Kruger Park Fly-in packages

There are a number of routes that can be taken to reach Kruger National Park; however, the majority of visitors from outside the country opt to either take a hassle-free guided road transfer or a commercially scheduled flight to get there.

Overview

Locals often choose to drive themselves, while tourists from outside the country prefer to fly or take a hassle-free guided road transfer.

There are regularly scheduled flights departing from all of South Africa’s major towns to the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA), which is located just outside Mbombela (Nelspruit). This is the option that will get you to Kruger Park the quickest.

As long as you book your accommodations and flights together, any Kruger Park destination expert will be able to assist you in making the necessary flight reservations.

It is possible to avoid all of the stress and uncertainty that comes with planning a trip by reserving one of the many all-inclusive vacation packages that are available for Kruger Park. These tour operators will make the necessary arrangements to schedule your flights and transfers to your safari lodge, as well as guarantee that you have the time to get at the Kruger Park entrance gates before they close.

You will be able to fly and get into any part of Kruger National Park in about three hours from any of the major centres in the country. It is very comfortable and quite easy to fly to Kruger Park, from any of the main departure centres to the three airports closest to the gates of the South and Central areas. It is therefore good to know which airports best serve which rest camps in Kruger Park.

There are three airports that serve Kruger Park, and they are as follows:

Phalaborwa Airport is located in the northern part of Kruger National Park, Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport is located not far from Central Kruger National Park and Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport is located near the southern part of Kruger National Park.

Flights to Kruger Park from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

Visitors should keep in mind that these flight reservation services rendered by tour operators are usually only available in conjunction with your accommodation bookings. When completing your accommodation booking form, be thus sure to check the “Need a Flight?” option too.

Fly to Eastgate at Hoedspruit

If you plan on heading to Orpen, Maroela, Talamati, Tamboti, Satara, or Roodewaal Rest Camp, the best way to get there is to take a flight from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit.

Direct flights departing and arriving in Hoedspruit from and to Johannesburg and Cape Town take place once a day, seven days a week.

Fly to Phalaborwa

If you will be travelling to Shimuwini, Boulders, Letaba, Olifants, or Balule Rest Camps, we recommend taking a flight from Johannesburg to Phalaborwa.

Fly to Skukuza

Skukuza Airport serves as the entry point to Sabi Sands as well as the other private game reserves that are located along Kruger Park’s borders. If you are staying at Skukuza Rest Camp, Jock Safari Lodge, Tinga Lodge, or Plains Camp, or if you are going on a Sabi Sand luxury privatesafari, you should fly into Skukuza Airport.

Skukuza offers nonstop direct flights to Johannesburg and Cape Town once a day, seven days a week.

Fly to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport in Nelspruit

The Nelspruit Kruger Mpumalanga Airport provides direct flights to and from Johannesburg and Cape Town in both directions on a daily basis, seven days a week. Additionally, the airport provides direct flights to and from Durban King Shaka on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

These flights are most convenient for tourists who are going to camps in the southern part of Kruger National Park, such as Berg en Dal, Biyamiti, Crocodile Bridge, Malelane, Lower Sabie, Skukuza, Jock Safari Lodge, Lukimbi Safari Lodge, or Tinga Game Lodge.

What if you need to hire a car for use in Kruger National Park?

If you would prefer to do a self-drive excursion in the park itself, you can ask your tour operator to organise for a rental car waiting for you at Kruger International, Hoedspruit or Phalaborwa.

It is quite possible for you to fly in on a commercial line or by private charter, and further rent a car or 4×4 SUV for driving around in the park.

You can arrange to collect your car at either of these 3 airports near Kruger Park (Nelspruit, Hoedspruit or Phalaborwa) and take in some of the sights along the way driving the final few kilometres into the park.

Alternatively, you could also hire a car at Polokwane and then drive to Pafuri to explore the far northern section of Kruger National Park or the surrounding private game reserves.

To arrange a private charter flight into any of the Greater Kruger Park Lodges’ airstrips

This Fly-in Kruger Park Packages get you to your destination at any Greater Kruger private lodge quickly and conveniently, allowing you to maximise your time in the park. Flights are only booked in conjunction with your lodge reservation, at the time of reservation. This is applicable for accommodation on all safaris in safari lodges and camps located within the park itself or surrounding “Big 5” private reserves, e.g. Timbavati Game Reserve or Sabi Sand Game Reserve.

You can fly directly to any of the private reserves or lodges directly from Johannesburg international airport or Cape Town via the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport or the Hoedspruit Airport.

There are daily private scheduled flights to Greater Kruger Park:

  • Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport to Phalaborwa, Hoedspruit or KMIA
  • Durban or Cape Town to KMIA only
  • Durban and Cape Town to Johannesburg and then onwards to Hoedspruit or Phalaborwa

Note that there are other baggage restrictions for these flights than for ordinary commercial flights:

Baggage allowances on light aircraft flights into Kruger National Park are restricted to 20kg, including your hand luggage, and only soft sided bags are allowed, as well as no wheels on the baggage permitted.

You might also like our Kruger Park Family Packages or Kruger National Park Couples Packages.

FAQ

1.    If I’m flying to Kruger Mpumalanga Airport, how do I get to the Private Game Lodge I’m staying at?

Transfers to and from the regional airports to the lodges can be arranged and normally forms part of your bookedsafari package. Depending on which lodge you are staying in, the road transfer can add another hour or more of total travel time.

2.    How can I get to Kruger if I can’t drive there myself?

There are several transfer options into Kruger and the method you ultimately choose will mainly depend on the amount of time you have and the share of your budget you are willing to spend on such a transfer.You can either fly into a regional airport near the Kruger Park, fly into a private airstrip in or adjacent to the Kruger National Park, take a guidedroad transfer or rent a vehicle to self-drive.

3.    Is flying a good option if I only have a few days to visit Kruger?

Yes, flying into Kruger National Park will save you valuable time and maximises the time you can spend on game viewing in the park. If you only have a few days to spend in the park, it is highly advisable to choose a fly-in option with your safari package.

4.    Which regional airports are the closest to the Kruger National Park?

There are scheduled flights to and from the following airports, all within easy reach from Kruger National Park: In the Southern section there is the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA), in the central section Hoedspruit Airport and in the north the Phalaborwa Airport.

5.    How easy is it to get a flight –on how many days of the week do they operate?

There should be no issues getting a flight to Kruger National Park. There are daily scheduled flights to and from all the airports that service the Kruger Park. Depending on which airport you choose, will determine the number of flights departing from centres like Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

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Over 25 years’ experience in assisting guests with their safari reservations.

Kruger Park Fly-in packages Enquiry

I would like to receive monthly newsletter