Drakensberg Adventure

Your own Drakensberg adventure starts right here

Drakensberg is made for adventures. Fondly known as ‘the Berg’, the mountains are a breathtakingly beautiful series of mountain peaks that forms the border between KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho. These enchanting mountains, centrally positioned on the eastern side of South Africa, are a favourite adventure destination for South Africans and international visitors alike.

Enjoy an exhilarating 5.4 km downhill descent on the monster mountain scooter, crossing steep terrain, meandering grasslands and an indigenous forest. A free 4×4 ride takes you to the top of the hill. Scooters are non-motorized making this Eco-friendly. These Swiss-designed scooters are used in the Alps during the summer season on the ski slopes when the snow is gone.

book your Scootours experience now

Experience the awesome thrill and peaceful serenity of hot air ballooning on the edge of the Drakensberg mountains. Giants Castle, the Champagne Valley, the Kamberg Vallay. The hot air balloon take-off is from a site in or around the Kamberg Valley and within sight of Giants Castle. You will meet at the hot air balloon launch site approximately 30 minutes before sunrise, your pilot will then give you a safety briefing. Once the hot air balloon is heated and you are in the balloons basket you will enjoy a flight of around an hour. After helping to pack the hot air balloon you will return to a location close to take off point for an Alfresco breakfast and Champagne.

Book your hot air ballooning experience here

Situated in an indigenous forest of the Central Drakensberg, in the shadow of the towering Cathkin Peak, the Drakensberg Canopy Tour® awaits you. Boasting Africa’s first elevated rock face walkway with a good mix of both cliff face and treetop platforms, and cable slides over the forest up to 60 metres high, the Drakensberg Canopy Tour® must automatically go to the top of your “must do” list.

Experience nature like never before as you slide through the forest canopy and enjoy a unique birds-eye view on the world around you. Set within the magnificent Blue Grotto forest, the Drakensberg Canopy Tour® is guaranteed to take your breath away.

Book your Drakensberg Canopy tour now

Drakensberg horse trails and horse safaris that are offered that are as good an experience as they come. The Drakensberg Mountains presents splendid opportunities for both the experienced and the beginner to ride this magnificent countryside on horseback and spend the day exploring the mountains.

Almost all the resorts in the Drakensberg offer guided horse trails, and several include overnight adventure rides for groups of five or more.

Horse trails through a game reserve brings you closer to game than you can possibly achieve on foot. Imagine that incredible feeling as you move amongst a large herd of giraffe or wander with a white rhino across open savannah. Or simply view a large herd of impala against a backdrop of shimmering water and mountain at Spioenkop Dam.

Horse Trails in the Drakensberg
  • Antbear Horse Safaris offers very affordable horse trails in the foothills of the Drakensberg with spectacular views of Giants Castle. These horse trails are ideal for beginners and you could even get a horse riding lesson before the ride.
  • Zulu Waters Horse Trails offers a horse back safari through the Zulu Waters Private Game Reserve. Get up close and experience the Drakensberg foothlls like never before
  • Khotso Horse Trails offers overnight or 1 and 2 hour rides in the beautiful Southern Drakensberg Mountains on fine basotho horses. Our working cattle and horse farm is situated outside Underberg. Overnight in our comfortable self-catering cottages or log cabins. Enjoy trout fishing, river tubing and rafting in summer, snowboarding in winter and horse riding and mustering cattle on the farm.
  • uShaka Horse trails central Drakensberg is situated at the foothills of the Cathkin, Champagne Castle mountain range. On a 600 acres farm bordering Bell Park dam ushaka Horse Trails offer unforgettable adventure trails on horse back.
  • The Northern Horse provides an equine experience of a lifetime in the Northern Drakensberg! Climb mountains, forge rivers and race over plains atop hardy mountain horses and ponies and enjoy unspoilt scenery in the foothills of this World Heritage Site. One Hour Trails: Two grooms take groups of up to ten riders on trails around the Montusi Estate. Trails vary from gentle plains to steeper valley trails to suit all levels of confidence.
  • Oaklands Country Manor offers world class riding facilities and equipment. This unique and relaxing activity is a great way to take in the gorgeous views and fresh mountain air. Horse riding activities include outrides and children’s arena rides on our beautifully schooled horses. Their experienced staff are on hand to assist beginners, whilst seasoned riders are welcome to explore the area unaccompanied following an assessment ride.

Based at Cathedral Peak and Dragons Peak , take a one hour or a fifteen minute helicopter flight, sip a glass of champagne on top of the peaks, or enjoy a high altitude picnic lunch.

Fly to the battlefields in Northern Natal and get met by a guide who will tell the story or get flown to a number of golf courses in the area.

Book your Drakensberg helicopter flight now

 

Let your imagination fly and we’ll take care of the rest.

Home to major Mountain Bike races such as the Sani Pass Transfrontier Mountain Bike Epic, the Volvo Classic, the Sani 2c; and the Berg and Bush (to name a few) the Drakensberg Mountains prove to be the ideal location for novice and accomplished riders! The terrain of the Drakensberg Mountains and the Drakensberg itself provide endless scenic riding routes that each have varying distance and climbing requirements making it the perfect place for the whole family to enjoy.
 

Berg Adventures conducts overnight hiking trips exclusively in the uKhahlamba Drakensberg World Heritage Site, or as it known to us locals as the “Berg”.

The Berg consists of the High Berg and the Lower Berg, each with its own beauty, ruggedness, challenges and spectacular views. Hiking in the Berg, is very different to many other hiking venues as here YOU are very alone, you may not even see another person for days.

It is all about solitude and wide open spaces, where you can free yourself from the rush of everyday life, and take time to reflect and ponder about what life is really about. Take the time to explore and find rest for your soul.

Book your guided Drakensberg hike here

Quad bike trails are popular in in the Drakensberg and Natal Midlands. Its little wonder what with the open spaces, beautiful landscapes and sunny weather. Quad bike trails  are on offer where you bring your own quad or you can rent quad bikes  too. Quads make for a great day out even better a weekend getaway.

  • All Out Adventures Guided quad bike out rides. A stunning quad experience, which includes a briefing and a scenic guided quad bike outride along the either the Puterill’s Stream or Tugela River Trail.  The trails covers a range of exciting terrain, including a river crossings and hill climbs.  This is a great introduction to quads for new riders, without being too dull for those with some experience. All riders receive a briefing and must complete a basic competency test before departing on the ride.

  • Sani Pass Hotel

  • Four River rafting Quad bike outrides. Guided Quad Outrides:The group will be met by an experienced guide that will give a safety briefing and instruction on how to use the bikes. The bikes that we use are Automatic thus allowing novices to get the hang of riding quite quickly. Then the group will head off with the guide leading the way on an enjoyable ride with natural obstacles for the group to test their talent. This activity is for those clients that are 16 years & older (when using our quad bikes)

  • Four River rafting Quad Tracks. This is an adventure filled activity for kids and adults of any age. On offer is a 850m big track and a 150m small track. Ideal for families with littlel kids.

  • Cliffdale Quads Quad bike trails offered for the ultimate getaway for the Quad lover – at very economical rates. You bring your own quads and you ride the quad bike trails unguided. The whole farm is yours for the weekend, and gates are colour-coded for you to know where to go. There are dongas for you to play around, steep mountains and rivers to test your quad bike skills and 250km of dirt roads, with 3 passes into KwaZulu-Natal (Colin-, Normandien- and Mullerspas). Cliffdate also has a very beautiful and scenic 4×4 route, suitable for 4×4, 4×2 and quads. Accommodation is available at the Cliffdale Sandstone Lodge

  • Drakensberg Quad Tracks Drakensberg Quad Tracks operate from Cathedral Peak Hotel in the Central Drakensberg. They offer various fun activities suited for everyone, whether it be families at leisure or corporate companies looking for a nice break from the stresses of work.

The Drakensberg offers 4×4 ofroading and 4×4 trails that are amongst the best in the South Africa. Natural obstacles – steep slopes, rock steps, sand river crossings, mud shale slopes will challenge all 4×4 enthusiasts. Or if you prefer the less rugged, make it an easy outing, using a map of the Drakensberg region and GPS co-ordinates to explore all that the Drakensberg Mountains has to offer.

  • Mikes Pass – This 4×4 trail is located in the Cathedral Peak Section of the Central Drakensberg. This 32km trail is one of the most scenically beautiful anywhere. It includes some steep climbs and a hair-raising 7km downhill on the pass.
  • Thule Beacon Trail – From St Bernards Peak in East Griqualand. This trail is renowned as a tough 4×4 trail that takes you high into the southern Drakensberg mountains. The experts say that this trail is much tougher than Sani Pass.
  •  Sani Pass – This is a fairly challenging 4×4 route with access from Himeville in the southern Drakensberg. The pass twists and climbs upwards, beneath towering cliffs and buttresses, reaching the top of the Drakensberg escarpment at 2 873m. You need a passport to cross the border post into Lesotho at the top.

Request information and reservations for your 4×4 Drakensberg holiday

Abseiling, although a relatively “old” adventure sport, it is still a favourite amongst adrenaline seekers. It is practised in a controlled environment which makes it a very safe activity, yet stepping backwards over the edge and descending down the cliff will give you an adrenaline rush! Abseiling down the cliffs of the Drakensberg is something that you need to tick of your bucket list!

Places to go abseiling in the Drakensberg
  • Drakesberg Adventure Center. The abseil takes place on Chicken Hill which is 25m high. The first 10m is on a cliff face and for the remaining 15m you are abseiling down an overhang. The walk to the top of the abseil is approximately 15 minutes from the office.
  • Berg Ventures abseiling offers a lovely beginners abseil site. You are driven to the top of the cliff face and where under the safe guidance of your abseiling instructor Deon Small you will be ready to face your daemons.

The sweeping views of the Drakensberg are best enjoyed from the air on a Paragliding Adventure. Paragliding gives you the chance to join the eagles of the sky in the simplest form of flight. A paraglider gains height by flying thermals so you get a very good idea of what it feels like to soar like a hawk! Flying on a paraglider means unobstructed views, which is great since the Drakensberg is on of South Africa’s most scenic regions.

The best places to go paragliding in the Drakensberg

Wild Sky Paragiding School is run by Hans and Ria Fokkens. They offer tandem flights, courses and guiding. With our vast experience and good safety record you will be in great hands learning to fly here. The backpackers’ lodge is set at the foot of Amahaqwa (Bulwer) Mountain, which is a world-famous flying site, with both thermic and smooth ridge soaring conditions. It is a perfect paragliding training ground.

The Tugela River starts it journey in the mighty Drakensberg where it plunges 947 metres down the Tugela Falls. This river is the largest in Kwa Zulu Natal and adventure seekers come here for a fun filled action packed White Water River Rafting Adventure with rapids ranging from Grade 1 to 5. You can also test your rafting skills on the Injusuti River, Bushmans River and Umkomas where nail biting twists and turns are sure to keep your adrenaline pumping!

White water rafting tour operators
  • Itchyfeet SA – River Rafting The Tugela River is our playground when it comes to white water rafting and kayaking. Where else than Tugela River? You won’t find more action, excitement and bush anywhere else. It really is one of South Africa’s best white water destinations. We operate on quite a lengthy part of the river; about a hundred and thirty kilometres
  • Tugela River Rafting – From Nov through to April, the summer rains in the upper catchment turn the still pools of the Tugela River into an exciting stretch of white water. From our bushcamp, nestled in the heart of the Tugela Canyon, there is a 20km stretch of rapids and pools on which the SA white water rafting champs have been hosted. Water levels rise and fall, with 8 and 4-man rafts used in higher volumes whilst the two man crocs and kayaks are ideal for lower levels.
  • Four Rivers rafting and adventures offers White water Rafting 1, 2 and 3 day trips.
  • Zingela White Water Rafting – The 30km stretch of river known as the canyon provides some of the most thrilling white water in the country. The South African leg of the Camel White-Water Challenge took place at Zingela and the venue received rave reviews from participants and organisers. A wide choice of river-rafting packages is available – from half a day to four days on the river. One man Kayaks, two man crocs and eight man rafts are used on the river, in accordance with water levels and the groups abilities.

Book your white water rafting trip today

The Drakensberg is a mountain wilderness area. The long, bushy walk-ins and unpredictable weather mean that it’s the preserve of serious mountaineers. The Drakensberg is a huge escarpment nearly 200km long. It consists largely of basalt formed by the outpouring of molten lava. Unlike the clean layers and horizontal cracks found in sandstone, the basalt has weathered into rounded overhangs, lichenous blocks and vegetated gullies that take some getting used to. The high altitude and heavy rainfall also mean that weathering has taken its toll – the rock is often crumbly so caution is required when climbing here. In fact local climbers will often quip that the best holds are the tufts of grass that adorn most routes.

But don’t let that put you off. The nearly 3000m-high peaks beg to be climbed. Topping out on one of the ‘Berg summits is a very special experience, well worth the toil. Most of the classic routes are on the free-standing peaks. They include the Bell (one of the easiest climbs, accessed from Cathedral Peak), Devil’s Tooth, The Column, Monk’s Cowl and Giant’s Castle. There are also excellent climbs on the Sentinel. There is no bolting allowed. The most popular routes have abseil chains for safety reasons.

Most climbs require overnight stays, either in caves or tents. Climbers must obtain permits from Ezimvelo KZN Wildlife and sign the appropriate mountain registers before setting out. Always go prepared for foul weather and watch out for thunder and lightning storms in summer.

In winter there is also good ice climbing, particularly on the south face of Giants Castle and at Sani Pass.

Accommodation that inspires

Antbear Lodge - Drakensberg accommodation
Stay in a luxury cave near to Giants Castle
Tree house accommodation natal midlands
Overnight in a tree house in the Natal Midlands
zulu waters - your own private game reserve
Enjoy the exclusive experience of your very own private game reserve withyour own private chef.
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