Day trip · Monday 5 October 2026 · Private safari car

Maputo National Park in a low sedan

Verified twice on Saturday 3 October 2026 against the park's own website, Mozambique's labour law and traveller reports. Each fact has a confidence tag.

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The park exists. It has a new name.The old "Maputo Special Reserve" is now Maputo National Park (Parque Nacional de Maputo). It merged with the Ponta do Ouro marine reserve.

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It is open on Monday 5 October.Peace Day falls on Sunday 4 October. By law, the day off moves to Monday 5 October. The park opens every day, and it announced no closure.

The Mazda cannot go inside the park.The park rule says: "Non-4x4 vehicles will be turned away." The Mazda can still take you to the gate on tar.

Active phone number

+258 85 600 0900

Park reservations (Parque Nacional de Maputo). Email: reservas@parquemaputo.gov.mz

Confirmed active: you called it on 3 October 2026, and the park answered. Certain The park also printed this number in its own posts on 17 and 26 September and 1 October 2026.

Call now

If nobody answers, try the park support lines on the official website: +258 85 509 6721 or +258 86 668 6317. These come from the website footer and are older.

The plan: private safari car

Fixed with the park You go on Monday 5 October in the park's private safari car. The park told you these facts on the phone on 3 October.

Private car, 3 hours1,900 MZN per person
The price includes the park entry fee. You pay nothing else at the gate.You pay for at least 6 people, even if fewer people come: 6 × 1,900 = 11,400 MZN ≈ $179.
Children under 2 yearsFree
Your child is 18 months old, so the child pays nothing: no safari fee and no entry fee.
Start timeYou choose
The park advises the earliest possible time, because you see more animals early in the day. The gate opens at 06:00.

You must call the park back to confirm. Tell them that you are coming and at what time. They register you only after that. Call +258 85 600 0900.

Information to give when you confirm:

Date: segunda-feira, 5 de Outubro
Safari privado, 3 horas
Your chosen start time
People: 2 adultos + 1 criança de 1 ano e meio
Your name and phone number for the registration

Also confirmed by phone, 3 October:

Meeting pointFuti Gate
You park the Mazda at the gate.
PaymentCash preferred
Cards work, but the card machine sometimes fails. Bring about 12,000 MZN in cash: 11,400 for the safari, 200 for the toll, and a little extra.

What the Mazda Axela will face

An Axela has about 13.5–15.5 cm of ground clearance. The exact figure depends on the model year. Likely

Central Maputo → Katembe bridge → road south to Ponta do OuroGood tar, about 70–80 km. The bridge toll is 100 MZN each way.OK

The part of the road inside the park boundaryStill tar. You cross a cattle grid. After it there are high speed bumps about every 200 m, and signs warn of elephants on the road. Go over each bump very slowly. New in check 2Slow

Turn-off → Futi GateA short unpaved road of about 500 m, on the left. A government document says a site next to the gate is "possible by sedan".Likely OK

Inside the parkDeep, soft sand and tracks with a high middle ridge. The gate refuses all cars that are not 4x4. The tyres must also be at 1.8 bar (180 kPa) or lower.No

Do not stop next to elephants on the highway. The signs on this road warn that the elephants can be aggressive. Keep the engine on and drive on slowly.

Three ways to see the park

Recommended

A. Drive the Mazda to the gate. Take the park's own safari truck.

This is the cheapest option, and you do not drive in sand with a toddler in the car.

Xinguti Lagoon: 3 hours · 1,500 MZN per person · hippos and crocodiles
Ponta Membene: 6 hours · 2,500 MZN per person · forest, lagoon and beach
Book: +258 85 600 0900 · reservas@parquemaputo.gov.mz

Chosen on 3 October: the private car. It costs 1,900 MZN per person, and you pay for at least 6 people. Your child rides free. The shared truck needed 12 people, so it was not practical. See "The plan" above.

B. A tour that picks you up at home

Mabeco Tours: Land Cruisers, leaves Maputo at 05:30. Their "$60 per person" is for a group of 8, vehicle and guide only. A small group pays more. +258 84 033 9729 (phone and WhatsApp)
Online tours: Viator and GetYourGuide: about $205–$286 per adult for a shared tour. A private 4x4 starts at about $440 per group.

C. Rent a real 4x4 and drive it yourself

Price: Hilux or Fortuner: about $85–$150 per day. Examples: PampaCruz Hilux Double Cab from €110, a local owner's Hilux at $85, a Fortuner at $120.
Check: It must be a true 4x4, not an AWD crossover. The airport "SUV" class is usually a crossover. Make sure the contract allows sand driving.
Skill: The park says the driver must know how to drive a 4x4. A recovery costs 2,500 MZN, and a tow costs another 2,500 MZN. Phone signal inside the park is weak.

Gate rules (October to March): enter by 16:00 at the latest. Leave by 18:00. Sunset is at 17:50. Fill the fuel tank before you go, because you drive about 160 km in total.

Cost for Monday

Private safari, 6 × 1,900 MZN. This includes the park entry fee. You pay the 6-person minimum.	11,400 MZN
Your child (under 2 years)	Free
Bridge toll, both ways	200 MZN
Total	11,600 MZN ≈ $182

The park confirmed by phone on 3 October that the price includes the entry fee. An online tour for 2 adults costs $410–$572. Rate used: 1 USD = 63.8 MZN, checked live on 3 October 2026. Fuel is not included.

Weather at the park, Monday 5 October

The forecast is 19–27 °C. The morning stays dry. There is a chance of light rain from late morning, with less than 1 mm per hour.

07:0021 °C · 2 %

10:0026 °C · 20 %

13:0027 °C · 60 %

16:0025 °C · 47 %

Source: Open-Meteo, read on 3 October 2026. The % figures are the chance of rain. Read it again on Sunday evening.

What to ask when you call +258 85 600 0900

"Há safari guiado na segunda-feira, 5 de Outubro? A que horas?"Is there a guided safari on Monday 5 October? At what time?
"Já tem o mínimo de 6 pessoas?"Is the 6-person minimum already met?
"Posso deixar o meu carro (não é 4x4) no portão Futi? A estrada até ao portão é boa para um carro baixo?"Can I leave my car, which is not a 4x4, at Futi Gate? Is the road to the gate fine for a low car?
"Uma criança de 1 ano e meio paga? Pode ir no carro do safari?"Does an 18-month-old child pay? Can the child ride in the safari truck?
"Aceitam cartão ou só dinheiro?"Do you take cards, or only cash?

Call reservations Park support line

Call today or Sunday. On a long weekend the trucks can fill up. Guessing If the reservations line does not answer, try the support lines: +258 85 509 6721 or +258 86 668 6317.

What to bring

Mandatory: DIRE or a Mozambique ID. The park confirmed this by phone on 3 October.
Cash in meticais, and a bank card
Hats, sunscreen and mosquito repellent
Water and snacks. The park asks safari guests to bring their own.
A baby carrier. The safari truck has no child seats. Guessing
Binoculars, a light jacket and a rain cover

Verification log

Monday 5 October is the day offCertain
Labour Law 13/2023, art. 105(6): a holiday that falls on a Sunday moves to the next day. The Japanese embassy's 2026 holiday list also gives "5 de Outubro (Segunda-feira) Dia da Paz".
The park is open on the holidayLikely
The official site lists the hours as "Mon – Sun". The same law exempts the tourism sector from the holiday stop. The park's posts up to 3 October announce no closure.
Gates 06:00–18:00, 1 Oct 2026 – 31 Mar 2027Certain
The park's own Facebook post for the 2026/27 summer season.
Last entry 16:00, exit by 18:00Likely
The official 4x4 trail brochure (2024). It also says there is no entry after 17:00 without prior arrangement.
4x4 only. Tyres at 180 kPa or lower.Certain
parquemaputo.gov.mz, "How to get there". The English and Portuguese pages match.
Entry fee: 900 MZN per person, 900 MZN per vehicleCertain
The official "Rates and Fees" page, English and Portuguese, read twice on 3 October 2026. Nationals pay 400 MZN and SADC citizens pay 600 MZN.
Park safari: 1,500 or 2,500 MZN, with a minimum of 6 passengersCertain
The official "Guided Safari" page. The English and Portuguese pages match.
A sedan can reach Futi GateLikely
ANAC and World Bank: the gate is on the Maputo – Ponta do Ouro highway, and a site next to it has "access possible by sedan". A Tripadvisor traveller describes a 500 m unpaved road to the gate.
Speed bumps every ~200 m inside the park boundaryLikely
bartho.blog, a traveller's report from August 2024.
Card payment at the gateLikely
bartho.blog (2024): "They managed to use my credit card." Take cash anyway.
Bridge toll: 100 MZN for a carLikely
The government reduced it from 125 MZN on 15 May 2025. I found no change in 2026.
4x4 hire: $85–$150 per dayLikely
PampaCruz (from €90–€120), Kayak (pickups about $150), local listings ($85–$120). These prices change, so confirm with the company.

One website is not the park. maputonationalpark.com is a private tour company that uses the park's name. It says entry costs 500 MZN, but the official fee table says 900 MZN. For official information, use parquemaputo.gov.mz.

Follow every rule inside the park. A traveller on Tripadvisor reports a fine of 40,000 MZN for "driving on dunes". Stay on the marked tracks.