Day 1 Our evening flight takes us from London, arriving in Johannesburg early on Day 2, where we connect to a short flight to Durban, and then drive to the base of the Drakensberg mountains.

Day 3 Today we slowly ascend the Sani Pass by four-wheel-drive, stopping along the way to look for the special flora. Sani Pass is world famous for its flora and the ascent gives us a chance to appreciate how the species change with altitude. The list of special plants we might see today is very long, including Sandersonia aurantica along streams at the bottom of the pass, Dierama dracomontana on grassy hillslopes, Protea dracomontana and the dramatic Gladiolus flanaganii growing out of sheer basalt cliffs near the top of the pass. Drakensberg Rock-jumpers and Drakensberg Siskins are bird specials of the upper reaches. Tonight we spend in a lodge perched on the lip of the escarpment with sweeping views across the Drakensberg. 

Day 4  For our second day around the Sani Pass, we will explore the harsh alpine plateau inland into Lesotho, enjoying and Rhodohypoxis baurii on the rocks, alpine Helichrysum species, Sloggett’s Ice Rat and Malachite Sunbird. Finally, we’ll head slowly down the pass, spending more time searching for species that we might have missed on the way up, before ending up back in Underberg for the night.

Day 5 A day targetting mid-altitude species. We hope to access a marshy area where the pink orchid Satyrium hallacki grows in profusion alongside the large Disa cooperi. Grey-crowned Crane is a special bird of the area, where large stands of Crocosmia paniculata are found along the roadsides. 

Day 6 We head north, a scenic drive to Giant’s Castle in the central Drakensberg, stopping along the way to admire Hesperantha coccinea along the streamsides, the candelabras of Brunsvigia undulata and many more. 

Day 7 The focus of the morning will be a walk to the famous Bushman paintings cave, birding and botanising along the way. The open grasslands can be full of flowers, including Moraea brevistyla. The forest near the mouth of the cave has Crocosmia aurea along the edges and Streptocarpus gardenii on the giant moss-covered boulders. Silver Protea roupelliae line the paths in places, often with Gurney’s Sugarbirds and Malachite Sunbirds, and this is a good place to see Eland, the largest antelope in the world and the equally spectacular Bush Beauty butterfly. 

Day 8 Today we’ll walk the riverside trail, looking for specials such as Gomphostigma virgatum, while Jackal Buzzards and Bearded Vultures fly overhead, before heading north on the long journey to Golden Gate National Park.

Day 9 We’ll explore the Golden Gate National Park, famous for its scenic sandstone buttresses and herds of plains game such as Black Wildebeest, as well as it mid-altitude flora that includes Agapanthus campanulatus.

Days 10-12 Today we head up towards the Sentinel and settle in to the upgraded Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge with sweeping views over the amphitheatre of the Drakensberg, and begin our exploration of the famous Sentinel / Witsieshoek area, spanning the upper reaches of Royal Natal Park. The area has an abundance of Moraea and Eucomis species,  Kniphofia thodei and Dianthus basuticus, amongst a huge diversity of alpines and around 15 species of orchids. On one day we might do a more difficult (optional) hike towards the Chain Ladders, hoping to see some of the high altitude specials such as Nerine bowdeni which will just have started to flower. Drakensberg Rock-jumpers are found on the scree slopes, with Mountain Beauty butterflies in the lower altitude areas. 

Day 13 After some last botanising, we drive northwards across the grassy highveld plateau eventually reaching Johannesburg International airport in time for our evening flight back to London,  arriving Day 14.

Please note that the itinerary may be changed to suit the weather or other practicalities at the discretion of the leaders.

All of the lodges and hotels are of a good standard, some with very attractive settings. All the rooms have private bathrooms. All meals are included, with picnic lunches.

We will be travelling by minvan for this trip, transferring to four wheel drives for the Sani Pass, to reach the best of the wild flower habitats. We will do our best to ensure that our travelling is as comfortable as possible, taking plenty of stops for comfort breaks and to enjoy interesting areas.

Group flights

Group flights are with British Airways from London Heathrow to Johannesburg.

13th January depart London Heathrow 18.30, arrive Johannesburg 07.35 (14th)
14th January depart Johannesburg 11.05, arrive Durban 12.15
25th January depart Johannesburg 19.35, arrive London Heathrow 04.55 (26th)

Time zone

South Africa is two hours ahead of UK time.

Entry requirements

If you hold a British passport you can travel to South Africa for up to 90 days without a visa. Your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 30 days after the date you leave South Africa, and have at least two blank pages.

It is mid-summer in the Drakensberg and a wide range of temperatures can be expected. It can be hot at lower altitudes (up to 30C), but most of our time will be at medium to high altitudes where it will be milder and often cold in the evenings. At higher altitudes, it is often warm in the direct sun but otherwise cool if there is a breeze. We can expect some rain, most of which falls in very dramatic late afternoon and night thunderstorms.

You will need to have a reasonable level of general fitness to get the most from the holiday. Although most of the walks are not long, we will sometimes be walking on uneven, rocky terrain or wet ground. Walking boots (lightweight ok) are essential for most areas. There are a few occasions when we walk uphill but this is not excessive.

We will be spending time at altitudes of c 3,250m asl.  There is some risk of altitude sickness although rest and drinking plenty of water usually relieve any mild effects (headaches and tiredness). If you have suffered from altitude problems before or are suffering from any medical condition, you should take your doctor’s advice. We will be taking it easy at these higher altitudes and none of the walking will be strenuous.