Kruger gate times in April
April gate times, the first month on winter hours, with sunrise and sunset in Marloth Park and the long weekends to plan around.
Kruger's entrance gates open at 06:00 in April and every gate closes at 18:00, Crocodile Bridge included. The camp gates open at the same time. This is the first month on winter opening hours.
April gate times
| Gate | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance gatesCrocodile Bridge, Malelane and every other gate | 06:00 | 18:00 |
| Camp gatesFor guests staying inside Kruger | 06:00 | 18:00 |
Last checked 26 October 2026
Compared with March, the gates open half an hour later and close at the same time.
Sunrise and sunset in Marloth Park
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| 1 April 2027 | 06:02 | 17:52 |
| 30 April 2027 | 06:15 | 17:25 |
Last checked 26 October 2026
On 1 April the gate opens at about sunrise, and by the end of the month it opens a quarter of an hour before the sun is up. The sun now sets before the gates close, by a few minutes at the start of April and by more than half an hour at the end. Late in the month you'll drive the last stretch to the gate in dusk and get home to Marloth in the dark, so watch for animals on the Marloth roads.
Holidays in April
- The Easter school holidays run 20 March to 5 April 2027, and schools reopen on Tuesday 6 April.
- Monday 26 April is a special school holiday and Tuesday 27 April is Freedom Day, so schools are closed from Saturday 24 to Tuesday 27 April.
Long weekends and school holidays are when the gates usually reach their daily limit for day visitors. In 2026, Lower Sabie camp was fully booked over the Freedom Day and Workers' Day long weekends. If you're heading in from Marloth over 24-27 April, get to the gate early and read quotas and pre-booking first.
What April is like in the park
It cools down noticeably, though late summer rain can still fall. Skukuza in Kruger averages a high of 31 °C and a low of 16 °C in April, with about 40 mm of rain. The bush is still dense and the animals are in top condition. Impala, wildebeest and warthog are in their rutting season.
When to leave Marloth
From Marloth Park to Crocodile Bridge is about 20-30 min. With the later opening, leaving at 05:30 gets you to the gate for 06:00.
Lower Sabie is 34 km from the gate. That's a little over an hour at the 30 km/h average to plan on, so leave Lower Sabie by 16:45 to be through Crocodile Bridge before 18:00.
A South African adult pays R140 a day until 31 October 2027. See Kruger fees for other visitors.
Other months: March, May or the whole year.