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Highlights
Explore rugged, stunning scenery on foot in South Africa’s stunning Drakensberg region.
Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Northern Drakensberg, a stark 3000m peak adorned with waterfalls, rock paintings, and caves.
Discover incredible trails snaking through Royal Natal National Park, ranging from easy to challenging, but all will blow your mind.
Stay in luxurious lodges nestled in nature, where you can kick back, relax, and enjoy meals on a full-board basis.
Hike up Cathedral Peak for incredible vistas of Drakensberg’s peaks, such as Cleft Peak, Giant’s Castle, and the Bell.
Discover a gorgeous pocket of South Africa’s vast backyard on the Drakensberg Deluxe Hiking Tour! If you do not mind a bit of dirt, then this exciting and rewarding tour combines natural explorations by day with pampering and luxury by night. This seven-day hiking extravaganza is a wonderful way to explore the Drakensberg region.
Most people know South Africa for its Big Five and safaris, but this excursion opens up a new adventure avenue into this stunning country. Get ready to spend five days hiking, with trails varying from challenging to relaxing. However, the trail intensity won’t result in a lack of scenic views. Your jaw will drop everywhere you travel by foot!
Naturally, tackling challenging ascents will immerse you in layers of peaks, such as the hike up Cathedral Peak. For most hikes, you’ll follow the trusted knowledge of your guide, but it’s also possible to explore paths without a guide. The beauty of this tour is that you can cater it to your overall abilities.
To top it off, you’ll spend each night basking in luxury at the lodges flanked by nature throughout the Drakensberg area.
Discover a gorgeous pocket of South Africa’s vast backyard on the Drakensberg Deluxe Hiking Tour! If you do not mind a bit of dirt, then this exciting and rewarding tour combines natural explorations by day with pampering and luxury by night. This seven-day hiking extravaganza is a wonderful way to explore the Drakensberg region.
Most people know South Africa for its Big Five and safaris, but this excursion opens up a new adventure avenue into this stunning country. Get ready to spend five days hiking, with trails varying from challenging to relaxing. However, the trail intensity won’t result in a lack of scenic views. Your jaw will drop everywhere you travel by foot!
Naturally, tackling challenging ascents will immerse you in layers of peaks, such as the hike up Cathedral Peak. For most hikes, you’ll follow the trusted knowledge of your guide, but it’s also possible to explore paths without a guide. The beauty of this tour is that you can cater it to your overall abilities.
To top it off, you’ll spend each night basking in luxury at the lodges flanked by nature throughout the Drakensberg area.
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Drakensberg Deluxe Hiking Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Check into Northern Drakensberg
Your driver will meet you at Johannesburg or Tambo International Airport and transfer you to The Cavern Resort & Spa in the Northern Drakensberg Mountain region. The drive is approximately 4hrs, so if your flight arrives late or you would prefer a break first, you can ask for an additional night, and get a room near the airport for your arrival night and schedule the transfer to Drakensberg for the following day.
Once you arrive at The Cavern, the evening is free for you to spend at leisure, have dinner at the lodge, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
Overnight Location: Resort in Northern Drakensberg
Distance: None
Meals: Dinner
Day 2 Hike to Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge
Today is the start of a 3-day hike that aims to cover large portions of The Amphitheatre. You will meet your hiking guide at The Cavern after breakfast and begin with a steep climb. There is the option of a 25-minute detour to some San Rock Art at Lone Rock, then you will continue heading up through Sugar Load Gap until you are above the Sandstone Cliffs. Here, you can stop and be rewarded for the steep climb with a sweeping view of the Northern Drakensberg Valley. You’ll enjoy a lunch stop at Broome Hill, then it’s around 2 more hours until you reach Basotho Gate & Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge.
Overnight Location: Lodge in Royal Natal National Park
Distance: 14km, 1300m of ascent
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3 See the top of Tugela Falls
Today is the most difficult hiking day, so be prepared! After breakfast, you will be transferred along with your guide the short distance to Sentinel Car Park. After completing the obligatory admin – signing into the mountain register – you will start your gradual ascent towards The Three Witches, then zigzag to the base of the Sentinel massif. From here, you will follow the contour path to the right, with the land sloping steeply to the north and east so that you have wonderful views of the Malutis and the Mountain Lodge plateau below.
After about 3km, you will reach the chain ladders for a 35m ascent on them, followed by a short scramble to the escarpment. (There is the option to take the gully instead of the chain ladders if you are not comfortable with chain ladders.)
Once on the escarpment, there are a lot of things to see and places to explore. You can see the top of the Tugela Falls, the highest waterfall in Africa, as the water plunges down to the gorge below (depending on the season). There is also the Mont-Aux-Sources peak 2km away, which is thought to be the source of the Tugela, Elands and Orange Rivers. For the very fit and enthusiastic, another 3-4km, including some ridge climbing, will take you to the Eastern Buttress and Rainbow Falls.
Finally, you will make your way back down the same way to Sentinel Car Park, where a transfer will take you back to Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge for dinner and rest.
Overnight Location: Lodge in Royal Natal National Park
Distance: 13-15km, 1400m of ascent
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4 Relaxing hiking day back to Northern Drakensberg
Today is a relatively easy hike down into the Mahai River Valley and into Royal Natal National Park. You’ll crisscross the Mahai River many times and will pass small waterfalls and pools in which you are most welcome to have a refreshing open water swim if you would like to. The vegetation changes dramatically as you descend, including cool forested areas, before you end at Mahai Campsite.
If you have the time & inclination, we recommend visiting the bushmen paintings, which are another 2km past the visitor centre, and then you take a guided trail up to Sigubudu Paintings (approx 1hr trail, a small extra charge will apply on site).
Then you will be transferred back to The Cavern, where you can relax and unwind for the evening. The Cavern has a spa on-site, so if you fancy a massage for your tired limbs, we suggest pre-booking it on Day 1.
Overnight Location: Resort in Northern Drakensberg
Distance: Flexible
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5 Try the Cathedral 4 Challenge
Bright and early, you will be transferred to the Cathedral Peak Hotel – to another gorgeous part of the Northern Drakensberg. The drive is only about 1.5hrs, after which you can choose to have a relaxing day at the hotel, enjoying the many facilities – including a pool, wellness centre, pool/billiards table, outdoor sports including tennis & golf – or join one of the many guided or unguided hikes available from the hotel.
If you have a high level of fitness and are confident in your independent hiking abilities, you can even try to complete the ultimate ‘Cathedral 4 Challenge’ – four different trails of different lengths and intensities, from 1.5 to 4hrs each. These trails take you through forest, falls and rocks and trying to do them all in one day can take up to 10hrs, so it’s only for the brave! You can also spread them out and do some today and some tomorrow, if you so choose.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Cathedral Peak Nature Reserve
Distance: Flexible
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6 Tackle Cathedral Peak
Today, we suggest doing the guided hike from your hotel up Cathedral Peak (please check and book in advance to make sure it is operating on your chosen date). It is a challenging hike that climbs a 3004m high peak, including some scrambles up steep rock faces and narrow ledges (guides supply ropes), but those who complete it will be rewarded with magnificent views and a great sense of accomplishment.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Cathedral Peak Nature Reserve
Distance: 19km, 9-10 hours
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7 Goodbye Drakensberg
Today, you will say goodbye to the mountainous landscape you have called home for the last week, and be transferred to Johannesburg’s or Tambo Airport for your flight back home or onwards to your next adventure.
Overnight Location: None
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast
Drakensberg Deluxe Hiking Tour Price and Dates
This guided tour is always run as a private tour for your group only.- Group of 4: from ZAR26500*
Accommodation on the Drakensberg Deluxe Hiking Tour
This tour is based in lodges and hotels. Hotels on this trip are 3-star and offer modern conveniences that can make this trip more pleasant. Rooms may have fireplaces or access to amenities such as hot tubs, steam rooms, or private decks to lounge on.
In some cases, the accommodation listed below may need to be substituted for other comparable accommodations.
Single Rooms and Solo Travellers
Rooms are double occupancy. You can pay a supplement to have a private room in a hotel where possible. Solo travellers may be required to pay a supplement.
What’s Included in the Drakensberg Deluxe Hiking Tour?
Meals
6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 6 dinners are included.
Accommodations
Accommodations for 6 nights are included. Accommodations before and after the tour are not included but can be added as a supplement.
Transportation during the Tour
Transportation for you and your luggage are included throughout the tour, including transfers to and from the airport.
Also included
- English-speaking guide
- Excursions mentioned in the itinerary
Not included
- Flights to and from Johannesburg
- Meals, drinks, or snacks not previously mentioned
- Gratuities for tour guides or other staff if desired
Optional Extras
- Additional nights before or after the tour
- Single occupancy upgrades
- Optional activities or excursions
- How hard is the Drakensberg Deluxe Hiking Tour?
- Do I need a visa to travel to South Africa?
- Are meals included on the Drakensberg Deluxe Hiking Tour?
- Do I need insurance?
- How do I get to South Africa to start this tour?
- Is the Drakensberg Deluxe Hiking Tour in English?
- Where does the Drakensberg Deluxe Hiking Tour end?
- Do I need special vaccines to travel to South Africa?
- Are there any travel restrictions for South Africa?
We rate this tour as a 4 / 5. The beauty of of the Drakensberg Deluxe Hiking Tour is that you can opt to make it as difficult as you like, but on average, we rate this tour a notch above “moderate.”
Check with your local country about visa requirements. You could also try this website, though you should verify with your government.
6 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 6 dinners are included.
Yes, it is mandatory to have health and medical insurance to join this trip, and your insurance should cover hiking. Get your travel insurance.
Fly into O.R Tambo International Airport. Someone from the tour will pick you up here or in Johannesburg if you are already there.
Yes, the tour guide is English-speaking.
The Drakensberg Deluxe Hiking Tour ends at O.R Tambo International Airport or in Johannesburg, depending on your post-tour plans.
Check with your family doctor.
Please check with your local government about travel restrictions before you book your tour. This map from the US Department of State provides an overview of the current status in countries around the globe. The UK‘s Foreign Office and Government of Canada also provide advice on foreign travel. Note that the travel advice may change depending on your nationality.
Customer Ratings
Highline Tours and Travel is a tour operator that explores exotic destinations: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, East Africa, Mozambique, to name a few. They offer phenomenal safari, activity and adventure, and romantic getaway tours that will undoubtedly leave a vivid, lasting memory.
The tour guides for Highline Tours and Travel have a magical way of elevating tours from lovely to personable and memorable. They believe in creating a dynamic, encouraging, and fun environment.
Highline Tours and Travel’s vision is to provide the best holiday possible for all clients in hopes that they will become ambassadors for the stunning African continent.
