The Panorama Route is the perfect weekend getaway, whether this is to escape the busy city life in Gauteng, or a quick stop before your safari adventure in the Kruger National Park. I’ve done quite a lot of research on all the must see attractions in the area, and although the weather did not play along on the final day, we got to see most of what was to offer on this beautiful route. And so I’ve decided to share our weekend itinerary with you!
Our weekend getaway Itinerary for the Panorama Route:
Day 1
It was a chilly Friday morning, and we made our way to Mpumalanga. It was a long weekend so we were lucky enough to spend three days in this beautiful region.
We hit the road at 6am and stopped for breakfast at the Alzu Petroport Petrol Station, which I would highly recommend!
Our very first stop was situated just outsidde of Sabie and this was the majestic Lone Creek waterfall.
From here we made our way to Bridal Veil that looks like a sheer veil of a bride – hence the name. You can walk all the way to the back of the waterfall; however, expect to be soaked and don’t attempt this with white shoes as the trail to there is quite muddy.
Afterwards, we made our way to the Mac Mac Falls. This was my least favourite attraction on the Panorama Route, as you can only see the falls from a distance.
We settled in at our accommodation in Graskop, which was a nice central location for us.
Then we decided to make our way to Pilgrimsrest and explored it by foot. This quaint little town is perfect for souvenir shopping and has some great restaurants.
Day 2
On the second day we got up bright and early to make our way to the famous Blyde River Canyon. This is probably what stands out the most when you hear Panorama Route.
As we made our way there, we couldn’t help but stop to watch the sun come up over the horizon. The clouds were also rolling in, which meant for a misty drive.
When we got to the Three Rondavels viewpoint, the gate was still closed. So, we then decided to stop at the Lowveld viewpoint which is not far from the Three Rondavels. We were the only ones there, which made it extra special to take in the spectacular views. Afterwards we headed to the Three Rondavels to take the famous picture of the Blyde River Canyon. (If you like hiking, I suggest you do the Leopard trail which would take you all the way to the bottom of the the Canyon.)
From here, we made our way to Burke’s Luck Potholes. This was the most popular destination and was quite busy. However, the area is spacious, meaning you can explore without getting in the way of someone else. This was also the most expensive attraction.
We had a quick stop at Berlin Falls before we made our way to Lisbon Falls. Here we did the short hike to the bottom where you have an even better view of the waterfall. This was by far my most favourite waterfall of them all.
We ended the day with a beautiful and super easy hike in Graskop – the Jock of the Bushveld Trail. It started to storm while we were doing the trail, so we ended up doing trail running.
We also grabbed dinner at the Glass House, which our AirBnb host booked for us. Their food was super delicious.
Day 3
On Sunday, our day did not go as planned. On our Itinerary were the last attractions of our trip which would’ve included a stop at Pinnacle Rock, God’s Window and Graskop Gorge Lift.
However, the weather did not play along; it was super misty that morning and it was going to rain the whole day. For this reason it would’ve been pointless to go to these viewpoints, so we decided to hit the road back to Pretoria and stop at Dullstroom for lunch.
We’ll definitely go back to have a look on these attractions we’ve missed out on.
