SA National Parks Week 2026: Everything You Need to Know About

Mark it in the calendar, tell the grandparents, and friends — SA National Parks Week is coming, and this year it’s the 21st time SANParks has thrown the gates open for free.

From Monday 7 to Sunday 13 September 2026, South African day visitors get free access to participating national parks around the country. Entry is 100% FREE. However, accommodation, guided walks, game drives and other paid activities still cost the same as always.

To get in free, South African visitors need to bring ID. Kids under 18 are let off the hook — no documentation required.

The fine print

Not every park plays by the same calendar:

• Kruger, West Coast and Augrabies Falls National Parks only offer free access from Monday 7 to Friday 11 September — weekends are excluded. If you were planning a Saturday dash to Kruger thinking it’d be free, better replan.
• Namaqua National Park, the Boulders Penguin Colony section of Table Mountain National Park, and the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway are sitting this one out entirely. The penguins, sadly, remain a paid attraction.
• Individual parks may set their own visitor limits and entry conditions, so it’s worth checking the specific dates for your chosen park on the SANParks events page before you load everyone into the car.

A few tips before you go

• Go early. Free entry means busier gates, and nobody wants to spend their free morning queuing instead of hiking.
• Pack like you’re paying full price. Water, snacks, sunscreen, and a plan B for when someone declares themselves “too tired” ten minutes from the car.
• Double-check your park’s actual free dates. As above — Kruger, West Coast and Augrabies are Monday to Friday only, so a weekend trip there won’t be free even during “Parks Week.”
• Bring ID for the adults. The kids get a free pass on paperwork; you don’t.

Whether it’s a proper day trip or just an afternoon wander somewhere new, SA National Parks Week is one of those rare “everyone wins” weeks — the parks get more visitors appreciating them, and your family gets a free day outdoors with genuinely no downside except possibly tired legs.

Free access runs 7–13 September 2026 (with exceptions noted above). Check sanparks.org for park-specific dates before you go.

Author: Judith (@cptwithkids)