Wondering things to do in Lesotho? There are countless places of interest in this beautiful country. Aside from several popular tourist attractions, there are many off-the-beaten-track destinations too. To get you started, below are some of the best places to visit and things to do in Lesotho.
Things to Know About Lesotho
Lesotho is a small landlocked nation in South Africa with several interesting facts. It is one of the three enclave countries in the world. The country, which covers an area of over 30,000 square kilometres, is situated in the Maloti Mountains.
Lesotho is one of the best places you can visit in Africa, as there will be plenty to explore on your trip. Nicknamed ‘The Kingdom of Sky’, Lesotho is packed with the most breathtaking mountain ranges.
People say Lesotho dwells in the sky because it is the only country in the world which is above 1,000 m. The inhabitants of Lesotho are known as Basotho, and they are about two million in the mountainous country. An individual person is known as Mosotho.
Best Time to Visit Lesotho
The best time to visit Lesotho is from March to April and September. This is during the southern hemisphere autumn and spring. During this time, the weather is pleasant, and the skies are clear, making it perfect for outdoor activities and sightseeing at the Lesotho attractions.
Since Lesotho is at high altitude, from April to August, Lesotho is very cold. Need convincing? When we camped at Ts’ehlanyane National Park in April, we woke up to frost every morning.
If you’re a fan of winter sports (and want to check out Afriski), then visit Lesotho during the winter months (June to August). The wet season, from November to March, can bring heavy rains and make some roads impassable.
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What to Pack for Lesotho
If travelling to Lesotho in the winter, it’ll be cold, so be sure to bring a warm jacket and layers. A rain jacket is useful at all times. Don’t forget good walking shoes and a sturdy daypack, so you can explore all the awesome places to visit in Lesotho. If camping, then you’ll also want a good sleeping bag (rated at least to -5C) to keep you warm.
Is Lesotho Safe to Visit?
Lesotho is very safe to visit. As with all places, petty crime does happen, however, the main problem is bag-snatching and pickpocketing in Maseru. Most of the crime happens in Masure and to be honest, there’s nothing worth keeping you there anyways.
Outside of the capital, violent crime (or even crime) against travellers is rare. When we camped at Maletsunyane Falls and hiked to the bottom of the waterfall, we asked a local about leaving our car at the viewing point. His response? “There’s no crime here”.
The biggest safety concerns in Lesotho are the roads and the terrible drivers. Never drive at night and drive defensively.
We also had a few issues with kids throwing rocks at our car and once, opening the passenger door whilst slowly crawling up a mountain pass. Lesson learned: keep your doors locked while driving.
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15 Things to do in Lesotho
1. Take a drive up Sani Pass
Sani Pass is probably one of the most popular things to do in Lesotho and probably the best-known Lesotho attraction.
What is Sani Pass, you ask? Well, Sani Pass is a scenic mountain pass connecting Lesotho to South Africa. It is a popular destination for 4×4 enthusiasts and offers stunning views of the surrounding Drakensberg Mountains, scattered amongst its generous serving of hairpin turns.
The road straddles that fine line between terrifying and exciting in the most brilliant way possible, making a drive up Sani Pass easily one of the best things to do in Lesotho.
2. Explore Maletsunyane Falls
Now, we’re not ones for hyperbole, but Maletsunyane Falls is epic. We loved it and thought it completely lived up to the hype and is absolutely one of the best places to visit in Lesotho.
Located a short drive (or hike or pony trek) from Semonkong village, Maletsunyane Falls is one of the highest single-drop waterfalls in Africa. The waterfall drops 192 meters into a pool below, creating a spectacular sight.
Visitors can (and should) hike to the bottom of the falls for an awesome perspective of this impressive natural wonder. It’s a fun and adventurous thing to do in Lesotho.
The hike, which has a few steep and slippery sections, can be arranged through a local guide (arranged in the neighbouring village or at Semkong Lodge) or done independently (the trail can be found on Wikiloc and maps.me).
For anyone looking to dial the experience up to an 11, It’s also possible to abseil down the falls. At 204 meters, top to bottom, it holds the world record for the longest commercially operated single-drop abseil in the world. No big deal.
3. Take in the local fashion
After spending a year road-tripping around Africa, we’ve certainly seen some outstanding fashion choices. People in Africa love their fashion!
But we must say, the fashion in Lesotho is a cut above the rest. Its creativity, flamboyance and cultural adaptations are a sight to behold and we wouldn’t be surprised to see some of these styles replicated in a New York fashion show one day. Seriously, it’s that good! Just admiring how awesome locals look is a fun thing to do in Lesotho.
While the styles vary slightly in detail, the centrepiece is always the traditional Basotho blanket. This is a thick woven blanket with unique designs that symbolise wealth, power and fertility.
The blanket has been a staple on the Lesotho fashing scene since the 19th century when a British diplomat gifted one to the ruler King Moshoeshoe I. The rest, my friends, is history.
4. Live it up at the Maletsunyane Braai festival
If you’re a fan of braai (Southern African BBQ) and music, then the Maletsunyane Braai Festival is a great thing to do in Lesotho. Held annually on the last weekend of November, the braai festival takes place against the backdrop of Maletsunyane Falls.
The event always features several prominent local and international musical acts and has a ton of delicious food stalls, making it one of the top Lesotho attractions.
5. Go pony trekking
If there is one thing Lesotho is known for in Southern Africa, it’s its sturdy Basotho ponies. These ponies are well adapted to the rugged Lesotho mountains and make for an excellent way to take in all the beautiful places to visit in Lesotho.
Hopping on a pony for a few hours (or days) worth of riding is easily one of the most popular things to do in Lesotho.
Treks can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days and can be arranged pretty much anywhere, at any time, with no notice. Seriously, you could just rock up to a random village and manage to arrange a pony trek.
And if you’re really keen (and your bum is ready), you can even go on this 8-day/7-night pony trek. Respect! (Don’t worry, there’s also a 3-day option too.)
6. Support community-based tourism at Malealea lodge
Charming Malealea Lodge in Lesotho’s remote western highlands is a wonderful place to visit in Lesotho, not just for its beautiful surroundings but also for its well-executed community-based tourism model.
Malealea Lodge offers excellent little rondavels, camping and heaps of activities. Proceeds from the lodge fund the Malealea Development Trust, which services several vital roles throughout the community, including educational initiatives, sustainable development projects and scholarship funds. This is a place to visit in Lesotho that makes a difference. Awesome!
The lodge and community have a mutually beneficial and harmonious relationship, whereby the lodge benefits from the friendly and welcoming community and the community benefits through jobs created via the lodge. This adds to a really neat vibe.
The lodge also offers lots of interesting activities such as organised hikes, mountain biking, pony trekking and community tours. They have a lot of fun things to do in Lesotho, all really well organised.
7. Watch the world go by from Semonkong lodge
Semonkong Lodge, located a few kilometres from Maletsunyane Falls also ranks amongst the best (and popular) places to visit in Lesotho. Its quirky pub, the Duck and Donkey Tavern, offers an excellent location to post up and watch the world go by.
As the lodge is located on the edge of town, there are limitless people-watching opportunities and it’s a nice way to soak up the vibe. It’s more downtempo than adventurous, but still a great thing to do in Lesotho to just get an overall sense of the place.
Semonkong Lodge also arranges many activities including hikes, pony trekking and community visits.
8. Hit the slopes at Afriski Mountain Resort
Yeah, you heard that right. If you visit Lesotho during the winter months (June to August), why not head to Afriski Mountain Resort in the Maluti Mountains for some skiing and snowboarding?
It’s one of the few places in Africa where you can experience winter sports. Ok, Afriski is a small resort with limited runs and you’re not going to get anything on the scale of the Alps, but it’s also a really unique thing to do in Lesotho, so a visit here is worth considering.
9. Grab a drink at the highest pub in Africa
Once you’ve gotten to the top of Sani Pass, be sure to stop for a drink at the Sani Mountain Lodge, the self-proclaimed highest pub in Africa and a rewarding place to visit in Lesotho.
The Sani Mountain Lodge is a really cosy space that includes a lovely fireplace and sweeping views of the valley below. What better way to celebrate conquering the Sani Pass than stopping by and enjoying a beverage at this unique spot? Don’t worry, if you don’t drink, you can get a hot chocolate too.
Be sure to bring a jacket because it’s cold up there.
10. Check out ancient dinosaur footprints
Back in 2017, one of the largest dinosaur footprints ever found was discovered in Lesotho. Now, you can spot a couple of them too. There are a number of places to visit in Lesotho that have dinosaur footprints: Subeng River Dinosaur Footprints, Tsikoane Village Dinosaur Footprints and Quthing are some of the main sites.
Visit the Subeng River Dinosaur Footprints. They’re somewhat eroded and some can be completely underwater, but you can see the outline, which is pretty neat. It’s not a mind-blowing thing to do in Lesotho, but it’s cute and by visiting, you’re supporting the local economy.
If you stop at Subeng River Dinosaur Footprints on your own, budget around 50 LTL per person for the guide to show you. And yes, you do need the guide, because you won’t find them on your own.
Unless you’re really big into paleontology, we don’t recommend going out of your way to see the dinosaur footprints, but they’ll likely be on the way to wherever you’re going, so you may as well stop and take a peek.
11. Go camping and hiking in Tselanyanye National Park
Located in central Lesotho, Ts’ehlanyane National Park is known for its lush valleys and indigenous forest. Several hiking trails lead to waterfalls, caves and panoramic viewpoints, making a jaunt around here an excellent thing to do in Lesotho.
If you’re coming from Sani Pass, the drive here is stunning. Entrance to the national park costs 50 LTL per person and 30 LTL per car (only paid once, upon entry).
Inside the park is massive Maliba Lodge with rooms and rondavels if you want a bed for the night, but for the adventurous, there is an excellent riverside campsite (one of our favourite places to visit in Lesotho).
12. Take an authentic community tour
Due to their isolation (i.e., being surrounded by mountains), the Basotho people in Lesotho have strongly retained their culture. It’s pretty evident and pretty awesome. Learning more about the Kingdom and the Basotho way of life is an awesome thing to do in Lesotho.
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You can learn about the Basotho culture through an insightful community tour. We highly recommend this as a thing to do in Lesotho.
We learned about all kinds of interesting practices including the importance of village chiefs, funeral traditions, the use and significance of flags throughout Lesotho villages and, as an added bonus, we even got to sample some local beer.
13. Explore Thaba-Bosiu
Thaba-Bosiu is another one of Lesotho’s attractions and a (relatively) popular place to visit in Lesotho. It is the most important historical site in Lesotho and therefore a top Lesotho attraction.
Thaba-Bosiu is a sandstone plateau and a national monument that holds great historical significance for the Basotho people. It is considered the birthplace of the Basotho people and served as the mountain fortress of King Moshoeshoe I, the founder of Lesotho.
You can supplement your Basotho knowledge by exploring the site and learning about Lesotho’s rich cultural and historical heritage. You can visit Thaba Bosiu independently or on this top-rated tour.
14. Get out and explore the mountains
Lesotho’s nickname is “the Kingdom in the Sky”, due to its high altitude and mountainous terrain. As such, the country is home to some of the most spectacular mountains in Southern Africa, making it a great place for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts.
Except for a few hikes around Malealea and Sani Pass, the trails aren’t developed in the sense you might be used to (i.e., they’re non-existent) and to explore them you’ll have to be pretty self-sufficient and prepared.
But for the adventurous and intrepid, it’s an unspoiled paradise. You can literally head off into the hills and see where your feet take you. Set up a tent, or, in most Basotho villages, you can rent a hut for the night. Be sure to find the chief and ask for permission (even if camping).
From Sani Pass, Thabana-Ntlenyana (3428m) is a popular full-day hike. For something a bit more hardcore, you can undertake a rugged 3 – 4 day trek to Sehlabathebe National Park. From Ts’ehlanyane National Park, there is a 39 km hike through challenging terrain that leads to Bokong Nature Reserve.
If you’d like more information on routes and options, Malealea Lodge is a useful resource for trekking in Lesotho. If you like your hikes well-organised, check out this epic 2-day hike, 3-day hike and 4-day hike through Lesotho villages.
15. Go for donkey pub crawl
That’s right, you heard me correctly. Take in Semonkong’s traditional and local entertainment in a truly unique way, riding a donkey.
Visit a traditional beer brewing home and local bars all while learning about the local Basotho people, their music and dancing. Sounds like fun, right?
How many times will you get the opportunity to do something like this? If your answer is “lots of times.” Well, that’s a bit weird, (but also awesome).
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