From the golden beaches on the southern tip to the trendy townships of Jo’burg, there’s never a dull moment in the Rainbow Nation. Go baboon spotting in forested canyons, swim with penguins in crystal clear waters, and safari in some of Africa’s finest national parks. Without further Addo, here are our top things to see and do in South Africa.
1. Walk with penguins at Boulders Beach
Penguins know what makes a good beach and Boulders Beach on the Cape Peninsula is one of their fave spots. Powdery white sand, crystal clear waters, and a spattering of boulders to dry out damp swimsuits — they’re no fools when it comes to finding the finest coastal real estate. Share the sea with these savvy swimmers for an unforgettable beach day.
2. Grab a seat at Table Mountain
Breaking the mould of pointy-peaked mountains, flat-topped Table Mountain has plenty of legroom at the summit. Meander around at 1085m (3,560 ft) and enjoy panoramic views of Cape Town, Table Bay, and Robben Island. You have a choice of trails to get to the top. Yes, they’re all uphill. Sorry. Platteklip Gorge Trail is widely believed to offer the best views but Kloof is great if you fancy a more challenging climb. And it’s slightly shorter. If you want to save energy for posing at the peak, there’s a cable car that goes all the way to the top. We won’t tell if you don’t.
3. Escape to Robben Island
Once the site of Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment, Robben Island is a reminder of the strength and resilience of South Africa’s Nobel Prize-winning President. Ever since the 17th century, Robben Island has housed political prisoners. The last inmates left the island only 30 years ago. It’s now a World Heritage Site and a living museum of South Africa’s political history. If you book a guide, chances are you’ll be touring the island with someone from the inside — one of its former prisoners no less.
4. Sample grapes in the Winelands
It’s no secret that South Africa makes good wine. However, the label on your Stellenbosch Sauvignon will never quite capture the experience of drinking and dining on a Wineland estate. Just an hour’s drive east of Cape Town, the countryside is lined with 300-year-old oaks and flashy Georgian mansions. Stop in Stellenbosch and you’ll find not just great wine but a town proud of its foodie heritage. Meaty casseroles, sweet pastries, fruity teas — bish, bash, Bosch!
5. Spot southern right whales in Hermanus
Whales love South Africa, especially the bay around Hermanus. Talk about making a splash — the waters east of Cape Town seem to be a playground for southern right whales migrating from Antarctica. They’re such a fixture in this part of the world, there’s actually a whale crier who blows a horn when they approach the shore. Make sure you research the best time to visit South Africa for your chance to see these gentle giants. Spoiler alert — it’s September.
6. Visit the bright abodes of Bo-Kaap
Bo-Kaap, formerly known as the Malay Quarter, is an area of Cape Town on the slopes of Signal Hill. Once racially segregated, it is now a multicultural melting point and one of the oldest surviving neighbourhoods in the city. The pretty pastel houses are now a National Heritage site and you can learn all about the early Muslim settlers in the local museum. It’s also just incredibly camera friendly — it’s impossible to take a bad picture. Even the plant pots are worth a spot on your camera roll.
7. Get wild at Addo Elephant National Park
Addo sees Kruger’s ‘big 5’ and raises it to the ‘big 7’. Thanks to its coastal location, it adds the great white shark and southern right whale to its roster. Get yourself down to the waterholes for an almost guaranteed sighting of the park’s poster-calf — the hunks with trunks — African elephants. If you’re lucky, you might also see black rhino, cheetahs, and leopards. With game drives and night safaris, a walk on the wild side is inevitable. Bring the binos!
8. Search for ‘the big five’ in Kruger
Finally a Kruger you can dream about with no downsides (one for the 80’s horror crowd). As one of the largest game reserves in Africa, Kruger National Park is the place for lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalos, and elephants — the so-called big five. You can also see rear-of-the-year finalists — hippos and giraffes, as well as cheetahs, zebras and over 500 species of bird. Remember to bring your big camera lens.
If you’ve always wanted to go on safari and aren’t sure where, check out our favourite African safari destinations. Yes, Kruger is on there! But if you’ve heard enough and want to make the safari dream a reality, book our Ultimate South Africa tour. This includes over five days of Kruger-themed fun. Yes you’ll get to hang-out of a 4×4 and point at animals, but you’ll also get to do guided bush walks and monkey around in a chimpanzee sanctuary.
9. See Drakensberg Mountains’ hidden art
Based in KwaZulu-Natal, The Drakensberg is a World Heritage Site and the largest mountain range in South Africa. The trees are teeming with birds and baboons and the tracks blessed with jaw-dropping viewpoints. Ancestors of the San people lived in Drakensberg 8,000 years ago. You can see remnants of their painting and decorating on the walls of mountain caves. The rock art is mostly wildlife themed — lots of Eland (antelope-type things), snakes, elephants, horses. Good inspiration for that nursery room Pinterest board.
10. Feel ant-sized admiring Tugela Falls
No adventure is complete until you’ve graciously clambered up a waterfall. Looming over Drakensberg, Tugela is possibly the highest waterfall in the world? (There’s a dispute about Venezuala’s Angel Falls measurements.) Even if it doesn’t take the top spot, it’s undoubtedly very tall and splashy. Our Active South Africa: Kruger Safari & Tugela Falls tour offers a few different hiking routes to the top. Regardless of the path you take, the views at the summit are stunning and well worth the trip from Johannesburg. Be prepared…there will be tiers. Five tiers.
11. Wander the open exhibition of Soweto
Soweto is one of South Africa’s oldest townships. Once an area designated for black South Africans, it is now going through a rebirth. Powerful artworks adorn its chequered streets and monuments honour its difficult past. The struggle against apartheid is central to Soweto’s identity, with those who fought for freedom immortalized in memorials and murals.
Today, it’s an open-air museum with new bars, breweries and exhibition spaces popping up every day. The street where Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela once lived is now home to shipping containers that sell coffee — very hipster! There’s even an annual wine festival.
12. Go bird spotting in Blyde River Canyon
Blyde River Canyon might not be as long as the Grand Canyon but what it lacks in length, it makes up in beauty. Unlike its famous counterparts, Blyde River is shrouded in subtropical vegetation. Translation: it looks way better in photographs than the dusty giants of the States. Within the emerald landscape lie hippos, crocs, and every primate species ever seen in South Africa. Its bird game isn’t bad either — sugarbirds, cinnamon doves, snake eagles. You don’t get names like that without being something special.
13. Squeeze into Cango Caves chambers
Want to go caving? You Cango! That should be their tagline. But it’s not. Anyway, if you miss talking about stalagmites and stalactites, this huge cave system lets you relive your school geography days. The website says ‘for lean people only’ so expect some squeezing and squirming even if you fit the bill. The reveals are worth it as the rocky chambers look like something from another planet.
14. Meander South Africa’s Garden Route
Bring snacks and a banging playlist, this is a road trip to remember. An epic 200-mile stretch of coastline that goes from Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay, the Garden Route winds through leafy landscapes, classic gable-roofed hamlets and two national parks. Off the well-paved path, you’ll find plenty of picnic spots and beautiful lagoons and beaches for kayaking and boat tripping.
15. Pan for diamonds at Big Hole
Based in Kimberley, Big Hole is a huge defunct open-pit diamond mine. Despite your dad’s claims at the beach last summer, Big Hole is widely believed to be the biggest handmade hole in the world. It also houses replicas of the world’s largest eight-sided diamond so bring your glint-proof sunnies. For the more adventurous, walk out onto the viewing platform for a stomach-churning peak into the 1.6 kilometre-wide chasm below.
History buffs looking for the Hole story can descend into the mine to feel what it was like for miners in the late 19th century. Spoiler alert, if you think budget airlines are cramped and noisy, you might want to sit this one out. Good news is there’s a bowling alley and a place to pan for diamonds, so you might end on a high.
16. Bonus things to do in Cape Town
If you’ve got an extra 24 hours in Cape Town, fill your pockets with biltong and explore the fynbos in Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. This distinct vegetation is only found on the southern tip of Africa. Set at the foot of Table Mountain, it’s a good place to recharge after a hefty hike.
For lunch, why not try the bagels at Kleinsky’s Delicatessen. Then go for an ocean drive around Noordhoek and Hout Bay. The winding roads take you from one stunning viewpoint to another in minutes. In the evening, how does dinner on the beach sound? Camps Bay has a good range of restaurants and bars, perfect for watching the sun set on your time in South Africa.
17. Bonus things to do in Johannesburg
If you have at least 24 hours in Johannesburg before you fly home, why not have one last adventure? Get brunch at the leafy rooftop cafe Living Room and enjoy views overlooking the City of Gold. Then immerse yourself in history at the Apartheid Museum in Ormonde, full of film, photos, and artefacts telling the story of South Africa’s troubling past.
In the early evening, pick up a few gifts at 44 Stanley in Milpark, a garden courtyard with independent boutiques and bars. Then, dinner time. Peachy is our choice. Take a look at the drinks menu and you’ll see why. Cap it all off at The Bioscope, a cinema and events space with regular performers and shows.
So there you have it, a veritable smorgasbord of the best things to see and do in South Africa. If you want an adventure with a wild streak then there’s nowhere quite like the Rainbow Nation. It offers arguably the best safari experiences in the world, some of the finest food and drink on the planet, mind-bogglingly beautiful beaches, epic hiking routes and road trips, and cities that educate and delight in equal measure.
