The Panorama Route Travel Guide

The Panorama Route encompasses several scenic and picturesque villages, the most central of which is Graskop Village with its landmark Harrie's Pancakes and curio shop. It's also very accessible from other towns like Sabie, Hazyview, White River, Nelspruit and Hoedspruit.

The route passes an abundance of rivers, waterfalls, natural rock formations, viewpoints with endless vistas and the famous Blyde River Canyon.

Although it is possible to get a quick overview of the area in one day, we recommend you plan one or two nights en route so you can fully enjoy all the sights and attractions the Panorama Route has to offer.

Tell us about your preferences and we'll gladly recommend overnight accommodation, as well as guided or self-drive options.

These are some of our favourite Panorama Route attractions:

Graskop Gorge Lift

The Graskop Gorge Lift offers spectacular views and is the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. A glass-fronted lift takes you some 50 m down a sheer cliff face to the valley floor in the rainforest below. Once there, you can explore further via a network of suspension bridges and walkways along forest trails and across mountain streams.

There are a few shops, craft markets and a restaurant and bar at the top. Allow at least two hours to enjoy this popular activity.

Pilgrim's Rest

This famous little town is a living museum and dates back to the pioneering days of the Gold Rush of the 19th Century. It's like stepping back in time.

There are numerous museums housed in corrugated iron houses, the infamous Robbers Pass, the ubiquitous Royal Hotel, the authentic recreation of the Digging Site just outside the town, the Church Bar, old newspaper offices and an assortment of tea rooms, stores and diners for you to discover.

Blyde River Canyon

This is the world's greenest canyon, and one of the most spectacular scenes along the Panorama Route, particularly in the afternoon sun.

The best place to view the canyon is from the Lowveld View or Three Rondavels site. At 1,219 m, it offers a breathtaking view over the Blyde River Canyon with its forested valleys and assorted rock formations like The Three Rondavels (rock formations that look like traditional African round huts or rondavels).

Looking down, you'll see the Blyde River snaking its way across the canyon floor to the wide expanse of the Blydepoort Dam. You can also visit the Canyon from below, and enjoy a scenic boat cruise on the Blydepoort Dam.

Bourke's Luck Potholes

Over millennia, swirling whirlpools between the confluence of the Treur (meaning sad) and Blyde (meaning happy) Rivers have carved out a series of fascinating potholes in the underlying rockface. During the gold rush era, a number of gold diggers and gold panners were hoping to find gold in these potholes, including Mr Tom Bourke after whom the rock formations were named.

A popular tourist spot, you can explore the area on foot or via sturdy overhead bridges overlooking the potholes below. There's a good information centre, picnic area and many local crafts on offer.

God's Window

Probably the most well-known of the viewpoints in the area, God's Window is perched on the edge of the escarpment with infinite views of the Lowveld below. It's not a window as such, just the elevated view that locals say God has from above on the beautiful Lowveld below. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the Kruger National Park in the distance. A long walkway and series of steps will take you through a beautiful patch of rainforest, opening up to yet another amazing viewpoint.

The Pinnacle

The Pinnacle is a freestanding rock monolith rising from the thick surrounding bush like a lone sentinel. There are two viewpoints, each showing different aspects of this geographical phenomenon.

Mac Mac and other Waterfalls

At the Mac Mac Falls, a walkway past local curio stalls leads you to the lookout over these twin waterfalls which plummet 70 metres to the rock pool below. The noise is thunderous and can be heard at some distance.

The Mac Mac Pools are a few meters from the lookout spot and are ideal for a shady picnic stop and a refreshing dip in the bracing mountain waters.

Other waterfalls worth a visit include the Lisbon Falls (92 m and the area's highest) and the Berlin Falls (42 m), both of them close to Graskop. They include a viewpoint and toilet facilities.

The Echo Caves

These are just outside Ohrigstad. Said to be amongst the oldest caves in the world, they are a historical monument. It is said that the local people used one of the cave's stalactites as a drum to warn of approaching enemies. The caves extend for about 40 km and the sound travelled surprising distances, hence the name. The Echo Caves are well worth a visit but are usually not included as part of a Panorama Route tour, because of the distance and the time it takes to visit the caves.

Other activities

• Hiking trails
• MTB bike trails
• River rafting and boat cruises
• Art galleries
• Craft markets
• Farm stores
• Wine and craft beer shops
• Assorted restaurants and dining options
• Hot air ballooning
• Helicopter trips
• Long Tom Toboggan
• Elephant interactions
  
• Reptile parks
• Animal rehabilitation centre

Please contact us and we'll gladly suggest an itinerary to suit your time, interests and budget.

Combining the Panorama Route with a Kruger Park safari

Combining the Panorama Route with the Kruger National Park is a popular itinerary idea. A number of operators include a short visit to the Panorama Route as part of a Kruger Park safari package. This is usually done by taking the longer route from Johannesburg to Kruger (on the way there or back) and stopping briefly to see just a few of the many highlights the Panorama Route has to offer.

In our view, this is not the ideal way to experience the "Pano Route". Apart from the long drive (9 or 10 hours in a vehicle), it also robs you of time on safari and usually means missing out on the first afternoon game drive or final morning drive in Kruger Park.

For this reason, we typically recommend adding it as a full-day excursion (for example on day 3 of a 4-day safari, instead of doing game drives in Kruger), or even better, adding one extra night to your itinerary, either before or after your Kruger Park safari. This will give you sufficient time to fully explore the beauty of the Panorama Route, rather than only seeing a few quick highlights on the way to or from Johannesburg. This can be done on your own, with a rental car, or by booking a private tour with a knowledgeable guide and driver.

Our 4 Day Kruger Park and Panorama Route Safari is an affordable, small group safari that strikes the perfect balance between time spent game viewing in Kruger National Park and a full-day tour of the Panorama Route.

Please chat with one of our friendly tour consultants to discuss the best way to include the Panorama Route during your trip.