The Kruger National Park is a holiday destination which can be visited at any time of the year,
However in this post we discuss the best season to visit the Kruger National Park,
Spring
The spring time in Kruger is wet as it rains from October to mid-November, the rain fills all the waterholes and rivers, resulting in the vegetation looking green. Temperatures in spring are pleasant as its cold in the morning and warm during the day, it can be humid during the day. Migrant birds also appear from the north in the month of September. An abundance of rain can make it difficult to spot animals as they do not move around during the rain, but your chances of seeing male lions after it rains is high as they mark their territory after the rain washed away their scent markings.
September – October
Spring starts in mid September, expect the first spring rains, the water levels of dams and rivers are low and wildlife can be found at waterholes.
Summer
Summer in Kruger is from October to April, the Kruger is lush and green in the summer months.
November and December are extremely hot and you must be prepared for temperature which reach above 40 degrees Celsius. Game viewing is sometimes a bit more difficult in the summer season because the vegetation is dense, making it bit harder to locate and observe wildlife.
In the months of October and November the park is filled with sightings of wildlife with their new borns.
If you are planning on visiting the Kruger in the months of December and January we recommend staying in a air-conditioned accommodation, safari tents do come with fans, but it’s so hot that it only ends up circulating the hot air in your tent.
November – December
Temperatures rise above forty degrees , it does rain in these months causing humidity, unfortunately the humidity attracts mosquitos, make sure you do take anti-malaria medication as well as insect repellent.
January – March
In the months of January to March it is still very warm during the day, you will enjoy game drives during early mornings and late afternoon as it unpleasantly hot to sit in the car during midday.
April
The vegetation starts changing in the month of April, the lush green veld begins to dry up.
Winter
The dry winter season in the park is between May to September, the bushveld in winter is more open allowing for better visibility of wildlife. The grass is low, the bushes and trees are sparsely leaved. Temperatures are mostly pleasant as its cold in the morning and warm during the day, temperature reaching a high of 25 degrees. Visiting the park in winter reduces the risk of contracting malaria.
May – August
Can be cold during the night but you can wear shorts and t-shirts during the day. Vegetation is sparse and open, making game-viewing excellent
We love visiting the park at any time of the year but our favorite time to visit is during the winter season, we believe game viewing is at its best in the colder months of June to August especially for big cats, the best thing is that in the colder months you are most likely to find lions laying on tarred road seeking heat from the tar during the early morning drive.
You can also read our top best roads in the Kruger National Park here.