The best hiking apps in South Africa (2026)

Most hiking apps were built for North America and Europe. They work in South Africa, but the trail information is often thin: missing entry fees, old routes, no word on whether you can bring your dog, and little about the private farm trails that make up a big part of hiking here. We compared the apps South African hikers actually use, on the things that matter for a day out on a local trail.

Our picks at a glance

1. Bundu: best overall for hiking in South Africa

Bundu is a free hiking, trail running and mountain biking app built in South Africa. It lists 159 South African trails, from Table Mountain classics to the private farm and nature reserve trails around Johannesburg and Pretoria that global apps tend to miss.

What sets it apart for local hikers:

• Local detail: entry fees in rand, amenities, difficulty and every route at each venue.
• Dog-friendly filter: see which trails allow dogs before you load up the car.
• Directions to the trailhead, which matters on farm roads that map apps get wrong.
• GPS recording for hikes, runs and rides, with distance, speed and elevation.
• Hiking groups and organised hikes, so you can find people to hike with or join a guided outing.
• Bucket list and visit log to keep track of trails you want to do and ones you have done.

Where it falls short: Bundu does not have downloadable offline maps yet, and its US list is smaller than AllTrails'. For remote multi-day routes with no signal, carry an offline map as well.

Verdict: if you hike mostly in South Africa, start with Bundu. It is free, and it answers the questions you actually have before a local hike: how much is it, where do I park, can the dog come, and how hard is it.

2. AllTrails: best for worldwide coverage

AllTrails has the largest trail database in the world, with reviews and recent condition reports for popular routes. The free version lets you browse trails and record activities. Offline maps and wrong-turn alerts need a paid subscription: AllTrails+ is about US$36 a year, and the newer Peak tier about US$80 a year in the US (local prices vary).

For South African hikers it is strongest on famous national park routes and weaker on fees, farm trails and dog rules. It is a good second app if you travel abroad or need offline navigation. See our full Bundu vs AllTrails comparison.

3. Strava: best for training

Strava is a fitness tracker first. It is excellent for logging runs and rides, comparing times on segments and following friends, and many South African trail runners use it. It is not a trail directory, so it will not tell you where to hike, what it costs or whether dogs are allowed.

4. Komoot: best for planning your own routes

Komoot is built around route planning, with turn-by-turn voice navigation and good surface information. Your first region is free and further regions are paid. It suits cyclists and hikers who want to stitch together their own routes rather than follow established trails.

5. Gaia GPS: best for the backcountry

Gaia GPS gives you detailed topographic maps that work offline, which is useful in the Drakensberg or Cederberg where there is no signal. It assumes you can read a map and plan your own route, and the useful features are paid.

6. Trailforks: best for mountain bike trail maps

Trailforks maps mountain bike networks trail by trail, with difficulty ratings and status reports. If you ride, it is worth having alongside Bundu, which lists MTB venues, fees and facilities.

How we compared them

We looked at what a South African hiker needs before and during a day hike: whether the trail is listed at all, entry fees, directions, difficulty, dog rules, recording, finding people to hike with, and cost. Prices are as listed by each app at the time of writing and change often. Bundu is our own app; we have tried to be fair about where other apps do better.

Our recommendation

Use Bundu to find trails, check fees and dog rules, get directions and record your hikes in South Africa. Add AllTrails+ or Gaia GPS for offline maps if you head into remote mountains, and Strava if training is your focus. Browse all trails on Bundu to get started.