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North to south · 7 stages · 20 highlights

Grand Tour Drakensberg

An itinerary along the Dragon’s back, with day tours you can join from your hotel.

Book a day tourBegin the journey

The route

A wall of basalt from horizon to horizon, one stage at a time.

The Grand Tour follows the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, from the Amphitheatre in the north to Garden Castle in the south. Drive it yourself, or join a day tour at any stage. Many collect you from your hotel, so you can explore the Southern Berg while staying in Champagne Valley.

Staying in the Berg?

Show only the day tours that collect guests from your hotel.

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1 tour

Stage 1 of 7Royal Natal & the Amphitheatre
01

Northern Drakensberg · Where the escarpment begins

Royal Natal & the Amphitheatre

The route opens with the most famous wall of rock in Southern Africa: five kilometres of sheer basalt cliff, with the Tugela River pouring off its rim.

  1. 1.1

    The Amphitheatre

    5 km cliff face

    A crescent of cliffs between the Sentinel and Eastern Buttress, best seen in early light from the Tugela Gorge or the Thendele viewpoints.

  2. 1.2

    Tugela Falls

    948 m drop

    Among the highest waterfalls on earth, falling in five leaps from the plateau. Reached from below through the Tugela Gorge, or from the top via the Sentinel chain ladders.

  3. 1.3

    Tugela Gorge

    A riverside walk through yellowwood forest to the tunnel, where the gorge narrows beneath the Amphitheatre wall.

About 1 h 30 by road
Cathedral Peak
02

Northern Drakensberg · Spires and San heritage

Cathedral Peak

Free-standing peaks rise straight out of the Mlambonja valley here, and the region holds some of the richest rock art in the range.

  1. 2.1

    Cathedral Peak

    3,004 m

    One of the few Drakensberg summits reachable without technical climbing: a long, rewarding day with a short scramble at the top.

  2. 2.2

    Didima San Art Centre

    An introduction to the people who painted these valleys, before you go looking for the paintings themselves.

  3. 2.3

    Mike's Pass

    A high road onto the Little Berg, with views across the Cathedral range from the top.

About 1 h by road
Champagne Valley
03

Central Drakensberg · The heart of the Berg, and the Grand Tour’s home base

Champagne Valley

Resorts, craft stops and the boys’ choir sit beneath Champagne Castle. Most day tours start here, with buses collecting guests at the hotels.

  1. 3.1

    Champagne Castle

    3,377 m

    The second-highest peak in South Africa, watching over the valley that took its name.

  2. 3.2

    Drakensberg Boys’ Choir

    A world-touring choir school in the valley, with public concerts on many Wednesdays during term.

  3. 3.3

    Monk's Cowl

    Trailheads to Sterkspruit Falls, the Blind Man’s Corner circuit and the long walk up Grey’s Pass.

  4. 3.4

    Falcon Ridge raptor flights

    Birds of prey flown on the hillside: an easy, family-friendly half-morning.

About 1 h 15 by road
Giant’s Castle
04

Central Drakensberg · Vultures, eland and the Main Caves

Giant’s Castle

A high, open reserve beneath the Giant’s Castle massif, protecting the rare bearded vulture and some of the finest San painting sites in the country.

  1. 4.1

    Main Caves

    A guided walk to rock shelters with hundreds of San paintings and a small site museum.

  2. 4.2

    Bearded vulture hide

    A cliff-edge hide where the endangered lammergeier comes in to feed, when the hide is running.

  3. 4.3

    Eland country

    Herds of Africa’s largest antelope, the animal the San painted more than any other.

About 1 h 30 by road
Kamberg & Lotheni
05

Southern Drakensberg · Quiet valleys and trout streams

Kamberg & Lotheni

The road south turns rural: trout dams, rolling foothills and one of the most important rock art sites in Southern Africa.

  1. 5.1

    Game Pass Shelter

    Called the “Rosetta Stone” of San rock art: the panel that helped researchers begin to read the paintings’ meaning. Guided visits only.

  2. 5.2

    Kamberg trout waters

    Fly-fishing dams and streams in a landscape built for slow days.

About 1 h 30 by road
Sani Pass
06

Southern Drakensberg · Over the top, into Lesotho

Sani Pass

The only road over the escarpment on this side climbs in tight switchbacks to the Lesotho border post at the top. Bring your passport.

  1. 6.1

    The switchbacks

    ±2,876 m at the top

    A 4×4-only climb from the South African border post to Lesotho, rising about 1,300 m over the last stretch.

  2. 6.2

    Sani Top

    Lunch on the edge of the escarpment at one of Africa’s highest pubs, with the whole route you have travelled laid out below.

  3. 6.3

    Basotho village visit

    Bread, beer and a warm welcome at a highland village, on most Sani Pass day tours.

Day tours to Sani Pass

Explore the region
About 1 h by road
Garden Castle & Bushman’s Nek
07

Southern Drakensberg · The quiet end of the range

Garden Castle & Bushman’s Nek

The tour ends where the escarpment turns west: Rhino Peak, the Mzimkhulu valley and long walks with nobody else on them.

  1. 7.1

    Rhino Peak

    3,051 m

    The horn-shaped summit that dominates the southern skyline, and a big day out for strong hikers.

  2. 7.2

    Bushman’s Nek

    An old border crossing on foot or horseback into Sehlabathebe National Park in Lesotho.

How booking works

From your hotel to the escarpment

Step 1

Choose a departure

Pick a day tour, a date and the hotel you’re staying at. Seats are held while you check out.

Step 2

Get your tickets

Once payment clears, every seat gets its own QR ticket in My Tickets and in your receipt email.

Step 3

Scan and board

Be at reception for your pickup time. Your guide scans each ticket before the bus leaves.

Run day tours in the Drakensberg? List with Visit Drakensberg and we’ll feature them on the Grand Tour.

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