Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

PARK · KWAZULU-NATAL · 28.22°S 31.92°E

Africa's oldest proclaimed game reserve, in the hills of Zululand three hours north of Durban, the place that saved the white rhino and still the best spot in the world to see one.

Park feefrom R320 a day

Places to stay8

Sights21

Eat & drink2

Location28.22°S 31.92°E

Key costs & permits

What you'll pay to enter Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

VALID 01 NOV 2025 TO 31 OCT 2026 · ZAR PER PERSON PER DAY

Fee	International	SADC nationals	SA residents
Daily conservation fee	R320child R160one source	R160child R80one source	R160child R80one source

Charged per person per day at both the Hluhluwe and iMfolozi sections. Unlike most Ezemvelo parks, overnight guests pay it too, for every day in the park.
Child rate applies to children under 12.
The same Ezemvelo document also has a note giving R300 per adult and R150 per child for overnight visitors, with an SA/SADC rate of R150 per person. That conflicts with its own fee table (R320/R160 standard, R160/R80 SA and SADC), which is the figure used here.
Several tour and lodge websites still list older, lower figures (R240 adult, R120 child).
South African citizens/residents and SADC nationals must show a valid ID or passport at the gate, otherwise the standard (international) fee applies.
Ezemvelo states its rates include the Community Levy.
Ezemvelo accepts the Wild Card in most of its parks; bring the receipt or authorisation letter.
Figures marked "one source" were found in a single published source only.
Set by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. Adult rate shown first, child rate below.

CHECKED 06 OCT 2026 · 1 SOURCES

See every place on this map as a list

StaySightsEat & drinkHikingFishing

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi was proclaimed on 30 April 1895, which makes it the oldest game reserve in Africa. It covers about 960 square kilometres of hilly KwaZulu-Natal bush between the Black and White Umfolozi rivers, run by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife rather than SANParks. In the 1950s and 60s Operation Rhino caught white rhinos here and shipped them to reserves across Africa when the species was close to gone. Around 1,600 still live here.

Getting there

The park is about 250 km north of Durban, two and a half to three hours up the N2, or about an hour from Richards Bay airport. There are three gates. Memorial Gate on the northern Hluhluwe side is 17 km from Hluhluwe town on the R22. Nyalazi Gate on the southern iMfolozi side is 31 km west of Mtubatuba on the R618 and 54 km from St Lucia. Cengeni Gate also serves the iMfolozi side. The two halves were joined by a corridor in 1989, so any gate gives you the whole park. Roads are good and a 2WD is all you need; buy a map at the gate.

When to go

May to September is dry and mild, with daytime highs of 22 to 24 degrees, cool mornings and short grass. Summer, roughly October to March, is hot and humid with highs around 28 degrees and heavy afternoon storms; January alone averages more than 130 mm of rain and gravel roads can become difficult. October and November bring newborn animals. The park is in a low-risk malaria area, so ask a travel clinic what they advise for the time of year.

What to do

Drive the loops yourself. The park has around 300 km of road, the stretch between Memorial Gate and Hilltop camp is famous for white rhino, and there are hides and lookouts throughout. Both rhino species are here along with the rest of the Big Five, African wild dog, cheetah and more than 340 bird species, though lion and leopard are hard to spot in the thick Hluhluwe bush. Camps run guided drives and walks, and Hilltop has a short self-guided trail.

The iMfolozi wilderness trails are the park’s speciality: multi-day guided walks through a roadless wilderness area, sleeping out in the bush. Five different trails are offered and they book out well ahead.

Good to know

Hilltop camp, dating from 1934, sits on a ridge in the north with a restaurant, shop and fuel. Mpila in the iMfolozi south has chalets and safari tents and less in the way of facilities, so bring supplies and a torch. Gates run from 05:00 to 19:00 in summer and 06:00 to 18:00 in winter (sources differ on exactly which month the change falls), and arriving late means a fine and an escort to camp. Whatever the season, leave camp as the gate opens, because that is when the predators are moving.

Last updated 6 October 2026. Sources: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage, Hluhluwe Game Reserve (tour operator), Hluhluwe Game Reserve (tour operator), Faraway Worlds, SafariBookings.