Best Time to Visit Kruger National Park

May to September

Months to avoid: December to January (peak summer, extreme heat above 40C, thick bush reduces wildlife visibility, and South African school holidays crowd the camps)

Recommended stay: 4-6 days

Plan Kruger National Park for May to September. Give it 4-6 days. The window to avoid is December to January (peak summer, extreme heat above 40C, thick bush reduces wildlife visibility, and South African school holidays crowd the camps).

What the season gets you

• Self-drive means you set your own pace, linger at a leopard sighting for two hours if you want, no guide tapping his watch
• The southern river roads along the Sabie and Crocodile rivers are among the most reliable Big Five corridors on the continent
• Night drives from rest camps put you on roads you can't access alone, rangers find creatures the day crowd misses entirely