Sani Pass & Lesotho 4x4 Experience Day Tour from Durban
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Durban, South Africa
- 12 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Explore two countries in one day, without the hassle of planning logistics, on this 4x4 day trip into the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. Set out from Durban and pass through the exquisitely preserved Victorian city of Pietermaritzburg en route to the World Heritage Sani Pass, a steep pass rising 9,429 feet (2,870meters) above sea level. Once crossing the border (bring your passport), visit a traditional Sotho village filled with huts built around a central area filled with livestock.
- Visit Sani Pass and Lesotho on a 4x4 excursion from Durban
- Enjoy stunning mountain scenery and visit a traditional Sotho village
- Interact with local Sotho people and learn about their culture
- An ideal day trip for both families and solo travelers
What's Included
- Local guide
- Driver/guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Passport and Visa arrangements
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Operating hours.6:00 am
Itinerary
1
Sani Pass
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Zulu Safaris
6 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Passport name, number, expiry and country is required at time of booking for all participants
- A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- German and Polish languages can be requested (on request)
- Wheelchair user: Any traveler using wheelchair have to inform us to confirm their booking
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 99 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Tonje_h
We were very lucky to have our skilled guide, Fortune, who had a lot of knowledge about Lesotho and the Basotho people - their culture and language which was very interesting. This is -with no doubt- the most beautiful country border I have been at. A memory for life!
Reviews
4.8
based on 119 reviews
Alec_D, Jan 2026
Fortune offered a fantastic tour to and from “the Kingdom in the Sky.” We learned a lot about Lesotho and the Basotho people, and the skyward drive through the Sani Pass was so scenic.
Tonje_h, Jan 2026
We were very lucky to have our skilled guide, Fortune, who had a lot of knowledge about Lesotho and the Basotho people - their culture and language which was very interesting. This is -with no doubt- the most beautiful country border I have been at. A memory for life!
Alan_K, Nov 2025
This was definitely one the best experiences I've had in my 2.5 months in South Africa. The views were absolutely spectacular and my guide and driver Wonder, was exceptional. It is a long drive but the company had a very well maintained, clean 4x4 and Wonder was very accommodating to multiple stops along the way for toilet and snack breaks.
Highly Recommend this trip with 1st Zulu Safaris
londiepemberton, Mar 2025
This tour is a very educational tour with additional information not highlighted in the tour. I’d take it again just for the views. Don’t miss it!
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thanks for the review and hope to host you again, next time you visit Durban
Shelly_M, Jan 2025
Had the best day in Lesotho. My tour guide and driver, Fortune was the best. We had great conversation, he was knowledgeable and didn't mind being my official photographer. We made stops along the scenic route until we finally made it. Despite the weather, I had a wonderful time and truly enjoyed the experience. Highly recommend.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
We are glad to hear that you truly enjoyed yourself and thanks for the recommendation
Bonnie_R, Dec 2024
Freddie was an excellent knowledgeable guide. Beautiful day. Prepare for a long drive though. But it’s acenic
Timo_B, Sep 2024
It's been an amazing trip and Thami was a perfect guide. Lesotho is a great experience and the trip together with Thami is absolutely recommendable and worth each cent!!!
patrick_b, Jul 2024
What an amazing trip!! Would highly recommend. Bafana was our guide and was just brilliant. So much fun and some amazing scenery.
MONICA_J, Apr 2024
This was a remarkable tour. Freddy, our guide was the best. He allowed the tour to be "ours." We were able to stop and capture beautiful moments along the way and had an amazing adventure.
Stefan_G, Apr 2024
Great tour !!! I liked everything, the Drakenberg mountains, the village and the highest pub in Africa !!!
On the downside, it seems the few villages behind the border get too much used to tourism and the highest pub in Africa doesn’t serve draught beer
sisanda_d, Feb 2024
I had an excellent day which happened to be my birthday driven by a very skilled and kind Thami. From being picked up from the hotel, comfortable trail truck and the majestic views, my experience exceeded my expectations . I would recommend this experience to everyone, you will not be disappointed.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Happy Belated Birthday Sisanda and we are glad that Thami gave you experience of a life time
Anthony_G, Feb 2024
From pick up at The Oyster Box the disappointment kept coming. We were told an extra R400 to be picked up there (it was on the included list) to my husband and I being separated in 2 different vehicles to having to buy our lunch at a grocery store instead of eating lunch at the highest point pub.
The actual climb up the pass and the view were amazing as promised
Customer appreciation was none. The driver of my car was on the phone the whole time making new reservations for the next days. I would not recommend this tour guide.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thanks for the review and so sorry for the bad experience with your tour on the day and wish you could remember who the guide was as to look into the matter of your experience and take disciplinary action towards his or her work ethics as we pride ourselves in giving the experience promised
Sorry for the inconvenience and we will investigate the manner and resolve it accordingly
Amanda_W, Dec 2023
Good communication from the company and the guide was a great driver (you need to be for this trip). Good way to easily see Lesotho including nature and culture. Just bear in mind that it’s a long day of driving—between transfer and the Sani Pass itself, you spend most of the day in the car.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Thanks for choosing us and for the wonderful review and hope to host you next time you are in Durban
Valentin_N, Nov 2023
We had an amazing tour. From the we booked the tour we were in contact and we were provided with useful information. Our driver and tour guide, Benson made this trip even more valuabe. The spectacular views on the way and all stops were just unbelievable.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thanks for choosing us to host you and hope to host you next time you are in Durban
Jim_v, Nov 2023
Amazing tour, our guide Freddy did a great job, took good care of us and shared a lot of valuable information along the tour. Sani Pass and Leshoto are truely magical and worth visiting!
Response from Host, Nov 2023
We glad you had a good experience with Zulu Safaris with 1 of best guides Freddy and we hope to host you again next time you are in Durban
Veronica_S, Nov 2023
Our tour guide Freddy picked us up on time at our chosen destination. From the pick up he was full of knowledge and information about the area , and as we drove pointed out interesting landmarks and people and places of interest. explaining what was going on around us. As we approached the Drakensberg , Freddy stopped many times for us to take photos of the beautiful scenery, that stretched before us. The Sani pass was beautiful to drive up. The scenery was stunning. The road being a dirt road was bumpy but fun to drive. seeing the vehicles in front of us making progress. When we got to the top and checked in at the border of Lesotho , there was a few curio shops that you could buy gifts. Then we drove on to the highest point to take some photos, great memories. We drove back and visited a village, where we learned about the people, country and got to taste some delicious bread. We then drove back to the highest pub in Africa, where we got time to enjoy a drink , meet new friends and admire the beautiful surroundings. On the way back Freddy kept us entertained with his great knowledge of just about everything. Thank you we had a wonderful tour, and many wonderful memories,of a most beautiful area. Well worth the money!
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thank you for the review and letting us know what a great job Freddy did and we hope to host you next time you are in Durban
Krista_W, Sep 2023
I had a fabulous excursion doing the Sani Pass with our guide Benson! The trip from was great from start to finish and Benson is a terrific guide and helped me out of a jam I had with my daughter who was in Durban at the time. The Sani Pass was beautiful and a fun way to learn a little about Lesotho. Thank you Benson for your wonderful guidance 5/5 recommend this excursion.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Glad to hear that Benson once again got happy customer and that he will still do the best in his work and hope to host you next time you are in Durban
Erin_S, Sep 2023
What an incredible experience! The drive is beautiful and the time at the village was very eye opening. Our driver Benson was wonderful and dealt with some extreme conditions (rain and fog) on the journey home, but got us back safely. Be warned, it is a long drive and the pass is extremely bumpy, however it is so worth it.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thanks for the review and hope to host you next time you are in Durban
joyce_n, Sep 2023
Strangers came together and ended up friends on this very long but wonderful day. The experience is certainly not one to be missed, and the little extra tour of Pietermaritzburg was the cherry on the top. Thank you Benson..
Response from Host, Oct 2023
We are so grateful to have Benson in the company because everybody who has experience with him is happy at end of tour. Thanks for choosing us and hope to host you next time you are in Durban
simon_j, Sep 2023
benson was our guide he was very polite and knowledgeable about the tour we was very pleased with him and wish him well
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Hi Simon and Sue we are happy that Benson took good care of you and hope to host you again next time you are in Durban
Margie_R, Jun 2023
AMAZING! The weather cooperated.
Freddy was a wonderful guide and driver. He shared a lot of information about the Zulu culture and Lesotho life. The strategy to order food first at the boarder bar, and return on the way back was a time saver. I highly recommend this tour to my family and friends
Response from Host, Jul 2023
Thanks for the wonderful review and hope to host you next time you are in Durban
Andrew_W, Jun 2023
It was a beautiful day to take a trip up the Sani Pass to Lesotho and check out some fun things up there. Benson was the man and made the day enjoyable! If taking a trip to Durban and want to do something fun outside the city, this is a good one to choose. Thanks so much
Response from Host, Jun 2023
Thank you so much for wonderful review and we are happy that Benson made it possible and we would be so happy to host you next time you are in Durban
Jamie_F, May 2023
Benson the guide was a great driver.
Long but beautiful drive and amazing views along the way.
Views obscured by cloud on the SA side but thats nobody’s fault and is still an epic ride up the pass and still views on the Lesotho side.
Response from Host, May 2023
We are happy that you experience was worthwhile at the end of the day and we hope to host you next time you are in Durban
Kayleigh_S, Apr 2023
We had an AMAZING day with our great guide Benson. Everything was arranged very well, from pick-up to drop-off.
The experience is truly exceptional. The mountain roads to Lesotho are stunning, we felt very safe with Benson. You make enough stops to enjoy the breathtaking views. The country of Lesotho is inspiring to experience in a heartbeat. We felt very blessed to get to do this day.
Thank you so much Benson for this unforgettable day.
Response from Host, Apr 2023
Thank you for the wonderful review.
It is much appreciated!
Renata_D, Dec 2022
I changed my hotel last minute but they accommodated with with no issues. It’s a longggg bumpy drive but very scenic. The sani pass road is unpaved and terrifying but Benson is an awesome driver. Got us up smoothly and safely. It’s a very long drive so grab some water and some snacks and don’t forget your passport. The border crossing are a breeze. Highly Recommend!
Response from Host, Jan 2023
Thank you for the lovely 5 star review.
Sani pass is one of our most popular tours even though it is such a bumpy road up and down the mountain.
Kind Regards
Christo
Niko_S, Nov 2022
The tour was simply fantastic. The communication with Zulu Safaris before the tour was quick and uncomplicated. Our guide Sotiris was very friendly and made sure the whole time that the tour met our expectations. He was happy to explain and share his vast knowledge of the area and culture without being pushy. Again and again he made short stops at beautiful viewpoints for photos. He knew how to manage the time on this long day and to set the perfect focus. Lesotho and the Drakensberg were beautiful and the people there welcomed us very kindly and were visibly happy about Sotiris - he seemed like part of their family. Although the trip was very long, Sotiris drove very safely from start to finish and did not take any risky driving manoeuvres even when it got late. In summary: The tour was a real highlight for me and I am very glad that I did it with Zulu Safaris. I can recommend it without reservation.
Response from Host, Nov 2022
Thanks for the review and you was luckily enough to get one of our best guides and hope to host you next time you are in Durban
Eric_F, Aug 2022
It’s a very long day and a bumpy, exhausting drive but well worth it. The Pass is remarkable and hard to describe. The visit to the village in Lesotho is a highlight. Our guide was great. Would recommend.
Grace_L, Mar 2022
Late messages close to midnight pressuring me to accept earlier pickup time of 5am to fit their schedule.
They also confirmed two day tours before I had confirmed their proposals.
I would have cancelled due to their u reasonable behaviour but had especially booked flights to do the Sani Pass tour.
Response from Host, Mar 2022
Hello Grace
Unfortunately your account of matter is false and your characterisation of our company completely inaccurate.
We tried to accommodate you by offering you a later departure time and our car tracker shows the vehicle left your hotel at 6:10am. We had nothing planned in the evening and we put your interests first.
We did not message you late at night and we did our utmost to try make your time in SA a pleasurable one. We offered you free transfer from the airport to which you declined, we offered to swop the tour dates to a tour so that the first tour would start later so you could sleep in. Which you declined.
From our perspective with tried to help you as it seemed you were having trouble with your flights and hotel.
We apologise that your experience wasn't to your liking however from our perspective we acted in a professional manner. We have over 20 years experience in taking international tourists on tours and we have many positive reviews from satisfied customers. I apologise you are not one of them.
Good luck with your future travels
Kind Regards
Christo Spetsiotis
Anita_S, Oct 2021
Was a great outing. The Tour guide was very fiendly and a very good driver with experience driving the 4x4 on the steep gravel slopes. Beautiful views.
Response from Host, Oct 2021
We are very happy that you had great experience and hoping to host you again next time you come to South Africa
NEIL_B, Feb 2020
We actually did a different trip to the above and went to Giants Castle and the cave paintings as the Sani pass had been shut by the rain which had fallen. This was a nice trip though and our guides Benson and Frederick were good and very knowledgeable. We had a nice walk in the mountains and also visited the Nelson Mandela capture site and Howick falls. A very enjoyable day out.
From $245.12
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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