Things to do in

Free State

Immerse yourself in Lesotho's culture and nature on a 4WD trip from Underberg. Explore the Sani Pass and enter the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, experiencing real Basotho life. Enjoy a picnic lunch in nature and choose between a pony trek in the foothills of the mountains or a cultural experience with a homestead visit. Head out of Underberg in your 4WD, travelling beyond the Sani Pass and heading into the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, called Makhotlong. Here, experience real Basotho life as you pass by populated villages. Summit some of the highest peaks south of Kilimanjaro in the comfort of your car. Drive through Black Mountain pass – an incredible sight sitting at 3,240 meters above sea level – it often sees snow in winter and sometimes even in summer. As you descend into the valleys below, start to see the remote villages around Mokhotlong. Stop for a picnic lunch of sandwiches, fruit, cocktail snacks, and warm drinks, including tea and coffee as you take in the surrounding mountain views. Then, choose between a pony trek in the foothills near Mokhotlong with your local guide who knows all about rural life in these mountains or an immersive culture experience, including a short hike into the heart of a local homestead to meet locals and see how they live. Finally, head back to Underberg in your 4WD.

It’s the perfect mix of nature, culture and history; enjoy Lesotho’s natural flora and fauna, driving past Lesotho’s highest peak, dive into the culture of the Basotho people in this historical trading post and take a peek into history by getting to see the beautiful old buildings that pack lots of history into this small village. Lesotho is the only country in the world that is in its entirety above 1000m in elevation, making this an experience that you cannot enjoy anywhere else in the world! This tour ticks all these boxes – nature, culture and history – all in Lesotho, all in one day. 6.30 AM We pick you up from your accommodation in Durban. 2 9.00 AM We arrive in Undeberg, grab a coffee and head up into Lesotho for the day. 3 9.00 AM We head up to the highest pass in South Africa, Sani Pass. We travel through Himeville to the World Heritage Site of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, following the Mkomazana River up the scenic Sani Valley to the South African Border Post (border formalities) and the Lesotho Border. 4 10.30 AM After the Lesotho border formalities at the top of Sani Pass, we climb even further into the Lesotho highlands, all the way to the top of the Black Mountain pass. 5 11.00 PM At the top of Black Mountain Pass we get a chance to leave our vehicle, climb a short distance to a beautiful viewpoint of Thabana Ntlenyana. 6 12.30 PM We arrive in the town of Mokhotlong and enjoy lunch together 7 1.00 PM We visit a cultural Basotho village OR go horse-rinding into the Lesotho Highlands 8 2.00 PM We make our back to Sani Pass. 9 5 PM We watch the sun go down on the top of Black Mountain Pass before making our way to overnight accommodation DAY 2 1 8.00 AM After a hearty breakfast, we join up with you again for day two’s activities. 2 8.30 AM Choose between a visit to a cultural village, a hike at the top of Sani Pass or Come back down the pass to explore the villages of Underberg and Himeville and its museum. 3 12:15 PM We arrive back in Underberg, in time for lunch, if you aren’t in a hurry we’ll choose the best spot in Underberg to have lunch together. 4 13:15 PM Head back to Durban.

Day One:  Depart from Underberg, or be collected along the route, in a 4x4 vehicle and travel via the Sani Pass, with a stop for early tea at Sani Top Chalet. Travel up Black Mountain Pass for a short walk to a vantage point to view Thabana Ntlenyana, the highest peak in Southern Africa at 3482 meters. Continue on to Mokhotlong via the stunningly beautiful Sehonghong Valley and stop at 10 Riverside for an ethnic Basotho experience, including a visit to the Ngaka, a traditional healer, and the artifact house. Afterward, go to Mokhotlong for dinner and your overnight stay. Day Two:  After breakfast, drive through Mokhotlong, which was once billed as the most remote village in the British Empire. Stop for a short walk down the main road to view the rare Spiral Aloe, the National plant of Lesotho. Travel to St James Mission to see the fascinating ceiling of their church. Drive back up the Sehonghong Valley, looking for the rare Bearded Vulture on the route. Reach Sani Top and go for lunch at the Sani Top Chalet before descending the Sani Pass back to Underberg.

This memorable day combines a Landrover trip up the famous Sani Pass, reputed to be the most remarkable as well as challenging mountain pass in South Africa and into Lesotho, with a moderate hike (6km each way with a 400m altitude gain) to the summit of Hodgson's Peaks - the highest peak in this section of the Drakensberg mountain range. The overall altitude gain from Sani Lodge is 1700 metres. Hike across grassy alpine plains sprinkled with delicate flowers, interact with the local shepherds and their flocks of sheep and goats, see their unique stone 'Motebo' dwellings then ascend to 3256m and an unparalleled 360 degree view from the summit of Hodgson's Peaks. Stunning views down into South Africa and the deep incised valleys of the Drakensberg Park, the high peaks of the escarpment stretching north to Giants Castle and south to Bushman's Nek and the soaring Maloti Mountains of Lesotho as far as the eye can see to the west. What Makes Us Different: Guides: Our experienced guides are all knowledgeable and passionate about the Sani Pass and Lesotho. Vehicles: We use mainly 9 seater closed in Landrovers. This is the vehicle which pioneered the Sani Pass. The emphasis is on adventures and experiences on not on comfort. Pricing is numbers dependent, with cheaper prices once the group size on the tour is 3 or more. It makes sense for individuals to join existing tours if possible. Contact us to see when tours have been booked and if you could join an existing group to bring the price down. Community Tourism: Experience responsible tourism in action! Your tour price includes a contribution to the Sani Top Basotho community. Our ground-breaking approach to grass-roots tourism means that your tour price directly benefits a wide segment of the local community, preserving cultural dignity and ensuring Fair remuneration for services rendered. “Sani Lodge is the Silver Award Winner of African Responsible Tourism Award for Poverty Reduction 2018. Sani Lodge and Drakensberg Adventures in the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa has made a major contribution to local livelihoods and poverty reduction over many years. By involving Basotho stakeholders, they have created opportunities for communities to proudly showcase their unique cultural practices, engaging with guests in an authentic manner, thereby earning their respect. They are the future of tourism in Africa". ~ Judges

Community tourism at its best! We take you by 4x4 Landrover up Sani Pass, over the second highest road pass in Lesotho, Black Mountain at 3240m, then down into remote eastern Lesotho valleys. Lunch along the way, then on to typical highlands villages. Our hosts will help you to appreciate and understand their lifestyle and culture. Two nights' accommodation at a remote mountain village and enjoy delicious traditional cooking. A range of activities over two days gives you a window into the lives of a proud and unique people. These trips are de­signed to benefit as wider segment of the local community as we can by allowing as many services as possible to be rendered to the tour by community members. Enjoy 48 hours as a Basotho villager. Climb a nearby peak, spend longer on horseback, help with the agricultural or cooking chores and become part of the community. You won't want to leave! What Makes Us Different: Guides: Our experienced guides are all knowledgeable and passionate about the Sani Pass and Lesotho. Vehicles: We use mainly 9 seater closed in Landrovers. This is the vehicle which pioneered the Sani Pass. The emphasis is on adventures and experiences on not on comfort. Pricing is numbers dependent, with different prices for group sizes of 1, 2, 3 and 4 or more people who actually go on the tour. It makes sense for individuals to join existing tours if possible to bring prices down. Contact us to see when tours have been booked and if you could join an existing group. If you book a tour for a smaller number and more people join later, we will refund you the difference. Community Tourism: Experience responsible tourism in action! Your tour price includes a contribution to the Sani Top Basotho community. Our ground-breaking approach to grass-roots tourism means that your tour price directly benefits a wide segment of the local community, preserving cultural dignity and ensuring Fair remuneration for services rendered. “Sani Lodge is the Silver Award Winner of AFRICAN RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARD for POVERTY REDUCTION 2018. Sani Lodge and Drakensberg Adventures in the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa has made a major contribution to local livelihoods and poverty reduction over many years. By involving Basotho stakeholders, they have created opportunities for communities to proudly showcase their unique cultural practices, engaging with guests in an authentic manner, thereby earning their respect. They are the future of tourism in Africa". ~ Judges

Community tourism at its best! We take you by 4x4 Landrover up Sani Pass, over the second highest road pass in Lesotho, Black Mountain at 3240m, then down into remote eastern Lesotho valleys. Lunch along the way, then on to typical highlands villages. Our hosts will help you to appreciate and understand their lifestyle and culture. Enjoy 24 hours as a Basotho villager. Overnight accommodation at a remote mountain village and delicious traditional cooking. A range of activities gives you a window into the lives of a proud and unique people. These trips are de­signed to benefit as wider segment of the local community as we can by allowing as many services as possible to be rendered to the tour by community members. After lunch on day 2, we travel to the base of our long time Basotho partners (the pony trek experts!!). Horses will be waiting, and you are off, riding like a local into soaring mountains and to remote villages! Your horse guide is experienced and highly skilled, and many novices have been introduced by them to the joys of riding! Their horses are Basotho ponies – short, stocky, sturdy and extremely sure-footed animals who are totally at home on the steep gradients you will encounter. Overnight accommodation is provided by homesteads in various villages, thereby spreading the benefits of tourism into remote communities by encouraging small scale entrepreneurs. You will ride for about 3 hours on the second afternoon and 3 hours on the third morning. What Makes Us Different: Guides: Our experienced guides are all knowledgeable and passionate about the Sani Pass and Lesotho. Vehicles: We use mainly 9 seater closed in Landrovers. This is the vehicle which pioneered the Sani Pass. The emphasis is on adventures and experiences on not on comfort. Pricing is numbers dependent, with different prices for group sizes of 1, 2, 3 and 4 or more people who actually go on the tour. It makes sense for individuals to join existing tours if possible to bring prices down. Contact us to see when tours have been booked and if you could join an existing group. If you book a tour for a smaller number and more people join later, we will refund you the difference. Community Tourism: Experience responsible tourism in action! Your tour price includes a contribution to the Sani Top Basotho community. Our ground-breaking approach to grass-roots tourism means that your tour price directly benefits a wide segment of the local community, preserving cultural dignity and ensuring Fair remuneration for services rendered. “Sani Lodge is the Silver Award Winner of AFRICAN RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARD for POVERTY REDUCTION 2018. Sani Lodge and Drakensberg Adventures in the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa has made a major contribution to local livelihoods and poverty reduction over many years. ~ Judges

Go on a 2-day, 1-night guided pony tour in South Africa's Lesotho. Enjoy an itinerary that will take you to scenic mountain views, a thrilling 4x4 to Sani Pass, and a horse ride on sturdy Basotho ponies with an expert guide. Day 1: Start your adventure by meeting your guide at the Sani Lodge Backpackers to begin your activity. First, you will eat a tasty lunch to get your energy up. Next, you will meet your Basotho pony, ride through the mountains, and see remote villages.  After your horse ride, you will head to your accommodation for an overnight stay. Enjoy a delicious traditional dinner and have a night exploring your surroundings.  Day 2: Enjoy your delicious breakfast at your accommodation before you head for another pony trek to see the traditional way of life in the highlands. After your pony ride, you will enjoy a traditional South African lunch. Then, you will enjoy a 4x4 drive through the dramatic Sani Pass and admire the majestic Maletsunyane Falls. Stop at the Sani Mountain Lodge, Africa’s highest pub, and marvel at the views.