weekend road trips from Joburg Pinterest graphic

Weekend road trips from Joburg

Find inspiration from this article for road trips from Joburg that you could easily do over a weekend. After all, making the most of your weekends is one of the secrets to traveling more while working full time.

Johannesburg (aka Joburg) is in Gauteng which is a landlocked province that is bordered by five other provinces. This makes Joburg a great starting point for road trips to surrounding South African provinces. This post lists some awesome road trip ideas for people in Joburg who want to plan a local weekend trip with family, friends or bae and need a quick overview of destination options in Gauteng and beyond.

 

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Weekend Road Trips from Joburg

The road trip destinations are grouped according to the province in which they are located.

Related post: Things to do and places to visit in Gauteng

Road Trip within Gauteng

Magaliesburg, Gauteng

Distance from Joburg: 70km; 1 hour drive

Activities: Hiking trails, zip lining, horse riding, hot air ballooning

Attractions: The Cradle of Humankind, Magalies Canopy Tour.(Use the code GOPHARI for 10% off), Mountain Sanctuary Park, Kranskloof hiking trail

Tip: Look out for the winter spa specials at Valley Lodge & Spa

Related post: How to spend a relaxing weekend in Magaliesburg

Mountain Sanctuary Park rock pools
Mountain Sanctuary Park rock pools
Mountain Sanctuary Park log cabin
Mountain Sanctuary Park log cabin

Road Trip to North West from Joburg

Hartbeestport, North West

Distance from Joburg: 78km; 1 hour road trip from Joburg

Accommodation recommendations: There are plenty of Airbnb homes along the dam and glamping options in the area. 

Activities: Boat rides, water sports, fishing, hot air balloon rides.

Attractions: Hartbeesport dam, French Toast Koffie Kafee, Aerial cableway, Harties watersports centre.

Tip: You can double up a weekend stay in Hartbeesport by also visiting Pilanesberg (more on Pilanesberg below). This is one of the most popular road trips from Joburg.

Pilanesberg, North West

Distance from Joburg: 177km; 2.5 hour drive

Accommodation recommendations: Tshiberry Bed & Breakfast, Cabanas Sun City (hotel), Bakubung Bush Lodge (hotel).

Activities: Game drives, water sports, quad biking.

Attractions: Sun City Resort, Pilanesberg Game Reserve

Sun City resort
Sun City Resort

Road Trip to Free State from Joburg

Parys, Free State

Distance from Joburg: 111km; 1hour 15min road trip from Joburg

Activities: Boat rides, river rafting, spas

Attractions: Vaal River, Vredefort Crater, R.E.A.L Adventures

Tip: Pont de Val is a very romantic setting. I recommend it for a baecation. In fact while I was there, someone proposed to their girlfriend on the lawn alongside the river!

Vaal river at Pont de Val
Pont De Val, Free State

Clarens, Free State

Distance from Joburg: 111km; 1hour 15min road trip from Joburg

Distance from Joburg: 302km, 3 hour drive

Activities: river rafting, wine tasting, quad biking, horseback riding

Attractions: Art & Wine Gallery on Main, Clarens Brewery, Ash River, Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Tip: Visit in February to attend the Clarens Craft Beer Festival

Golden Gate National Park, Free State

Road Trip to KwaZulu-Natal from Joburg

Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal

Distance from Joburg: 394km, 4 hours road trip from Joburg

Accommodation recommendations: Didima Camp Cathedral Peak (Hotel). 

Activities: hiking, horseback riding, wine tasting, river rafting, fishing, rock climbing, rock art viewing.

Attractions: Tugela Falls, Cathedral Peak Nature Reserve, Drakensberg amphitheatre, Kamberg Nature Reserve

Read more about planning a trip to Tugela Falls

Drakensberg Mountains

Road Trip to Mpumalanga from Joburg

Panorama Route, Mpumalanga

Distance from Joburg: 405km; 4.5 hour road trip from Joburg

Accommodation recommendations: Stay in a small town called Graskop for easy access to all the attractions on Panorama Route.

Activities: Waterfall swims, nature parks, hiking, tubing.

Attractions: God’s window, Blyde River Canyon, Gorge Lift, Lisbon Falls, Bourkes Luck Potholes, Sudwala Caves, Lone Creek Falls

Tip: There is a lot to see on the Panorama Route. Choose the attractions you want to see and plan out your stops so that you make the most of your time! Read more about places to visit in Mpumalanga.

Gophari at Lonecreek Falls Mpumalanga
Lone Creek Falls, Mpumalanga

Road Trip to Limpopo

Magoebaskloof, Limpopo

Distance from Joburg: 392km, 4 hours road trip from Joburg

Accommodation recommendations: Go sky camping along Ebenezer Dam with Leeto Experiences! Check out these romantic getaways in Limpopo.

Activities: hiking, zip lining, fishing, camping, boating. 

Attractions: Debengeni Waterfall, Ebenezer Dam, Magoebaskloof Canopy Tour (Use the code “Gophari” for 10% off)

Debengeni Falls in Magoebaskloof Limpopo
Debengeni Waterfall, Magoebaskloof, Limpopo

Bela Bela, Limpopo

Distance from Joburg: 437km, 2 hours road trip from Joburg

Accommodation recommendations: Mabula Game Lodge. This 12 000 hectare reserve is home to an abundance of wildlife, including the Big 5 (Lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino). I loved my stay there and shared about it in this safari Instagram story highlight.

Get in touch if you would like assistance with arranging a discounted stay at Mabula Game Lodge: contact@gophari.com.

Activities: Big-5 safari, water theme park, farm shops.

Attractions: Mabula Game Lodge, Warmbaths Forever Resort, L’abri Farm Shop & Brewery

Watch my Instagram reel about my hippo sighting during a sunset game drive at Mabula Game Lodge.

Gophari on safari at Mabula Game Lodge
Gophari on safari at Mabula Game Lodge

Thohoyandou, Limpopo

Distance from Joburg: 437km, 5.5 hours road trip from Joburg

Accommodation recommendations: Royal Hills Lodge & Spa

Activities: Spa, game viewing, view ancient baobab trees, waterfall swim, picnic.

Attractions: Kruger National Park, The Big Tree, Phiphidi Waterfall

Watch my Instagram reel about how to spend a romantic weekend in Thohoyandou, Limpopo.

Baobab trees in Thohoyandou Limpopo
Baobab tree in Thohoyandou, Limpopo

I hope you have found inspiration for your next road trip from Joburg.

There is plenty to explore close by to Joburg without needing to take leave. Make the most of these road trip destinations from Joburg and have the best time taking in South Africa’s beautiful landscapes.

Enjoy your road trip and drive safely!

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