Clarens is a charming town that offers an idyllic escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Many people living in Johannesburg and Pretoria visit Clarens as it is the perfect weekend getaway. And I am here to share the perfect Clarens itinerary!
Nestled in the picturesque foothills of the Maluti Mountains, Clarens is perfect for scenic hikes, delightful dining experiences and cozy accommodations.
Here is the perfect weekend itinerary, so pack your bags, leave your worries behind, and get ready to immerse yourself in the serene beauty and welcoming charm of Clarens.
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Day 1
We stopped at the (📍) Engen Bergview Petrol Station in Harrismith for a quick coffee break before we continued with the 1 hour and 30-minute drive to Clarens.
Our check-in was only at 14:00, so we decided to first stop at the viewpoints at Golden Gate National Park, which is located about 30 minutes from Clarens. There are many stops along the way as you make your way through the Lichen Pass. From here we drove the Blesbok Loop and took in the beautiful mountain range.
The yellow frames are also a popular attraction in South Africa and were next on our list. This is located at the Golden Gate Hotel.
We made our way to Clarens and quickly grabbed lunch at (📍) The Square in town before we checked in at our Airbnb. Getting to our AirBnb, we decided to relax for the remainder of the day as we had a big day planned for the following day.
We finally grabbed dinner at (📍) Mosaic Pizzeria, where there was some great life entertainment.
Day 2
When we started planning our trip, we decided to add a day trip to the Drakensberg to our list. We’ve wanted to do the famous Amphitheater trail for a long time, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.
We made our way to the Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge early the Saturday morning to be on time for the 8 am shuttle that took us to the start of the trail. The drive from Clarens to Witsieshoek is about an hour and a half. From here we started our ascend to the top of the tallest waterfall in the world – the Tugela Falls. This was truly an amazing experience and I would recommend you add this to your trip if you like hiking.
This hike takes about 5+ hours to complete. We did take a bit longer as we had lunch at the top and admired the view.
We were quite tired after that hike, so we made our way back to Clarens and enjoyed some pizza at (📍) The Highlander Restaurant. The wood fire pizza was the perfect reward after the 12km hike.
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Day 3
We took it slow on day 3 and slept in a bit. We then made our way to (📍) The Platform Restaurant for some waffles for brunch. Afterwards, we explored this little town on foot. There are so many great shops that are so unique.
The afternoon we made our way to Golden Gate Highlands National Park to do some of the hiking trails there. We started with the Mushroom Trail, made our way to the Eco Ravine and ended with the Brandwag Buttress Trail. This took us about 2 and a half hours.
Once we finished with the trails, we walked to the Natural Pools that are located behind the chalets.
Afterwards, we bought ice cream at the Petrol Station where we parked the car and then made our way to the Oribi Loop drive. We parked at the Drakensberg viewpoint and enjoyed our post-hike ice cream snack. We watched as the sun set over the mountains and just when we left, it started raining. Talk about perfect timing.
As we drove back to Clarens, I looked for restaurants to grab dinner at. I was surprised at how early the restaurants close on a Sunday, and for a moment it looked like we would go to bed hungry. Luckily, the (📍) Post House Restaurant was still open, so we headed there for some burgers and ribs.
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Day 4
This was our last morning at Clarens and check-out was at 10 am. After we checked out we made our way to the (📍) Highland Coffee Roastery to get the permit for the Clarens Nature Reserve Trails and also some coffee for the trip (they are known to have the best coffee in town).
We did the short walk to Kloof Dam and grabbed lunch at the (📍) Clarens Brewery.
The next stop was the (📍) ‘Bus Stop’ Coffee Shop and then we made our way back to Pretoria. We did stop for some photos with the beautiful Cosmos flowers that are in season from the middle of March to the end of April.
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