Sightseeing on the Panorama Route

The Panorama Route is easily accessed from White River and is a favourite for Mpumalanga Lowveld visitors. We recommend a self-drive tour with an early start. If you prefer a guided tour, please see the tour operators listed on our website. Most visitors dedicate a full day to exploring the Panorama Route. Here are suggested itineraries:

Classic 1-Day Tour

• Bridal Veil Falls and/or Lone Creek Falls (note that the road is in poor condition)

• Mac Mac Falls

• Forest Falls (permit available at the Forestry Museum)

• The Pinnacle Rock

• God’s Window

• Graskop Gorge Lift

• Berlin Falls

• Lisbon Falls

• Bourke’s Luck Potholes

• Blyde River Canyon – Three Rondavels Viewpoint

This itinerary covers all the main sites in sequence, ensuring you don’t miss any. You’ll arrive at the Three Rondavels viewpoint in the late afternoon, where the lighting is ideal, before heading straight back to White River. Driving straight from Three Rondavels to White River is a 1 hour 40 minutes.

Classic alternative with stops spread out on way there and back

An alternative is to split the stops between your journey to and from the Three Rondavels viewpoint. An issue is you might miss God’s Window if you don’t make it by 1700.

Valhoek Road alternative

Another option is to return from Three Rondavels via the Valhoek Road (turn-off just after Bourke’s Luck Potholes) to Pilgrim’s Rest. This is a scenic dirt road and prevents you from backtracking on the same road. You’ll need to stop for all sights after Graskop on the way north. Even if arriving late at Pilgrim’s Rest, you can wander the main street and see the architecture and buildings.

• Mac Mac Falls

• The Pinnacle Rock

• God’s Window

• Graskop Gorge Lift

• Berlin Falls

• Lisbon Falls

• Bourke’s Luck Potholes

• Blyde River Canyon, Three Rondavels viewpoint

• Valheok Road

• Pilgrim’s Rest

• Forest Falls

• Bridal Veil Falls

See more of the Panorama Route after checking out

If driving back to Gauteng when checking out, consider taking the Long Tom Pass to Lydenburg and Dullstroom before rejoining the N4 near Belfast for additional sightseeing. The Long Tom Pass itself is scenic, and stops along the way could include the Sudwala Caves, Long Tom Toboggan (at Misty Mountain Lodge on the pass), and the Birds of Prey Rehabilitation Centre (Dullstroom).

What we’ve left out of our 1 day tour:

Sudwala Caves: A classic sight. We recommend combining the Sudwala Caves with local Nelspruit/White River attractions, such as the Lowveld Botanical Garden (Nelspruit) or Casterbridge, for a lazy day.

Horseshoe Falls: Horseshoe Falls is a nice waterfall with a short walk, but it is out of the way. It’s a good option for return visitors to the Panorama Route, but not essential. Best combined with Lone Creek.

Mac Mac Pools: The main pool has been fenced off (due to drownings) and is therefore less scenic for a quick visit. However, if you're willing to invest the time, the walk to the other pools and the Secretary Bird Trail is enjoyable.

Sabie Falls: Are located in town, but the visiting experience isn’t great. The main viewpoint is under the main road bridge. The walk to the weir and garden is a bit untidy. Fishermen may find the pools downstream of the falls interesting, as they supposedly hold trout. For the more adventurous, the walk into the gorge to the base of the waterfall offers a better experience than the official viewpoint.

Maria Shires Falls: A small waterfall & the site is somewhat untidy. The nearby picnic area can get very busy on long weekends. It may be worth a quick stop on the way back after hours.

Ideas for a 2 days on Panorama Route:

• Echo Caves

• Sudwala Caves

• Long Tom Pass & Long Tom Toboggan

• Drive all the way to Strydom Tunnel. The Panorama Route from the Treur River to Strydom Tunnel is extremely scenic. Return via Echo Caves and Long Tom.

• Do 1 day self drive sightseeing and 1 day guided adventures from Sabie with Kestell Adventures (Kloofing, Caving & Abseiling). The Mac Mac Falls kloofing tour is great.

• Short walks: hiking trail to bottom of Lisbon Falls, Secretary Bird hike in grassland around Mac Mac Pools, Kadishi Tufa Hiking Trail (Forever Resort, Blyde Canyon)

• Long walks: Belvedere Hike at Bourke’s Luck Potholes

• Slightly different and off of the main axis of the panorama route is Mount Sheba, which is a lovely chunk of afromontane forest, with self-guided walking trails, which we enjoy going to. There is a resort (Mt Sheba, forever resort) which provides maps of the trails and food / refreshments at their restaurant. 

More Panorama Route tips:

• If travelling on Saturdays, stop for takeaway cinnamon and sugar pancakes in front of the Sabie Spar (R6 each). The Tannie has been here every Saturday for years and cooks up a tasty pancake storm.

• If you are a Geocacher, don’t miss the Spioenkop cache.

• If you have kids, the Forestry Museum may be worth a quick stop while you get your permit for Forest Falls.