Hiking fees in national parks in South Africa

Hi! In March, we’ll be spending two weeks in the Drakensberg region and Golden Highlands National Park (Clarens). From what I understand, you have to pay to hike if you're in a national park. I can’t find the rates or info on whether there are multi-day passes if we hike for several days. Could you help me out, please? Thanks

Hi there

There’s a daily entrance fee for the park. (For example, at Golden Gate: the visitor center, entrance fee, picking up "maps"—and off you go!) (Regarding GG... the maps aren’t super precise, and that led us on an endless uphill hike...) (On the SanParks website, under Golden Gate, Activities, Hiking Trails... There’s a PDF... very basic. Once you’re in the park, you can hike or not! I’ve never paid to hike, but I’ve paid to enter—which is why a Wild Card might be worth it.

As a general rule, I make sure to check in at the office before heading out on a hike... Some hikes are really tough (but I’m sure you already know that). If the hike takes several days, you pay for each day.

Hi Florence,

It’s the entry into the parks that’s paid for. Even if you’re not hiking.

There may also be an additional fee for certain hikes.

All the rates are on the official website of the parks managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife: see here.

If you’re visiting other South African parks, it might be worth buying a Wild Card ( International All Parks Cluster). It’s valid for 1 year for all the listed parks (only covers standard entry fees). See here

Good evening, Yes, all the parks are paid in South Africa, and outside the parks, it's hard to go hiking... Just private properties everywhere! It's tough to hike for several days. It must be possible, but it's complicated since you have to book accommodations in advance. Once the reservation is made, you're basically forced to stay there for the night or pay without staying if you're hiking for multiple days! (I didn’t see any other solution.) I did a few day hikes in the Drakensberg, but they weren’t really challenging—nothing like the ones in Réunion! On top of that, the only lodge I saw was marked well on the map but was actually in ruins!

Seriously? Either you really messed up... or you just didn’t get it. For the rest... in South Africa (SA) like in France, there are private properties and barbed wire because cattle... well, it’s tough without barbed wire... read Lucky Luke! You can hike in plenty of places in SA... in a park, you pay the entrance fee and off you go. Honestly, sorry, but you’re really getting on my nerves... and I’m telling you because I’ve been going to SA for over 20 years... Sorry. Anyway, it’s not the end of the world, right? Michel

Yes, seriously. I'd really like to know how to go on multi-day hikes when you have to book your accommodation at the "camp" and thus pay for it for nothing if you decide to bivouac in the park since there are no huts or shelters outside the "camp". Outside paid parks, tell me where you can hike? I've done one or two signposted "walks" in Blyde Canyon, but I don’t call that hiking! I’ve hiked for several days in over 15 countries and have never encountered this situation. If you know South Africa so well, give us the solution. In France, I can (for example) start from Lake Geneva and go to Nice by crossing the Alps via the GR5 or the entire Pyrenees from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic via the GR10... Can you do something similar in South Africa?

Well yeah You can do plenty of GR equivalents The Otter Trail The Maluti Mountains The trail that leads to De Hoop Etc etc South Africans are crazy about the bush, trail running, hiking And their options are huge Just like their country Okay Let’s stop We’ll just agree to disagree My opinions seem more solid to me End of discussion

(Fierce competition between your ignorance and your bad faith. In such cases, a tip: keep a low profile to avoid looking ridiculous.)

Nevertheless, for those just passing by, long-distance hiking is obviously possible in South Africa. For example, by following the coastline from Oranjemund to Cape Town. (Three weeks for Djalma, an unforgettable athlete who’s lost without his marked GR trail.) Or along the Wild Coast and throughout the Xhosa country. And many others in the semi-desert of the Karoo. The Drakensberg, of course, which isn’t just made up of parks (note for the guys with barbed-wire brains). The list goes on and could delight an open mind.

Hard to hike for several days... It must be possible but complicated since you have to book accommodations in advance...

There’s no obligation to book accommodation in South Africa, whether in parks or elsewhere. Could you print this out?

I knew you’d show up. Did you do a lot of multi-day hikes in South Africa to back up what you’re saying? Name your routes. It’s funny—before I left, I asked a few questions about long-distance hiking options, and I didn’t get a single reply from you, but now you’re suddenly an expert on the subject. I trust you on wildlife parks and 4x4 safaris, but when it comes to hiking, I think you should sit this one out. P.S.: The original topic was about the Drakensberg.

There's some buzz around here...😇

Last night you beat me to the finish line by a minute. You walk fast! 😉 I expected you to mention the Cederberg massif, which you know well.

We could also add Lesotho, where it’s possible to hike for days and days without any constraints. By the way, even though he writes differently about it today, I’d already pointed out this option to Djalma before he left, with a link to the amazing route description from some great folks.

Michel the quick… The guy who answers faster than his shadow! Sure enough, in the Cederberg, you can hike and hike and hike some more… With trails that can be tough or even dangerous depending on the weather… That said, I hike a little… I stop at the first barbed wire fence I see, Grumbling about having to head back already to prepare the braai…

Thanks for your reply. If I understand correctly, even if I'm just driving through without stopping—for example, Golden Gate Highlands NP—I’d still have to pay the entrance fee, right?

Hi The Garden Route National Park is the exception because it's crossed by a major road

You're right. I got confirmation from the hosts we’ll be staying with in Clarens. Just crossing through isn’t charged. Car loops, however, are.

Hi Florence,

Multi-day hiking isn’t as developed as in Europe, but there are some amazing options in South Africa. And you’ll usually run into very few people on the trails. Just watch out—sometimes you need to book in advance.

In Golden Gate Highlands NP, I did the Rhebok Trail back in 2016 (31 km), with one night in a small unmanned hut along the way (a small fee to pay). You could easily do the hike in a long day, but walking in the late afternoon and then early morning increases your chances of spotting wildlife. Really great—I’d recommend it! There are other shorter or longer hikes in the park, some following part of the RT route.

For multi-day treks, Michel mentioned the famous Otter Trail, and there’s also the Tsitsikamma, Swartberg, Klipspringer, Hoerikwaggo, and Prospectors Trails. You’ll find info with a bit of research.

One option that few foreigners know about—and it’s A-MA-ZING—is multi-day hikes in the big parks with rangers (max 8 people + 2 rangers). Several comfort levels available. I’ve done it twice (Kruger and Hluhluwe) over four days in bivouac mode... unforgettable!

I’ve also done some fantastic day or half-day hikes in lots of places (Drakensberg, Cederberg, Lesotho, Table Mountain, Blyde River). 🙂