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The Panorama Route

Africa's best authentic tailor-made safaris

The Panorama Route in Mpumalanga is known for its dramatic scenery, including waterfalls, canyons, and historic towns. One of South Africa’s most scenic drives, you’ll pass iconic spots including God’s Window, Lisbon Falls, Berlin Falls, the Pinnacle, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, and Blyde River Canyon.

If you want your holiday in South Africa to be full of experiences in nature and stunning views of the wilderness, this is a route you can’t miss.

Must-Visit Areas on the Panorama Route

Blyde River Canyon
Blyde River Canyon has lush subtropical covering | Photo: Getty

From hiking to waterfalls and exploring the wilderness on horseback to breathtaking viewpoints, here are just a few options for a Panorama Route holiday in South Africa:

Blyde River Canyon: Largest Canyon in South Africa

The third-largest canyon in the world, Blyde River Canyon has lush subtropical covering. You’ll be mesmerised by the stunning green hills and blue waters.

Thanks to the geology and climate, there are incredible waterfalls you can visit. Here, you can walk in some of the largest man-made forestry plantations in the world with pine and eucalyptus trees.

Besides hiking, you can go horse riding, white-water rafting, fly-fishing, biking, and on boat trips on the Blyde Dam.

God’s Window: Spectacular Views

With its breathtaking views, you’ll quickly see why this viewpoint is called God’s Window. See sweeping views of canyons, rock formations, forests, and waterfalls.

Located within Blyde River Canyon, from this spot you can also explore numerous walking, hiking, horse, and mountain bike trails.

This is a very popular spot along the Panorama Route, so expect crowds hiking to this viewpoint, especially during the high season (November through to March).

Bourke’s Luck Potholes: A Natural Wonder

The Bourke’s Luck Potholes are located at the start of Blyde River Canyon and are unique geological formations.

They’re the result of many years of swirling eddies of water where the Treur River meets the Blyde River, which has caused significant water erosion over time.

Due to this process, this is now a spot featuring fascinating cylindrical rock sculptures among pools of water.

When’s the Best Time to Visit the Panorama Route?

The Panorama Route Gods Window
The Panorama Route is a year-round destination | Photo: Getty

The Panorama Route is a year-round destination. For comfortable temperatures and to avoid large holiday crowds, visit during autumn (March to May) or spring (September to November). You’ll also avoid the winter weather.

Summer (December to February) brings hot temperatures as well as rain. While the landscapes are lush, the wet weather can impact activities.

Wildlife Found on the Panorama Route

The region supports a variety of birdlife, including the African finfoot bird | Photo: Getty

In the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, you can hike to see samango monkeys, nocturnal greater and lesser bushbabies, chacma baboons, and vervet monkeys.

This region supports breeding Taita falcons; other bird species found here include the Cape vulture, black stork, peregrine falcon, and Cape eagle-owl.

How to Get to the Panorama Route

You’ll fly into Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, the closest airport to the Panorama Route. From the airport, it’s a two- to three-hour road transfer to Blyde River Canyon.

 

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Safari Bookings review

"We wanted to spend a week in Kruger and Chrizaan put together a visit to two areas (Sabi Sands and Timbavati). She chose two lodges that met our budget requirements and both were very good (Nkorho Bush Lodge and Motswari Main Camp). All the transits between..."

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"Planning the trip with Bianca was a pleasure - she was patient and helpful and provided prompt answers to all our questions. The trip itself was remarkable, offering a wide variety of locations and experiences to make our exposure to Africa and safaris a..."

Barbara S., United States•18 Aug 2026•

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"Many thanks to Discover Africa for organising a great trip to Victoria Falls and Botswana. Chrizaan was extremely helpful in planning the trip (including promptly arranging visa related paperwork etc) and answering queries. The quality of the accommodations..."

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"Booking with Justin at Discover Africa, to plan my safari and Victoria Falls adventure turned out to be the best choice I made. Right from the start, Justin was friendly, responsive, and incredibly thorough—he answered all my questions and provided a detail..."

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Safari Bookings review

"All bookings were at luxurious and convenient places. The camp tents are beautifully decorated with a rustic look and feel. Food service were amazing for most part. The bush drives are as best as it could be given the rainy season etc. Punctuality has been ..."

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"We had an amazing experience at Walkers Plains Camp. The wildlife viewing was superb from start to finish. Our guide Millie and tracker were super friendly, extremely knowledgeable and made the game drives an absolute pleasure. The camp was very luxuriou..."

Sue Panayiotes, United Kingdom•28 Dec 2025•

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