Panoramic Route in South Africa – Best attractions and itinerary

The Panoramic Route in South Africa is an unmissable stop for anyone visiting the country! See all the tips for enjoying one of the most beautiful routes in the region in this post!

If you are planning a trip to South Africa, your plans may include the following places: Cape Town, Johannesburg and a safari somewhere. The classic itinerary through the country.

This time, however, I want to talk about an unmissable region that many tourists just “pass quickly on the way" the Blyde River Canyon Scenic Route.

As I've mentioned in other posts, I wasn't sure what to expect from a trip to South Africa. Before I started researching, I also imagined that I would do the classic programs – big cities and seeing animals –, but nothing much beyond that.

Luckily, my friend had already been in the region for a few months, and knew several people who had already explored other spots off the traditional route. She insisted that we include two nights in our plans Blyde River Canyon, and I, who didn't know anything, agreed without thinking twice about the matter.

It was one of the best decisions of the trip! Uninformed as it was, I imagined that we were going to see a canyon or take one trail or another, while in reality we came across a Breathtaking panoramic route, with countless attractions along the way. Waterfalls, caves and, of course, a spectacular view of the third largest canyon in the world, make this small area of ​​the country an impressive road trip.

If you are putting together your itinerary and have doubts about including the Blyde River Canyon region, I highly recommend spending a day or two in the region. To help you with this part of the planning, I wrote this post with everything you need to know about the Panoramic Route in South Africa – from which city to choose as your base, the best attractions along the way, restaurants and even an itinerary so you don’t waste too much time.

Tips for visiting the South African Panoramic Route

Directions

The Panoramic Route is part of the R532 road, in the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve region.

As it is on the way between Johannesburg and Kruger National Park, the best way to include it in your itinerary is when you are going to or returning from your safari, if you are going to do it in Kruger.

• If you are going from Johannesburg to the park, the ideal is to stop in Graskop or Sabie, the two largest cities on the route, stay there, spend a day exploring the attractions and the next day go on safari.

• If Johannesburg is your stop after from Kruger, I suggest doing the safari first and, on the day of departure, driving to one of the cities mentioned and spending the night there. Drive the route and see the coolest spots the next day, return to your accommodation to sleep and, early in the morning, make the journey to Joburg.

The best way to discover the Panoramic Route is to rent a car and travel the route at your own time. What we did was use the same vehicle during this part of the trip, so we drove it through Kruger and to Johannesburg, stopping at Blyde River Canyon.

To rent, I recommend using Rentcars, a partner company of the blog that works with the main rental companies on the market. The coolest thing is that Rentcars offers a best price guarantee, in addition to allowing Brazilians to pay in reais (i.e., without IOF fees) and in installments! To get a quote and rent your car, just click on this link!

If you're not driving, the largest cities on the route are focused on tourism, so you can find several excursions to explore the surroundings of Blyde River Canyon. This one from Get Your Guide, for example, leaves from Hazyview and includes my favorite points on the route!

How long to stay

One day is enough to see the main attractions of the Panoramic Route in South Africa. My suggestion is to arrive in the region at the end of the day, sleep in one of the cities and spend the entire next day driving between the best stops.

Spend the night in Graskop or Sabie – you'll already spend the day driving, there's no point going anywhere else – and the next day head towards Kruger or Johannesburg, depending on your itinerary.

Remembering that here on the blog there is a complete 15-day itinerary through South Africa!

Where to stay on the Panoramic Route in South Africa

Officially, six towns are part of the Blyde River Canyon Scenic Route, but I recommend staying in one of the two largest: Sabie or Graskop. In addition to being close to the R532, these locations have several hotels and infrastructure to welcome tourists, including markets and restaurants.

Hosting suggestions:

• The Sabie Town House Guest Lodge: In Sabie, this guest house has a pool, free parking, a games room, breakfast included, and even an on-site bar. Perfect for those who want to enjoy the surroundings and still relax! Booking rating: Superb 9,3.

• Rustique: As the name suggests, this accommodation in Graskop has rustic-style decor, and is great value for money at a great price and location. Wifi and parking are offered free of charge, and all rooms have incredible views. Booking rating: Superb 9,1.

I stayed in Graskop and really liked it. The only downside is that using the city as a starting point, Mac Mac Pools is in the opposite direction from the rest of the attractions, meaning you have to “go back and forth” along the route.

Best attractions on the Panoramic Route in South Africa

With countless waterfalls, panoramic views, historical places and other tourist attractions, it is impossible to visit all the attractions in one day. Therefore, I selected some of the best for you to include in your itinerary.

God's Window

One of the most famous tourist attractions, as It has an incredible panoramic view that allows you to see all the way to the border with Mozambique on clear, sunny days. It is one of the biggest attractions, as there are several observation points and a trail (of low difficulty and well signposted) connecting them all.

Entrance costs ZAR17 and in the parking lot there is a market with various local craft products. The price, to my surprise, is much lower than in big cities, even though it is a very visited place.

Mac-Mac Pools

One of my favorite stops as it's the only place where you really you can enter the water, instead of just observing from afar. The region has an extensive lawn for picnics, bathrooms and, of course, numerous natural pools to cool off on hotter days.

Entrance costs ZAR20, a fair price in my opinion, as you have access to the entire infrastructure.

Lisbon Falls

As I mentioned, the scenic route in South Africa has numerous waterfalls, and my suggestion is that you visit either Lisbon Falls or Berlin Falls. The two are close to each other and are a great setting, but nothing much beyond that. You not You can enter the water, just watch from afar.

Entrance costs ZAR10, and in the case of Lisbon Falls the place only has a parking lot and another local crafts fair.

Bourke's Luck Potholes

Os Potholes They are a natural phenomenon caused by the junction of the rivers Treur and Blyde. In short, the force of these two rivers continuously hitting the rocks caused these holes, which can be seen by tourists through observation platforms. It is a favorite of many who take the panoramic route, as it is a very different scenery.

Entrance costs ZAR55, one of the most expensive prices on the route, but it is worth it due to the size of the local infrastructure, with bathrooms and restaurants.

Echo Caves

Perhaps the most different attraction, as it involves entering dark caves with rock formations that cause the echo phenomenon. It's the northernmost attraction on the route and, despite being interesting, it would be the one I would skip if I didn't have time to see all the attractions on this list.

Entrance costs ZAR60 per person, but includes a 45-minute guided tour where you learn the history of the caves, which were used by ancient people.

Three rondavels

Another of my favorite stops, and the place with the most beautiful view among all the attractions I visited. The main attraction is the possibility of observing the three round-topped mountains that can be seen from the observation points – hence the name of the place – but I also found it to be one of the best places to see the Blyde River Canyon in general.

Entrance costs ZAR30, and my suggestion is to go at the end of the day so that the strong sun doesn't affect the scenery and photos (just pay attention to opening hours).

Itinerary along the Panoramic Route in South Africa

To make things easier, I put together a one-day itinerary taking in the best attractions on the panoramic route. As I already mentioned, my suggestion is to arrive in the region at night and do the route the next day.

If you are in Graskop, start the day with coffee at Harrie's Pancakes, a super traditional restaurant with great pancakes and dishes for the first meal of the day. I ordered a sweet one and it was delicious!

Then, drive along the R532 to Mac Mac Pools and enjoy a morning in the natural pools. Don't forget to apply sunscreen and bring swimwear and towels! From there, head to God's Window and hike the trail to see some of the best views in the area.

After swimming and a good walk, you'll probably be hungry. Before having lunch, however, my suggestion is to stop by Lisbon Falls ou Berlin Falls, as they are on the way to Bourke's Luck Potholes.

After taking some photos and enjoying the waterfalls, it's time to stop for food! You have to drive almost half an hour to get to the Bourke's Luck Potholes, so my recommendation is to stop halfway at Potluck Boskombuis, which has an excellent view. O The Chubby Pig is also a popular option that falls somewhere in between.

After eating, go to the Bourke's Luck Potholes and see how the force of the river has shaped the region's rocks over the years. As the park is large, set aside at least an hour to ensure you can see the best spots and get some rest.

Next are the two final points, the Three rondavels and Echo Caves. The suggestion would be to drive around 40 minutes to the caves, do the tour guided tour for 45 minutes and then start making your way back to Graskop stopping at the Three Rondavels before leaving.

You need to be careful, however, as the entrance to the Three Rondavels closes at 17pm. I suggest calculating whether you will have time to go to the caves, take the tour and return before the tours end. If you're not sure about the time, my suggestion is to just visit the Three Rondavels and enjoy the breathtaking view of the mountains and the third largest canyon in the world!

Summary of the itinerary in order:

These were all the tips for visiting the scenic route in South Africa! It was one of my favorite moments of the trip, and if you have time I highly recommend including this tour in your itinerary!

Looking for other routes to take in the country? The Trilhas e Cantos blog has a 3-day itinerary along the Garden Route Super Cool!

Do you have any questions? Do you think there was something missing from the itinerary? Tell me in the comments!

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