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Drakensberg Northern Traverse

Sentinel to Cathedral Peak:
Drakensberg Northern Traverse Hike.

This incredible hike is known to be one of the top 10 hikes in the world. Certainly the best hike in South Africa.6 days in a world heritage site doesn’t get better than this.

You should do it! Check out my video of this hike here.

Also known as the Mini Traverse the hike starts at the Amphitheatre and finishes at Cathedral Peak.

There is a reason why it is well known as one of the top 10 hikes in the world. You can read my blog of the route description of this hike here.

We certainly get to see some of the best mountain scenery South Africa has to offer.
The Amphitheatre overnight hike in the Drakensberg has endless beautiful views

The first night is spent camping on top of the Amphitheatre next to the tallest waterfall in the world, the Tugela Falls. Here we are at 2950m above sea level. The Tugela Falls tumble down the huge Amphitheatre wall so you can imagine the views. This day is only 8km but takes up to 4 hours of walking because we are here to look at views and not rush.

Over the next few days, we wander along the escarpment edge where the views are best.
We certainly get incredible camp sites on the Drakensberg northern traverse with Drakensberghiker.

The next 2 days are similar in distance and time with 14km covered each day and taking up to 7 hours of walking through stunning mountain scenery. By day 3 we arrive at one of my favorite places above Rockeries Pass in the Mnweni area where all my porters live.

They love to show off their home to visitors.

Here we camp near a huge Cape Vulture colony. This is really an amazing place. After checking out the graceful vultures we walk behind the huge Saddle and a swim in a clear mountain stream. Lunch today is great. We have one of the best views while recharging our batteries.

Day 4 is slightly shorter with 11km done and arriving at our camp by 2pm.

Once here we can relax with a cup of tea and enjoy the Kwakwatsi river flowing past our camp. After a breakfast in the mug and bowl restaurant we head down Mlambonja pass for lunch at the contour path. So from 3000m we end up at 2000m and you can certainly notice how much oxygen there is now. Makes you feel strong. After lunch we walk along the contour path with the mighty cliffs way above us now.

It is incredible to think we were just up there.

After 2km we arrive at our camp site below the Column and Pyramid. This day is around 7km but still takes up to 6 hours to do. We descend over 1000m so it is good to take our time. No rush in Africa you know.

Hike preparation is very important, so remember to have a look at our Drakensberg Hike Preparation page before joining us for this hike!

Day 6 is a bit sad as we finish at the Cathedral Peak hotel. This day takes 3 hours and is 9km long. And that is the end of the memorable Sentinel to Cathedral Northern Drakensberg traverse hike.

Sentinel to Cathedral Hike (Northern Drakensberg Traverse) Hike Difficulty: Challenging

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Duration

2 Days 6 Days

Drakensberg Northern Traverse Hike (12-17 Sep 2026)

The Sentinel to Cathedral Peak Drakensberg Northern Traverse is known as one of the best hikes in the world, 6 days in a world heritage site.… Read More

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Drakensberg Northern Traverse Hike (9-14 May 2026)

The Sentinel to Cathedral Peak Drakensberg Northern Traverse is known as one of the best hikes in the world, 6 days in a world heritage site.… Read More

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Drakensberg Northern Traverse Hike (17-22 Mar 2026)

The Sentinel to Cathedral Peak Drakensberg Northern Traverse is known as one of the best hikes in the world, 6 days in a world heritage site.… Read More

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Drakensberg Northern Traverse Hike (16-21 Dec 2025)

The Sentinel to Cathedral Peak Drakensberg Northern Traverse is known as one of the best hikes in the world, 6 days in a world heritage site.… Read More

Activity , , , , , , Destination , , , 6 Days 5 Nights

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