Overview
South Africa packs an unusual amount into one country, and internal flights make it practical to see several sides of it in a fortnight. Cape Town gives you Table Mountain, the Cape Peninsula and the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach; an hour inland are the Cape Dutch wine estates of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. The Garden Route runs east along the coast through Knysna's lagoon and the old-growth forest of Tsitsikamma. Then a short flight north puts you in the lowveld, where the private reserves bordering Kruger National Park — Sabi Sands among them — offer off-road Big Five tracking with a ranger and tracker, which is why leopard sightings there are as reliable as anywhere in Africa. Between June and November, Hermanus offers some of the best land-based whale watching in the world.
Whether you're looking for abundant wildlife, rich cultural heritage, or simply a place to disconnect from the modern world, South Africa offers an unparalleled experience. It remains one of the few places on Earth where nature dictates the rhythm of life.
Best Time to Visit South Africa
May to September (dry winter) for game viewing in the Kruger; November to April for Cape Town, the Winelands and the Garden Route; June to November for whale watching along the Western Cape
Things to Do
Not to Miss
Tap any of these to see what it is and which trips go there.
Table Mountain rises straight out of the city, and the cable car puts you on the summit in five minutes. South of it the peninsula runs down to the Cape of Good Hope past Chapman's Peak Drive, with the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach on the way back.
When to go
November to April for the warmest, clearest weather.
The private reserves bordering Kruger National Park share unfenced boundaries with it but allow off-road driving, which is why leopard sightings here are as reliable as anywhere in Africa. Drives run twice daily with a ranger and a tracker working together.
When to go
May to September, when thinner vegetation and waterhole activity make tracking easiest.
An hour inland from Cape Town, and the oldest wine region in the southern hemisphere. Stellenbosch has the Cape Dutch architecture and the university town atmosphere; Franschhoek, in a valley closed at one end by mountains, has most of the serious restaurants.
When to go
Year-round. Harvest runs February to April.
The coastal road east from the Winelands, through the Klein Karoo and the Outeniqua mountains to Knysna's lagoon and the old-growth forest of Tsitsikamma. Best driven slowly over several days rather than covered in one.
When to go
Year-round, warmest November to March.
Widely considered the best land-based whale watching in the world. Southern right whales come into Walker Bay to calve and can be watched from the cliff path directly above them, with no boat required.
When to go
June to November, peaking September and October.
Not on a set itinerary yet. Ask us to build it into your trip.
The Apartheid Museum is the single best account of twentieth-century South Africa you will find anywhere, and Soweto — Vilakazi Street in particular, the only street to have housed two Nobel laureates — gives it a place and a scale. Usually done as a stopover day.
When to go
Year-round.
Not on a set itinerary yet. Ask us to build it into your trip.
Region Map & Logistics
We operate in South Africa through our local ground representatives, with meet-and-greet at O.R. Tambo International (Johannesburg) and Cape Town International, private transfers, lodge bookings and 24/7 local support. Many nationalities receive a visa-free entry stamp for up to 90 days; others apply through the South African e-Visa platform. Note that the Greater Kruger reserves sit in a low-risk malaria area — risk is lowest in the dry winter months, and we will advise on prophylaxis when you book.
Enquire About South Africa