Kruger National Park rest camps

What is a Kruger rest camp?

A rest camp is a fenced camp run by SANParks inside Kruger National Park. The main rest camps offer accommodation from camping and huts to bungalows and guest houses, with a shop, fuel and, at most camps, a restaurant. Staying inside the park means you are already in the bush when the camp gates open in the morning, with no drive from a gate.

The six camps at a glance

Camp	Area	River or setting	Nearest gate	Restaurant	Best for
Skukuza	Southern Kruger	Sabie River	Paul Kruger Gate (12 km)	Yes	First-time visitors who want every facility and easy access from Paul Kruger Gate
Pretoriuskop	South-western Kruger	Near Shabeni Hill	Numbi Gate (9 km)	Yes	Travellers who want a quick start from Numbi Gate and quieter, hilly scenery
Lower Sabie	South-eastern Kruger	Sabie River	Southern gates	Yes	Travellers who want river views and some of the south’s busiest game-viewing roads
Crocodile Bridge	South-eastern Kruger	Crocodile River	Crocodile Bridge Gate (at the gate)	Take-away only	Travellers who want lion and rhino country and a camp right at the gate
Satara	Central Kruger	Open central plains	Orpen Gate (48 km)	Yes	Big-cat sightings on open plains in central Kruger
Letaba	Central-northern Kruger	Letaba River	Phalaborwa Gate (51 km)	Yes	Elephants and a quieter, more northern side of Kruger

Which rest camp should I choose?

The answer depends on how far you want to travel and what you most want to see.

• Closest to Johannesburg: Pretoriuskop is 9 km from Numbi Gate, about 4 to 5 hours’ drive from central Gauteng, and Skukuza is 12 km from Paul Kruger Gate.
• River views: Skukuza and Lower Sabie both sit on the Sabie River, where hippo, elephant and buffalo come down to drink.
• Lion and rhino: Crocodile Bridge lies in the Southern Circle, known for several lion prides and a large share of the park’s rhino.
• Big cats on open plains: Satara, in central Kruger, records lion, leopard and cheetah regularly.
• Elephants: Letaba, on the Letaba River, is known for elephants in the riverbed and is home to the Letaba Elephant Hall.

Gate and camp times

Kruger’s gates and camp gates open and close at set times that change through the year, and visitors must be inside their camp before it closes. SANParks publishes the current times and notes that they may change without notice. On our rest camp safaris, your guide plans each day’s game drives around these times.

Rest camp or private lodge?

Rest camps are self-catering or restaurant-based SANParks camps where you drive on the park’s public roads. Private lodges in the Greater Kruger reserves include guided drives on private land, off-road tracking and all meals. From Cape Town, our safaris to Skukuza, Pretoriuskop, Lower Sabie and Crocodile Bridge fly direct to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP), with flights included. Satara and Letaba are too far from MQP for a short trip, so their safaris start in Johannesburg.

Our Greater Kruger guide compares the private reserves, and our Kruger National Park safaris include day trips and lodge stays as well as the rest camp safaris below.