Drakensberg
South Africa
A basalt wall a thousand metres high, with San paintings in the caves beneath it
Photo by Arthur Hickinbotham on Unsplash
Photos by Arthur Hickinbotham, Arthur Hickinbotham, Arthur Hickinbotham and Arthur Hickinbotham on Unsplash
Best time to visit all of South Africa
April to October, the dry season, with clear days, cold nights and snow on the high ground
Climate month by month
The next sixteen daysOpen-Meteo
Average high and low · °C
Rainfall · mm per month
Best months to visit This month · wettest 210mm in Jan
Where it is
29.03°S, 29.40°E Open in Google Maps
Things to do
A week easily- Start every walk at first light in summer and be down before the storms
- Walk to the Tugela gorge beneath the Amphitheatre
- See the San paintings at Kamberg or Giant’s Castle with a guide, which is worth it for what the paintings show
- Climb the chain ladders to the top of the Amphitheatre from the Free State side
- Take a 4x4 tour up Sani Pass for lunch in Lesotho
- Pick one section of the Berg and stay three nights rather than touring all of it
Drakensberg travel tipsthe general rules
Currency budget South Africa
Good valueResorts, lodges and the park offices take cards. Carry cash for the farm stalls, guides at the rock-art sites and fuel in the smaller places, and draw it before you go up the valleys.
ATMs & cards
Machines in Winterton, Bergville and Underberg, and in the larger resorts’ shops; little or nothing further up. Use one inside a shop or branch — Standard Bank, FNB, Absa, Nedbank — and draw on the way in.
Avoid these
- assuming there is a machine up the valleys
Use these instead
- Standard Bank
- FNB
- Absa
- Nedbank — in Winterton, Bergville or Underberg
Draw cash on the way in; the resorts take cards but the farm stalls and rock-art guides may not.
Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.
Safety all of South Africa
SafeWeather is the hazard, not crime. Summer afternoons bring violent thunderstorms with lightning on the ridges and rivers that rise in minutes: walk early and be off high ground by early afternoon. Winter brings snow and freezing nights on the escarpment. Sign the mountain register at the park office for anything beyond a short walk, and do not hike alone; on the drive, the usual South African rules apply — nothing visible in the car, and no driving at night.
Where to walk, and where to pay attention (9 areas)
Comfortable, including after dark
- Champagne Valley
- Royal Natal National Park
- Cathedral Peak — the hotel and the marked trails
- Underberg
Worth more attention
- Being on a ridge or in a gorge in a summer afternoon storm, which brings lightning and flash floods
- Hiking alone or without signing the mountain register
- The escarpment in winter, where snow and freezing nights catch out the unprepared
- Sani Pass — without a 4x4, and the border post’s fixed hours
- Driving the access roads after dark, with livestock and pedestrians on unlit roads
Our own assessment, not a sourced index.
Entry & visa South Africa visa rules
No visa neededup to 90 days
Other passports
No visa neededup to 30 days
Visa required in advance
How to get it: Two completely blank passport pages are required on arrival, and this is enforced — people are refused entry over it.
Entry rules change often and depend on your passport, not where you live — the official page above is the authority, and the airline checks before you board.
Health & emergencies all of South Africa
Good and affordableRequired to enter
- Yellow fever certificate, but only if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever is present
Jabs worth having, and what happens if you need a doctor
Worth having
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid
- Tetanus up to date
- Malaria prophylaxis only if you are going to Kruger or the north-east — Cape Town has no malaria
Getting treated
Private hospitals (Netcare, Mediclinic) are genuinely world-class and cost far less than Europe or the US, which is why medical tourism exists here. The public system is overloaded. Insurance is worth it, and private ambulances (ER24, Netcare 911) respond faster than the state service.
Tap water is safe in Cape Town. No malaria in the Western Cape.
Orientation, not medical advice — entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history. Check with a travel clinic four to six weeks before you go.
Food tip
GoodResort buffets and farm kitchens, mostly, and good for it after a day’s walk. The Midlands Meander on the way up has cheese makers, bakeries and a craft brewery or two. Self-catering cottages are common; stock up in Winterton or at the N3 towns.
Travel tipsGetting around
Car needed- UberWorks here
- BoltWorks here
- inDriveWorks here
- Against a taxi
- There is no metered taxi trade to speak of. The apps are how a visitor moves, and the minibus taxis are a different thing entirely.
Wait indoors for the car rather than on the street at night, which is what locals do.
Time zone and your working day
Africa/Johannesburg — 6 hours ahead of you
2 hours of overlap with a 09:00–17:00 day where you are — 09:00–11:00 your time, 15:00–17:00 theirs.
No overlap with a 09:00–17:00 day where you are. Working from here means one of you keeps odd hours — their day starts at 03:00 on your clock.
office hours both at once night
Their 09:00–17:00 is 03:00–11:00 on yours.
The difference from the UK, Europe, the US and ten more
Worked out against America/New York, which is where this request looks like it came from.
eSIM
A data eSIM for South Africa, installed before you fly and working the moment you land:
Works here
Works hereRevolutIn the app
Must-see
Travel tipsNearby day trips
Travel tipsSay a few words
South African English — local usage
- HelloHowzit
- ThanksThanks / DankieDUNK-ee
- BarbecueBraaibry
- Traffic lightRobot
4 more phrases
- Yes, definitelyYebo
- No problemSharp sharp
- The bill, pleaseThe bill, please
- GoodbyeCheers / Totsiens
Religion
Christian majority
Around 80% Christian, alongside African traditional belief, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish communities. The constitution protects all of them explicitly.
Travel tipsDo's and don'ts
Do
- Greet with howzit and take time over it; abruptness is rude
- Tip 10-15% at restaurants, and a few rand to car guards
- Accept a braai invitation — it is the central social ritual
- Ask locally which areas to avoid; the answer changes by street and by hour
Don't
- Do not walk alone at night, or use a phone visibly in the street
- Do not accept help at ATMs from anyone, ever
- Do not discuss race and politics casually; the history is recent and raw
- Do not leave anything in a parked car, or resist if you are robbed
Where to stay in Drakensberg
No Holistay rentals in Drakensberg yet — the platform is just opening up. Every listing here will have a video tour and the option to negotiate the nightly price directly with the host.
In the meantime, here is Drakensberg on the sites that do have the inventory — each search is already filled in:
- Booking.com hotels, guesthouses and apartments — the widest coverage almost everywhere
- Airbnb whole homes and apartments, and the better option for a week or more
How to get there
Fly into King Shaka, Durban DUR
3hfrom the airport· 179 km as the crow flies
3h by road up the N3.
Also worth pricing: O.R. Tambo, Johannesburg JNB — about four hours down the N3, with far more flights.
Google Flights · Rome2Rio for the trains, buses and ferries as well as the flights
