In a nutshell
- Addo Elephant Park is the best national park in South Africa for seeing massive elephant herds in the wild — over 600 elephants call it home.
- You can drive through the park in your own car — even a compact car works fine on the gravel roads.
- Our top accommodation pick is the Stellenhof Guesthouse, about 15 minutes from the park entrance — great pool, great dinners, highly recommended.
- In this guide you’ll find everything you need to plan your visit to Addo Elephant Park: admission, opening hours, where to stay, how to get there, and which animals to expect.
What Do You Need to Know About Addo Elephant Park?
A friend told us before our visit: “At Addo National Park, you can watch elephants until you grow a trunk yourself.”
Addo Elephant Park is known for its massive elephant herds. More than 600 elephants live here.
We didn’t grow a trunk, but it was absolutely impressive nonetheless. You won’t see elephant herds of this size anywhere else on your South Africa trip — not even in Kruger National Park.
You can even spot the Big 5 in Addo Elephant Park: elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, and buffalos.
Realistically, your chances are very good only for elephants and buffalos — you might also get lucky with lions. Rhinos and leopards are almost never spotted by visitors.
The national park was founded in 1931, after nearly all elephants in the region had been shot. At some point, people finally came to their senses and decided it might be a good idea to protect the animals. Good call!
Addo Elephant Park is located about a half-hour drive north of Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha). Many people combine a visit to Addo Elephant National Park with the Garden Route — and that’s exactly what we recommend.
More on getting there and how to fit Addo Elephant Park into your South Africa road trip is covered further below.
Addo Elephant Park Admission and Opening Hours
Admission to Addo Elephant Park costs 492 rand per day. Children ages 2 to 11 pay 246 rand, and younger children get in free. If you have a Wild Card, entry to Addo National Park is free.
The national park is open daily from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
There are two entrances to Addo Elephant Park: in the north is the Main Gate, with a restaurant, restrooms, souvenir shop, and everything you’d expect. In the south there’s a smaller entrance, which you can also use.
If you’re staying in the town of Addo, definitely use the north entrance. The south entrance makes the most sense if you’re coming directly from Port Elizabeth.
Important: At the ticket office, you’ll need to fill out a form and show the passports of all members of your group. Don’t leave them back at the hotel.
Driving Through Addo Elephant Park in Your Own Car
The simplest and most affordable option is to drive through the national park in your own car. It’s perfect if you’re already traveling by car in South Africa. You go at your own pace and have maximum flexibility.
The roads in Addo Elephant Park are easy to drive. Most of them are gravel tracks, but without extreme potholes. Some sections are even paved. So you can drive through the park in any car, including a compact car.
At the entrance you can pick up maps of Addo National Park showing all the roads, loop routes, and waterholes.
The large elephant herds often congregate at the waterholes. The most important waterholes and viewpoints are also signposted throughout the park.
You can also view and download the park map in advance on the SANParks website.
The official speed limit in the park is 40 km/h, but in most areas it’s worth driving considerably slower. After all, you’re there to spot animals, not race through the park.
Getting out of your car is strictly prohibited, except in a few designated areas. When you stop to watch animals, turn off the engine.
Guided Safaris in Addo Elephant Park
Prefer to do a proper game drive with an experienced ranger? No problem!
The big advantage of a guided safari is that you have a professional guide who knows where the animals tend to hang out — and has a much sharper eye for spotting them.
Safaris in open 4×4 vehicles are offered directly by the national park and can easily be booked on-site.
If you’d like something a bit more comfortable, there are plenty of options for that too. In addition to more comfortable vehicles, many tours include lunch and drinks. Hotel pickup is usually available as well.
The Alternative: A Hop-on Guide in Your Own Car
A great alternative to a guided tour is what’s known as a hop-on guide. These are experienced rangers who ride along in your car and help you track down the animals.
The guides are arranged directly through the national park. You can find more information on the SANParks website.
Animals You Can See in Addo Elephant Park
Elephants
There are more than 600 elephants in Addo Elephant Park in total. You often see them in herds of up to 50 animals. Seriously impressive!
It’s almost guaranteed that you’ll spot elephants during your visit. On dry days, they can practically always be found at the park’s waterholes.
We drove straight there early in the morning along the paved road to Hapoor Dam and saw so many elephants that we didn’t even bother trying to count them.
We also spotted elephants at Lismore Waterhole at midday.
When it’s raining or cooler, they can be a bit harder to find. That said, we’ve never heard of anyone leaving Addo without seeing a single elephant.
Zebras
After elephants, zebras were the animals we saw most often.
They were frequently very close to the road, sometimes alongside elephants at the waterholes.
We spotted the zebra family in the photo on the Mbabala Loop.
Buffalos
Buffalos are part of the Big 5 and are spotted very frequently in Addo Elephant Park too.
They’re not as prominent as elephants or zebras, but we still saw buffalos on both days.
There are more than 400 of them in the national park in total.
We got lucky near Lismore Waterhole and were able to see two buffalos up close.
Warthogs
Warthogs are a common sight in Addo National Park. Over our two days, we easily spotted warthogs at least ten times.
We saw this cute family together with the zebra family on the Mbabala Loop.
Dung Beetles
The little dung beetles are impossible to miss in Addo Elephant Park. Signs everywhere remind you not to run over them — which is sometimes easier said than done.
These tiny beetles are constantly darting across the road, rolling balls of dung in front of them that are often bigger than they are.
Lions
Lions have been back in Addo National Park for several years now — there are currently 12 individuals in total. They’re not easy to spot on the vast park grounds, and unfortunately we had no luck.
However, we heard from several other visitors that they did see lions. So it’s not impossible.
Your best chances are early in the morning or in the early evening, and most likely in the southern section of the park.
Big 7
Addo National Park is home to the Big 5. In addition to elephants, buffalos, and lions, that includes rhinos and leopards. Both are extremely rare and very shy — you most likely won’t get to see them.
But Addo Elephant Park isn’t just home to the Big 5 — it’s actually home to the Big 7.
That also includes whales and sharks. Addo National Park extends south to the coast, and that’s where sharks and whales live.
Especially during whale season through November, you have a good chance of spotting whales.
Other Animals in Addo National Park
More than 400 species live in Addo Elephant Park in total. We also frequently spotted various antelope species, as well as ostriches and tortoises.
Hyenas are present too, but they’re rarely seen.
Accommodations in Addo Elephant Park
There’s a wide range of places to stay around the national park. Most of them are clustered around the town of Addo and are often just 10 to 20 minutes from the park entrance.
Our Hotel Pick in Addo: Stellenhof Guesthouse
We stayed at Stellenhof Guesthouse and can highly recommend it. The property is really beautiful and very well maintained. There’s a pool for cooling off — especially during the hot summer months, that’s worth its weight in gold.
It’s about 15 minutes by car to the north entrance of the park.
Breakfast is included. The hotel restaurant also serves excellent dinners and light lunch snacks. So you’re fully taken care of.
That’s especially important since there isn’t much going on in and around Addo — when you’re not in the national park, you’ll probably spend your time at the hotel.
Check out Stellenhof Guesthouse
More Recommended Hotels and Lodges Around Addo Elephant Park
Besides Stellenhof Guesthouse, there are a few other solid options in the area:
Addo Dung Beetle Guest Farm: simple, budget-friendly accommodation just a few minutes from the park entrance.
Africanos Country Estate: large, modern hotel property just 10 minutes from the national park entrance. With a pool and restaurant.
De Old Drift Guest Farm: modern lodge on a large lemon farm with a pool and restaurant. About a 15-minute drive to the national park.
Camp Figtree: a luxurious and truly special lodge in the Zuurberg Mountains with stunning views over the valley. About 30 minutes to the national park, partly along a somewhat bumpy dirt road.
Staying Overnight Inside Addo National Park
Want to stay overnight directly inside Addo Elephant Park? That’s possible too.
There are various types of accommodations available — ranging from very basic to luxurious.
Spots fill up very quickly, though. So if you want to stay inside the national park, book well in advance.
Gorah Elephant Camp: luxury tents right inside the national park, very close to a waterhole. You’re truly up close with the animals. It’s genuinely expensive, but full board and game drives are included in the price.
SANParks accommodations: The other accommodations inside the national park can only be booked directly through the national park. There are various camps where you can stay.
Addo National Park: Getting There and Moving On
Getting There from the Garden Route
Most travelers arrive at Addo National Park from the Garden Route or from Port Elizabeth.
From Plettenberg Bay, the largest town at the eastern end of the Garden Route, it’s about a four-hour drive to the town of Addo, which sits just to the west of the park.
Very important: Do not take the R335 to Addo
If you follow Google Maps or another GPS, it will most likely route you past Port Elizabeth via the R335 near Motherwell.
You should avoid this route at all costs, as it is not safe. There have been repeated incidents of robbery along this stretch.
From Port Elizabeth, take the N2 via Colchester instead, then the N10 via Paterson, and drive around the national park. This adds about 30 minutes compared to the R335, but it’s the safe choice.
Google Maps may also suggest an alternative route past Colchester along the Sunday River, which looks considerably shorter. However, that road is a very rough gravel track that should only be driven in a 4×4. You won’t enjoy it in a regular car.
Getting There from Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha)
If you’re staying in Port Elizabeth and visiting Addo Elephant Park as a day trip, you can enter directly through the south entrance. It’s only about 30 minutes by car.
Continuing On to the Karoo and Back to Cape Town
Most visitors head back to the Garden Route after Addo Elephant Park, or to the Port Elizabeth airport.
We’d like to suggest a really beautiful alternative: Route 62 through the semi-desert Karoo.
To do that, though, we first had to drive back east from Addo Elephant Park.
You travel through a desert-like, deeply impressive landscape. For long stretches it’s just straight road ahead, and you might go an hour without seeing another car. The entire route is doable in just under five hours.
Our first stop: the wonderfully charming little town of Prince Albert. After two nights there, we headed over the truly spectacular Swartberg Pass to Oudtshoorn, and from there we made our way back to Cape Town via Route 62.
We loved this route because it offers a real contrast to the Garden Route and showcases a completely different, unique landscape.
If you have a bit more time, you could also stop in the small town of Graaff-Reinet and spend a night there. It’s truly stunning — just a bit off the beaten path.
Either way, make sure to start the drive with a full tank, as there’s very little along the route.
Filling Up with Gas in and Around Addo
Right next to the north entrance of Addo Elephant Park you’ll find a small gas station. It’s slightly more expensive than other stations.
In the town of Addo there’s a Total gas station. Heading east, the next gas station is in Kirkwood (Leo Motors), about 40 minutes from Addo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Addo Elephant Park
To wrap things up, here are answers to a few questions we had ourselves before visiting Addo National Park.
Is a visit to Addo Elephant Park worth it?
Absolutely! On our South Africa road trip, we mainly explored the Garden Route, Cape Town, and the West Coast of South Africa, so we didn’t get to see much of the country’s wildlife elsewhere.
That’s why visiting Addo was one of the absolute highlights of our trip. If you’ve already included Kruger National Park in your itinerary, you can probably skip Addo — apart from the massive elephant herds, Addo doesn’t offer anything that Kruger doesn’t also have.
How many days should you plan for Addo Elephant Park?
We spent two full days in Addo Elephant National Park ourselves, staying a total of three nights. In hindsight, one day would have been enough — we saw everything on the first day. But if that day had been rainy, we would have been glad to have a second as a backup.
Is Addo Elephant Park suitable for children?
Totally! We traveled through Addo with two young children (ages four and one), and it was great.
If you’re visiting South Africa with young kids, Kruger National Park is off the table for most families. Kruger is a malaria zone, and the distances are much greater than in Addo — meaning you’ll inevitably be stuck in the car for very long stretches, which usually isn’t much fun with toddlers.
Addo Elephant National Park is malaria-free, and you can see a lot in a short amount of time. After exploring the Garden Route with kids, Addo was the perfect finale.
If you’d rather skip the relatively long drive from the end of the Garden Route, also take a look at the various options for a safari along the Garden Route.
When is the best time to spot animals in Addo Elephant Park?
If you want to see lions, come early in the morning or in the evening shortly before the park closes. That’s when your chances are highest.
We spotted elephants throughout the day. When it gets very hot, they gather at the waterholes and are easy to observe.
Our tip: When you enter Addo through the north entrance, check the map near the restrooms. Visitors can use magnets to mark where specific animals were spotted that day. Who knows — maybe a lion was seen that very morning, and you’ll get lucky.
Is there a restaurant in Addo Elephant Park?
Yes! There’s a restaurant right at the north entrance — a branch of the steakhouse chain Cattle Baron. The food is really good and offers solid value for money.
