12-Day Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Road Trip
The Kgalagadi is all red dunes, long distances and small camps far from town. This route follows Drive South Africa’s 12-day 4x4 itinerary from Upington through the Nossob wilderness camps and across to the Auob side of the park.
Highlights include:
- Filling up at Askham before entering Kgalagadi at Twee Rivieren
- Staying at Nossob Rest Camp on the dry Nossob river road
- Spending a night at unfenced Grootkolk Wilderness Camp near Union’s End
- Following the one-way 4x4 track to Gharagab Wilderness Camp
- Crossing the 4x4-only Nossob–Auob route to Bitterpan Wilderness Camp
- Looking across the red dunes from Kieliekrankie Wilderness Camp
- Staying above the Auob riverbed at Kalahari Tented Camp
South Africa road trip from Upington to Upington (1346 km, about 27 hours driving). Plan this trip with Sideroads Africa.
Stops along the way
- Upington
- Engen Askham: Last major fill-up on the R360 at Askham before Twee Rivieren and Kgalagadi.
- Twee Rivieren Entrance: Iconic gateway to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park among red dunes.
- Nossob Rest Camp: SANParks rest camp on the Nossob river road in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park — classic red-dune predator country
- Grootkolk Wilderness Camp: Unfenced wilderness camp in red dunes near Union’s End — a remote 4x4-friendly overnight in far-north Kgalagadi
- Gharagab Wilderness Camp: Unfenced SANParks wilderness camp on a one-way 4x4 track near Union’s End — dune cabins and a floodlit waterhole in far-north Kgalagadi.
- Bitterpan Wilderness Camp: Unfenced dune camp on the 4x4-only Nossob–Auob crossing — elevated cabins and a lookout over a Kalahari waterhole.
- Kieliekrankie Wilderness Camp: SANParks wilderness camp sunk into a southern red dune — panoramic Kalahari views about 50 km from Twee Rivieren.
- Kalahari Tented Camp: SANParks tented camp on a dune above the Auob — 15 desert tents three kilometres from Mata-Mata Rest Camp.