hoedspruit, about 50 minutes by road, so a full day in the central Kruger is easy from town. Our guided Kruger day trip: Full Day Kruger Safari from R 1 950 per person, leaving Hoedspruit at 05:00 for 10.5 hours. Pickup is from Hoedspruit.
- Which Kruger gate is closest to Hoedspruit?
- Orpen Gate, 67 km and about 50 minutes from town, best for central Kruger, Satara, the S100, big cats. Phalaborwa Gate is 75 km (about 55 minutes), best for northern Kruger, Letaba, elephants.
- Do I pay Kruger park fees on a day trip?
- Yes. SANParks charges a daily conservation fee per person at the gate, and it is not included in the price of the Full Day Kruger Safari.
- When is the best time to see the Big Five in Kruger?
- The dry winter months, May to October. The bush thins out and animals gather at the waterholes, so they are easier to find. The green season (November to April) brings newborn animals, migrant birds and lower rates, but thicker bush.
- Should I self-drive the Kruger or take a guided safari?
- Self-drive is cheaper and you set the pace. A guided day puts you in a raised open vehicle with a guide who knows where the sightings are and does the driving, which usually suits first-timers and photographers better.
- Is the Kruger a malaria area?
- Hoedspruit and the Kruger are a seasonal, low-risk malaria area, with the risk highest in the wet summer months. Speak to a travel clinic about precautions before you travel.
- Can children go on a Kruger safari?
- Yes, children are welcome in the Kruger. Some private reserve lodges and open-vehicle drives set a minimum age, so give us the children's ages when you enquire.
- Should I stay in Kruger or in a private reserve?
- Most visitors do both from Hoedspruit: a few nights at a lodge in a private reserve on Kruger's unfenced border (Timbavati, Klaserie, Balule or Thornybush), with guided game drives there, and a day drive into the Kruger itself through Orpen Gate.
A day in the Kruger with us
Guided, from Hoedspruit, with the price and the start time
Didn't find what you're looking for?
Tell us what you'd like to do and when. We check with the operators and come back with times and prices.
Self-drive or a guided day?
Hoedspruit is the closest town to the central Kruger, the part of the park with the most Big Five, so you can be at a gate in under an hour and have a full day inside without a punishing pre-dawn drive.
Self-driving is affordable and flexible: you set the pace, stop where you like, and entry at Orpen is straightforward. A guided day costs more but puts you in a raised open vehicle with a guide who knows where the cats are, follows the sightings and does the driving, so you can watch. First-timers and photographers usually get more out of a guided day; returning self-drivers love the freedom of their own car.
Local tip: Through Orpen Gate at opening time in the dry season is your best shot at the Big Five with the least driving.
When to go
May to October
Dry season
The best months for game viewing. The bush thins out and animals gather at the waterholes, so sightings are easier. Mornings are cool. It is peak season, so book early.
November to April
Green season
Newborn animals, migrant birds and big skies. Rates are lower and the park is quieter. The bush is lush, so animals are harder to spot, but the landscapes are at their best.
The reserves on Kruger's border
No fences between these and the park, so the animals move across. Lodges in them (and in Umbabat) give you Big Five game drives without entering the national park, while town and estate stays suit a self-drive Kruger trip. A few nights in a reserve and a day drive into Kruger is the combination most people end up with.
Planning a Kruger trip?
Tell the local team what you are after, or put the days together yourself and send them over.