Addo Elephant National Park

How to get there

• Opening and Closing times for Gates
• How to get there
• GPS Coordinates
• Directions & Distances
• Directions within the Park

Opening & closing times for gates

The following gates have approximate opening times.

NB: Times may vary according to sunrise and sunset. Kindly check times on arrival at the Park.

Main Entrance Gate (near Addo)	07:00 - 19:00
Matyholweni Gate (near Colchester)	07:00 - 16:00
Main Game Area Gate
November - March	06:00 - 18:30
April - May	06:30 - 18:00
June - August	07:00 - 17:30
September - October	06:30 - 18:00
Southern Gate (Addo Heights Gate)
November - March	06:00 -18:00
April - May	06:30 - 17:30
June - August	06:30 - 17:00
September - October	06:30 - 17:30

Addo Heights Gates - these are not park entrance times
September - March	exit 18: 30
April - May	exit 18:00
June - August	exit 17: 30

NB: The Addo Heights Gates are NOT entrance gates and may only be used to travel on the Addo Heights Road (thoroughfare) or to exit the Park. Visitors must enter via the Main Gate or Matyholweni Gate. Any visitors found entering the Park through the Addo Heights Gates may be fined.

The gates are staffed by security guards after closing time. Visitors with accommodation bookings can still enter and exit the gate after closing times but before 22:00 provided they inform reception of this. After 22:00, there is no access into the Park as gates are closed.

How to get there

Many visitors to Addo are self-drive visitors as this allows them the freedom to explore the Park at their own leisure. If travelling from further afield, it may be advisable to fly to the Port Elizabeth Airport and then hire a vehicle.

GPS Coordinates

GPS coordinates ranging from camp sites, entrance gates to turn-off points.

Air

• The nearest domestic airport is in Port Elizabeth, 75km from the park. A number of hire car agencies have depots at the airport.
• International airports are situated at Johannesburg and Cape Town, with connecting flights to Port Elizabeth available.

Car Hire & Coaches

Cars can be hired from various agencies at the airport in Port Elizabeth or from all major towns in South Africa. Please see contact details on the Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism Website.

A number of coach operators have organized tours to the park. Please see contact details on the Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism Website.

There are privately-operated tours and shuttles that run from PE to Addo Elephant National Park.

You can also try one of the following:

Company Name	Tour Operator	Contact Details
Ezethu Tours	Geoff Foster	Cell: 083 493 8741 or Tel: 086 182 2328 Email: info@ezethutours.co.za Web: www.ezethutours.co.za
Ellie Tours & Transfers	Sorita Spiesr	Cell: 076 756 2542 or Tel: 042 234 0336 Email: andrew.spies@gmail.com
Callaghan Tours	Mike Callaghan	Cell: 082 327 1999 Email:mikecall@501.co.za
Daly Tours and Safaris	Arlene Daly	Cell:082 781 6889 Email:daly@netcon.co.za
Alan Tours	Alan Fogarty	Cell: 072 358 4634 Email:info@alantours.co.za
Umzantsi Afrika	Lyn Haller	Cell: 082 302 2690 Email: tours@umzantsi.co.za
Africa4Real Tours	Mark Heck	Cell:082 331 2896 Email: tours@africa4real.net
Dr Livingstone Tours	Greg Hughes	Cell:073 314 6145 Email:info@drlivingstonestours.co.za
Guided Tours	Peter Joseph	Cell:073 314 6145 Email:info@drlivingstonestours.co.za
Highwinds Adventures and Safaris	Robert Lourens	Tel:041 586 3721 Email: adventures@highwinds.co.za
Jama Tours	Luvo Ndima	Cell: 073 140 0603 Email:luvo@jamatours.co.za
Aloe-Drift Safaris	Deon Spies	Cell: 072 449 6243 Email: deon@aloe-drift.com
Imvelaphi Safaris	Jeanette Vockerodt	Cell:083 941 6196 Email:jeanette@imvelaphisafaris.com

(Remember to add international dialing code prefixes if you are phoning from overseas).

Internal Road Network

The entrance road and some of the tourist loops in the Park are tarred. Other tourist roads within the Park are of a good gravel standard. All tourist roads are accessible to normal sedan cars. A 4x4 vehicle is only necessary if visitors would like to take the 4x4 route within the Park (see Activities).

Vehicle Restrictions

• Buses may access most of the tourist roads within the Park except for the southern access road from Matyholweni to where it joins the road network near Hapoor waterhole and the second part of the Gorah Loop. Turnaround points for buses are provided at these places.
• The speed limit on the roads is 40 km/h but a speed of 20-30 km/h is advised for maximum game viewing enjoyment.
• There is a height restriction for vehicles on the entrance road to Addo Main Camp of 4.42 metres.

Directions and Distances

Directions from Port Elizabeth (PE) to Addo Main Camp

There are 3 alternatives:

1) Take the N2 highway towards Grahamstown. Take the turnoff to the left signposted “Motherwell” and “Addo Elephant National Park”. Turn left at the top of the off-ramp and proceed through Motherwell. Follow this road until you see the entrance to the park on the right. Distance: about 72 km or one hour travelling time.

2) Take the N2 highway towards Grahamstown and carry straight on until the N2 splits off to the left from the N10. Carry straight on, following the N10 towards Cradock/Cookhouse. Take the R342 to the left when you get to the intersection with Paterson on your right. This will be sign posted “Addo Elephant National Park”. Follow this road, looking out for the entrance to the park on your left. Distance: about 120 km or one hour, 15 minutes travelling time.

3) Take the N2 highway towards Grahamstown, pass Coega harbour on your right. Cross the Sundays River bridge. Turn off to your left at the sign that says “Camp Matyholweni”. Follow this road for about 3 km until you enter Matyholweni Gate at Camp Matyholweni. Follow the southern access road inside the Park until you get to Addo Main Camp. You will cross over a gravel public road. Distance: about 40 km from PE to Matyholweni and then 36 km through the Park (which takes about one and a half hours at the 40km/h speed limit). NB: this route is not accessible to caravans and buses.

Directions from East London

• Take the N2 towards Port Elizabeth. Follow the road until you see the N10 turn off. Please turn right here. You will continue towards Paterson.
• At Paterson you would turn left onto the R342. You will continue on this road for the next 24km. You will drive and see the entrance to the Addo Elephant National Park.

Directions from Grahamstown

• Take the N2 towards Port Elizabeth. Follow this road until you see the turnoff to the N10 towards Cradock/Cookhouse. Take this turnoff and carry straight on, following the N10 towards Cradock/Cookhouse.
• Take the R342 to the left when you get to the intersection with Paterson on your right. This will be sign posted “Addo Elephant National Park”. Follow this road, looking out for the entrance to the park on your left.
• The journey covers about 90 km and will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Directions from Cape Town

Take the N2 towards Port Elizabeth and then follow the directions given above. Note: travelling time from Cape Town to the Park by vehicle is approximately 9 hours.

Directions from Johannesburg

• Take the N1 towards Colesburg. At Colesburg, take the N10 towards Cradock and Paterson. Take the R342 to the left when you get to the intersection with Paterson on your right. This will be sign posted “Addo Elephant National Park”.
• Follow this road, looking out for the entrance to the park on your left.
• Note: travelling time from Johannesburg to the Park by vehicle is approximately 12-14 hours.

Directions within the Park

Directions to Camp Matyholweni

• From Port Elizabeth, take the N2 towards Grahamstown. Just before the town of Colchester and after crossing the bridge over Sundays River, take the sign posted road left to Camp Matyholweni. Follow the signs for about 3km to enter Matyholweni Gate and Camp Matyholweni.

Directions from Addo Main Camp to Zuurberg (for horse and hiking trails)

• Exit the Main Camp and turn left. About 1 km down the road, turn off towards Zuurberg Mountain Inn.
• Follow this gravel road (the Zuurberg Pass) for about 15km. Please take care when driving on the Zuurberg Pass as the road is fairly narrow and winding. You will see the Zuurberg Inn/Hotel on your right and the turnoff to the Park offices on your left.
• Follow this narrow gravel road until you reach the Park offices where you park your vehicle.
• The trip will take about 30 minutes.

Directions from Addo Main Camp to Narina Bush Camp

• Exit the Main Camp and turn left. About 1 km down the road, turn off towards Zuurberg Mountain Inn.
• Take the first turn to your left, signposted Enon/Slagboom. Follow this road and then take the turn to your right, signposted Slagboom. Follow the road and pass the turnoff to Slagboom police training camp.
• Carry on along the gravel road, passing through a number of open gates, until you see the turnoff into Narina Bush Camp on your right. Leave your vehicle at this parking lot and walk about 500 metres to the camp across a river bridge and through the forest.
• This trip is about 27 km and will take about 45 minutes.

Directions from Addo Main Camp to Kabouga

• Exit the Main Camp and turn left. Follow the R335 towards the town of Addo.
• Turn off onto the R336 towards Kirkwood. Follow this road until you reach the town of Kirkwood at a four-way intersection. Carry on straight through the intersection (you would turn left for the Main Street of Kirkwood) and travel over a small bridge.
• Turn right after the bridge and follow the road, which becomes gravel past a township until you see the turnoff into Kabouga (Park signage) on your left. Follow this road until you get to a boom gate at the ranger’s station where you enter the Park’s property.
• The trip will take about one hour.

Directions from Addo Main Camp to Woody Cape

• Exit the Main Camp and turn right. Follow the R342 to the Paterson intersection with the N10.
• Turn right onto the N10 and follow this road until the R72 turnoff on your left. Follow the signs towards Port Alfred and Alexandria. You will see the turnoff to Woody Cape just before you enter the town of Alexandria.
• Just before the town of Alexandria, take a gravel road to the right and follow signposts for Woody Cape Section. You will see the entrance to the Park offices on your right.
• The trip will take about one hour, 15 minutes and covers about 105 km.

Distances

Note: all distances are approximate.

• Port Elizabeth to Addo Main Camp 72km
• Main Camp to Paterson 22km
• Main Camp to Kabouga 45km
• Main Camp to Narina 27km
• Main Camp to Woody Cape office 105km
• Main Camp to Matyholweni 39km
• Main Camp to Zuurberg office 17km
  

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