8 Days Drakensberg, Tugela Falls & Zululand

The 8 Days Drakensberg, Tugela Falls & Zululand is a 8-day sample itinerary: a tailor-made waterfall safari covering Tugela Falls, Howick Falls in South Africa. Howick Falls, the hike to the top of Tugela Falls, then Big Five game drives in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi and hippos at St Lucia.

Highlights

• Sentinel trail to the top of Tugela Falls
• Howick Falls and the Midlands
• Big Five in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi
• iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Suggested places to stay on this route include Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge.

Who this safari suits

• Hikers with good fitness, for the Tugela Falls hike
• Travellers who want mountains, Big Five and coast in one week
• Self-drive travellers

Route and travel times

Durban → Howick, Midlands (about 1 hour 15 minutes) → northern Drakensberg (about 2.5 to 3 hours) · Sentinel trailhead and Royal Natal National Park · → Hluhluwe-iMfolozi (about 4.5 hours) → St Lucia (about 1 hour) → Durban (about 2.5 to 3 hours).

Times are typical and vary with road conditions, border queues and weather.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1

   Durban to the Midlands

   Leave Durban and drive inland to the Midlands. Stop at Howick Falls, which drop 95 metres beside the town, and at the Nelson Mandela Capture Site, before continuing to your overnight stay.

   Overnight MidlandsMeals Dinner

2. Day2

   To the Amphitheatre

   Drive about two and a half to three hours to the northern Drakensberg and settle into your lodge below the Amphitheatre, with views of the great basalt wall.

   Overnight Witsieshoek Mountain LodgeMeals All meals

3. Day3

   Tugela Falls hike

   Set out early on the Sentinel trail to the top of the Amphitheatre, climbing the chain ladders to the plateau and walking to the head of Tugela Falls. Allow five to seven hours and carry warm layers.

   Overnight Witsieshoek Mountain LodgeMeals All meals

4. Day4

   Tugela Gorge

   Walk the Tugela Gorge trail in Royal Natal National Park, following the river to the foot of the Amphitheatre, a gentler day with the falls high above.

   Overnight Royal NatalMeals Breakfast, dinner

5. Day5

   To Zululand

   Drive about four and a half hours to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, Africa's oldest proclaimed game reserve, in time for an afternoon game drive.

   Overnight Hluhluwe-iMfoloziMeals All meals

6. Day6

   Hluhluwe-iMfolozi

   A full day of game drives in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, famous for its rhinos and home to the rest of the Big Five.

   Overnight Hluhluwe-iMfoloziMeals All meals

7. Day7

   iSimangaliso

   Drive about an hour to St Lucia for a boat trip on the estuary of iSimangaliso Wetland Park, with hippos and crocodiles, and an afternoon on the beach.

   Overnight St LuciaMeals Breakfast

8. Day8

   Return to Durban

   Drive about two and a half to three hours back to Durban for your departure.

   Meals Breakfast

When to go

Best time for this route: October–April. At Tugela Falls: November–March, the summer rains. At Howick Falls: November–March. See the month-by-month water levels.

Making this trip your own

This is a sample route, not a fixed departure. You can add nights where you want more time, swap the lodges named for others at a different budget, drop activities that do not interest you, or join this itinerary to another one. Tell us your dates, the number of travellers and what matters most to you, and we will send back a tailored version with a price.

Lodges named are examples; ask about alternatives at other budgets. Activities depend on water levels and park rules.