Graskop Gorge

The lift was opened in 2017 and was designed to be the gentlest way for visitors of any fitness level to experience the indigenous forest of the Graskop Falls gorge. The glass-walled cabin descends in 30 seconds along a counterweighted track and opens onto a network of raised wooden boardwalks that snake through the canopy past 200-year-old yellowwoods, tree ferns and cycads.

Interpretive panels along the boardwalks identify trees, mushrooms, birds and the small mammals that live in the gorge — samango monkeys, bushbuck and the occasional crowned eagle nesting overhead. A short side trail leads to the base of the Graskop Falls, where the Motitsi River drops 80 metres over the escarpment.

For the more adventurous, the site has added a Big Swing (68 metres of freefall in a harness), a Foefie zipline that strings 1.1 kilometres across the gorge, a 140-metre suspension bridge, and a Big Tube ride. Each is bookable separately at the visitor centre, with safety gear and instructors provided.

Above ground there is a restaurant, a craft beer terrace, an indigenous nursery, a small Africa-themed shopping village and a café with one of the best views in town. The site is wheelchair-friendly for the lift and lower boardwalks, and most visitors spend 90 minutes to two hours.

Practical info: the Graskop Gorge Lift is open daily from 08:00 to 17:00. The lift and forest walk are around R230 per adult and R130 per child, with separate tickets for the zipline, swing and suspension bridge. It is a 10-minute drive from God's Window and a regular stop on our Panorama Route day tour from Johannesburg.