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15 things to do in Clarens in the Free State

11/1/2023

49 Comments

 
Things to do in Clarens in the Free State - bookshop
​By Roxanne Reid
The eastern part of South Africa’s Free State province, lying along the Maluti mountains, is a place for all seasons. Enjoy afternoon thundershowers in summer and see it transformed into a snowy wonderland in winter. In autumn, trees and grasses form a mosaic of red and copper. Here’s my pick of 15 things to do in Clarens.

​Note that I have included links to all accommodation and activity providers in the points below so that you can contact them directly to make a booking or enquire about prices. I have not mentioned prices because they change from time to time and the provider is the best source of up to-date info.

1. Visit a national park
Brandwag Buttress in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park
What to do in Clarens? Your list should definitely include a visit to the Golden Gate Highlands National Park less than 20km east of Clarens to appreciate sandstone mountains formed from compacted sand dunes 190 to 196 million years ago when the area was a desert. If you drive one of the mountain loops you can see mammals like eland, hartebeest and zebra, as well as 60 species of grass and layered views of the surrounding mountains. Visit the vulture hide on the Oribi Loop for a chance to see the endangered bearded vulture (lammergeier) and other vultures. Have fun learning about culture at the Basotho Cultural Village and see the signature Brandwag Buttress (pictured above) lit up at night, when it has a more mysterious aspect than in bright sunshine.

2. Go shopping
Clarens shops
I’m not a great lover of shopping but Clarens shops are fun, with everything from pottery, leatherwork and handmade knives to art galleries, traditional blankets and books. Find quality leather shoes, belts and bags at Groundcover, which also has a collection of well-made teddy bears. Other browse-worthy shops include the outdoor Clarens Unique Garden Products with its wrought iron gazebos and other garden furniture, the Ugly Duckling for a collection of bric-a-brac, curios, rugs and furniture, the Cheeky Mouse for scarves, wooden signs and woven mats. For vintage clothing and antiques, visit the Mona Lisa Garment Gallery. There are plenty of nice décor shops dotted around the town to temp you into a purchase.

3. Visit the cutest bookshop in the country 
Bookshop in Clarens
Bibliophile is a pretty red corrugated iron building reminiscent of the gold prospecting town of Pilgrim’s Rest in Mpumalanga. Inside, it’s all honey-blond wood and filtered sunlight, a great atmosphere to encourage book lovers to browse. Unfortunately, the young guy working there on the Monday we visited was bit offhand and didn’t know who Dalene Matthee was, but I suspect Monday is such an off day in Clarens after the busy weekend that they field their weaker players.

4. Delve into history
Pretend you’re a Free Stater during the Anglo-Boer War and discover what it feels like to capitulate to the British by visiting Surrender Hill about 10km from Clarens on the Fouriesburg Road. Or do a historical tour to visit the first Boer settlement after the Great Trek and the cave where women and kids sheltered during the Anglo-Boer War. If really old history (as in palaeontological) floats your boat, book a Dinosaur Tour to follow the fossilised footsteps of dinosaurs and mammal-like reptiles.

5. Go mountain biking
Mountain biking in Clarens with Clarens Xtreme
Bring your mountain bike and ride one of the trails in the area. Choose from a sedate 11km village loop or a track through the Clarens Village Conservancy to some single-track technical stuff with tough climbs to the top of a mountain. The guys to talk to are Clarens Xtreme, who will sell you a map for a small fee.

6. Go horse riding 
Horse riding in Clarens
Photo: Bokpoort
If a different kind of saddling up appeals to you, go horse riding in Clarens. Do a hour-long morning ride into the mountains around the village or a two-hour sundowner ride on a cowboy ranch. Book ahead via email [email protected].

7. Put on your walking shoes 
Hiking in Clarens
Hiking in Clarens? Tick. There’s a number of short walking trails in and around the town, as part of the Clarens Village Conservancy. Most give good views of the village and are easy to moderate in difficulty. The Golden Gate Highlands National Park nearby also offers many hiking trails, from the one-hour Mushroom Rock walk near Glen Reenen Rest Camp, one-hour Holkrans and Brandwag Buttress walks near Brandwag, or the four- to five-hour hike up to Wodehouse Peak at 2440m. You don’t need to book for any of these but it’s always a good idea to tell someone where you’re going.

8. Go quad biking 
Quad biking in Clarens
Photo: Sethuthuthu Tours
Make the most of the beautiful environment by joining Sethuthuthu Tours to quad bike up steep inclines and through little mountain streams to get a taste of what the Voortrekkers with their ox wagons must have struggled against in the old days. Guides will tell you about the indigenous plants, geology and history of the region. Other outfits that offer quad biking are Clarens Xtreme, Outrageous Adventures and Maluti Mountain Adventures.

9. Fulfill your adrenalin junkie dreams 
Clarens activities and adventures: white-water rafting in Clarens
Photo: Clarens Xtreme
If you’re looking for an adrenalin rush, then you’re spoilt for choice with Clarens Xtreme, who offer everything from abseiling and ziplining to white-water rafting along the thrilling Ash River Outfall from the Lesotho Highlands. Outrageous Adventures also offers white-water rafting and abseiling.

10. Visit the cherry festival 
Cherry sellers in Calrens during Cherry Festival time in November
Clarens cherry vendors Monica (left) and Amelia
Visit in November for the annual Cherry Festival in Ficksburg about 80km from Clarens. If that’s too far, support the vendors in the town square by buying a punnet of summer-fresh cherries.
​
11. Take to the skies in a hot air balloon 
Hot air ballooning in Clarens
Experience the romantic thrill of floating into the air over the Maluti mountains for wonderful views over the Eastern Free State and a chance to take superb photos. Enjoy breakfast in the village afterwards. Contact Hot Air Ballooning SA.

12. Try your hand at fly fishing
Put on your silly jacket and hat and go catch-and-release fly fishing for trout in the Little Caldeon River at De Molen or Craigrossie Trout Lodge.
​
13. Eat out 
Clementines Clarens: Clarens restaurants
If you’re looking to enjoy a leisurely meal, there’s an abundance of Clarens restaurants and coffee shops lining the streets. I can highly recommend Clementines Clarens (sit outside under a shady awning to enjoy good food and a chilled atmosphere) and 278 on Main (where we enjoyed super burgers and salads). Other popular restaurants we visited were the Courtyard Café and Bakery (nice food and friendly staff, but the apple crumble was soggy), The Highlander (a nice buzz and the food not bad, though the cheese sauce on the chicken schnitzel tasted of uncooked flour) and Sugar & Cinnamon. This last one really irritated us with its high prices and compulsory 10% gratuity slapped onto all bills, even for two people. We checked with the waitress who confirmed that the gratuity is passed on to her, which was fine since she gave us good service; if we’d had bad service I’d have been annoyed.

14. Visit an art gallery
There’s no shortage of art galleries in Clarens, so if you love to surround yourself with art you’ll be a happy ray of sunshine. Think edgy contemporary art to landscapes, impressionism and realism to abstracts. A popular choice for browsing is the Blou Donki (blue donkey) in the Windmill Centre, which includes sculpture and ceramics from established and emerging artists.

15. Stay in Clarens accommodation 
Clarens accommodation
As you can see from the list of things to do above, there’s no way you can visit for a day and experience all the activities in Clarens; much better to stay over for at least two or three days. There are more than 120 Clarens accommodation providers to choose from. They include everything from a full-service hotel to guest houses, B&Bs, self-catering cottages, even a castle for those who want a romantic atmosphere. For a list of some of the options, simply Google Clarens accommodation and lots of lists, like Lekkeslaap, SA-Venues and SafariNow, will pop up.

If you love nature or are on a tight budget and want to camp, the campsite at the Golden Gate Highlands National Park is only about 20km east of Clarens.
View from the window at Ashbrook Country Lodge accommodation in Clarens
Pre-sunrise view from the window of our self-catering cottage
Where to find Clarens
Clarens is about 280km north-east of Bloemfontein in the Free State, and about 40km south-east of Bethlehem.

You may also enjoy
Golden Gate Highlands National Park: the ultimate guide
​Why to visit the Royal Hotel, Bethulie, Free State

​Like it? Pin this image! 
Visiting Clarens in South Africa’s Free State province? Find out things to do there, from visiting the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, delving in history and dinosaurs, mountain biking in Clarens, horse riding in Clarens, hiking in Clarens, quad biking in Clarens, abseiling, ziplining and white-water rafting in Clarens, hot air ballooning, fly fishing in Clarens, Clarens restaurants and art galleries, and Clarens accommodation. #Clarens #FreeState #africantravel
Visiting Clarens in South Africa’s Free State province? Find out things to do there, from visiting the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, delving in history and dinosaurs, mountain biking in Clarens, horse riding in Clarens, hiking in Clarens, quad biking in Clarens, abseiling, ziplining and white-water rafting in Clarens, hot air ballooning, fly fishing in Clarens, Clarens restaurants and art galleries, and Clarens accommodation. #Clarens #FreeState #africantravel
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
49 Comments
Collin Baartman
13/12/2018 08:49:46 pm

Thank Roxanne for your informative blog.

I enjoy hiking but it worries me that there are no trails safe enough for solo (day and overnight) hiking. Are there any you can recommend. I enjoy group hiking but it always is a logistical nightmare and people often disappoint.
Please advise.

Thank you

Reply
Roxanne
14/12/2018 06:13:42 am

I agree that there are always concerns about safety, Collin, but I don't think this area is a high-risk one. On a recent trip I met two young girls who hiked alone on one of the Clarins conservancy trails for four hours without incident, and I'm not aware of any recent problems on the trails in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park.

Reply
Shadi
20/6/2023 09:02:27 am

I am in Clarens now, how do I find out about hikes

Alon Lanzer
22/1/2020 11:15:23 am

You can also do the Ribok trail in the golden gate national park its an overnight hike with a hut half way to sleep in, i havent heard of any incident there

Reply
Roxanne
22/1/2020 11:20:31 am

You're right, Alon. You can find out more about the Ribbok Trail and the Golden Gate park in my guide here: https://www.roxannereid.co.za/blog/golden-gate-highlands-national-park-the-ultimate-guide

Roxanne
20/6/2023 04:12:27 pm

Shadi, I suggest you reread the paragraph in italics above point 1. Then reread point 7 all about some of the hikes you can do and who can give you more info (Golden Gate Highlands National Park, with a link to their website to make it easy for you). Hope you enjoy the hikes.

Reply
Nomacala Sethabela
28/1/2020 10:02:33 pm

Can you please send me all the Clarens activities and its prices please at my above email address

Reply
Roxanne
29/1/2020 06:36:13 am

I'm not a tourism agency, just a writer who wrote about my own experiences in Clarens. Each experience I've mentioned in the list above has a website link to the place mentioned so you can follow up for more details and prices. Or have a look at Clarens Tourism's website here: https://clarenssa.co.za/

Reply
Maggy
3/8/2021 09:27:25 am

I need to know the price of the activities please

Reply
Roxanne Reid
3/8/2021 10:06:50 am

Most of the activity suppliers have a live link in this blog post. You need to click the link to the activities you're interested in and enquire about costs directly from the activity suppliers.

Mamanahano Alinah Khiba
13/3/2023 05:43:45 pm

Send me all activities and the price

Reply
Roxanne Reid
15/3/2023 12:18:39 pm

Please read the second paragraph, just above Number 1.

Gift
25/4/2023 07:37:33 pm

pls send golden gate activities and prices including accommodation price for two adult person a day and for three days

Roxanne
26/4/2023 04:47:41 pm

Gift, I've given you my suggestions of 15 things to do in Clarens. For anything else, please read the second paragraph of the post and contact the suppliers directly - there are links to their websites in the post. As I said, "Note that I have included links to all accommodation and activity providers in the points below so that you can contact them directly to make a booking or enquire about prices. I have not mentioned prices because they change from time to time and the provider is the best source of up to-date info."

Khumo
5/2/2020 02:15:46 pm

Hey

How much do all the activities cost?

Reply
Roxanne Reid
5/2/2020 02:34:38 pm

I'm just a writer who wrote about my experiences, not a tourism agency. Prices change from year to year so that's why I gave live links in the post to the websites of the operators so that you can follow them up directly with each place concerned. .

Reply
Sharmaine Singh
11/9/2020 11:44:25 am

Hi, really wanna stay here but need to know first if there
are there snakes n the area?

Reply
Roxanne
11/9/2020 03:40:34 pm

Sharmaine, I would say that Clarens, like the rest of South Africa, has snakes. You're unlikely to encounter them unless you go hiking, though, and even then remember that most snakes will give you a wide berth. As soon as they feel the vibrations of your footsteps, they'll slink away; they want to see you even less than you want to see them.

Reply
Debby
14/9/2020 03:04:40 pm

Did you come across places to picnic

Reply
Roxanne
15/9/2020 08:21:23 pm

It's easy enpough to pack a picnic for any of the hiking trails, Debby. There is also a special picnic-and-braai site called Meriting in the Golden Gate National Park a few km away - read more about it here https://www.roxannereid.co.za/blog/golden-gate-highlands-national-park-the-ultimate-guide

Reply
Patience
19/9/2020 11:24:03 pm

May I be provided with a list of all activities and prices please?

Reply
Roxanne
22/9/2020 07:21:58 pm

Hi Patience, I'm just a writer writing about some of my experiences, not a travel agent or tourism office. Try clicking on the live links in the article to find out more about the specific activities you're interested in, or contacting the operator directly about prices.

Reply
Gerard Johnson
22/9/2020 12:26:24 pm

thanks Roxanne for the very valuable information.

Reply
Roxanne
22/9/2020 07:22:16 pm

Thanks, Gerard, Glad to help.

Reply
Ms. Barnes
2/11/2020 12:38:17 am

I love this article. x

Reply
Roxanne
2/11/2020 12:34:09 pm

Thanks, Ms Barnes, I'm always glad when readers enjoy what I write. Clarens is an awesome little spot.

Reply
Edward
24/11/2020 10:30:48 am

Good morning, can i get details so that i can book for December

Reply
Roxanne Reid
27/11/2020 06:17:31 pm

I'm not a booking agent or accommodation provider, just a writer who has made some suggestions and included links in my post so you can get more info direct from the source. I suggest you follow those links for things that interest you and send your query direct to the businesses concerned.

Reply
Meredith Wright link
24/12/2020 09:35:28 am

Thank you so much for this blog Roxanne. Really useful information. 🌺

Reply
Roxanne
11/1/2021 08:34:18 am

Glad you found it helpful, Meredith, and that you enjoyed your visit to Clarens.

Reply
Mbali
19/1/2021 08:02:41 pm

Really enjoyed this. I'm planning a girls trip to Clarens in August. Hopefully gonna pull it through

Reply
Roxanne
22/1/2021 08:50:04 pm

Oh that sounds wonderful, Mbali. I hope you really enjoy yourselves.

Reply
Laren Beni
3/5/2021 10:28:52 pm

Hi Roxanne

Great blog! We will be spending 3 days in Clarens in 2 weeks time & your material came in very handy.

Really looking forward to our trip!

Reply
Roxanne Reid
4/5/2021 06:33:52 am

Thanks, it's always great to know something I've written has been useful. I'm sure you'll love your stay. Clarens is very romantic in cooler weather.

Reply
Agnes Tshabalala-Matsobane link
2/8/2021 10:16:29 pm

Booking for 7days first week December 2021 for 4people

Reply
Roxanne
3/8/2021 09:22:48 am

Agnes, I'm not a booking agent or accommodation provider, just a writer who has made some suggestions and included links in my post so you can get more info direct from the source. I suggest you follow those links for activities or accommodation that interests you and send your query direct to the businesses concerned.

Reply
Nokwazi
16/8/2021 06:07:16 pm

My mom always takes me to fickburg and I have been to clearance before and we went to a cheese place

Reply
Roxanne Reid
16/8/2021 06:42:38 pm

That sounds cool, I'll have to find it next time we visit Clarens.

Reply
Botwe Ngxenge
19/8/2021 07:33:45 pm

Noah's Farm is the Cheese place.

Reply
Annette
26/8/2021 11:25:09 am

Roxanne, would you have any idea of where Lipizzaner horses are stabled in this area? I would really appreciate your response.

Reply
Roxanne Reid
27/8/2021 03:06:22 pm

I didn't know the answer to your question, Annette, but a simple Google search revealed that the Clarens Lippizaner stables have recently relocated to Paarl in the Western Cape.

Reply
Jane hans
14/9/2021 06:46:52 pm

Hello can you send me the price list of the activities

Reply
Roxanne Reid
14/9/2021 07:15:14 pm

Please reread the second paragraph of this post (in italics) to answer your question.

Reply
Henry
28/7/2022 10:28:02 am

No good deed goes unpunished. Proceeds to write wonderful blog post about Clarens. Gets endless comments by lazy people demanding specific info.

Thank you for the info Roxanne. Be blessed.

Reply
Roxanne
31/7/2022 10:27:46 am

Thanks for your comment. Glad to know someone appreciates the post for what it is!

Reply
Maureen
8/6/2023 10:39:12 am

Hi Roxanne,
Thank you for a well put together blog, with ample information of Clarens. We will be visiting there for the long weekend coming up in June 2023, and your blog provided me with so much information to be well prepared.
Whishing you many more safe travels, and extraordinary experiences!

Reply
Roxanne Reid
8/6/2023 04:28:19 pm

Ah, thanks for your comment, Maureen. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful long weekend. Just take lots of winter woolies at this time of year!

Reply
Themba Moleme
20/7/2023 12:23:24 pm

Could you please send me the Activity lists with prices

Reply
Roxanne Reid
21/7/2023 03:38:50 pm

Please reread the second paragraph of this post, in italics. I'm just a writer who wrote about our visits to Clarens and some of the things we did, not an activity supplier or tourism office.

Reply

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    I'm an independent travel writer and book editor with a passion for Africa - anything from African travel, people, safari and wildlife to adventure, heritage, road-tripping and slow travel.
    My travel buddy and husband Keith is the primary photographer for this blog.
    We're happiest in the middle of nowhere, meeting the locals, trying something new, or simply watching the grass grow.
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