Attractions in Kruger & Mpumalanga
The land of the rising sun and the Big Five 🦁🌅
Showing 34 attractions · Sorted by importance
Blyde River Canyon
📍 Graskop
🏔 Scenic ViewThe world's third-largest canyon offers breathtaking panoramic views of lush green cliffs and winding rivers.
Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve
📍 Graskop
🌲 NatureOne of the world's largest and greenest canyons, featuring dramatic cliffs and spectacular mountain scenery perfect for scenic family drives.
Bourke's Luck Potholes
📍 Graskop
🏛 LandmarkA geological landmark where river erosion has carved deep cylindrical potholes into the bedrock at the confluence of the Blyde and Treur Rivers.
Kruger National Park
📍 Skukuza
🌲 NatureOne of Africa's largest game reserves, offering families the chance to see the Big Five in their natural habitat.
Letaba Elephant Hall
📍 Letaba Rest Camp, Kruger National Park
🔬 ScienceDiscover the impressive skeletons and tusks of Kruger's legendary 'Magnificent Seven' elephants at this fascinating natural history museum.
Lowveld National Botanical Garden
📍 Mbombela
🌿 GardenA magnificent garden featuring the confluence of two rivers, dramatic waterfalls, and one of the largest collections of cycads in the world.
Pilgrim's Rest
📍 Pilgrim's Rest
🏰 CastleA living museum and national monument that preserves the heritage of the 1873 gold rush with its original Victorian architecture.
Blyde River Canyon Hiking Trail
📍 Graskop
🥾 Hiking & Cycling60km moderate to challenging 3-to-5-day trail traversing the world's third-largest canyon. Elevation gain varies by route, typically around 1000m. Highlights include the Three Rondavels and Bourke's Luck Potholes. Guided options: Wild Adventures (wildadventures.co.za).
Elephant Whispers
📍 Hazyview
🐄 FarmAn elephant sanctuary providing educational and interactive rural experiences where families can walk with and learn about rescued African elephants.
Fanie Botha Hiking Trail
📍 Sabie
🥾 Hiking & Cycling~59km challenging 2-to-5-day trek through the Drakensberg escarpment. Features pine plantations, indigenous forests, and views of Mac Mac and Lone Creek Falls. Slackpacking available via Eco Trail SA (ecotrail.co.za).
Graskop Gorge Lift Co
📍 Graskop
🧗 AdventureA glass elevator descends into a lush canyon where families can explore forest trails and cross a scenic suspension bridge.
Graskop Gorge Lift Company
📍 Graskop
🎢 Theme ParkAn adventure park featuring a glass elevator that descends into an indigenous forest, alongside suspension bridges and various mountain activities.
Jane Goodall Institute Chimpanzee Eden
📍 Mbombela
🔬 ScienceLearn about primate conservation and science at this renowned sanctuary where rescued chimpanzees live in semi-wild forested enclosures.
The Panorama Route
📍 Graskop
🚗 Road Trip160km paved loop (1-2 days) traversing the Drakensberg escarpment. Features the Blyde River Canyon, Three Rondavels, Bourke's Luck Potholes, God's Window, and numerous waterfalls including Lisbon and Berlin Falls.
Three Rondavels
📍 Graskop
🏛 LandmarkThree massive quartzite and shale peaks that resemble traditional rondavel huts, offering an iconic view over the Blyde River Canyon.
Wolhuter Wilderness Trail
📍 Berg-en-Dal
🥾 Hiking & Cycling40km moderate 4-day guided walking safari in a remote wilderness area of Kruger National Park. Focuses on tracking big game and wilderness immersion. Participants must be 12-65 years old. Elevation gain is minimal but walking is off-path through bushveld.
Barberton Historic Town
📍 Barberton
🏘 Town / VillageA historic mining town featuring a heritage walk through colonial-era architecture and proximity to the UNESCO-listed Makhonjwa Mountains.
Long Tom Pass (R37)
📍 Lydenburg
🚗 Road Trip56km paved mountain pass (1.5 hours) reaching an altitude of 2,150m. Famous for its steep gradients, hair-raising bends, pine plantations, and the historical Long Tom Cannon site overlooking the Sabie Valley.
Sudwala Caves
📍 Mbombela
🏛 LandmarkRegarded as the oldest known caves in the world, featuring massive chambers and impressive stalactite and stalagmite formations.
Thulamela Archaeological Site
📍 Punda Maria
🏰 CastleThe stone-walled ruins of a 16th-century royal palace and fortress belonging to a sophisticated Iron Age civilization.
Badplaas, A Forever Resort (Hydro & Water Park)
📍 Badplaas
🌊 Water ParkA major destination famous for its therapeutic natural thermal springs, offering extensive water slides, a speed slide, and multiple indoor and outdoor pools.
Dullstroom Bird of Prey & Rehabilitation Centre
📍 Dullstroom
🦁 ZooA high-altitude rural education center featuring spectacular flight demonstrations and close-up encounters with rescued eagles, owls, and falcons.
Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre
📍 Hoedspruit
🦁 ZooA leading research and conservation facility specializing in the breeding and rehabilitation of cheetahs and rhinos.
Lydenburg Museum
📍 Lydenburg
🔬 ScienceA cultural museum displaying replica casts of the famous Lydenburg Heads — seven Iron Age ceramic heads (~500 AD) and among the most significant early terracotta artworks in sub-Saharan Africa. The originals are held at the Iziko South African Museum in Cape Town.
Mankele MTB Trails
📍 Mbombela
🥾 Hiking & CyclingOver 160km network of trails ranging from easy 5km loops to the 55km expert Purple Route with 1200m elevation gain. Includes singletrack, river crossings, and technical boardwalks. Bike rental available on-site at Mankele Adventures (mankele.co.za).
Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
📍 Hoedspruit
🦁 ZooAn educational wildlife centre where families can see rescued leopards, eagles, and vultures while learning about conservation.
Sabie Mountain Bike Trails
📍 Sabie
🥾 Hiking & CyclingExtensive network of world-class MTB trails (York Timbers) covering over 100km of moderate to expert terrain. Significant elevation gain through timber plantations and indigenous bush. Bike rental: Sabie Valley Cyclery (sabievalleycyclery.co.za).
Skyway Trails
📍 Hazyview
🧗 AdventureThis forest zipline tour offers families an exhilarating bird's-eye view of the Lowveld canopy from several high-altitude platforms.
Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Library & Museum
📍 Skukuza, Kruger National Park
🔬 ScienceExplore the rich biological heritage of Kruger National Park through wildlife books, biological specimens, and historical park artifacts.
Sudwala Dinosaur Park
📍 Nelspruit
🔬 ScienceTake a walk through time among life-sized prehistoric models in a beautiful garden setting right next to the famous Sudwala Caves.
The Genesis Route
📍 Barberton
🚗 Road Trip220km paved circular route (1 day) through the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Highlights include 3.5-billion-year-old rock formations, diverse flora, and the scenic 'Barberton Odyssey' landscapes.
Abel Erasmus Pass & Strijdom Tunnel
📍 Ohrigstad
🚗 Road Trip24km paved mountain pass (45 minutes) connecting the Highveld to the Lowveld. Features the J.G. Strijdom Tunnel and dramatic views over the Olifants River Valley and the northern reaches of the Drakensberg.
