Easter Weekend Getaway

Easter Weekend Getaway

Good Friday 2026 is 3 April, and the whole country hits the road. Renting a camper on Kampi is the smart way to travel over Easter weekend. Real beds, real insurance, and no hotel queues.

Easter Weekend 2026: lock in a camper early

Easter is the first real long weekend of the autumn and the whole country hits the road at once. Good Friday (3 April 2026) and Family Day (6 April) combine with the school holiday break to give most South African families five clear days off, often stretched to seven or eight with a day of leave on either side. Camping destinations from the Kruger to Wilderness are fully booked months ahead. Renting a camper on Kampi solves two problems at once. You get a real bed on the road, and you are not gambling on overpriced last minute hotel rooms or a fully booked chalet. Plan early, pick the right rig, and Easter becomes a relaxed five day holiday instead of a logistics puzzle.

Top Easter camping destinations

The Garden Route is the most popular Easter destination year after year. Sites like Storms River Mouth, Nature's Valley, Wilderness National Park and the Ebb and Flow camp all accept caravans and campers. Bush destinations like Mabalingwe, Zebula, Marloth Park and the southern Kruger rest camps (Lower Sabie, Skukuza, Berg en Dal) are close behind, with SANParks sites often booked out a year in advance. The Drakensberg draws the hiking crowd, with sites like Monk's Cowl, Royal Natal and Injisuthi all open to caravans. Coastal options range from the Transkei's Hole in the Wall and Coffee Bay to KwaZulu-Natal's South Coast and the Eastern Cape's Jeffreys Bay. If you want quieter spots, consider the Waterberg, the Cederberg, or the Northern Cape's Augrabies. These fill up less aggressively than the big coastal sites but still need booking six to eight weeks out.

Choosing a Kampi camper for Easter

Families lean towards a caravan or a family camper with 4 to 6 sleeper capacity. A Jurgens, Sprite or Gypsey with a side tent gives kids their own sleeping space and parents room to breathe. Couples usually pick a lightweight camping trailer that tows behind a standard SUV, something like an Echo 3, a Bushlapa Roamer or a small Metalian. Under 750 kg GVM means you can tow on a Code B license without the EB endorsement. If you are heading to a 4x4 destination like the Transkei coast, the Central Drakensberg or a remote Kruger private camp, pick an off-road trailer with good ground clearance, solar power and a water tank of at least 60 litres. Each Kampi listing shows the required tow vehicle, license type, insurance status and what is included in the kit. Filter by pickup province to keep collection distances manageable.

Plan for school holiday traffic

Easter falls inside the March to April school holidays for most provinces, which means every family with a caravan is on the road at the same time. Expect heavy traffic on the N1 south of Pretoria, the N2 through KZN, the N3 between Joburg and Durban, and the R24 out of Kempton Park from the Thursday before Good Friday. Consider leaving on Wednesday evening or very early on Thursday before 05:00 if you can. Coming home is the same story in reverse on the Monday of Family Day. If your schedule allows, stay an extra night and drive back on Tuesday morning when the road clears. Kampi owners generally do pickups from 08:00 to 16:00. Book an early pickup slot if you are starting a long drive. Confirm the afternoon return window so you have realistic buffer for traffic. Fuel stops on peak days are slow. Top up before you leave Pretoria or Cape Town and fill again at a quieter off-route station if you can.

Weather and what to pack

Easter weather is usually mild across most of South Africa. Expect warm days in the bush and on the Highveld (22 to 28 degrees), cooler nights (8 to 15 degrees) and the real chance of coastal rain on the Garden Route or Wild Coast. The Drakensberg can surprise you with a cold snap at night, so pack warm layers even if Joburg is still hot when you leave. Bring a heater if the camper does not already have one, waterproof rain jackets, proper walking shoes for the kids and enough extra batteries or a gas light in case a campsite loses power. Factor in insect repellent if you are heading to low-altitude bush destinations like Kruger or the Waterberg. Malaria risk is low but not zero in the pre-winter months.

Easter booking tips

Send booking requests at least six to eight weeks ahead. The best family campers near Gauteng, Pretoria and Cape Town are taken first, usually by mid February for Easter. Mention in your request where you are going, how many people, how many kids, whether you need 4x4 capability and your pickup date preference. A clear message gets a faster yes from owners who are balancing multiple enquiries. Owners respond within 48 hours, and you pay safely online through PayFast once approved. Insurance is included from R89 per day, plus the once off R189 admin fee. Most owners hold a refundable deposit of R2,500 to R5,000 which is returned after the post trip inspection. If you are flexible with dates, ask the owner whether picking up on Wednesday instead of Thursday unlocks a small longer stay discount.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Easter Weekend 2026?
Good Friday falls on 3 April 2026, and Family Day is Monday 6 April. Many families also take leave on the Thursday (2 April) and the Tuesday (7 April) to stretch it to a full week, especially because the school holidays run through the whole period. If you are coming from another African country, note that South African public holidays move around the Easter calendar and not every country observes Family Day on the same day.
How far is the Garden Route from Johannesburg and Pretoria?
Johannesburg to Wilderness is roughly 1,230 km and 13 hours of driving, usually split over two days with an overnight stop in Colesberg or Bloemfontein. Pretoria adds another 60 km to the start. Towing a caravan adds time. Plan on 14 to 15 hours of driving time rather than the Google Maps estimate. If you want to avoid a two day drive with kids, consider picking up a Kampi camper from a Gauteng owner who offers delivery to George, or rent from an Eastern Cape or Western Cape owner and fly down.
How early should I book a camper for Easter?
Six to eight weeks ahead is safe, ten weeks ahead is ideal. By late February, popular Gauteng and Cape Town owners are fully booked for Easter weekend, especially family sized caravans and off-road trailers. If you leave it to the week before Easter you will struggle to find anything close to a major city, and delivery fees from distant owners can add R2,000 to R4,000 to the trip. Block your dates in your diary by mid February and send requests before the end of February.
What does it cost to rent a camper for Easter?
Caravans start from R519 per day on Kampi, family campers from R650, and off-road trailers from R800. Add R89 per day insurance and the once off R189 admin fee. A typical 4 day Easter rental runs R2,500 to R4,500 for the camper itself. A 7 day Easter rental extended through the school holiday week runs R4,500 to R7,500. Budget for fuel (towing a caravan drops fuel economy by 25 to 40 percent), campsite fees (R300 to R800 per night at SANParks and popular resorts) and food on top of that. The refundable deposit is typically R2,500 to R5,000 and is released after the post trip inspection.
Which camper is best for a 4x4 destination like the Transkei?
Pick an off-road trailer with ground clearance above 300 mm, independent trailing arm or torsion axle suspension, heavy duty tyres and a water tank of at least 60 litres. Conquerors, Bushlapas, Metalians and serious off-road Echo units are all good candidates. Avoid road caravans for any route that includes sand tracks, deep potholes or river crossings. The Transkei coast in particular chews up light suspensions, so confirm with the owner that the trailer has done similar trips before. Your tow vehicle also matters. A 4x4 bakkie or a serious SUV with low range is required for the final approach to most Transkei camps.
Can I drop off the camper at a different location?
Some Kampi owners allow one way rentals, typically for an extra fee that covers the owner's return collection. Most bookings are return to the owner's yard or an agreed pickup point in the same city. One way rentals between Gauteng and Cape Town are rare. Owners who allow them usually charge R3 to R6 per kilometre for the collection leg. Ask through the Kampi message thread before you book and factor the extra cost into your budget.
Are pets allowed in Kampi campers?
Pet policy is set by each owner and shown clearly in the house rules section of the listing. Many owners welcome well behaved dogs with a small additional cleaning fee of R150 to R400 per booking. Some owners do not allow pets at all because of allergies or previous damage. If you are bringing a dog, also check the campsite rules. Most SANParks campsites do not allow dogs, so confirm your destination is pet friendly before you lock in the camper booking.
What if it rains the whole weekend?
A camper beats a tent every time. Most Kampi units include a heater, a dry kitchen, proper insulation and a warm bed, so a rainy Easter becomes a slow board game weekend rather than a disaster. Easter weather is usually mild but rain is possible on the eastern seaboard, the Garden Route and the Drakensberg. Pack waterproof jackets, a tarp extension for the awning, extra indoor entertainment for kids and a spare gas bottle. If your destination is evacuated for severe weather, speak to the owner about extending dates or moving the booking. Most are flexible when weather forces a genuine change.
Is Easter a good time for a family trip with small children?
Yes, with planning. Easter weather is mild, the school holidays remove any guilt about missed school, and the busy campsites mean there are always other families around for kids to play with. Pick a Kampi camper with 4 to 6 sleeper capacity, a fridge large enough for a week's worth of kid friendly food, and ideally a side tent or awning so you are not living on top of each other. Avoid ambitious long driving days with toddlers. Break trips into 4 or 5 hour legs and pre book campsites so you are never arriving after dark to look for a spot.
How does payment and the deposit work on Kampi?
Once the owner approves your booking request you pay the full rental, insurance and admin fee through PayFast. The refundable damage deposit is typically R2,500 to R5,000 and is held separately. After the post trip inspection the deposit is released, usually within 5 to 7 working days. Kampi holds the deposit in escrow, so if there is a dispute about damage or cleanliness you are not arguing directly with the owner. Owners have a 48 hour response window on approvals and disputes go through Kampi's admin team for independent review.