Lesotho flights and travel guide

Known as the Kingdom in the Sky, the small country of Lesotho is the highest in the world, the only country to be entirely above 1,000m. Though encircled on all sides by South Africa, the country remains very separate, geographically set apart by the borders of the Maluti and Drakensberg Mountains. Most travellers who book flights to Lesotho come for the activities on offer in these spectacular mountains: horse riding, trekking, fishing and bird watching.

All Lesotho flights arrive in the capital, Maseru. Set in the western lowlands, Maseru is a laidback town, popular with tourists who want to get a taste of southern Africa. The city is the most modern in the country and may be the only place to stock up on Western supplies. From here, travellers head off to the mountains and highlands. The Basotho villages in the mountains are remote, often accessible only by horseback. Trekking or horse riding are the best ways to see all the country has to offer, from the Maletsunyane Falls near Semonkong, at 192m one of the highest waterfalls in Africa, to the southern bald ibis, an endangered species only found in and around Lesotho.

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Lesotho Climate

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When to Fly to Lesotho

Peak season:

The only consideration for visit to Lesotho is the weather. The country has more than 300 days of sunshine a year and clearly defined seasons.

The autumn months of February to April are perfect for outdoor pursuits such as hiking and camping. Moshoeshoe Day is March 14. The day is in honour of the country’s founding father. People dress up in Lesotho’s national dress and parade from the Palace to the Sotho Stadium dancing, riding horses or herding bulls. At the stadium there are military and police parades.

Off season:

The summer lasts from November to January but this is also the time of the most rain and the least tourists arrive on Lesotho flights between December and January. May to July can be very cold with snow on the Maluti mountains.

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Getting Around Lesotho

The Moshoeshoe I International Airport is Lesotho’s principal gateway. South African Airways operates regular flights to and from Maseru, the capital. It is possible to get internal Lesotho flights from here too, accessing some of the more remote villages by small chartered aircraft.

Many car-hire companies in Lesotho have links with South African companies. Cars rented in South Africa can be driven to Lesotho with written permission from the rental company.

There is also a good network of buses, minibuses and taxi services, but no train services. Charter air services are available.

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Lesotho Insider Information

• Pony trekking with Basotho horsemen as guides is a good way to explore this almost fenceless country.
• Sehlabathebe is one of the highest and most remote parks in Africa. It lies in the Eastern Highlands on the border with South Africa. The Sani Pass is a spectacular mountain road. It is the entrance into Lesotho from the Natal Drakensberg Park in South Africa. The “Roof of Africa” route offers to-die-for views.
• At 3,482 metres (11,423 feet), Thabana-Ntlenyana is the highest peak in Africa, south of Kilimanjaro.
• Morija is Lesotho’s oldest town, founded in the 1830s by French Protestant missionaries. The Morija Museum displays important dinosaur remains (about 180 million years old) as well as artifacts from the hunter-gatherer stage (stone tools and weapons etc).
• Quthing is also known as Moyeni, which means Place of the Wind. It has two of Lesotho’s most significant sets of dinosaur footprints. Quthing also boasts the Masitise Cave House, now a museum.
• The town of Hlotse (also known as Leribe) was a British colonial centre during the Basotholand Protectorate (1869-1966). Some colonial buildings remain from that period including the old military lookout.
• Semonkong, a small town in the middle of the country, is home to the Maletsunyane Falls, the highest single drop waterfall in Southern Africa - almost 200 metres (656 feet).

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Lesotho Airports

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Passport/Visa

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Entry Requirements

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