Choose your country and language:

Africa

  • Global
  • Angola
  • Botswana
  • DRC
  • Ethiopia
  • Ghana
  • Kenya
  • Malawi
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Nigeria
  • South Africa
  • Tanzania
  • Uganda
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
  • shotLeft

Americas

  • USA
  • Argentina
  • Brazil

Asia Pacific

  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Australia

Europe

  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Netherlands
  • United Kingdom
Back
South Africa
Adventure
Entertainment
Attractions
Museums
Culture
History
Food
Safari
Routes
Trails
Wine
Events
Family
Kids
Camping
Arts

FFrom the pure silence of a sheep farm to the bustle of a book festival, from a traditional Sunday lunch in a Victorian-era town to a strictly non-traditional Saturday night cabaret, and from a daisy extravaganza to a dance in the dust, the Great Karoo offers a grand, somewhat offbeat, South African overland experience.

Spanning nearly 400 000km2 in the geographic midriff of South Africa, the Great Karoo must be one of the quietest places on Earth.

It is a place of immense spaces, wide-angle horizons, craggy mountain ranges, conical hills, an ancient inland seabed, and a sky so big that at night it feels like you can touch the stars. The Great Karoo stands proudly with other desert tourism regions like the Australian Outback, and Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and makes for a memorable road trip.

It seems you could travel for months in and about the towns of the Great Karoo and have a different experience in each one.

Did You Know?
WWatch a sunset thunderhead gathering over the village of Aberdeen after a blazing hot midsummer’s day and toast life on the open road.

WWatch a sunset thunderhead gathering over the village of Aberdeen after a blazing hot midsummer’s day and toast life on the open road.

The Great Karoo

Food
When to visit
How to get here

SStand still in the Matjiesfontein military graveyard and try to hear the strains of the lone Highland piper, who is said to be playing Scotland the Brave for all time.

Head for the mountain settlement of Nieu Bethesda in winter time (May to August) and hunker down with a Karoo Ale at the Sneeuberg Brewery.

Share a traditional Karoo supper at the Victoria Manor Hotel in Cradock, where you can also watch the supremely fit canoe paddlers compete in the Fish River Canoe Marathon.

Go on a book safari in the Northern Cape town of Richmond, where the printed word still rules.

Stride the streets of Colesberg on a walking tour of this Victorian-era town and venture out on the Gariep Route, staying over at the most eccentrically stylish hotel in the region.

Enjoy a Saturday night cabaret in the Karoo Theatrical Hotel outside the mohair town of Steytlerville, and be entertained by a concert pianist and an exotic singer named Dame Layla Lamborghini.

Sit with astronomers on a hill outside Sutherland, home of the Southern African Large Telescope, and relish the heavens above.

Visit the seven radio dishes out at the Square Kilometre Array near Carnarvon and imagine the day when more than 2500 of these wonderful techno beasts will be swaying in unison, listening to the universe.

Hear all about the endangered riverine rabbit in Loxton; join the Nama Riel dancers at the Williston Festival in the Upper Karoo; and drive to Calvinia to catch the seasonal display of spring daisies, perhaps the greatest free show on Earth.

HHave a sundowner with your favourite person at a spot overlooking Graaff-Reinet and the Valley of Desolation, giving you an eagle’s-eye view of the vastness of the Karoo.

Go fossil fossicking in the Karoo National Park outside Beaufort West, and antique-chasing in a specialty store in Willowmore before entering the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area, famous for its mountainous, rugged terrain and adventure tourism activities.

Enjoy Prince Albert, gateway to the Great Karoo, at Olive Festival time, and listen to the happy gurgle of the water furrows as you sit on your stoep (verandah) on a warm summer’s evening.

And then turn your car around, grab the road map and choose a different route all together...

Who to contact
How to get here
Best time to visit
Tours to do
Get around
What will it cost
Length to stay
What to pack
Where to stay

Related articles

  • Breathtaking scenery

    Paragliding in Hermanus offers spectacular views

    Breathtaking scenery
    Paragliding in Hermanus offers spectacular views
    Paragliding in Hermanus, a beautiful town in the Western Cape famous for its whale watching, gives you the best aerial views to watch these ocean giants.
  • Breathtaking scenery

    An aerial view of the Garden Route

    Breathtaking scenery
    An aerial view of the Garden Route
    The Garden Route and its spectacular coastline can be seen from small aircraft, helicopter or hot-air balloon. It can also be explored by foot in the Garden Route National Park.
  • Active adventure

    Rovos Rail

    Active adventure
    Rovos Rail
    Rovos Rail is a train company that offers passengers a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Exploring South Africa by railroad doesn’t get fancier than this. Cross stunning expanses of countryside while sipping on champagne. Relax into a serene routine and channel Agatha Christie in the lap of luxury.
  • Breathtaking scenery

    Platbos Forest

    Breathtaking scenery
    Platbos Forest
    Platbos Forest is Africa’s southernmost forest, located in the Western Cape’s Baviaanspoort hills. This endangered ecosystem is known as a relic forest, home to trees that are over 1 000 years old. Scientists are amazed that the indigenous forest has survived this long, in spite of climate change and other environmental challenges.
  • Breathtaking scenery

    The Elim wine route

    Breathtaking scenery
    The Elim wine route
    You won’t find a wine route further south than the Elim wine route. A handful of winemakers set out to conquer the inhospitable Agulhas Plain terroir, known for its extreme weather and jagged coastline.
  • Breathtaking scenery

    A French Affair in Franschhoek

    Breathtaking scenery
    A French Affair in Franschhoek
    The Franschhoek Wine Route offers an array of innovative food and wine pairings. The town of Franschhoek has a rich Gallic heritage dating back to 1688 and refers to itself as ‘South Africa’s gourmet capital’.
  • Breathtaking scenery

    A trip to the top of Table Mountain by cableway

    Breathtaking scenery
    A trip to the top of Table Mountain by cableway
    Take the Table Mountain cableway to immerse yourself in the Cape Floral Region where nearly 1 500 species of plants can be found on the mountain alone.
  • Breathtaking scenery

    West Coast Wine Route

    Breathtaking scenery
    West Coast Wine Route
    The West Coast Wine Route follows the N7 North and has a surprisingly large selection and quality of award winning wines to chose from. It includes boutique and garagiste producers, along with some of the largest wineries in the country.

South Africa on social media

Copyright © 2024 South African Tourism
|Terms and conditions|Disclaimer|Privacy policy