Panorama Route

The Panorama Route (also Mpumalanga Panorama Route) is the perfect complement to a Kruger safari and runs along the Drakensberg Escarpment — where the high plateau drops 1,000 meters into the subtropical lowlands. The views are among the most spectacular in South Africa.

Highlights (from South to North)

• God's Window: The name says it all — a viewpoint at 1,829 m with a view over the endless Lowveld to Kruger. On clear days, you can see as far as Mozambique. Best in the morning (fewer clouds). Park fee 10 ZAR.
• Lisbon Falls & Berlin Falls: Two impressive waterfalls named by German and Portuguese settlers. Lisbon: 94 m high, Berlin: 80 m. Short walks from the road.
• Bourke's Luck Potholes: Bizarre cylindrical formations carved into the dolomite by water over millennia. At the confluence of the Treur and Blyde Rivers. Walkways and bridges over the gorges. Entrance 80 ZAR.
• Blyde River Canyon: The third-largest canyon in the world (26 km long, 800 m deep) — and the only green one! Subtropical vegetation covers the rock walls. The best viewpoint: Three Rondavels (three round rock formations reminiscent of traditional huts). Breathtaking!
• Graskop: Small mountain village and perfect base for the Panorama Route. Famous for Harrie's Pancakes — pancakes with sweet and savory fillings (an institution!). New: the Graskop Gorge Lift — a glass elevator descending 51 m into a wooded gorge.

Route Planning

The Panorama Route can be done as a day trip from the Kruger region (Hazyview, White River) or as a route on the way to/from Kruger. Ideal: plan for 1–2 days.

Option	Duration	Route
Day trip from Hazyview	8–10 hours	Round trip approx. 180 km
From/to Johannesburg	2 days	Via Dullstroom → Panorama Route → Kruger
From/to Blyde River Dam	1 day	North end of the canyon with boat trip