One of the world's largest canyons, and the green one. The Three Rondavels, three round peaks above the Blyde dam, are the signature view of the Panorama Route, seen from the rim or from a boat cruise far below.
The Blyde River Canyon is the high point of the Panorama Route, and one of the great canyons of the world. It runs for about 25 kilometres along the edge of the Mpumalanga escarpment, up to 800 metres deep, and unlike the bare canyons of the American west it’s clothed in subtropical green, which makes it the largest green canyon anywhere. The whole thing is a nature reserve, and the river that carved it is the Blyde, the ‘river of joy’.
The signature view is the Three Rondavels, three round dolomite peaks that stand over the Blyde dam at the northern end. They’re named for the round, thatched huts of the region, and from the clifftop viewpoint they line up over the water in the classic Panorama Route picture. Along the same rim, Lowveld View and World’s End open up more of the gorge, each a short walk from the road for a small fee.
For a different scale, drop down to the water. Boat cruises on the Blyde dam take you in under the canyon walls to the base of the Rondavels and the Kadishi Tufa, a tall ‘living’ waterfall built up from mineral-rich water, with hippos and birds along the way. The canyon sits at the northern end of the route, closest to Hoedspruit, and Bourke’s Luck Potholes is only fifteen minutes south in the same reserve. Come in the morning: like everywhere on the escarpment, the view is at its best before the afternoon mist climbs the cliffs.
The Three Rondavels from the rim, and the canyon from the water.
The Three Rondavels viewpoint is the classic shot, three round dolomite peaks standing over the Blyde dam far below. Along the rim, Lowveld View and World's End open up more of the canyon, all reached by short walks from the road, with a small entry fee at the main lookout.
A boat cruise on the Blyde dam takes you in under the canyon walls to the base of the Three Rondavels, past the Kadishi Tufa, a tall 'living' waterfall of mineral-rich water. The view from the water is a different scale from the rim, and good for birds and hippos.
The canyon faces the weather, and afternoon mist often closes the view. A clear, still morning gives the best of the Three Rondavels.
The main viewpoint is the signature stop on the whole Panorama Route. Get there first, then work the rim from Lowveld View to World's End.
A cruise on the Blyde dam shows you the canyon from below and reaches the Kadishi Tufa waterfall, a different angle from the clifftop views.
Bourke's Luck Potholes sits in the same reserve about 15 minutes south, an easy pairing on the same morning.
The viewpoints charge a small entry fee, and not every gate takes cards. Keep a little cash for the stops.
The canyon is at the northern end of the route, closest to Hoedspruit, and Graskop is the central base. Both pair the route with a Kruger safari.
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A cruise on the Blyde dam to the base of the Three Rondavels and the Kadishi Tufa waterfall, the canyon from the water.
Book on GetYourGuide →A guided full day taking in the Three Rondavels, the Blyde River Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes and God's Window.
Book on Viator →A guided day on the northern Panorama Route from Hoedspruit, taking in the canyon and the Three Rondavels.
See day tours →A full guided day of the route from Hazyview, with the canyon, God's Window, the potholes and the Graskop Gorge Lift.
See full-day tours →Lodges and guesthouses around Hoedspruit and Graskop, the bases for the northern route and a Kruger add-on.
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The Blyde canyon is the high point of the Panorama Route. See the rest of what the route holds.
