5 Day Overland Summer or Winter 4×4 Tour of Lesotho
5 Day Overland Tour of Lesotho.
Join us for an amazing 5 day overland tour of Lesotho in summer or winter.
During the days we check out an amazing landscape where hardy shepherds tend their sheep. The evenings are spent sitting next to a warm camp or lodge fire talking about the day. Join us in your 4×4 or ours!
Lesotho isn’t just another country, it is another world!
In summer the land is warm and sunny with a bit of rain, so you can see the green coming through. In winter we see a very different country we saw in the summer, the land is icy and cold as we sit next to a warm fireplace.
Read a bit more about Lesotho on our destinations page.
When we do this trip through Lesotho in winter, we stay in cozy mountain lodges every night, but in summer we stay in lodges sometimes and camp when the weather is fine!
We will leave Pietermaritzburg and drive up the famous Sani pass. We have to stop for a visit in the highest pub in Africa for lunch and a drink. Then it is further into Lesotho with a 4×4 drive over Black mountain. We get to 3250m above sea level so the views are amazing. Another hour of driving and we arrive at our overnight stop. El Paso at Mokhotlong is a simple, but lovely place to stay.
Click here to see my YouTube video of Lesotho.
Next up is a visit to the highest dam in Africa.
Day 2 is a fun 4×4 drive as we explore the Kao mine road. After leaving El Paso we turn off the boring tar road for some adventure. This is a stunning drive over and around endless mountains. The whole day is about a 5 hour drive and on the way we really see how really mountainous Lesotho is. It is like time stood still here. We have lunch with a view surrounded by endless mountains and eventually arrive at our lodge for the night. Motebong lodge is a lovely spot on the banks of Katse dam surrounded by mountains. I love cooking and we enjoy a good South African braai while enjoying the peaceful mountain views.
Sometimes we do a spot of fly fishing.
The afternoon can be spent relaxing at our cottages or catching some fish in Katse dam. After breakfast we head off towards Roma. On the way we visit the interesting Katse dam wall. It really is quite impressive. Further on and past Thaba Tseka we stop for lunch with another incredible view. Here we really feel like we are on the roof of Africa. Roma trading post is our accommodation for the night.
Nearby is the spiritual birthplace of the Basotho people.
We do a guided tour of Thaba Bosui which includes about 2 hours of walking. Then we drive 2 hours to arrive at Semongkong lodge in time for lunch. The afternoon can be spent doing a fun donkey pub crawl or visiting Margaret who chats about the Basotho blanket culture. Or maybe just relaxing in the pub.
I like to explore Maletsunyana falls in the early morning with the sun shining right on the falls.
It is possible to camp at the falls in summer.
Then back to Semongkong lodge for breakfast and to the border with South Africa. Lunch is in Matatiele and then a 4 hour drive back to Pietermaritzburg. And that is an incredible 5 days spent exploring Lesotho.
After breakfast in the lodge we head off towards Roma…
But first on the way we do a tour of the Katse dam which even non engineers find interesting. With lunch on the way this drive takes up to 7 hrs as we drive over endless mountains. Even “God Help Me” pass. Once at Roma trading post I cook supper again. On day 4 we have only a 2 hr drive to Semongkong so we have time to visit Thaba Bousi which is the birth place of the Basotho nation. Certainly worth a visit. There is some hiking to do as we explore this place with a local guide. Then it is on to Semongkong. From the highest commercial abseil in the world to a donkey pub crawl to a visit with a lovely lady who talks about the interesting Basotho culture. Well worth a visit.
We visit the stunning Maletsunyana Falls
We must visit the highest waterfall in Lesotho and if you are adventurous you can even abseil down it. The last day which is day 5 we drive towards Qachas nek border on our way out of Lesotho. Lunch is at Matatiele and then a scenic drive on the Swartburg road to Underburg. The trip ends around 4pm at Pietermaritzburg.
Check here to see our vehicles.
A winter overland 4×4 tour of Lesotho is an adventure not to be missed.
