Game drives from Marloth Park

Guided drives into Kruger

A guided drive starts in the dark. The vehicle picks you up, takes the short road to Crocodile Bridge gate and goes in as the gate opens. The guide drives and spots, and you sit up high in an open vehicle with a clear view. On a shared drive you'll be with other guests. One Marloth operator takes six or seven people at most per vehicle.

Most drives come in three lengths. A morning drive is back by about lunchtime. An afternoon drive goes in after lunch and comes out around gate closing time. A full day covers more ground and may stop at Lower Sabie camp for food. One Marloth operator also runs a split day, with a morning drive, a rest at your house and an afternoon drive.

Drive	Oct-Mar	Apr-Sep
Full dayAbout 10 hours	05:00-15:30	05:30-16:00
MorningAbout 6 hours	05:00-11:30	05:30-12:00
AfternoonAbout 4.5 hours	13:30-18:00	13:00-17:30

Last checked 26 October 2026

Other operators keep slightly different hours. Kruger Park Open Vehicle Safaris, based in Marloth, stops for a picnic breakfast in the park on its morning drive.

Drive	Times
Morning in KrugerWith a picnic breakfast	04:30-11:00
Afternoon in Kruger	15:00-18:30
Split day in KrugerA break at your house in between	04:30-10:30 and 14:30-18:30
Sunset drive in Marloth ParkAlong the Crocodile River	14:30-18:30

Last checked 26 October 2026

Take a warm top even in summer, because an open vehicle is cold before sunrise. Bring a hat, sunscreen and binoculars. Ask whether food is included. Some operators hand out a breakfast pack on morning drives and others include no meals.

What a guided drive costs

These are typical starting prices for shared drives that fetch you in Marloth Park. They include Kruger's conservation fee, the guide, water and the guide's tip. The price depends on where you're from and where you're fetched.

Drive	From
AfternoonAbout 4.5 hours	R1,340
MorningAbout 6 hours	R1,410
Full dayAbout 10 hours	R1,770

Last checked 26 October 2026

Kruger's daily fees go up on 1 November 2026, and some operators' prices still use the old fees, so check the price when you book. If an operator quotes without the park fee, add Kruger's fee for each person. A South African adult pays R140 a day from 1 November. The Kruger fees page has every rate.

A private vehicle for your group costs more, and you choose the pace. With some operators it's the only way to bring children aged 4 or 5.

Sunset drives in Marloth Park

You can do a drive without going into Kruger. Sunset drives through Marloth Park follow the Crocodile River and stop at a lookout for a drink as the sun goes down. You come back as the night animals start to move. There are no Kruger fees, though a drive that goes into Lionspruit may add its entry fee. Ask the operator for the price.

SANParks drives from Crocodile Bridge

SANParks runs its own guided drives from the camp at Crocodile Bridge gate, including a sunset drive. You book them with SANParks and drive yourself to the gate, because they leave from the camp. Children under 6 years can't go on SANParks drives, and SANParks adds a 1% community levy to activity bookings.

Children on game drives

Each operator sets its own age rules, so ask before you book.

• On SANParks drives, there are no children under 6 years.
• Some private operators set their own rule: No children under 3; ages 4-5 on private bookings only.

Small children usually do better in a private vehicle or on a short self-drive morning than on a long shared drive. Marloth Park with kids has more ideas.

Guided or self-drive

Driving yourself costs the park fee and your fuel, and you can turn back when the children have had enough. Our Kruger day trip guide has a route. A guided drive costs a good deal more. You sit higher, the guide knows where the animals have been seen and nobody has to drive in the dark. A good mix is one guided drive early in your stay and your own drives after that.

Operators

These operators fetch guests from Marloth Park. Ask each one whether Kruger's fee is in the price.