Walking South Africa - 14 Days

(Small Group Tour)

Sunway South Africa Drakensberg Royal Natal NP

This small group tour is a walking focused safari exploring a variety of scenic and cultural destinations within South Africa, including a visit to Eswatini - the beautiful Kingdom of Swaziland. An active holiday provides a unique adventure for those interested in a walking holiday, with day walks range from leisurely to challenging. Highlights include visits to the Panorama Route and Blyde River Canyon, the game reserves of Zululand and Kruger, the Dundee battlefields and the majesty of the Drakensberg.

Johannesburg - Mpumalanga, Panorama Route - Kruger National Park - eSwatini - Zululand Game Reserves - Zululand Battlefields - Drakensberg Mountains - Johannesburg

Departs: Johannesburg (Saturday 06:30am)
Ends: Johannesburg (Friday approx. 17:00pm)

Set Tour Departures 2024
*Bold dates: guaranteed departures (other dates guaranteed with minimum 4 people)

9 Mar, 23 Mar
11 May
8 June, 22 June
6 July, 27 July
3 Aug, 10 Aug, 24 Aug
7 Sept, 14 Sept
12 Oct, 26 Oct
16 Nov
7 Dec

This small group tour includes the following:

Maximum: 12 people
Professional Safari Guides
Transport in minibus / safari truck
13 nights on safari staying at small, intimate and often private lodges (including tented camps), with en suite facilities.

Limited Participation: An essential part of your small group tour is participation. From carrying your own bag to your room to packing the truck in the morning – it’s all part of your adventure. Your tour leaders will do the meal preparation when required but you are asked to help (on rotation) with the washing up. There are some long travel days which means early morning starts so everyone needs to get involved to make the day run efficiently.

Detailed itinerary

You depart Johannesburg and head east to Mpumalanga. During the afternoon visit the gold mining town of Pilgrims Rest, and the viewpoint over God’s Window. Stretch your legs on a short walk from Mac Mac Pools and then make your way to your chalet on the edge of the escarpment.

You are up early the next morning for your first long walk at the Blyde River. Walk from the rim of the escarpment down into the canyon with views over the Three Sisters and the river below, before making your way back up the escarpment again. After lunch spend the afternoon exploring the forests and waterfalls which make Mpumalanga a beautiful destination. An exciting optional activity is the Graskop Gorge Lift, which lowers you down for a walk through the lush Afromontane forest below (own expense).

Walk grade:
Day 1 Leisurely – Mac Mac Walk – short easy walk to stretch your legs. 2-3km, less than one hour. On a foot path with very limited altitude change.
Day 2 Moderate – Blyde River Canyon – 3.5 hour walk on good paths with some rocky sections.

Stay at:
Graskop Mogodi Lodge (1 breakfast, 2 lunches, 2 dinners)

An early breakfast and you with make your way to Kruger National Park. Enter the national park in an open safari vehicle and spend the day on an exciting game drive. Your guide will interpret the signs of bush as you hope to see elephants, rhino and possibly the elusive leopard. Stop for a picnic lunch before completing your game drive in the late afternoon as you exit the park and make your way to your private game lodge in the Greater Kruger area.

A highlight of the tour is the early morning game walk the next day with a local ranger. Quietly venture into the bush, learning the tracks and other signs of the wildlife you hope to find on foot.

Walk Grade:
Leisurely - Big 5 game walk early morning 3–4 hour bush walk with a ranger.

Stay at:
Makuwa Safari Lodge (2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners)

Enter eSwatini, the Kingdom of Swaziland and travel through a lush fruit farming area before heading into the mountains. Spend 2 nights on the outskirts of Malalotja Nature Reserve with a full day to walk through this seldom explored mountainous reserve. The Swazi people have a rich cultural heritage and you will visit the craft and medicine markets on day 7 as you pass through the capital, Mbabane.

Walk grade:
Challenging – 4 - 6 hour walk through undulating hills of Malalotja Game Reserve to a beautiful waterfall. Uneven paths and this walk has sections of steep gradients.

Stay at:
Hawane Lodge (2 breakfasts, 2 lunches & 2 dinners)

Crossing back into South Africa head towards your next lodge on a private game reserve situated on the Msinene Nature Reserve. Take a walk with a local walking guide who will point out some of the 540+ bird species found in the area and track the shy Nyala antelope in the riverine vegetation of the Msinene River. The following morning, you visit Hluhluwe Game Reserve, a key area for rhino conservation. Enjoy the sunset and the sounds of the bush before a hearty dinner at the lodge.

Walk grade:
Leisurely - 2-3 hour gentle bushveld walk along Msinene River.

Stay at:
Zululand Lodge (2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners)

Leave the bush of Zululand behind and make your way through the scenic hills and valleys of Zululand to the small town of Dundee. Here battles were fought between the Zulus, British and the Boer troops - war cries still resound in the hills. Spend time at the informative Tulana museum before settling into your lodge and having some free time in the afternoon.

The following morning, explore the Isandlwana battlefield before embarking on an exciting 4-5 hour hike tracing the famous steps of two British fugitives through the undulating hills of Zululand to the Buffalo River. Later in the day visit Rourkes Drift before returning to the lodge.

Walk grade:
Challenging – 4-5 hour Fugitives Drift trail through Zululand on uneven paths. It has strenuous sections with some steep gradients. Complete hike time is dependent on the Buffalo River’s water levels.

Stay at:
Bella’s Rest Guesthouse (2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners)

Witness the grandeur of the Drakensberg Mountains or uKhahlamba “Barrier of Spears”. Overnight at the base of the “berg” (alt. 1,600m) and spend a full day walking the mountain trails before taking an invigorating dip in the clear mountain streams of the Royal Natal National Park. The crisp mountain air is refreshing and your lodge is a fantastic place to relax and enjoy the splendour of the mountain views.

Walk grade:
Moderate – 5.5 hour walk up the Tugela Gorge on good paths with some rocky
sections, boulder hopping.

Stay at:
Royal Natal National Park Thendele (2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners)

Start the day with an early breakfast and make your way to Witsieshoek at the foot of the magnificent Sentinel Peak. At the end of a rough gravel road start your trek, including a short chain ladder section, to the top of the Drakensberg Amphitheatre and the beautiful Tugela Falls (alt. 3,000m), offering unparalleled views down into KwaZulu-Natal. After your walk make your way to the lodge perched high in the mountains (alt. 2,300m) overlooking the Mont-Aux-Sources mountain range.

Walk grade:
Challenging – 5-6 hours walk on uneven paths to the top of the Amphitheatre with a short section of chain ladders.

Stay at:
Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge (breakfast, lunch)

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