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Zebra and wildebeest in South Africa

Things to do in South Africa

South Africa is renowned for its excellent safaris, and one of the best places to spot wildlife is Kruger National Park. The country offers far more than wildlife viewing, however, and visitors are spoiled for choice when it comes to things to see and do.

A trip up Table Mountain in Cape Town offers superb views, while in the Winelands you can sample some of the country’s finest vintages on a tour of a wine estate. Another highlight is a boat trip to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 of his 27-year incarceration.
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Ideas for experiencing South Africa

Experiences you have as you travel often hold the longest memories. As part of their research trips, our specialists seek out authentic ways to get to know South Africa, and the best local guides. These activities reflect some of their best-loved experiences.

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  • A journey aboard The Blue Train
    The Blue Train with Table Mountain in the distance

    A journey aboard The Blue Train

    Cape Town

    A journey aboard The Blue Train

    Travel between Pretoria and Cape Town aboard the Blue Train to experience one of South Africa’s finest rail journeys. You’ll pass through mountains, farmland, and vineyards, pausing to explore old diamond-mining towns en route.

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  • Cape Town city tour
    Cape Town

    Cape Town city tour

    Cape Town

    Cape Town city tour

    Take a guided tour of the “Mother City”. You’ll visit the Castle of Good Hope, the Parliament Buildings, and the brightly painted Bo-Kaap district for a grounding in the city’s history and culture, as well as riding the rotating cable car up to Table Mountain’s summit.

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  • Peninsula Tour
    Chapman's Peak Drive, Cape Town

    Peninsula Tour

    Cape Town

    Peninsula Tour

    The Cape Peninsula is an area of dramatic natural beauty and huge ecological significance, which manages to retain a wild feel despite its huge popularity with visitors. As you drive south from Cape Town, you pass through the exclusive suburbs of Camps Bay and Clifton before continuing onto Hout Bay and through Constantia, where the road meanders behind Table Mountain and down onto the coast.

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  • A journey on Rovos Rail
    Club lounge, Rovos Rail

    A journey on Rovos Rail

    Cape Town

    A journey on Rovos Rail

    Travel across Southern Africa in the restored trains of Rovos Rail. With several luxury journeys to choose from, you can explore the regions that most interest you in both comfort and style.

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  • Table Mountain Tour
    View from the Table Mountain cable car, Cape Town

    Table Mountain Tour

    Cape Town

    Table Mountain Tour

    Guests are taken to the lower terminal for the cable-car up Table Mountain. The cable-car is a very modern affair, and completes a 360º rotation during the ascent, affording you fantastic views over the city.

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  • Johannesburg, Soweto & Apartheid Museum tour
    Nelson Mandela Square, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Johannesburg, Soweto & Apartheid Museum tour

    Johannesburg

    Johannesburg, Soweto & Apartheid Museum tour

    You’ll explore the contrasting areas of Johannesburg and its surroundings on this full-day tour, from the leafy suburb of Houghton to the inner-city residential area of Hillbrow, the township of Soweto, and the city’s modern heart.

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  • Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
    Path in Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

    Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

    Cape Town

    Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

    Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden occupies a large swathe of beautiful land on the lower slopes of Table Mountain. It houses a huge collection of indigenous flora, such as heathery fynbos, flowering proteas and dramatically colored strelitzias.

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  • Robben Island tour
    Freedom from Apartheid

    Robben Island tour

    Cape Town

    Robben Island tour

    Led by a former inmate, you’ll tour Robben Island’s old prison buildings, from the communal cells to the tiny solitary cells of B-Section, where Nelson Mandela spent much of his incarceration. You’ll also explore the wider island and find out more about its uses over the years.

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  • Museums of Cape Town
    South African Flag, Apartheid Museum

    Museums of Cape Town

    Cape Town

    Museums of Cape Town

    Cape Town boasts a variety of museums that help tell the story of the city’s multi-layered past, as well as that of South Africa as a whole and the wider continent. We share a few that we particularly recommend visiting during your stay.

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  • Wine tasting on horseback
    The Winelands, South Africa

    Wine tasting on horseback

    Franschhoek

    Wine tasting on horseback

    Explore the natural beauty of the Winelands on horseback, riding through vineyards, forests, and over mountains between tastings.

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  • Tour of KwaZulu-Natal’s Battlefields
    Isandlwana battlefield

    Tour of KwaZulu-Natal’s Battlefields

    The Battlefields

    Tour of KwaZulu-Natal’s Battlefields

    Explore Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift with an expert guide who’ll bring the battles to life. They’ll explain the tactics and movements of both sides and what led to the outcome, along with the impact the battles had.

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  • Franschhoek Wine Tram
    Franschhoek, South Africa

    Franschhoek Wine Tram

    Franschhoek

    Franschhoek Wine Tram

    This wine-focused tram service runs from historic Franschhoek Village and stops at some of South Africa's oldest and most renowned wine estates.

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  • Sani Pass & Lesotho Trip
    Sani Pass

    Sani Pass & Lesotho Trip

    The South Coast

    Sani Pass & Lesotho Trip

    Lesotho is isolated from KwaZulu-Natal by the towering Drakensberg Mountains, and the Sani Pass is the only way through them. The road cuts the slopes, switching through tortuous hairpin bends and offering dizzying views of valleys far below.

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  • Winelands Tour
    Vineyards in Stellenbosch

    Winelands Tour

    Constantia

    Winelands Tour

    Learn about the Winelands of South Africa and sample a variety of its wines as you visit the towns of Paarl, Stellenbosch, and Franschhoek.

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  • Ocean Safari
    Southern Right Whale

    Ocean Safari

    Knysna

    Ocean Safari

    These ocean safaris are quite exciting as they involve beach launches and landings, crossing through the surf.

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  • Oudtshoorn & Cango Caves Tour
    Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn

    Oudtshoorn & Cango Caves Tour

    Knysna

    Oudtshoorn & Cango Caves Tour

    This taster to the Karoo Desert is a beautiful place, not quite as harsh or barren as the Karoo, but still stark and impressive. The climate proved ideal for rearing ostriches, and thanks to the Victorian craze for ostrich feathers, the town of Oudtshoorn flourished.

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  • Active Storms River & Tsitsikamma Forest
    The Tsitsikamma Forest, South Africa

    Active Storms River & Tsitsikamma Forest

    Tsitsikamma Forest

    Active Storms River & Tsitsikamma Forest

    Visit Tsitsikamma National Park, where with a guide, you will experience a sea kayak trip on the open ocean to the Storms River mouth and onward, passing under its photogenic suspension bridge. The upper reaches of the river gorge are explored by lilo, which are better able to navigate the shallower waters.

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  • Drakensberg Mountains Trip
    Drakensberg Mountains

    Drakensberg Mountains Trip

    Drakensberg Mountains Trip

    Royal Natal National Park is found in the Northern Drakensberg and is famous for the Amphitheater, as well as the Tugela Falls that plunges over a 500 m wall of rock. There are many hiking trails in the region to explore this outstanding scenery.

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  • Tsitsikamma Forest Trip
    The Tsitsikamma Forest, South Africa

    Tsitsikamma Forest Trip

    Tsitsikamma Forest

    Tsitsikamma Forest Trip

    At the eastern end of the Garden Route, and easily accessible from any of the Garden Route destinations, is the Tsitsikamma Forest, a dense cloak of deep green that coats the mountains.

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  • Sailing & Sea Kayaking
    Southern Right Whale

    Sailing & Sea Kayaking

    Plettenberg Bay

    Sailing & Sea Kayaking

    There are a few outfits that offer sailing trips into Plettenberg Bay as well as sea kayaking. Apart from spectacular offshore coastal scenery, it is very likely that at some stage, a close encounter with the marine animals will occur so you can get very close to them.

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  • Trip through KwaZulu-Natal’s Midlands
    The Amphitheatre, Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa

    Trip through KwaZulu-Natal’s Midlands

    The Midlands

    Trip through KwaZulu-Natal’s Midlands

    The KwaZulu-Natal Midlands is a region of sky-punching mountains, sparse grasslands, and creative communities, all steeped in a rich history. A guided tour gives you a chance to explore its landscapes, culture, and complex past through the eyes of a local expert.

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