Bloukrans bungee jump: the complete guide to the world's highest commercial bungee
Why Bloukrans still holds the record
Bloukrans Bridge spans a deep river gorge along South Africa’s Garden Route, inside the Tsitsikamma coastal forest. The arch carries the N2 national road — but it is the 216-metre drop from the central span that draws visitors from every corner of the world.
For decades Bloukrans has held the title of the world’s highest commercial bungee jump. A handful of operations on other continents have claimed higher drops, but commercial bungee has a strict definition: a regulated, publicly bookable jump with trained staff, full harness systems, and consistent safety auditing. By that measure, Bloukrans remains number one.
The operator is Face Adrenalin, which has run the bridge since the early 1990s. The company keeps detailed internal jump records. The figure it quotes publicly — over one million jumps completed without a fatality — is not marketing fiction. It is consistent with the verified records of the operation since it opened in 1990. No other bungee bridge in Africa comes close to that volume.
The numbers that matter
Height: 216 metres from the jump platform to the river below.
Freefall time: approximately 8 seconds of freefall before the cord engages.
Cord stretch: the cord is not static. It extends significantly beyond its rest length during a jump; the actual oscillation can take the jumper to within metres of the water surface depending on weight.
Age limit: 14 and older.
Weight limits: 35 kg minimum, 115 kg maximum. Both limits are enforced. Jumpers near the upper limit need to call ahead — a heavier cord is used.
Health restrictions: Face Adrenalin will not allow jumps for people who are pregnant, have had recent surgery, have heart conditions, or have certain neurological conditions. The full list is on the booking form. When in doubt, consult your doctor before booking.
How the jump works in practice
The jump is not a simple “fall off a platform” experience. The operation has been designed to manage both safety and adrenaline with care.
Arriving at the bridge, you walk through Face Adrenalin’s base camp, where staff run through a safety briefing. They weigh you. They fit the ankle harness — all the loading is at the ankles, not the waist, which means you jump head-first. There is no body harness of the type used in commercial skydiving.
You then cross the arch on foot, approximately 400 metres out to the centre platform via a catwalk attached to the underside of the bridge. The forest and the gorge fall away below you. This walk is part of the experience — you hear the river far below, see the canopy on both walls of the gorge, and begin to feel the height in a way that a photograph cannot convey.
At the centre platform, a small crew manages each jumper. Staff are trained and calm; they see hundreds of jumps per day and are not in the habit of hurrying or pressuring. You stand at the edge. You can back out at this point — Face Adrenalin does not push anyone off.
Then you jump.
Freefall at 216 metres is long enough to register as duration, not just sensation. You fall, the cord engages, you oscillate — the river surface approaches and then recedes. On the rebound oscillations the harness inverts you. Staff on the platform operate the retrieval system, which winches you back up.
The total experience from walking onto the bridge to returning to base camp is approximately 45 minutes.
The skywalk option
If you want to experience the height and the bridge without actually jumping, the skywalk is an honest alternative. You walk the same catwalk to the centre platform, wearing a harness clipped to the bridge structure, and look down from the 216-metre drop point. The view from the centre platform is extraordinary even without the jump.
The skywalk is also offered as a combo with the bungee, which is the most popular booking. Some visitors buy the skywalk ticket intending to evaluate the jump in person — and then book the jump on the spot.
Bloukrans bungee, zipline and skywalk combo covers all three activities at a package rate.
Bloukrans Bridge skywalk only is the standalone option for those who want the experience without the jump.
The zipline across the gorge
A separate zipline runs across the Bloukrans Gorge, offering a very different perspective from the bungee. Where the bungee drops vertically, the zipline travels horizontally across the gorge on a cable, giving a sustained aerial view of the forest and the river. This is a more accessible activity — age limits and weight restrictions are less strict — and families with children under 14 can participate where the bungee is off-limits.
The zipline departs from a platform on one side of the gorge and terminates on the other. The crossing takes approximately two minutes at speed. It is not a beginner cable-glide; at gorge width, you travel at meaningful velocity.
Practical logistics
Location: Bloukrans Bridge is on the N2 national road, at the boundary between the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape. The closest town is Plettenberg Bay (30 km west, roughly 25 minutes). From Port Elizabeth (now officially Gqeberha) it is approximately 200 km east (2.5 hours). From Cape Town it is 530 km (about 5 hours).
Booking: Face Adrenalin takes bookings online and by phone. Walk-ins are accepted but the jump is weather-dependent, and capacity at peak times (school holidays, summer weekends) can fill up. Booking at least 48 hours ahead is recommended in the December-January high season.
Operating hours: the operation runs from approximately 9am to 5pm daily. Last jumps are typically in the early afternoon to allow time for retrieval and wind-down.
Photography: Face Adrenalin operates its own camera team on the platform. A dedicated video and photo package can be added at the time of booking or on the day. Personal cameras and phones are not permitted on the jump platform itself (for good reason — equipment does not survive a 216-metre drop).
What to wear: closed-toe shoes are required. Loose jewellery, caps, and glasses should be removed or secured. Sunglasses can be worn with a retention strap.
Payment: Face Adrenalin accepts credit and debit cards at the site. Cash (ZAR) is also accepted.
Prices (2026 estimates)
| Activity | Approximate price |
|---|---|
| Bungee jump only | ZAR 1,250 |
| Bungee + skywalk | ZAR 1,450 |
| Bungee + skywalk + zipline | ZAR 1,650 |
| Skywalk only | ZAR 380 |
| Zipline only | ZAR 550 |
| Photo/video package | ZAR 350-600 |
Prices are subject to change and should be confirmed directly with Face Adrenalin at booking. They do not include the bridge toll.
Safety record: the honest picture
One million-plus jumps without a fatality since 1990 is a genuine achievement. Bungee is not without incident globally — there have been fatalities at other commercial operations, usually involving human error in harness attachment or using incorrect cord specifications for jumper weight.
Face Adrenalin’s safety protocol includes:
- Independent auditing of cords (each cord has a rated number of jumps before mandatory replacement)
- Two-person harness checks at the platform — each ankle harness is confirmed by a second staff member before the jumper is cleared
- Wind speed monitoring (jumps are suspended above a certain wind threshold)
- Individual weighting and cord assignment
There have been injury incidents over 35 years of operation — ankle and wrist injuries from harness movement are the most commonly reported, particularly for jumpers who do not follow the “arms out, chin up” instruction. Following the pre-jump briefing minimises this.
What experienced jumpers say
The consistent feedback from Bloukrans veterans — people who have also done other commercial bungee operations globally — is that the length of the freefall distinguishes it. At 216 metres, you are falling for a duration that other commercial bungees at 40 or 80 metres do not replicate. The eight-second freefall is long enough that a first-time jumper can form a conscious thought mid-fall. That duration is what separates Bloukrans from everything else in the world.
The rebound oscillations — the multiple times you are hauled back upward after the initial fall — are described by most jumpers as less intense than the initial drop, but can cause disorientation in jumpers who are not expecting them.
The Bloukrans Bridge: history and structure
The bridge itself is worth a moment’s attention before the jump. Bloukrans Bridge was completed in 1984 as part of a scheme to improve the N2 national road along the Eastern Cape coast. The arch rises 216 metres above the floor of the Bloukrans River gorge — a figure that makes it the highest bridge arch in Africa and one of the highest in the world at the time of construction.
The arch is concrete and carries the N2 road deck on a structure that weighs approximately 55,000 tonnes. The engineering required during construction was significant: the gorge walls are steep enough that conventional scaffolding was not viable. The arch was built outward from both sides simultaneously in a cantilever method, with each section supported only by the steel rebar running through the concrete. When the two sides met at the apex, the structure became self-supporting.
Face Adrenalin attached its bungee platform to the underside of the bridge’s deck — not a structure added to the bridge but a catwalk fixed to the existing maintenance access system. This is why the walk to the centre platform follows the underside of the road deck rather than being visible from the highway above.
Getting there: logistics from Cape Town and the Garden Route
The bridge is on the N2 national road, which connects Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) to Cape Town through the Garden Route. All traffic on this route crosses the Bloukrans Bridge — the Face Adrenalin base camp is immediately adjacent to the bridge on the eastern side, visible from the road.
From Cape Town: 530 km east on the N2 (approximately 5.5-6 hours). The Garden Route towns of George, Wilderness, Knysna, and Plettenberg Bay are all between Cape Town and Bloukrans — making the bridge a natural endpoint or midpoint of a Garden Route drive rather than a dedicated day trip.
From Port Elizabeth / Gqeberha: 195 km west on the N2 (approximately 2.5 hours). The easiest day-trip option from the Eastern Cape.
From Plettenberg Bay: 25 km east (25 minutes). The obvious base for a Bloukrans day trip.
From Knysna: 60 km east (50-55 minutes).
From Johannesburg: the Garden Route is not a reasonable day trip from Gauteng. Most Johannesburg-based visitors either fly to George or Port Elizabeth and pick up a rental car, or drive the N2 as part of a multi-week South Africa itinerary.
Accommodation near Bloukrans
There is no accommodation at the bridge itself beyond the base camp facilities. The closest overnight options:
Plettenberg Bay: 25 km west, the largest and best-served town in the area. A wide range from backpacker hostels (ZAR 300-500/night dorm) to upscale beach lodges (ZAR 3,000-8,000/night). Robberg Beach House, Tsala Treetop Lodge, and The Plettenberg are at the high end; Albergo for Backpackers and Nothings Hostel are budget options.
Storms River Village: 30 km east, a smaller settlement at the Tsitsikamma entrance. The Tube N Axe hostel and Armagh B&B are the main options; the Storms River Guest House has mid-range rooms. This is the practical base if you want both the bungee and the canopy tour in the same area.
Knysna: 60 km west, a more complete town with better dining and accommodation variety. Good choice if you want a 2-3 night Garden Route base with day trips to both Bloukrans and Tsitsikamma.
Combining Bloukrans with a Tsitsikamma visit
The bridge sits at the entrance to the Tsitsikamma National Park area, making it easy to combine with a night or two in the area. The park itself offers the suspension bridge walk over Storms River mouth, coastal hiking, and the famous Otter Trail. The Tsitsikamma canopy tour — ten platforms in indigenous forest, entirely different experience from the bungee — runs from Storms River Adventures about 30 km east.
If you are self-driving the Garden Route, Bloukrans fits naturally into a Tsitsikamma half-day. Allow the full morning for the bungee experience (including the walk and retrieval time), then continue east toward Storms River for the canopy tour in the afternoon if you have pre-booked. The combination covers both the extreme vertical and the forest aerial perspectives in a single day.
Frequently asked questions about Bloukrans bungee
Can I jump if I have a fear of heights?
Counterintuitively, many first-time jumpers report that the fear of heights becomes irrelevant once you are standing on the platform. The harness and the briefing focus your mind on procedure. That said, this is a genuinely extreme experience — if you have a diagnosed anxiety condition or phobia, consult your doctor before booking.
Do I need to book in advance?
During school holidays (December-January, July, October) and South African long weekends, advance booking is strongly recommended. In the shoulder season (February-May, September-November), walk-in capacity is usually available, but not guaranteed.
What happens if it rains?
Light rain does not stop operations. Heavy rain, lightning, or strong winds will. Face Adrenalin monitors conditions continuously and will suspend jumps if safety is compromised. If you have booked a jump and weather prevents it, the standard policy is a rescheduling or refund — confirm the specific terms at booking.
Is there an age minimum?
14 years old minimum. Jumpers under 18 require written parental consent.
How is the bungee cord attached to me?
The cord attaches to ankle harnesses, not a body harness. You fall head-first. The ankle harness is the same system used at the world’s other major commercial bungee operations. Staff demonstrate the attachment at the platform before you jump.
Can I do the bungee if I have had spinal surgery?
No. Spinal conditions and recent back or neck surgery are explicit contraindications. The face-first fall and rapid deceleration put significant load on the spine. The health declaration form at booking covers this.
Is there a toilet at the site?
Yes. Face Adrenalin’s base camp has facilities. Use them before crossing to the platform — there are no facilities at the centre span.
