Flying in
Flying to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park: Durban is the airport
No scheduled flight lands in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi. You fly into Durban, or possibly Richards Bay, and drive the last two to three hours up the N2.
If you only want the answer
King Shaka International at Durban is the gateway: 209 km and about 2.6 hours by road to Nyalazi Gate, 242 km and about 2.9 hours to Memorial Gate. Richards Bay is much closer (78 km to Nyalazi) but its 2026 airline service is unconfirmed, so do not plan around it. A private air shuttle to Hluhluwe town costs R8,600 per person one way from 1 July 2026, for two to four passengers.
King Shaka International, Durban: the airport to book
Ezemvelo treats Durban as the starting point for the park, describing it as an easy three-hour drive north. From King Shaka International the routing model gives 209 km and about 2.6 hours to Nyalazi Gate for Mpila, and 242 km and about 2.9 hours to Memorial Gate for Hilltop, all on the N2 and tarred access roads. Hire a car at the airport: Ezemvelo's management plan notes that hiring one in Hluhluwe or Mtubatuba is difficult.
Our research holds no airline timetable, fare or baggage allowance from a primary source for flights into Durban in 2026, so take those from the airline when you book.
| Airport | Code | To the nearest gate | Status for 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Shaka International, Durban | DUR | 209 km to Nyalazi, about 2.6 h | Main gateway |
| Richards Bay Airport | RCB | 78 km to Nyalazi, about 1.3 h | Scheduled service not confirmed |
| O.R. Tambo, Johannesburg | JNB | 533 km to Memorial, about 6.7 h | Hub; fly on or drive a full day |
Drive times are from a road routing model (OSRM, 24 September 2026) and assume an empty road.
Richards Bay: closer, but check the flights
Richards Bay Airport is the closest scheduled airport to the park: 78 km and about 1.3 hours to Nyalazi Gate, 111 km and about 1.6 hours to Memorial Gate. Secondary sources list an Airlink service to Johannesburg only, but Airlink's own route page returned an error when it was checked on 24 September 2026, so we cannot confirm that it flies in 2026. Do not build a trip around it until the airline sells you a seat.
Air shuttle and road transfers
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge, the private lodge inside the park, quotes an air shuttle run by its operator Isibindi from Durban's Virginia Airport or Richards Bay to Hluhluwe town. It costs R7,800 per person one way from 1 May to 30 June 2026 and R8,600 from 1 July 2026 to 30 April 2027, with a minimum of two and a maximum of four passengers. From Hluhluwe town it is 17 km by road to Memorial Gate.
The same lodge's road transfers, per person one way with a two-person minimum charge (1 July 2026 to 30 April 2027), cost R3,650 from King Shaka, Umhlanga or Ballito, R2,375 from Richards Bay and R1,860 from St Lucia.
| Transfer | Price per person, one way | Valid |
|---|---|---|
| Air shuttle, Virginia (Durban) or Richards Bay to Hluhluwe town | R7,800 | 1 May to 30 Jun 2026 |
| Air shuttle, same route | R8,600 | 1 Jul 2026 to 30 Apr 2027 |
| Road, King Shaka, Umhlanga or Ballito | R3,650 | 1 Jul 2026 to 30 Apr 2027 |
| Road, Richards Bay | R2,375 | 1 Jul 2026 to 30 Apr 2027 |
| Road, St Lucia | R1,860 | 1 Jul 2026 to 30 Apr 2027 |
Air shuttle: minimum 2, maximum 4 passengers. Road transfers: minimum charge 2 people. Ezemvelo's daily conservation fee is paid on top at the gate.
Is there an airstrip in the park?
None of Ezemvelo's documents that we read, including the 2013 management plan and the 2025/26 tariff, lists an airstrip for visitors inside Hluhluwe-iMfolozi. The air shuttle above lands in Hluhluwe town, outside the park, and you drive in from there.
Something this page does not answer?
Flights into Richards Bay change often. Tell us your dates and we will say what we know.
Ask us. We answer questions about the park itself, and we can usually tell you which camps work on one route and who to write to. If what you want is a trip someone else arranges, we will say so and hand you to an operator we know, and we earn a commission if that becomes a booking.
Nothing on this site sits behind the form. Every figure we have is already on the page.
Sources
- Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park Management Plan 2013 (car hire, access; read 24 Sep 2026)
- Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife site data (distance from Durban; read 24 Sep 2026)
- Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge rates (air shuttle and transfers 2026/27; read 24 Sep 2026)
- Wikipedia: Richards Bay Airport (read 24 Sep 2026)
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap (distances computed 24 Sep 2026)