Otter Trail or Tsitsikamma Trail: which should I hike?
By Linda, Linda Hikes South Africa · Updated 14 November 2026
The short answer
Pick the Otter Trail for the coast: about 45 km over five days along cliffs, beaches and river mouths, but very hard to book. Pick the Tsitsikamma Trail for the mountains: 63.6 km over six days through forest and fynbos above the coast, easier to book, with porterage if you don't want to carry everything.
How they compare
- Otter Trail: about 45 km, 5 days and 4 nights, along the coast, run by SANParks, you carry your own pack.
- Tsitsikamma Trail: 63.6 km, 6 days and 5 nights in huts, in the mountains above the coast, run by MTO Trails, porterage available, groups of 2 to 24.
- They connect the same two places, Nature's Valley and Storms River, in opposite directions.
Which one for you
If the sea is the point, and you can wait for a booking, the Otter Trail is the classic. If you want the ancient forest, river pools and ridges, a quieter trail and a booking you can actually get, the Tsitsikamma Trail is the better plan, and porterage makes it friendlier for a first multi-day hike.
More questions
- Is the Tsitsikamma Trail easier than the Otter Trail?
- It's longer (63.6 km over six days against about 45 km over five), but porterage means you can walk with a day pack. Both have steep sections.
- Can you hike both?
- Yes. They cover the same stretch, one on the coast and one in the mountains, so hiking one after the other makes a round trip.