If you love seeing pretty scenery up close, South Africa should be at the top of your list for hiking trips. This amazing country has all kinds of beautiful landscapes perfect for exploring on foot. You’ll find huge mountains, crashing waterfalls, green wineries, and deserts that look out of this world. With so many awesome trails, put on your hiking boots and get ready for an unforgettable adventure in South Africa.
The Otter Trail
Take a hike on the famous Otter Trail for a walk along a beautiful coastline that will take your breath away. This amazing 42km, 5-day path goes through the pretty Garden Route region and is considered one of the best long hikes in the world.
You’ll start by walking from tall cliffs down to the incredibly green waters and rocky shores of the Indian Ocean. Then you’ll go through lush coastal forests full of unique plants, cross empty beaches, and see furry rock hyraxes (like big squirrels) sunbathing on the rocks. The views of dramatic sea cliffs with bright red wildflowers swaying in the breeze are stunning.
At night, you’ll stay in simple but beautiful log cabins hidden in the plants. After hiking all day, you can relax by a warm fire and enjoy a good meal while listening to the soothing ocean waves nearby.
Giant's Cup Hiking Trail
The dramatic, spine-tingling rock formations and striking, curving peaks of the Drakensberg mountain range are well-known. On the Giant’s Cup Hiking Trail, you’ll get to fully immerse yourself in this bewitching alpine wonderland on an epic day hike.
As you venture along the 6.5km trail through the Northern Drakensberg, the scenery will leave you wide-eyed and slack-jawed at every turn. Abruptly rising from the foothills are row after row of towering 5,000+ foot golden sandstone buttresses etched into their iconic curved shapes over millions of years by glaciers and rain.
All your senses will be awakened as you hike past sparkling streams, colorful wildflowers, and into a crisp, pine-scented forest. The grand finale? Your route climbs to a spectacular overnight hut perched high on the rim of the Giant’s Cup’s massive amphitheater, giving you a dizzying viewpoint over these geological showstoppers.
The Pipe Track
For a more relaxing but still beautiful hike, you’ll love the Pipe Track in the pretty Franschhoek wine country of South Africa. This 9km stroll goes through famous wineries and vineyards, making for the perfect mix of fresh air and wine tasting along the way.
Right from the start, the path takes you into a peaceful landscape as you wander under huge oak trees with Spanish moss hanging down. Soon you’ll pass by the wineries themselves, with well-tended vineyards rolling out in a patchwork of green and terracotta colors, with the occasional historic Cape Dutch farmhouse peeking over the vines.
The views of the huge Drakenstein Mountains towering overhead add to the grandeur. Their rocky peaks invite you to linger at a winery for a crisp glass of Chenin Blanc or Cabernet along with some delicious local cheese and meat platters.
Even better, parts of the track are covered in fragrant pine needles, cushioning your steps and releasing soothing scents with each footfall. It doesn’t get much better than this for a relaxing trail walk.
Cederberg Wilderness Area
If you’re more into rugged adventure, the haunting landscapes and ancient rock art of the Cederberg Wilderness Area will excite your wild side. These craggy mountains, about a 3-hour drive from Cape Town, were considered sacred by indigenous San people for ages.
A top route is the four-day Cederbaric Hiking Trail, a 32km circuit full of non-stop dramatic scenery as you go through narrow sandstone ravines, wildflower meadows, and valleys framed by soaring burnt-orange cliffs. You’ll scramble across fields of boulders, splash through crystal-clear mountain pools, and even discover hidden aboriginal rock art sites that few ever see.
For an epic finale, you’ll spend the night at an isolated mountain hut in the shadow of the revered Sneeukop peak. As the last fiery sunrays hit the jagged rock formations, you’ll feel a profound appreciation for the spiritual power and grandeur of this ancient, untamed realm.
Klipspringer Trail
Now for something completely different: the raw, wide-open scenery and glorious solitude of the Klipspringer Trail. Found inside the acclaimed Entabeni Game Reserve, this 19km, three-day route immerses you in the semi-desert environment of the Waterberg region where stark rock formations and sparse vegetation create an otherworldly backdrop.
You’ll trek through towering sandstone outcrops, across rocky dry riverbeds, and past rolling grassy hills dotted with twisted shepherd’s trees. This is vast, wild Africa at its most basic, where you’re bound to spot mongoose, rock-dwelling klipspringers (a small antelope), and tons of fascinating birds and plants, all undisturbed by the modern world.
Each night, you’ll bunk down at cozy, no-frills tented camps that have everything you need to properly relax. As bright stars blaze overhead so vividly you’ll feel like you can reach out and touch the Milky Way, you’ll discover a profound sense of remoteness and serenity rarely found on other hikes.
Conclusion
With so many varied and breathtakingly gorgeous paths available, it’s hardly surprising that daring hikers are soon captivated by South Africa’s unparalleled natural beauty. Now put on your sturdy boots, dust out your rucksack, and get ready to be taken to a world of breathtaking scenery. These are the kinds of lifelong memories that are truly unforgettable.
And while you’re planning on making these memories, remember you’d need money to achieve them. Getting your gears, paying for cabs, and booking for hotels require you to have some Rand, not Naira. Get Hizo now to help you convert those nairas to Rand to help you pay your way through South Africa.
