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A wind-carved outcrop of red sandstone beneath a pale sky, Cederberg mountains

Sample journey · 11–13 days

The Northern Cape: wildflowers, the Kalahari and the Orange River

The Cederberg rocks, Namaqualand in spring, the Augrabies Falls and the red dunes of the Kgalagadi

Photo: Sean Brookes / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

The Northern Cape covers almost a third of South Africa, yet only a few per cent of its people live here. It is a land of space: straight roads to the horizon, sandstone outcrops sheltering San paintings, stony plains that after a good winter's rain are covered for a few weeks in orange, yellow and violet flowers, the green ribbon of the Orange River and, finally, the red dunes of the Kalahari, where gemsbok and lions look for shade beneath the acacias.

This route is for travellers who already know Cape Town and the bush and want to see a different side of the country: quiet, dry and full of light. There is a lot of driving, but every stop has at least two nights, and evenings under the stars make up for long days. The flower season is short and unpredictable, so we'd plan the journey flexibly, and choose stays – from simple farms to remote camps – that suit you.

The route

The journey

  1. Cape Town
  2. The Cederberg
  3. Namaqualand
  4. Augrabies Falls & the Orange River
  5. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
  6. Upington
  1. San rock paintings of red animal figures beneath a sandstone overhang, Cederberg

    01Days 1–3 · The Cederberg

    Sandstone and San paintings

    After a night in Cape Town, it's about three hours north until the vineyards give way to orange sandstone and fields of rooibos. In the Cederberg the wind has carved arches, cracks and strange sculptures, and beneath the overhangs San paintings survive – people, an elephant, eland. Near Clanwilliam a marked trail visits several of these sites in a morning. The next day, a hike among the rocks and a swim in river pools, and at night a sky in which the Milky Way needs no binoculars.

  2. Yellow and orange wildflowers in Namaqualand

    02Days 4–6 · Namaqualand

    When the desert flowers

    Further north the landscape turns greyer and stonier until, after a few hours, Namaqualand appears. If enough rain has fallen in winter, roughly in August and September thousands of species bloom here, many found nowhere else. The flowers open in the sunny middle of the day and turn to face the sun, so the rhythm is simple: a quiet morning, a long walk or a slow drive through Namaqua National Park around midday, dinner on a farm. Every year is different, so we choose the exact places according to where the flowers are that season.

  3. The Augrabies Falls in flood, a long exposure at dusk

    03Days 7–8 · Augrabies Falls & the Orange River

    A river through granite

    The longest leg of the journey – about four hours east past Springbok and Pofadder – ends in the surprisingly green valley of the Orange River, with vineyards and date palms. In Augrabies Falls National Park the river drops into a narrow granite gorge; how powerful it is depends largely on the rain upstream. Mornings are for trails among the polished rocks, where klipspringer and lizards are often seen; afternoons for canoeing a calmer stretch of the river; evenings for dried fruit and local wine from around Kakamas.

  4. A lioness crossing a red sand dune in the Kgalagadi

    04Days 9–12 · Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

    Red dunes and dry riverbeds

    Past Upington the road north turns ever redder until the Kalahari begins. The Kgalagadi is a vast park sharing a border with Botswana; you drive along the dry beds of the Auob and Nossob rivers, where animals find water only at boreholes. Gemsbok, springbok, wildebeest, kori bustards and birds of prey are seen often; the dark-maned Kalahari lions and cheetahs sometimes, but never to order. Four nights allow time in a simpler, unfenced camp deeper in the park, where at night you hear only jackals.

  5. A kori bustard among dry grass on red sand just after sunrise, Kgalagadi

    05Day 13 · Upington

    A last Kalahari morning

    One more early drive while the sand is cool, then about three hours back to Upington. From here you fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town to connect home. If the connection is awkward, the last night can be spent by the Orange River in Upington.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Rock art in the Cederberg

    A morning trail from one overhang to the next, where the San paintings look as if they were painted yesterday.

  2. 02

    A carpet of flowers

    In a good year, whole slopes of orange and yellow blooms that turn to face the sun at midday.

  3. 03

    The Orange River by canoe

    A quiet paddle between granite rocks and green banks in the middle of the desert.

  4. 04

    A night in an unfenced camp

    A handful of cabins in the Kalahari dunes, a waterhole nearby and a sky full of stars.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • Outside flower season

    At other times of year, Namaqualand could be swapped for the Richtersveld – a remote land of mountains and succulents along the Orange River that calls for a four-wheel drive and some experience – or you could simply spend longer in the Kalahari.

  • Less driving

    With a driver-guide, or with a flight to and from Upington, starting in the Kalahari and visiting the Cederberg and Namaqualand in a separate part of the journey.

  • On into Namibia

    From the Kgalagadi the route could continue into southern Namibia – the Fish River Canyon and the dunes of Sossusvlei – flying home from Windhoek.

  • More active

    A multi-day hike in the Cederberg, or a few days canoeing the Orange River and camping on its banks – with a guide and tents.

Practical considerations

  • The flower season depends entirely on winter rain: some years the bloom is spectacular, others modest, and its timing can shift by several weeks. We'd adjust the plan to the latest news, but we can't guarantee it.
  • Distances are long and fuel stops few: some legs take four hours or more. South Africa drives on the left, and every stop is at least two nights to keep the pace humane.
  • In the Kalahari days can be very hot and winter nights drop below freezing. The park's small camps are few, so they're worth planning well ahead.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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