Selfdrive in the Drakensberg (luxury)

Upon arrival at Johannesburg airport you will be met and taken to your accommodation for the night. When you travel with a direct KLM flight, you will arrive late in the evening and it is nice that you do not have to drive yourself immediately.

After breakfast, your rental car will be brought to your accommodation. The type of rental car that we have selected for this trip is a category M Europcar type: Kia Sport age or similar. Your tour can now really begin. Don’t leave too late, because you have a long drive ahead of about 460 km.

You leave in a southerly direction via the N3 to Harrismith and then Estcourt from where you continue towards the small village of Elandskop and the Drakensberg. This 200 km long mountain range runs like a backbone along the Lesotho border, making it the largest mountain range in South Africa. The views in the Drakensberg are breathtaking.

In the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg National Park you will find the beautiful Giants Castle Game Reserve. This used to be the area of the San Bushman, making the region very rich in age-old Bushman murals. You can also visit the Bushman Cave to see how the San people lived here. Guides accompany daily hiking trips to the bush man’s murals.

Nature and bird lovers will certainly enjoy themselves here. There are around 200 different species of birds including the bearded vulture and steppe eagle, 150 species of trees and you can spot leopards and moose here. You can choose from the wide range of hiking and hike routes in the area.

You pass velvety mountain slopes, majestic mountains and deep cliffs that are interrupted by mountain rivers and waterfalls. You also come close to the battlefields of the Anglo-Boer War. If you are interested in the history of South Africa then a visit is definitely worth it.

From your accommodation you drive again to the N3 motorway towards Harrismith. From Harrismith take the R74 and then the R712 to Clarens. You can also choose to leave the N3 earlier and drive past Bergville and the Sterkfontein Dam (R74) to Clarens. This route takes more time and is not recommended when it is raining or foggy. The final stretch of today’s route goes through the Golden Gate National Highlands National Park to the picturesque village of Clarens, a small village known as ‘jewel of the Free State’. You will find numerous shops where local artists sell their wares; from traditional African art to pots, paintings, leather goods and fun souvenirs. You will probably find something there as a reminder of this fantastic journey through South Africa and Lesotho

Before you reach Clarens, you drive through the beautiful Golden Gate Highlands National Park. On the way you can visit the Basotho village that is located here and / or take a nice walk among the sandstone formations. If your schedule permits, we advise you to book an extra night in Clarens so that you have enough time to visit the village and the surrounding nature of the Golden Gate park. The distance you have to travel today is around 400 km.

Today you will leave for Johannesburg, a journey of about 310 kilometers. Your Drakensberg journey is over. Do you want to extend and / or extend the journey with another part of South Africa, mail us your wishes and we will tailor your journey!