Our 2025 Great Karoo V1 4×4 Tour has been planned to offer a complete experience of nature, relaxation, easy and technical driving and some of the best sights you will see in the Karoo.
The routes we have chosen are generally not difficult, and can be managed by any 4×4 vehicle with low range capability. The routes range from good tar to serviceable gravel roads as well as several two spoor track sections ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 3. (Please note that no pets are allowed)
Key Details
- Distance: 700 km.
- Drivers’ Briefing, VHF Radio Fitment & Welcoming Party: From 16.00 on Monday, 7th July, 2025, at Kronenhoff Guest Lodge, Kirkwood.
- Start Kirkwood – 08h30: Tuesday, 8th July, 2025.
- Closing Function & Prize-giving: Drostdy Hotel, Graaff Reinet, from 18h00 Sunday, 13th July, 2025.
- End of Tour/Departure: 09h00 –Monday, 14th July, 2025.
All vehicles will be supplied with FM marine-quality two-way radios so we can all communicate. (This is included in the tour price)
Scroll down for Itinerary, Pricing Info & Cancellation Policy
Great Karoo 4×4 Tour Itinerary
Day Zero – Monday 7th July, 2025
Meet and greet at the Kronenhoff Guest Lodge in Kirkwood (Nqweba) any time after 14.00. Radio fitments take place between 16.00 & 17.00. Welcome and drivers briefing at 18.00. Dinner at 19.00. Rest well as tomorrow will be a busy day.
Day 1 – Tuesday 8th July, 2025
We start the tour off with some proper adventure as we head to the starting point of the Bedrogfontein 4×4 route just a few km north of Kirkwood, where we check in and get our permits paid. Pack sufficient food and drinks for the day.
The route is mainly Grade 1 for the first 10 km, until we reach the Mvubu turn off. Thereafter things become a little slower as we start the Grade 2 section, passing various historical points of interest.
The Bedrogfontein 4×4 trail between the Kabouga and Darlington areas of the Addo Elephant National Park provides breathtaking views and is rich in history. This route was the scene of fierce battles between the British and Boer troops during the Anglo-Boer war. Be sure to visit the cottage where Jan Smuts and his soldiers stayed and where he was in a coma after eating cycad seeds. Rock art paintings are found scattered throughout the area.
The route traverses through a variety of vegetation types, from riverine thicket, to afromontane forest, to fynbos on the peaks and into the arid Nama-Karoo of the Darlington area. This is strictly a 4×4 route and requires a vehicle with good ground clearance and low range. Bedrogfontein translates into Fraud Fountain. The route may only be driven from east to west and takes between 5 and 6 hours excluding stops and any side diversions. It is rated Grade 1 through to 3 and is suitable for intermediate and experienced drivers.
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After a major descent we will pass close to the Darlington Dam, which is an important dam in terms of irrigation for the vibrant citrus farming area of the Sundays River Valley.
Once past the dam we drive a series of three back to poorts, known collectively as Paardepoort, which drops us back onto the tarred R75 and then an easy drive back to our base in Kirkwood.
Day 2 – Wednesday 9th July, 2025
This day is reserved for a full exploration of the Addo Elephant National Park. You will drive through the reserve at your own pace, but everyone will be connected via the two way radios, so you can share the good sightings with your fellow guests.
Note that predators that have been introduced into the park, so you need to be very aware of where you get out of your vehicle. There are designated safe spots. Please adhere to the notices. We don’t want anyone missing out on the rest of the tour in lieu of lion lunch.
In the evening we regroup at Kronenhoff at 1800 for Chappies Hour, followed by dinner at 1900.
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Day 3 – Thursday 10th July, 2025
Our route takes us over the first big mountain range into the Karoo proper. We say farewell to Kirkwood as we head up the gravel Doringnek Pass and stop in at the delightful Zuurberg Mountain Inn for a comfort break..
Next up is the highlight of the day – a south/north traverse of the old Zuurberg Pass, which was constructed in 1855.
This long and sometimes extreme gravel pass is located on a secondary road (the R335) in the Eastern Cape approximately 35 km north of Addo and 75 km south of Somerset East. At 27,5 km it is one of the longer passes in South Africa and traverses all four tiers of the dominant Zuurberg Mountain range. It was originally constructed by Henry Fancourt White in 1849, but White resigned during the construction phase to take up a post in parliament, leaving the project in the capable hands of the assistant roads engineer, Mr. Matthew Woodifield, whose name appears carved into a rock slab near the southern end of the pass.
The Zuurberg mountains comprise four high chains running parallel, but separated by deep and rugged kloofs. As you ascend between the kloofs to the mountain summit, cycads Encephalartos altensteinii (darker green leaves) and the Encephalartos Lehmannii (light grayish leaves), the Aloe pluridens gracefully contrast themselves out against the harsh background of the typical East Cape shrubs, and red rocks of the conglomeritic Enon Formation.
Local legend has it that Matthew Woodifield (the engineer who completed the Suurberg Pass) fell down this cliff on his horse with both perishing and that his ghost appears from time to time in the mountain mists on cold winters nights. It’s a story retold with relish around the fireside in the mountaintop pub, but this is a fanciful story as history records reveal that Woodifield was still very much alive in 1855 and there is no record of him dying on this road. The inscription was more likely to have been made in honour of his engineering efforts.
The pass was built between 1847 and 1857 by Henry Fancourt White (who also built the famous Montagu Pass) using about 250 convicts. At the time it was the only road to the interior from Port Elizabeth. Originally, It formed part of the main road between Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg, and continued to do yeoman service for almost 100 years.
Shortly after Sir George Napier’s appointment as Governor of the Cape in 1838, he visited the Eastern Province. He was appalled at the state of the roads and subsequently devoted much of his energies towards improving the communications between Cape Town and the eastern parts of the Province.
When the Montagu Pass had been completed in December, 1847, the entire gang of 250 convicts was transferred from there to the Zuurberg, in order to commence a road that would provide a direct route from Port Elizabeth to the districts of Graaff-Reinet, Somerset East, Cradock and Colesberg across what was described as “another impossible mountain range”.
Length: 27.5 km
Altitude: 888m
Altitude Gained: 292m
The end of the Zuurberg Pass is marked by an old double story home, known as Anne’s Villa. It has deteriorated a lot over the last 50 years, but has been sold recently to new owners. We hope the old building will be restored to its former glory.
Our route heads resolutely north over the wide plains of the first Karoo plateau, headed for the frontier town of Somerset East (Now named Kwa Nojoli), where we connect with the R63 towards Pearston.
Two majestic gravel passes await to take us over the next set of mountains. The Buffelshoek and Swaershoek passes. Both are in reasonable condition.
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The pass is 3,9 km long and has an altitude variance of a 330m producing a challenging average climb rate of 1:12 with the steeper sections measuring in at 1:6. It’s located just 15 kilometres north-east of Pearston.
At this stage we are well into the higher elevation section of the Karoo. The next pass is the Swaershoek Pass.
The Swaershoek Pass (translated as Brother-in-laws Pass) is a major gravel pass located about 20 km south-west of Cradock. The pass is quite long at 8,1 km and has an altitude variance of 468m which produces an average gradient of 1:17, but there are many sections which are considerably steeper at 1:11. Despite the steep gradients and unpaved surface, the pass is well designed and is suitable for all vehicles in fair weather. The pass connects Cradock with Pearston 70 km further south.
We drive through Cradock and a fuel stop, headed for our next stop – the Mountain Zebra National Park, where we will check into our self catering chalets. The chalets are in a safe zone, protected from predators by an electric fence. We won’t be eating at the Hungry Lion!
Chappies Hour at 1800. Dinner in the restaurant at 1900.
Day 4 – Friday 11th March, 2025
An easy day as you get to explore the magnificent MZNP at your own pace in your own vehicle. We will kick start the day by guiding you over one of the three 4×4 routes in the park, where we always enjoy good game viewing.
Mountain Zebra National Park is a national park in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa; established in July 1937 for the purpose of providing a nature reserve for the endangered Cape mountain zebra. It is surrounded by 896,146 hectares (2,214,420 acres) of the Mountain Zebra-Camdeboo Protected Environment.
In the early 1930s, the Cape mountain zebra was threatened with extinction. The National Parks Board of Trustees proclaimed a 17.12 km2 area for the zebra’s preservation in 1938 after the purchase of the farm Babylons Toren, Cradock the year before. The mountain zebra population of the park comprised only five stallions and one mare and was insufficient to expand the population. By 1950 only two stallions remained, and a neighbouring farmer, Mr H L Lombard, improved the breeding pool by donating eleven zebra to the park, five stallions and six mares.
By 1964, there were only 25 zebra in the park. At this time, the park’s size was increased to 65.36 km2 (25.24 sq mi) and Paul Michau donated six zebra to the park. From then on, the number of zebras increased steadily to about 140. In 1975, the zebras were re-introduced to the Western Cape at the De Hoop Nature Reserve.
Since 1978, capture and relocation of mountain zebra to new habitat have been part of the routine management of the park. Currently (2015) the park’s herd has over 700 animals, and an average of about 20 animals are relocated each year. Through the years, additional farms have been purchased to increase the size of the park to the current 284 km2.
After that the day is yours. Drive, game watch, explore, relax, sleep, read a book.
Chappies Hour 1800. Dinner at the restaurant at 1900.
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Day 5 – Saturday 12th March, 2025
An easy day, as we delve ever deeper into the Karoo heartland as we traverse the big Wapadsberg Pass. Being midwinter, there is a chance we might experience snow on the pass.
This long pass of 16.8 km runs on the east/west axis between Graaff-Reinet and Cradock on the tarred R61 route. This is a high altitude pass summiting at 1768m ASL which puts it firmly into the snow belt. The average gradient is a mild 1:46, but there are sections where the gradients get as steep as 1:10, which translates into slow moving heavy trucks for ascending traffic.
The engineering is excellent and double lanes have been provided for most of the steeper ascending sections. The pass is named after the mountain range over which it passes. Most of the corners have a comfortable arc and the deep cuttings ensure that the gradients have been kept to a level which prevents blind rises. This is a wonderful pass to drive at any time of the year and is suitable for all vehicles.
We head west to locate the high altitude, gravel surfaced Witnek Pass, which provides a good view of the well-known Karoo landmark – Kompasberg, which has a distinct profile and be seen from a great distance away. It’s easy as to how it got its name as the travelers in the 1800’s would most certainly have used the peak to help them navigate the wide and thirsty Karoo plains.
You will have the afternoon free to explore the village of Nieu Bethesda. Amongst some of the points of interest are the Owl House Museum, dedicated to the artist Helen Martins (a subject all of its own), the impressive Dutch Reformed Church, the home of playwright Athol Fugard, cosy little coffee shops or just walk and breathe in the clean Karoo air. A real treat is to take a donkey cart ride with a local guide who is full of knowledge and a delightful way to spend an hour experiencing the Karoo in the best possible way. Local is lekker!
Our group has been booked in at three different stylish guest houses, but our meals will all be enjoyed at one venue.
Day 6 – Sunday 13th July, 2025
We say goodbye to sleepy Nieu Bethesda and head towards Graaff Reinet, but we will be going along a back road, Michielshoogte, where the kudu jump high (easily clearing a 2m fence from a standing start). Soon we intersect with the R63 and descend the Oudeberg Pass, which was built, amongst others, by Thomas Bain’s father, Andrew Geddes Bain. This where Andrew Bain first settled as a saddler (from Thurso in Scotland), before trying his hand at roads construction.
Our main attraction for the day is the Camdeboo National Park. We will drive to the very highest point on the steep and winding (tarred) pass, to enjoy the jaw dropping views of the Valley of Desolation. You’ll have a good chance of seeing eagles flying around the vertical cliffs.
Our tour ends at the 5 star Drostdy Hotel in Graaf-Reinet, where we will let our hair down and enjoy wonderful food and fine wine as we recount the memorable parts of the tour and enjoy the camaraderie of old and new friends.
Day 7 -Monday 14th July, 2025
Everyone heads home after a proper South African breakfast. Rooms to be vacated by 10.00. You will have completed the safest part of your journey. Remember to reinflate your tyres before driving at highway speeds and most of all, remain in chill mode.
* If neither of the above takes place = 40% refund or 60% credit voucher
Our routes are always bespoke and you will be guaranteed the trip of a lifetime, packed with facts, folklore, history and geology snippets – all of it done in a safe, responsible manner.
Tour price (excluding accommodation and meals):
1 Vehicle/1 Person R17,444
1 Vehicle/2 People R18,444
1 Vehicle/3 People R19,444
1 Vehicle/4 People R20,444
Tour price is calculated on number of adults (over 18) per vehicle.
Tour price includes expert guiding, VHF radio hire, Route notes, folders, stationery, name tags, use of recovery gear, compressors and first aid, but excludes accommodation & travel costs.
Accommodation & Other Costs for this tour
Accommodation, meals and ancillary costs are extra, which we will invoice out to you separately about 4 weeks before the tour.
- Approximately R1500 per person, per day (sharing) for accommodation, breakfast & dinner. Single supplement applies.
- Pack your own ‘padkos’ for lunches, which we enjoy at whatever scenic spot takes our fancy along the route.
CANCELLATION POLICY
If you cancel more than 60 days ahead of the tour:
* If you are able to resell your place to a friend or family member = 100% refund or 100% credit voucher.
* If we resell your ticket on your behalf = 80% refund or 100% credit voucher
If you cancel between 60 and 30 days before the tour:
* If you are able to resell your place to a friend or family member = 100% refund or 100% credit voucher.
* If we resell your ticket on your behalf = 70% refund or 90% credit voucher
If you cancel less than 30 days before the tour:
* If you are able to resell your place to a friend or family member = 100% refund or 100% credit voucher.
* If we resell your ticket on your behalf = 60% refund or 80% credit voucher * If neither of the above is applicable, 40% refund or 60% credit voucher.
Accommodation & meal refunds:
Invoices are generally sent out between 4 and 6 weeks ahead of the tour start date.
* If you have already received your invoice, you are liable for it, subject to us interacting with the various venues to get you a refund. We pay the venues up front for your accommodation. Most of the establishments are reasonable and offer a full refund. Whatever we can negotiate will be credited to you in full.
Please get in touch with us directly with any questions you may have by email: info@mountainpassessouthafrica.co.za
