How to visit the Drakensberg Mountains on a budget is a question often asked by backpackers. Ask any South African what areas of their country they recommend to travelers, and they will almost always mention the Drakensberg. These mountains are Located KwaZulu-Natal. The Drakensberg Mountains boast some of the most breathtaking views in the country.
Any travelers that love hiking and exploring nature simply cannot skip over the Drakensberg Mountains while visiting South Africa. Once the decision has been made to visit these mountains, the question then becomes: “How do I do it affordably?”
Luckily, visiting the Drakensberg Mountains on a budget is easy.
There is at least one good budget accommodation option in each part of the mountains, all of which have self-catering kitchens and cheap guided tours on offer. Most of the hikes are doable on your own without a guide if you have a your own vehicle!
With this article, I’ll answer all the common questions about how to visit the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa. I’ll include accommodation, transportation, and hiking, and I’ll explain how to accomplish it all on a budget.
Getting around the Drakensberg on a budget
Driving yourself or using Baz Bus are pretty much the only two budget options available. But they are both reliable and cheap. Usually, travelers buy a Baz Bus ticket to last the whole length of their trip so they can hop on and off all over the country. So the price of the ticket depends on your whole trip. A rental car gives you way more flexibility. But Baz Bus is great for solo travelers who want to meet new friends on the road. There are Greyhound and Intercape long distance busses but getting in and out of the mountains requires that you use the local shared taxis and that can get complicated because its an undocumented process.
I recommend having a rental car when traveling through the Drakensberg. It allows you to have a more flexible schedule and go exactly where you want to. Most of the roads are paved and you can easily reach accommodation with any sort of car. If you want to drive up the Sani Pass well then you need to splurge on renting a 4×4
Where To Go In The Drakensberg Mountains?
This can be a difficult decision when planning your Drakensberg adventure. Its all good and the mountains offer a lot. If you only have time to see ONE part of the mountains, head for Giants Castle in the Central Drakensberg. Its simple. The higher you go the better the views and at Giants Castle Nature Reserve you part 500m higher than Monks Cowl or Royal Natal. What I also like about this region is that its not overrun with tourism. You will pretty much have the mountains to yourself. If you have more time, visit the other areas too and perhaps look into getting up the chain ladders to the top of the highest waterfall in the world.
How Long Do I Need In The Drakensberg Mountains?
Many travel through the Drakensberg with just 1 or 2 days to spend in the mountains. They all wish they had planned more time. To explore the Drakensberg fully, I’d recommend a total of 10 days. But you can easily stay for much longer. There is so much to do in the Drakensberg Mountains! And these days with there explosion of digital nomads this is a destination worth spending some months if you are lucky enough.
Where to stay in the Drakensberg Mountains
The most affordable accommodation is the backpacker lodges. Amphitheater backpackers, Inkosana backpackers and Drakensberg international backpackers are the most affordable options. Witsieshoek mountain lodge is the best option to get to the top of the Tugela Falls. If you would like to splurge and do something a little different then check out the luxury cave accommodation at Antbear Lodge. Ask about a discount. They tend to be quite negotiable.
Best rock art sites in the Drakensberg
Giant’s Castle is very well know for great rock art. It is famous for its cave paintings from the San People and the Bushmen that used to live in the area. They’re about 2,000 years old! However Kamberg Nature Reserve has a rock art site called game pass shelter which is considerably more impressive. Its even more off the beaten track which I think adds to its attractiveness. Kamberg also gives you an example of that Southern Drakensberg aspect of the mountains.
