South Africa: Travel Guide | Itineraries and Must-Sees
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Let yourself be seduced by the landscapes of South Africa and discover the story of Nelson Mandela. A culturally rich country that will not leave you indifferent! This guide to South Africa will help you plan your wonderful trip.
Between discoveries, cultural walks, family activities, and restaurants, you will be delighted!
A bit of history
South Africa is well worth discovering for the beauty of its territory, but also for its heavy and complex history, which shaped the country and left indelible marks.
The arrival of the first settlers in the 15th century would mark the beginning of several expeditions, wars, and conquests.
The afrikaners designating white Africans of Dutch, French, German or Scandinavian origin, will occupy the Cape of Good Hope region and will gradually advocate their superiority over the blacks.
In the course of time, a policy based on racial segregation will be put in place, including that of Apartheid in 1948 which will be abolished only in June 1991 thanks in part to Nelson Mandela, who became in 1994 the first black President of South Africa.
Many have fallen in love with this country once they have come! This is also our case, and we hope this guide will help you better prepare your future trip or make you want to discover it. A multitude of activities and visits await you.
Finally, at the end of the article, you will find suggested itineraries for 1, 2 or 3 weeks and more!
Guide to South Africa: The essentials
From Durban to the Kruger Park Region
Discover the city of Durban, a seaside resort in South Africa, and its surrounding attractions!
If the Kruger experience or Addo Elephant Park was not enough for you, you will be delighted with this route, where several national parks are located!
The Kruger Park remains the best known and will seduce nature lovers. It will make everyone want to play “hunter”! Of course everyone will be looking for the Big 5, blessed are those who see them. But what a happy moment to observe elephants, giraffes or zebras in their natural habitat.
Examples of activities or points of interest to visit
- Go on a safari to observe South Africa’s wildlife, with the trained eye of a specialist.
- Why not repeat the experience at night, to have a better chance of crossing the coveted felines.
- At the Kruger, go through the Sabi Sand site, the Mopani road or on the Orpen side, to have a chance to cross the big 5.
- Relax on the beach in St Lucia, then head to the iSimangaliso reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage national park, to spot hippos on a cruise.
- Visit the HOEC (Hoedspruit Endangered Species Center) or the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, and discover what rangers do to protect endangered species.
- Meet Jessica and Richie, two domesticated hippos, Elizabeth will show you how to feed Jessica safely; hippos can be very dangerous! An experience you will remember for the rest of your life ($30 CAD/adult)
- Take the scenic drive along Blyde River Canyon, stopping at the various attractions—breathtaking views and stunning landscapes await: Three Rondavels, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, Berlin Falls, God’s Window (allow $1 to $3 CAD per adult or child over 6 – open 7 AM to 5 PM). We suggest driving from north to south to encounter fewer crowds during your visits.
- Sleep in the Kruger Park or one of the many parks, to feel even more immersed in the atmosphere.
- Hike in the Drakensberg Mountains, known for their exceptional beauty.
- Go and see rhinos and other wild animals that make up the Big 5 at Hluhluwe Imfolozi or Mkuze parks.
Eswatini
Reach South Africa’s East Coast by crossing the Kingdom of Eswatini. Please be aware that if you drive through this area, additional charges will be applied when you rent your car.
The Eswatini is known for its nature reserves and will allow you to meet the Swazi people and learn more about their culture.
Enjoy various activities such as hiking, safaris, mountain biking or horseback riding. Many more are offered, of course.
Examples of activities or points of interest to visit
- Meet the Swazis and immerse yourself in their culture.
- Visit Mlilwane and Mbuluzi Natural Parks on an organized safari.
- Visit King Sobhuza II Memorial Park to learn more about the kingdom’s history.
- Go trekking or participate in an accrobranche activity, with Malolotja Canopy Tour for a great experience.
- Going down the Maputo River in a rapid.
- Admire a panoramic view from the top of Sibebe Rock.
Johannesburg, the city of gold
Johannesburg, or Joburg, is the most populous metropolis in South Africa.
The city experienced a high level of crime, but efforts made in the city’s development in the early 2000s helped reduce this rate.
Some neighbourhoods are still to be avoided, however the city offers safe tourist attractions.
We suggest, if you go there, to have a local guide to visit the city and use the red CitySighteeing buses to take the pulse and discover it.
Some neighbourhoods/safe places where you can walk around without any problem:
- Melrose arch
- Sandton
- 44 Stanley Avenue
- Look for the shopping areas, where the beautiful shops are located you will not be mistaken.
Examples of activities or points of interest to visit
- Discover the city on the red City Sightseeing buses and stop at the highly regarded and impactful Apartheid Museum.
- Take a pulse in the former Constitution Hill prison where Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Luthuli and countless other men and women were locked up.
- With a guide, go to Soweto and visit the House of Nelson Mandela.
- Relax at 44 Stanley, a small neighbourhood with cafés, restaurants, and a few shops.
- Taste food or sniff around in the markets, at Neightbourgoods Market on Saturday or Market on Main on Sunday morning in Maboneng.
- Shopping in a mall or eating stress-free? The best can be found at Melrose Arch, Rosebank, Sandton city and Norwood Mall.
- For brunch, admire the view from the terrace of the Flames of the four season hotel.
- At 2 hours drive, go in search of the Big Five in the Pilanesberg reserve.
- 30 km from Pretoria, find the Hennops hiking trails and finish with a braai to refuel—or a dip in the pool.
To taste
South Africa is also experienced through its flavours and culinary specialties.
Take part in a braai, the traditional wood-fire BBQ inherited from the Afrikaners, with beautiful cuts of ostrich, antelope, or even crocodile meat—you will not be disappointed! The quality here is exceptional; these meats melt in your mouth and are very flavourful, served with a great sauce! The objective, to bring the world together for a moment of convithroughexceptionality.
Several lodges also offer braai packages—lively, friendly evenings that bring guests together around a campfire.
Don’t miss the Amarula, the local alcohol that is drunk like whey, so excellent! Also worth trying in your café (on the weekend, of course 😉 )
Some recommendations
- The Silo in Cape Town
- The Foodbarn, in Kommetjie, Cape Town.
- Carne (Keerom or Kloof), Cape Town
- Chefs Warehouse Restaurant, Maison,
- Vaga Smokehouse Restaurant, Spier Wine Farm
- Flames Restaurant at Four Seasons, Johannesburg
- The Lightgouse Cafe, Simon’s Town
- Cape to Cuba, Kalk Bay
- Pioneer’s Grill in Hazyview.
To try
- Take an internal flight to get close to the Kruger Park.
- Enjoy an experience in a private lodge or a private safari to benefit from the knowledge of a ranger.
- Meet sharks if your heart is strong.
- Take a hike in Eswatini
- Do a treetop adventure course
- Paragliding in Hermanus
- Bungee jump in Soweto from the Orlando Towers, or from the world’s highest bridge on the Garden Route.
What to do as a family
- As a family, use binoculars to observe animals on your safaris. Some private lodges even organize activities for children to introduce them to African fauna and flora.
- Tandem cycling in Cape Town
- Go on an evening boat excursion to discover the Cape in a different way.
- Exploring a cave
- Visit an ostrich farm.
- Diving on the seabed
- Climbing trees for an adventure
On the spot
Getting there
Several flights are now available to Cape Town or Johannesburg. Aeroplan points can get you there with a stopover in Zurich, allowing you to discover this city as well!
Airport to centercity
Check with your hotel to see if a shuttle service is available.
Do not hesitate to stop by the Bidvest Sky Lounge lounge, accessible to Priority Pass and LoungeKey members during your visit!
If you decide to rent a car and wish to go to your hotel, you should prefer to drive during the day as a general rule and follow the safety instructions.
We suggest that you take a hotel close to the airport for late arrivals to avoid stress.
Another idea: hire a driver who will guide you throughout your stay.
Housing
It all depends on where you want to stay and your budget! Within the parks, if you are willing to pay the price, do not suggest you look at the availability on the SanParks website. Expect prices that can be extravagant.
Preferring to optimize our spending, we opted for the hotels of the Marriott chain, and were not disappointed since several of them had overnight stays between 5,000 and 25,000 points! A great deal, considering how much accommodation can cost in dollars!
Marriott Bonvoy member hotels
There are more than 100 hotels in South Africa that are members of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program .
During our 3-week trip, we had chosen to stay with several of them. Find here the list of all our complete reports:
If you want to earn Marriott Bonvoy points, the easiest way is to sign up for the American ExpressMD Marriott BonvoyTM Card and/or the American ExpressMD Marriott BonvoyTM Corporate Card, of which these are the current offerings:
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $120 | |||
| $150 |
You can easily get both cards, allowing you to earn more than 120,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
And if you are a couple, we are talking about 240,000 Marriott Bonvoy points—enough to fully cover the cost of hotel nights in South Africa.
Airbnb
We rented several houses on Airbnb during our trip to South Africa. To do this, you could use one of these credit cards whose points are applied to Airbnb bookings:
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $150 | |||
| $150 | |||
| $120 | |||
| $0 |
Three credit cards with no conversion fee
Don’t forget to carry a card credit card with no conversion fee for your foreign currency transactions! That’s 2.5% savings on every transaction!
Here are the 3 best no foreign transaction fee credit cards in Canada, ideal for travellers:
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $150 | |||
| $150 | |||
| $120 |
Getting around
The roads in South Africa surprised us so much because they were so beautiful and well maintained. So there’s nothing to worry about. The indications are clear.
Avoid driving at night, however, as the cities and surrounding areas are not lit. As driving is on the left, you will need to get used to it, but within a few days or even hours, you will quickly find your bearings.
It is not uncommon to see some tourists make a mistake, so stay alert.
Keep your doors closed whether you’re in the city or the country, a measure that will make you feel safe.
If your GPS shows you a faster route, check where it takes you so you don’t end up in an unsafe place (like us) and stay on the busier streets.
City passes
Passes are available to get discounts on your visits. You can get information and buy them on the spot at the tourist office for example or in advance on the internet in order to get more discounts.
The iVenture website offers various packages, as do the City Sightseeing buses, or—as mentioned above—the NMB pass or Nelson Mandela Bay pass.
South Africa's indispensable Guides to South Africa
The Ulysses guides offers you different guides to help you prepare your trip and understand the South Africa.
At the tip of the black continent, South Africa is attracting more and more visitors. Cape Town (Le Cap), with Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope, and the entire Western Cape—with its wine regions (Stellenbosch, Franschhoek), inns, and beaches on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans—are among the most popular South African destinations.
The twin cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria also have their share of attractions.
And what about photo safaris in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Reserve or in the Kruger National Park, the most popular in the country.
In this section you will find an incomparable choice of guides and maps to help you prepare your trip to South Africa.
Whether you plan to discover major cities, beaches, national parks, or South Africa’s vineyards, you will find everything you need here to make the most of your stay.
I suggest you to have a look at the Cape Town Tourism or the General site for South Africa before your future visit! You will find important information, dates of future festivals for example or ideas for outings. These are the sites to follow!
Finally, many Gateway Guides are available in PDF version on their website and for different regions of South Africa. Perfect for preparing your itineraries!
Guide to South Africa: Practical Information
Grocery stores
You will find everything you need in the Woolworths, Spar, Pick&Pay or Checkers open all day from 8am to 8pm in general. Be sure to pay with a no foreign transaction fee credit card such as the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card to save 2.5% on your foreign currency transactions.
Note that power cuts can occur and can therefore interrupt the cold chain for experience. It is sometimes better to rely on canned goods or foods that do not require refrigeration to be safe, when these outages occur several times a day and over long periods.
- Annual fee
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When to go
The climate varies greatly by region; however, the recommended period remains the spring season.
For example, we had a lot of rain near Kruger and wind in Cape Town in December.
What to take with you
- A mini-torch will be able to help you in case of power cuts.
- Caps and sunscreen are essentials, but do not forget mosquito repellent!
- Insects are especially present at the end of the day, which is why you should wear long, loose clothing at that time—especially since evenings can be cool.
- Binoculars can help you observe animals more easily.
- If you go on safari, it is best to wear light colours.
- Finally, brimg your Ulysses guide in your suitcases!
Budget
Taking a trip to South Africa can quickly become very expensive as thousands of dollars! This is why passes such as the WildCard, and many other passes, can help you save money. There are ways to be careful, it’s up to you to define your travel desires:
- It is impossible to do all the proposed attractions as the list is so large. Choices have to be made. It’s up to you to decide, according to your budget, whether you want to treat yourself or make the more affordable ones. This can range from a few dollars to several hundred!
- For food, again, there’s food for EVERY budget. Do not forget to do some shopping before entering a reserve to limit on-site expenses, especially if you are with children. Picnics are also possible. Many restaurants are worth trying. Budget an average of $30 for a restaurant meal per person.
- If you wish to visit a vineyard, some wine tastings can start at $10. Reservations should also be made before you arrive, or you may be turned away. Plan!
- Finally, staying at Marriott hotels will allow you to save a lot of money on your overall stay—especially if you have status. Again, it’s up to you if you prefer to stay in a hotel, on AirBnb, or do a home exchange. Many options are available to you!
Guide to South Africa: Useful Links
Visa and Canadian Representation Tourist Offices
No visa is required to enter South Africa, if the journey does not exceed 90 consecutive days, a valid passport is sufficient. The same applies to French nationals.
Children’s birth certificates
Previously, parents travelling with their children were required to present their child’s birth certificate. Now it’s been a thing of the past for a few months! Only a valid passport is required.
Your Health in South Africa
An antimalarial treatment, necessary?
Depending on the areas you visit, it is indeed advisable to take medication to prevent malaria. The choice is personal and should be made with a healthcare professional at a vaccination centre, and not based on others’ opinions on a forum or with your coworkers. Make an appointment! However, you should be aware that antimalarial treatments are available locally.
In addition, carry a medicine kit with you so that you have what you need. Your pharmacist can help you put it together before you leave.
Your safety in South Africa
This is a common topic when talking about South Africa, as crime is known to be common there.
The country has put in place effective preventive measures to secure areas and thus ensure the safety of travellers. However, outside these areas, great care is needed.
It is possible to travel safely in this country as long as you follow these rules to the letter at all times, from the moment you enter the country to the moment you leave.
We recommend that you consider these travel safety rules.
Consult the Canadian government recommendations before departure, and consular services are available on site.
- Do not wear any jewellery or personal effects of value anything so as not to attract attention. Officers regularly patrol tourist areas to encourage travellers to be cautious. Ask them for help if needed.
- Lock your car doors at all times. It is sometimes difficult to assess whether you are in a secure area or not. Is the area free of tourists? We don’t take chances and we don’t stop!
- Do not get out of the car—whether the scenery is beautiful or not—even in the middle of an area where there does not seem to be anyone.
- Provide a spare wallet with some expired card s (tip from a milesopedian), some small bills and card s from an inactive hotel room to give if you are to be robbed.
- Watch out for monkeys. Very smart and fast, they will steal food and goods right out of your car!
- Never pick up a stranger hitchhiking on the side of the road.
- Know the address of the Canadian embassy, as well as local police stations, once you have decided on your itinerary.
Guide to South Africa: Itinerary Ideas
It all depends on whether you are travelling alone, as a couple or with your family of course, or on the hobbies you enjoy. However, here are a few suggestions to simplify the preparation of your trip:
South Africa in 7 days
1 – Kruger Objective
| Days | Activities |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival in Johannesburg 10 AM – daytime visit to the Apartheid Museum, Constitution Hill – City Sightseeing bus during the day |
| 2 | Early departure for the God’s Window route |
| 3-6 | Kruger National Park for 2 days + private reserve for 1 day |
| 7 | Drive to the airport with a visit to Sudwala Cave, then an evening flight. |
2 – Objective Cape Town
| Days | Activities |
| 1 | Arrival in Johannesburg 10 AM – daytime visit to the Apartheid Museum, Constitution Hill – City Sightseeing bus (3-4H) then departure for Cape Town |
| 2-5 | Visit the V&A Waterfront, 3-day pass with the Red Buses to visit the botanical garden,museum, aquarium, boat trips, cable car, or visit Constantia vineyard. |
| 6 | Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope with Simon’s Town – evening flight to Johannesburg |
| 7 | Rest or stroll in one of Johannesburg’s neighbourhoods, then flight. |
South Africa in 14 days
| Days | Activities |
| 1 | Arrival in Johannesburg 10 AM – daytime visit to the Apartheid Museum and Constitution Hill, then take the City Sightseeing bus again |
| 2 | Early departure for the God’s Window route |
| 3-6 | Kruger National Park for 2 days + private reserve for 1 day |
| 7 | Drive to the airport with a visit to Sudwala Cave, then an evening flight to Cape Town |
| 8-11 | Visit the V&A Waterfront, with the Red Buses 3-day pass to visit the botanical garden, the museums, the aquarium, take a boat trip, ride the cable car, or visit the Constantia vineyards. |
| 12 | Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope with Simon’s Town – evening flight to Johannesburg |
| 13 | Visit the city of Pretoria or visit Pilanesberg National Park, a 2-hour drive away. |
| 14 | Return flight home |
South Africa in 21 days
1/ With the vineyards
| Days | Activities |
| 1 | Arrival in Johannesburg 10 AM – daytime visit to the Apartheid Museum, Constitution Hill – then explore the city on the City Sightseeing bus |
| 2 | Early departure for the God’s Window route |
| 3-6 | Kruger National Park for 2 days + private reserve for 1 day |
| 7 | Drive to the airport with a visit to Sudwala Cave, then an evening flight to Cape Town |
| 8-11 | Visit the V&A Waterfront, with the Red Buses 3-day pass to visit the botanical garden, the museums, the aquarium, take a boat trip, ride the cable car, or visit the Constantia vineyards. |
| 12 | Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope with Simon’s Town, then take an evening flight to Johannesburg |
| 13 | Visit Pretoria or visit Pilanesberg National Park, a 2-hour drive away. |
| 14-15 | Franschhoek and Stellenbosch vineyards |
| 16-20 | Garden Route to Port Elizabeth, then take a flight to JNB |
| 21 | Return flight |
2/ Option without vineyards / Durban
| Days | Activities |
|---|---|
| 1-8 | Itinerary identical to the previous suggestion, then drive through Eswatini |
| 9-12 | Travel along the East Coast to the city of Durban, then take a flight to Port Elizabeth. |
| 13-16 | Do the Garden Route |
| 17-19 | Visit Cape Town with 2 days in the city and 1 day at Cape Point / Simon’s Town |
| 20 | Take a flight to JNB |
| 21 | Return flight home |
3/ Option without the Kruger
| Days | Activities |
|---|---|
| 1-4 | National park north of JNB, then flight to Cape Town |
| 5-8 | Visit Cape Town |
| 9 | Visit Cape Point |
| 10-11 | Cape vineyards |
| 12-15 | Do the Garden Route, then take a flight from Port Elizabeth to Durban |
| 16-20 | Visit Durban and the East Coast with its national parks, then take an evening flight to JNB |
| 21 | Return flight home |
