Fish River Canyon Holidays

Adventurous travellers will love hiking down into the depths of Fish River Canyon. You'll be guided on a full-day trek through the aptly-named Jelly Legs Gorge, a trail that takes you past epic viewpoints. It’s a challenging hike that involves traversing rock-strewn slopes and scrambling over boulders, but the reward is getting to experience the world’s second-largest canyon.

When you hike, you can see the changing layers of sediment up close, the different rock colours and elephant skin weathering. Along the way, there’s a chance of spotting some of Fish River Canyon’s endemic wildlife, including oryx, kudu and springbok, Hartman’s mountain zebra and the shy rock hyrax. You’ll also notice birds swooping above, including black eagles. The main focus on the walk, though, is the views and the geology. You'll also learn about the flora, which includes over 100 types of succulents and quiver trees which can be up to 300 years old.

Eventually, you will reach the rock pools at the bottom, where you can cool off with a swim in the heart of the canyon. Enjoy a picnic lunch before making the long climb back up to the lodge – it’s a strenuous eight-to-ten-hour journey all together. If you don’t want to tackle the climb, there are flat canyon rim walks you can take instead from the lodge. Walk them in the morning and late afternoon when the light and shadows play across the rocks, it’s spectacular.

It’s not until you drive down into Fish River Canyon that you get a true sense of its size. As you descend into the world’s second-biggest canyon, you can clearly see the different layers of sedimentary rock, the colourful quartz and limestone minerals. You'll see the elephant skin rock weathering and the ancient petroglyphs left behind by San hunters.

On the way down, you'll stop at various viewpoints to photograph the canyon. Your guide will point out the endemic vegetation, which includes succulents and quiver trees. There’s a chance of spotting some of the canyon’s game, including springboks, kudus and oryx, as well as baboons and the shy rock hyrax. If you’re very lucky, you may see a brown hyena or a rare leopard.

The bottom of the canyon is carved by the Fish River, which flows during the rainy season from January to April. It’s a spectacular sight; you can see why the local Nama people believe the canyon was formed by a giant snake thrashing around. The river dries into a series of pools, which you can swim in. Enjoy a picnic while taking in the views – you'll feel tiny surrounded by this 500-million-year-old geological wonder.

The canyon-rim sundowner drive is a shorter option. Head off in the late afternoon, stopping at two viewpoints to photograph the canyon during golden hour when the light is fantastic. At the third viewpoint, set on a plateau, a table is set up with drinks and snacks, which you can enjoy while watching the sun sink over the canyon, transforming the colours of the rock and the sky.