Have the Drakensberg Experience!

Amphitheatre Backpackers Lodge is your perfect gateway to the full Drakensberg experience. We are ideally situated to be your base while you explore the area's diverse natural environments and engage in the wide variety of activities on offer. From the adrenaline rush of the most awesome rock-climbing to fascinating cultural experiences, there is something for everyone. The 'berg is not just one thing, it is what you make of it - and we're committed to helping you make the most of this unique experience.

Join our day trips!

Our most popular guided trips are the three one-day trips: The Amphitheatre/Tugela Falls Hike, The Lesotho Tour, and the Rock-climbing Day. The trips set out from the lodge in the morning and return in the evening. The cost includes everything: transport, guide's fees, visas, park fees, and community levies, lunch, Sotho food and beer, ropes and climbing equipment.

    Day trip prices and discounts:
  • The Amphitheatre/Tugela Falls hike and Lesotho Tour are R400 each, with a R40 discount if you do both (R380 per trip).
  • The Rock-climbing Day is R950. If done with one other day trip — R700, if done with 2 others — R450.

There is limited space on the trips and due to demand we cannot take advance bookings, so secure your place on arrival at reception.



The Amphitheatre Hike

The Amphitheatre Hike is famous for its awe-inspiring views, regarded as amongst the most spectacular in the world. The Amphitheatre consists of an 8 km long escarpment wall flanked by two magnificent peaks - the Sentinel and Eastern Buttress. The Tugela waterfall cascades down its basalt face and into the Royal Natal National Park below. These falls are the 2nd highest in the world, and the highest in Africa. The highest point on the escarpment is the Mont-Aux-Sources at 3283.4m.

Usually it takes 2 to 3 days to access the summit of the Amphitheatre and back. We condense the trip into one day - the hike begins an altitude of 2500m. The summit is reached via a gully filled with wild flowers and other indigenous flora. Lunch is enjoyed with the breath-taking view where the Tugela Waterfall spills over the 1 km drop. We descend using two sets of chain ladders.

The top of the Amphitheatre is over 3000m high and the weather can be treacherous. One minute the group can be swimming in the Tugela River and the next, blanketed in thick fog. Paths are not clearly marked and the ladders slippery when wet, so this hike requires a registered guide carrying first aid kit and safety ropes.

The Lesotho Tour

The mountain kingdom of Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa, but its people take pride in their unique culture and lifestyle. We use a 4x4 vehicle to access the kingdom. No other tourists visit this area. It is truly remote, providing a glimpse into a less "Westernised" lifestyle. With its mountain views, rivers, and fertile valleys the area is breathtakingly beautiful.

The day begins from the lodge – guests are taken via a rugged pass and deep into a wild and untouched part of Lesotho. We do not spend the day inside a land-rover — instead we stop frequently to explore on foot. We visit cave paintings and hike past wild peach trees. There are opportunities to try the traditional food and beer, and spend time in a Lesotho village.

The experience is not a synthetic one where a "cultural village" has been built especially for tourists. The trip has been designed and involves members of the community. Local schools welcome visitors as do herd boys with their rough, handmade musical instruments. We are assisting a school in the area.

After a day filled with new sights, sounds, and even tastes, the group is driven back over the border to reach the lodge by nightfall, but the images of the day remain.

A day of rock-climbing!

The amphitheatre contains some of the best rock-climbing in the country. There are bolted and graded sports routes as well as trad routes. Climbers leave from the Amphitheatre Backpackers Lodge in the morning and are driven to the beginning of the climbs. The views are awesome.

Our trips are designed to suit the ability of each climber - from beginners to experts. Beginners will be introduced to climbing and have the equipment explained and demonstrated, learn the basic knots, and the essential techniques and concepts of the sport.

Our guides are very experienced and fully equipped. The cost includes their fees, all equipment is provided (including climbing shoes) and—as with our other trips—lunch, entrance fees, and transport are inclusive.

You can find out more about climbing in South Africa at the web-site of the Mountain Club of South Africa.