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Waka your way through SA!The Top 100 South African hiking trails
Explore South Africa’s wild side! We’ve curated 100 of the nation’s best hiking trails,
promising real dirt, real sweat, and real adventure.
1. Otter Trail
📍 Province: Western Cape | Area: Garden Route
📞 Contact: +270422811607
📏 Length: 42 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Hard | 🚶♀️ Type: Multi-day | ⭐ Rating: 4.9
“Oldest official hike in SA (1976!)”
- 🎶 Sounds: Ocean waves, rustling fynbos
- ✨ Feeling: Coastal solitude
- 🔍 Finds: Waterfall pools, ancient middens
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
2. Amatola Trail
📍 Province: Eastern Cape | Area: Hogsback
📞 Contact: +270436422571
📏 Length: 100 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Extreme | 🚶♀️ Type: Multi-day | ⭐ Rating: 4.7
“Named after Xhosa warrior legend”
- 🎶 Sounds: Forest streams, bird chatter
- ✨ Feeling: Mystical forest energy
- 🔍 Finds: Hidden waterfalls, elephant paths
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
3. Drakensberg Grand Traverse
📍 Province: KwaZulu-Natal | Area: uKhahlamba
📞 Contact: +270364331882
📏 Length: 220 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Extreme | 🚶♀️ Type: Multi-day | ⭐ Rating: 4.8
“UNESCO World Heritage Site”
- 🎶 Sounds: Wind over basalt cliffs
- ✨ Feeling: Alpine awe
- 🔍 Finds: San rock art, snow pools (winter)
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
4. Tsitsikamma Trail
📍 Province: Eastern Cape | Area: Tsitsikamma
📞 Contact: +270422811607
📏 Length: 62 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Hard | 🚶♀️ Type: Multi-day | ⭐ Rating: 4.6
“Crosses suspension bridges over Indian Ocean”
- 🎶 Sounds: Crashing waves, forest canopy whispers
- ✨ Feeling: Coastal rainforest immersion
- 🔍 Finds: Ancient milkwood trees, otters
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: Yes for older kids 12+
5. Lion’s Head Summit
📍 Province: Western Cape | Area: Cape Town
📞 Contact: +270219370300
📏 Length: 5.5 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Moderate | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.8
“Full moon hikes with headlamps!”
- 🎶 Sounds: City hum, crunching gravel
- ✨ Feeling: Urban-nature contrast
- 🔍 Finds: Shipwreck artifacts, dassies
✅ Permit Required: No | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Day Hike (No backpack needed) | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
6. Magoebaskloof Secret
📍 Province: Limpopo | Area: Tzaneen
📞 Contact: +270152764653
📏 Length: 6 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Easy | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.5
“Home to endangered blue swallows”
- 🎶 Sounds: Mist dripping off yellowwoods
- ✨ Feeling: Enchanted forest vibes
- 🔍 Finds: Hidden waterfalls, giant ferns
✅ Permit Required: No | 💎 Hidden Gem: Yes | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: Yes
7. Blyde River Canyon
📍 Province: Mpumalanga | Area: Graskop
📞 Contact: +270137698001
📏 Length: 12 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Moderate | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.6
“3rd largest canyon globally”
- 🎶 Sounds: River rapids, cicadas
- ✨ Feeling: Canyon vertigo
- 🔍 Finds: Bourke’s Luck potholes, rock arches
✅ Permit Required: No | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Day Hike/Slackpacking options available | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: Yes
8. Hole in the Wall
📍 Province: Eastern Cape | Area: Coffee Bay
📞 Contact: +270475750028
📏 Length: 8 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Easy | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.4
“Xhosa legend of sea goddess Uhlanga”
- 🎶 Sounds: Crashing waves, goat bells
- ✨ Feeling: Coastal mysticism
- 🔍 Finds: Natural sea arch, Xhosa village
✅ Permit Required: No | 💎 Hidden Gem: Yes | 🧗 Equipment Type: Slackpacking options available | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: Yes
9. Cederberg Wolfberg Arch
📍 Province: Western Cape | Area: Cederberg
📞 Contact: +270274822824
📏 Length: 10 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Hard | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.7
“50m sandstone arch formation”
- 🎶 Sounds: Wind whistling through cracks
- ✨ Feeling: Desert grandeur
- 🔍 Finds: Ancient San rock art, starry skies
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking/Day Hike | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
10. Augrabies Falls Trail
📍 Province: Northern Cape | Area: Augrabies NP
📞 Contact: +270544529200
📏 Length: 39 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Moderate | 🚶♀️ Type: Multi-day | ⭐ Rating: 4.3
“Place of Great Noise in Khoi”
- 🎶 Sounds: Roaring falls, arid wind
- ✨ Feeling: Desert power
- 🔍 Finds: Quiver trees, lunar landscapes
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Day Hike (No backpack needed) | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: Yes
Yes, we used AI to create this image – so no chameleons were harmed.
But the hikes? They’re 100% real adventure.
11. Tugela Falls Hike
📍 Province: KwaZulu-Natal | Area: Royal Natal NP
📞 Contact: +270364386303
📏 Length: 15 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Hard | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.9
“2nd tallest waterfall worldwide”
- 🎶 Sounds: Thunderous falls, grassland rustle
- ✨ Feeling: Mountain majesty
- 🔍 Finds: Chain ladders, snowmelt streams
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking/Day Hike | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
12. Skeleton Gorge
📍 Province: Western Cape | Area: Table Mountain
📞 Contact: +270219370300
📏 Length: 6.2 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Moderate | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.5
“Steep forest ravine with wooden ladders”
- 🎶 Sounds: Babbling streams, rustling leaves
- ✨ Feeling: Jungle-like escape
- 🔍 Finds: Historic dam, protea fields
✅ Permit Required: No | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Day Hike (No backpack needed) | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
13. Num-Num Trail
📍 Province: Mpumalanga | Area: Machadodorp
📞 Contact: +270824106048
📏 Length: 42 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Moderate | 🚶♀️ Type: Slackpacking | ⭐ Rating: 4.4
“Named after a local fruit tree”
- 🎶 Sounds: Bird calls, waterfall spray
- ✨ Feeling: Forest serenity
- 🔍 Finds: Abandoned gold mines, rock pools
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: Yes | 🧗 Equipment Type: Slackpacking options available | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: Yes for older kids 10+
14. Klipspringer Trail
📍 Province: Northern Cape | Area: Augrabies NP
📞 Contact: +270544529200
📏 Length: 40 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Moderate | 🚶♀️ Type: Multi-day | ⭐ Rating: 4.1
“Traces ancient Khoisan paths”
- 🎶 Sounds: Crackling dry shrubs, bird screeches
- ✨ Feeling: Arid expanse
- 🔍 Finds: Quiver tree forests, meteorite sites
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
15. Dolphin Trail
📍 Province: Eastern Cape | Area: Tsitsikamma
📞 Contact: +270422811607
📏 Length: 17 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Easy | 🚶♀️ Type: Luxury | ⭐ Rating: 4.8
“Luxury lodges with ocean views”
- 🎶 Sounds: Wave crashes, bushbuck grunts
- ✨ Feeling: Coastal indulgence
- 🔍 Finds: Marine fossils, oyster beds
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Slackpacking (Luggage transported) | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: Yes
16. Sweni Wilderness Trail
📍 Province: Limpopo | Area: Kruger NP
📞 Contact: +270137354000
📏 Length: 42 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Hard | 🚶♀️ Type: Wilderness | ⭐ Rating: 4.7
“Big 5 walking safari”
- 🎶 Sounds: Lion roars, elephant rumbles
- ✨ Feeling: Safari adrenaline
- 🔍 Finds: Baobab groves, rhino tracks
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
17. Wolkberg Wilderness Trail
📍 Province: Limpopo | Area: Wolkberg
📞 Contact: +270153068000
📏 Length: 30 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Moderate | 🚶♀️ Type: Multi-day | ⭐ Rating: 4.3
“Mountains of the Clouds in Afrikaans”
- 🎶 Sounds: Mist swirling, baboon calls
- ✨ Feeling: Mystical isolation
- 🔍 Finds: Hidden caves, cycad forests
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: Yes | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
18. Olifantsbos Shipwreck Trail
📍 Province: Western Cape | Area: Cape Point
📞 Contact: +270217809010
📏 Length: 5 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Easy | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.4
“WWII shipwrecks visible at low tide”
- 🎶 Sounds: Crashing waves, gull cries
- ✨ Feeling: Maritime history
- 🔍 Finds: Beachcombing treasures, ostriches
✅ Permit Required: No | 💎 Hidden Gem: Yes | 🧗 Equipment Type: Day Hike (No backpack needed) | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: Yes
19. Fanie Botha Trail
📍 Province: Mpumalanga | Area: Sabie
📞 Contact: +270137641177
📏 Length: 75 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Hard | 🚶♀️ Type: Multi-day | ⭐ Rating: 4.5
“Historic forestry route”
- 🎶 Sounds: Waterfall thunder, pine scent
- ✨ Feeling: Mountain nostalgia
- 🔍 Finds: Mac Mac Falls, gold rush ruins
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
20. Whale Trail
📍 Province: Western Cape | Area: De Hoop
📞 Contact: +270214224522
📏 Length: 55 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Easy | 🚶♀️ Type: Multi-day | ⭐ Rating: 4.7
“Whale calving season (June–Nov)”
- 🎶 Sounds: Breaching whales, coastal wind
- ✨ Feeling: Marine wonder
- 🔍 Finds: Fossilized dunes, flamingo flocks
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Slackpacking (Huts with supplies) | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: Yes for older kids 8+
Trail Blazers: WakaHike’s Picks 21–40
Blaze new paths through 20 of the most underrated hiking trails South Africa hides off the beaten track.
21. Rim of Africa
📍 Province: Western Cape | Area: Cederberg
📞 Contact: +270827744426
📏 Length: 650 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Extreme | 🚶♀️ Type: Multi-day | ⭐ Rating: 4.9
“Crosses 5 mountain ranges”
- 🎶 Sounds: Echoing cliffs, baboon barks
- ✨ Feeling: Epic journey
- 🔍 Finds: San rock art, snowmelt streams
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
22. Boesmanskloof Secret
📍 Province: Western Cape | Area: Riviersonderend
📞 Contact: +270284822824
📏 Length: 18 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Moderate | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.6
“Secret waterfall only locals know”
- 🎶 Sounds: Rushing streams, frog croaks
- ✨ Feeling: Hidden oasis
- 🔍 Finds: Wild rosemary fields, dassies
✅ Permit Required: No | 💎 Hidden Gem: Yes | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking/Day Hike | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
23. iMfolozi Wilderness Trail
📍 Province: KwaZulu-Natal | Area: iMfolozi
📞 Contact: +270338451000
📏 Length: 42 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Hard | 🚶♀️ Type: Wilderness | ⭐ Rating: 4.8
“Big 5 on foot with armed guides”
- 🎶 Sounds: Lion roars, zebra calls
- ✨ Feeling: Safari rawness
- 🔍 Finds: Rhino wallows, Zulu battle sites
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
24. Magaliesberg Summit
📍 Province: Gauteng | Area: Magaliesburg
📞 Contact: +270145779000
📏 Length: 8 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Moderate | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.4
“Ancient Tswana warrior routes”
- 🎶 Sounds: Cicadas, rock hyrax squeaks
- ✨ Feeling: Escarpment drama
- 🔍 Finds: Cave paintings, quartz veins
✅ Permit Required: No | 💎 Hidden Gem: Yes | 🧗 Equipment Type: Day Hike (No backpack needed) | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
25. Swartberg Pass
📍 Province: Western Cape | Area: Oudtshoorn
📞 Contact: +270442791724
📏 Length: 24 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Hard | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.6
“UNESCO World Heritage Site”
- 🎶 Sounds: Wind whistling through rock passes
- ✨ Feeling: Geological marvel
- 🔍 Finds: Folded sandstone, dassie colonies
✅ Permit Required: No | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking/Day Hike | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
26. Wild Coast Trail
📍 Province: Eastern Cape | Area: Wild Coast
📞 Contact: +270475750028
📏 Length: 58 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Moderate | 🚶♀️ Type: Slackpacking | ⭐ Rating: 4.5
“Xhosa village homestays”
- 🎶 Sounds: Ocean waves, cattle bells
- ✨ Feeling: Cultural immersion
- 🔍 Finds: Mussel harvesting, cliff jumps
✅ Permit Required: No | 💎 Hidden Gem: Yes | 🧗 Equipment Type: Slackpacking options available | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: Yes for older kids 12+
27. Golden Gate Highlands
📍 Province: Free State | Area: Clarens
📞 Contact: +270582551000
📏 Length: 31 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Moderate | 🚶♀️ Type: 2-day | ⭐ Rating: 4.4
“Golden-hued sandstone cliffs”
- 🎶 Sounds: Echoing canyons, blesbok calls
- ✨ Feeling: Mountain sanctuary
- 🔍 Finds: Hiking huts, vulture nests
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Day Hike/Backpacking options | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: Yes
28. Hennops Hiking Trail
📍 Province: Gauteng | Area: Pretoria
📞 Contact: +270828259135
📏 Length: 10 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Easy | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.3
“WWII plane wreckage along the trail”
- 🎶 Sounds: River gurgles, zebra calls
- ✨ Feeling: Family-friendly adventure
- 🔍 Finds: Secret caves, rock pools
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Day Hike (No backpack needed) | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: Yes
29. Kogelberg Panorama Trail
📍 Province: Western Cape | Area: Kogelberg Biosphere
📞 Contact: +270282714798
📏 Length: 24 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Moderate | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.6
“UNESCO Biosphere Reserve”
- 🎶 Sounds: Wind through fynbos, baboon barks
- ✨ Feeling: Botanical wonderland
- 🔍 Finds: Rare proteas, rock hyraxes
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
30. Grootvadersbosch Trail
📍 Province: Western Cape | Area: Swellendam
📞 Contact: +270285142648
📏 Length: 12 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Easy | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.4
“Ancient indigenous forest”
- 🎶 Sounds: Bird chorus, rustling leaves
- ✨ Feeling: Fairytale forest
- 🔍 Finds: Yellowwood giants, fireflies
✅ Permit Required: No | 💎 Hidden Gem: Yes | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: Yes
31. Addo Elephant Trail
📍 Province: Eastern Cape | Area: Addo NP
📞 Contact: +270422338600
📏 Length: 10 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Moderate | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.5
“Big 7 sightings (including whales!)”
- 🎶 Sounds: Elephant trumpets, bush crackles
- ✨ Feeling: Safari hike
- 🔍 Finds: Black rhino, dung beetles
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
32. Robberg Peninsula Trail
📍 Province: Western Cape | Area: Plettenberg Bay
📞 Contact: +270445332125
📏 Length: 11 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Moderate | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.8
“Seal colony viewpoints”
- 🎶 Sounds: Ocean roar, gull cries
- ✨ Feeling: Coastal drama
- 🔍 Finds: Stone Age middens, shipwrecks
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Day Hike (No backpack needed) | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: Yes with supervision
33. Giant’s Cup Trail
📍 Province: KwaZulu-Natal | Area: Drakensberg
📞 Contact: +270364386303
📏 Length: 60 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Moderate | 🚶♀️ Type: 5-day | ⭐ Rating: 4.7
“Zulu battle sites & rock art”
- 🎶 Sounds: Mountain streams, cowbells
- ✨ Feeling: Valley serenity
- 🔍 Finds: San paintings, trout dams
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking/Slackpacking options | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
34. Suikerbosrand Nature Trail
📍 Province: Gauteng | Area: Heidelberg
📞 Contact: +270163492090
📏 Length: 10 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Easy | 🚶♀️ Type: Day | ⭐ Rating: 4.2
“Cheetah reintroduction program”
- 🎶 Sounds: Grassland wind, cicadas
- ✨ Feeling: Savannah escape
- 🔍 Finds: Iron Age ruins, wildflowers
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Day Hike (No backpack needed) | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
35. Outeniqua Trail
📍 Province: Western Cape | Area: George
📞 Contact: +270448025310
📏 Length: 108 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Hard | 🚶♀️ Type: 7-day | ⭐ Rating: 4.6
“Crosses 7 mountain passes”
- 🎶 Sounds: Forest streams, baboon calls
- ✨ Feeling: Mountain endurance
- 🔍 Finds: Knysna loeries, waterfalls
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: No | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No
36. Mkhomazi Wilderness Trail
📍 Province: KwaZulu-Natal | Area: uKhahlamba
📞 Contact: +270364386303
📏 Length: 42 km | ⛰️ Difficulty: Extreme | 🚶♀️ Type: Wilderness | ⭐ Rating: 4.9
“Remote Drakensberg route”
- 🎶 Sounds: Echoing cliffs, vulture screeches
- ✨ Feeling: Untamed isolation
- 🔍 Finds: San rock art, snowfields
✅ Permit Required: Yes | 💎 Hidden Gem: Yes | 🧗 Equipment Type: Backpacking | 👨👩👧 Kid-Friendly: No