By air
King Shaka, Durban (DUR), ~3 h
South Africa
Drakensberg, South Africa
Dragon mountains and ancient rock art
Getting there
Best time to visit
March to May and September to November — mild
Don't miss
The Amphitheatre
Tugela Falls
Giant's Castle
Cathedral Peak
Things to do
Hiking the Amphitheatre
San rock art
Horse riding
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Darren Glanville from Acle, Norfolk, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0
What to pack
Hiking boots, layers
A quieter corner
The Tugela Falls hike from the Sentinel car park
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to hike in the Drakensberg?
March to May and September to November, when the weather is mild. Bring hiking boots and layers.
Which Drakensberg sights should I prioritise?
The Amphitheatre, Tugela Falls, Giant's Castle and Cathedral Peak. For a special outing, do the Tugela Falls hike from the Sentinel car park.
Is there rock art to see in the Drakensberg?
Yes. Ancient San rock art is one of the draws of these dragon mountains, alongside hiking the Amphitheatre and horse riding.
How long does it take to reach the Drakensberg from Durban?
About 3 hours from King Shaka, Durban (DUR). Once there, expect hearty lodge meals.
About Drakensberg
- Mountains
Where it is
The Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in southern Africa, a great basalt escarpment along the border between South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province and Lesotho, with peaks rising above 3,000 m.
History
San hunter-gatherers lived in the Drakensberg for thousands of years and painted eland, people and rituals on its rock shelters, the largest and most concentrated group of rock paintings in Africa south of the Sahara. Zulu and Basotho communities later settled the foothills, and the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, extended into Lesotho in 2013 as the Maloti-Drakensberg Park.
People
The foothills on the South African side are home mainly to isiZulu-speaking communities, while the Basotho of the Lesotho highlands speak Sesotho and wear the conical mokorotlo hat and woollen blankets. The Zulu name for the range, uKhahlamba, means barrier of spears.
Known for
- The Amphitheatre and Tugela Falls
- San rock art
- Giant's Castle and Cathedral Peak
- Hiking and horse riding
- The Sani Pass into Lesotho
Did you know?
Tugela Falls, which plunges off the Amphitheatre in a series of drops totalling about 948 m, is often ranked as the second-highest waterfall in the world.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.