Clarens
An art-and-sandstone village in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains — the Free State's one tourist village, and a genuine one.
Trip Role
Ideal stay
Best for
Our take
The Free State's one genuine tourist village — golden sandstone, art galleries, and the gateway to Golden Gate, worth a trip in its own right.
The Free State's one genuine tourist village — golden sandstone, art galleries, and the gateway to Golden Gate, worth a trip in its own right.
- Trip Role
- Trip Anchor
- Ideal Stay
- 2–3 nights
- Best For
- Art-and-craft travellers, scenery travellers, Golden Gate visitors, Lesotho highlands aspirants.
- Skip If
- Big-game safari travellers.
- Go If
- You want the one Free State destination town, or you're visiting Golden Gate Highlands National Park.
- Worth Extra Drive
- 0 min
Why go
A village in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains on the Free State-Lesotho border — an art-and-craft and brewery village of golden sandstone, surrounded by the sandstone cliffs of the Rooiberge and the Golden Gate Highlands National Park 20 minutes away. Clarens is the Free State's one genuine tourist village — galleries, a craft-beer route, the spectacular sandstone scenery, and the gateway to Golden Gate. It is the one Free State destination worth a trip in its own right, and the obvious base for the Golden Gate–Lesotho highlands corner.
What we love
The golden sandstone; the art galleries; the brewery route; the Rooiberge cliffs above the village; Golden Gate 20 minutes away.
What to know
Book ahead on weekends — it's busy. Golden Gate is the essential pairing. The Lesotho Sani Pass is 90 minutes away through Underberg.
What's here
Best things nearby
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