South Africa Things to See & Do Guide

Day 1-2—Arrive Johannesburg or Pretoria. Enrich your South African experience with a quick course on the history of apartheid at Museum Africa before having a wander around the colorful Market Theatre. Alternatively, join a guided tour of Soweto or—in Pretoria—visit Paul Kruger House and the historical Melrose House, then make your way to the enormous Voortrekker Monument.

Day 3-6—Fly or drive to Kruger or one of the adjoining private reserves. Whether on a guided walk or on a wildlife drive, you'll find plenty of opportunities to spy the "Big Five" (rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard and elephant). You might also want to spend one night outside the park to enjoy the Blyde River Canyon and other local scenic attractions.

Day 7-9—Drive from Mpumalanga to Durban via the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park and the other Zululand reserves of northern KwaZulu-Natal.

Day 10—Durban. Explore the Golden Mile, take a ride on a rickshaw and then savor the spices of India at the Victoria Street Market.

Day 11-12—Drive to Port Elizabeth via East London. Either city is a great place to relax on the beach or have a quick surf, or you could divert to the Addo Elephant National Park.

Day 13-16—Follow the Garden Route toward Cape Town, stopping at (or diverting to) the likes of Jeffrey's Bay (great surfing) Tsitsikama National Park (hiking and coastal scenery), Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, George, Oudtshoorn and/or Mossel Bay.

Days 17-20—Cape Town. On your first day, if the skies are clear, head directly to the city's most famous landmark—Table Mountain. The next must-see stop is the Nelson Mandela Gateway building, where regular ferries depart for Robben Island. On the second day in Cape Town, hire a car and drive to the Cape of Good Hope, stopping en route to see the 3,000-strong penguin colony at Boulders Beach. On the third day, head up to the scenic Stellenbosch and Franschhoek Winelands, about an hour's drive inland.

Day 21—Fly home, directly from Cape Town if possible, or with a stopover in Johannesburg.

This stunning waterfall (185 ft/55 m high), whose name derives from a San word meaning "Place of Great Noise," is located near the Namibian border, about 390 mi/625 km north of Cape Town. The natural beauty is ripe for photography as the Orange River plunges into a narrow canyon. For a truly breathtaking experience, try a walk across the footbridge. The park has some wildlife and hiking, notably the three-day Klipspringer trail, and the Grade 2-3 rapids upriver are run by commercial rafters.

Located in the Free State, the country's judicial capital has historic buildings, beautiful parks and an interesting zoo. The obelisk of the National Women's Memorial, 120 ft/36 m high, recalls the 26,000 Afrikaner women and children who died in concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer War. There is also a war museum nearby. The National Afrikaans Literary Museum, First Raadsaal (the old town council) and National Botanical Garden are the town's other important sights. Bloemfontein lies 230 mi/375 km southwest of Johannesburg.

Cape Town is looked upon by Table Mountain, a flat-topped stone behemoth that rises above the town, dwarfing even the tallest skyscrapers in the business district. But don't spend too much time gazing at the view. There's more to the city than its picture-postcard profile.

South Africa has been led by Cape Town in developing attractions to appeal to visitors. Those efforts, along with a post-apartheid vitality, have made Cape Town an increasingly popular destination for travelers. Among its many attractions are the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (a shopping and entertainment complex), glorious sun-soaked, sandy beaches, and a variety of trendy restaurants and nightclubs. Even more important are the city's history and culture, encapsulated these days in distinctive neighborhoods such as the Bo-Kaap or on Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. In fact, it's Cape Town's mix of nationalities and identities—African, European, Asian—and the lifestyle they've created that make it one of the world's most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities.

The mountainous interior immediately inland of Cape Town boasts some of the country's most compelling scenery, but is best known as the home of South African viniculture. Set in the heart of the Winelands, Stellenbosch, the country's second-oldest town, is studded with wonderful examples of Cape Dutch architecture and is also the site of the world's premier Afrikaans university. Nearby Franschhoek (French Corner) has a spectacular setting in a lush green valley and is famed for its concentration of world-class restaurants. The area around these two iconic towns supports hundreds of wine estates, most of which have tasting rooms. Rather than drive yourself around, join an organized wine tour, so you can enjoy sampling a few different estates without having to worry about the strictly implemented drunk-driving laws.

One of two World Heritage Sites situated within a half-day's drive of Durban (150 mi/250 km away), the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg—which runs to the west of the N3 to Johannesburg—is the largest mountain range in southern Africa. Its Afrikaans name, literally "Dragon's Mountain," refers to the impregnable spine-like escarpment that extends for more than 62 mi/100 km along the Lesotho border, rising to altitudes of more than 9,840 ft/3,000 m and known to the Zulu who live below it as uKhahlamba—the "Barrier of Spears." Popular with local hikers, reserves such as Giant's Castle and Royal Natal offer some superbly scenic opportunities for rambling amid spring wildflowers, wildlife such as the outsized eland antelope and a variety of montane birds, and the greatest concentration of prehistoric rock art south of the Sahara.

Most first-time visitors to South Africa fly in and out of Johannesburg, the City of Gold, and then travel on to Cape Town before leaving the country. The Cape is undeniably beautiful and cosmopolitan, but if you want a true African experience in South Africa, head for Durban, a balmy coastal metropolis in the heart of the legendary Zulu Kingdom.

eThekwini, Durban's Zulu name, means "the place of the bay." This city of more than 2 million people is less polished and earthier—some say grittier—than Cape Town. Yet the many beach towns stretching to the north and south of Durban are great places to relax. Plus, Durban is also within a half-day's drive of two World Heritage-listed sites.

Characterized by wide beaches, excellent surfing and a harbor that is the largest and busiest port in Africa, the city is well worth at least a three-night visit. Plan to walk along the waterfront Golden Mile to see—among other amusements—uShaka Marine World. Or, take a trip out to sea with the Natal Sharks Board to watch crews service shark nets and, hopefully, get up-close and personal with dolphins. If these options don't suit you, there's hiking, sailing and scuba diving, or spend your time leisurely soaking up the sun.

Meanwhile, with less than two years to go before South Africa hosts the 2010 World Soccer Cup—a first for the country as well as the continent of Africa—Durban is busy doing what most people do before visitors arrive: cleaning up, renovating, building and doing whatever it takes to put on the best face possible.

At the Durban airport, a reconfiguration of the international and domestic terminals has been completed, and outside the terminals, there is a covered parking deck. Construction of a new King Shaka airport is expected to begin soon, in an area north of Durban, and completion is scheduled for six months before the start of the World Soccer Cup.

Construction is also under way for the new King Senzangakhona Stadium, which will host six first-round matches, one second-round and one semifinal match. Named for Shaka Zulu, the founder of the Zulu nation, the stadium will hold 70,000 fans, with space for 10,000 cars. The South African government is also spending millions to upgrade roads, stadiums and transportation networks, all in anticipation of the millions of soccer enthusiasts expected to converge on the city from around the world.

This coastal city 470 mi/760 km south of Johannesburg has the wonderful East London Museum, with excellent anthropological displays, the only known dodo egg and a stuffed coelacanth (a fish thought to have been extinct for more than 70 million years—until one was netted near East London in 1938). While in town, also see the Gately House museum. Lovely Victorian buildings in the city center, nice beaches (popular with surfers) and a zoo round out the city.

Technically, this scenic road—known for its beautiful wildflowers, forests and mountainous coastline—runs along the coast from Mossel Bay to the Storms River. However, we find the entire drive from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth to be spectacular. It takes three days to drive, but five days or longer would be much better so you can stop and enjoy the sights.

Begin in Cape Town and overnight at Mossel Bay, where Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias landed in 1488, after he had completed the first recorded rounding of the Cape of Good Hope. Mossel Bay, despite being a rather unappealing town, has the famous Post Office Tree, where sailors left letters hanging in a boot to be picked up by those headed toward the country of the addressee. The second day, drive to Oudtshoorn, overnight there and tour it in the morning, then drive to George for the next overnight. While in George, see the town museum.

The next day, stop at Wilderness National Park on your way to the quaint and artsy town of Knysna. Stop in at some of the craft shops and galleries, then spend at least an hour exploring in one of the nearby state forests. Plan to overnight in Plettenberg Bay. At the turn of the 20th century, timber firms desecrated the area's luxuriant forests of indigenous hardwoods. Only a few areas remain untouched.

The following day, stop at Tsitsikamma National Park for its nature trails, giant trees and caves. Along the route are several hiking paths that require from one to seven days. There's good diving, snorkeling and fishing in the area, as well as seal colonies along the coast. Although it's not an attractive town, Jeffrey's Bay has one of the world's best surfing beaches—it was one of the locations for the '60s surf-film classic Endless Summer. If time permits, visit Robberg Nature Reserve (great bird-watching and a small seal colony) and Goukamma Nature Reserve (beautiful landscape).

Located 165 mi/265 km south of Johannesburg, this lovely but out-of-the-way park has antelope and lots of birds, including the rare bearded vulture and bald ibis. But the main attraction is the scenery: beautiful, multicolored sandstone cliffs. Caves in the sandstone rocks have well-preserved San paintings. Also within the park is the Basotho cultural village, where you can learn about traditional music, food (and beer), handicrafts and more. Plan an overnight in the park.

This pretty, historic town 360 mi/580 km northeast of Cape Town is worth a half-day's visit. The architecture is quite attractive. Be sure to see the Reinet House and the Old Residency, both beautiful examples of Cape Dutch architecture. Also worth visiting is the Old Library, interesting for its large-scale reproductions of San paintings. The town is practically surrounded by the Karoo Nature Reserve, best known for the Valley of Desolation, a dramatic gorge that is a favorite spot for viewing the sunset. To the east, between Graaff-Reinet and Cradock, is Mountain Zebra National Park, famous for its rare namesake, a species of equid that is endemic to the Cape.

Johannesburg is often affectionately called Jo'burg, Joeys or Jozi. The city was founded in 1886 on one of the richest gold reefs in the world, and started life as a simple wagon camp for early prospectors on the bare, open highveld. Johannesburg quickly grew into the economic powerhouse of southern Africa and the largest urban space in sub-Saharan Africa.

Despite being a predominantly business destination, Johannesburg has a wealth of urban attractions, such as art galleries, museums, parks and zoos. Gold Reef City (the oldest and last of Johannesburg's gold mines to be shut down) is now a theme park and mine tour, where Johannesburg's legacy of gold mining can be explored. The countryside, too, is easily accessible, where craft markets, country inns, wildlife projects, dams and mountains offer a breath of fresh air.

To the southeast of Johannesburg is famous Soweto (an acronym for South West Township), where black people were restricted to living during apartheid. Soweto holds an important place in the heart of modern South Africa for its activities and rise of peoples' voices that contributed to the demise of apartheid. The vibrant township spawned activists Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, among many others. Soweto tours are hugely popular with international visitors, and museums such as the Apartheid Museum and Hector Pieterson Museum also tell the story.

Johannesburg is very modern by African standards, but crime is a problem—you'll be reminded over and over that you shouldn't walk downtown after business hours and that you shouldn't carry a purse or wear expensive jewelry. But the authorities are addressing the problem successfully and constructively. Most attractions can be visited safely, and a number of half- and full-day city tours are offered.

This unique park requires the best part of a week to visit, since the drive from Johannesburg (455 mi/735 km west) or Cape Town takes at least 12 hours in either direction and is best broken with an overnight stop at Kuruman (coming from Johannesburg), Springbok (coming from Cape Town) or Upington (where the two approach roads converge). It offers the opportunity to see various antelopes, cheetahs, bat-eared foxes, leopards and the famous black-maned Kalahari lions. More than 200 species of birds have been identified as well, including kori bustards (the largest bird that flies) and lots of raptors. The landscape is an unforgettable mix of thornbush and red sand dunes. The park is shared with Botswana (the South African portion used to be called the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park) and lies on the border of Namibia. Of the three rest camps within South Africa, Twee Rivieren (at the intersection of the park's two perennially dry watercourses) is the most accessible.

This national park is located near the town of Beaufort West, approximately 250 mi/400 km northeast of Cape Town. Heading into the Karoo, you pass through a landscape of rusty windmills and sheep the color of old corn. Vast plains of stunted bushes disappear into a horizon of jagged peaks. It's hard to believe grassland once covered the region. The only road signs warn drivers to beware of baboons. We thought we must have strayed onto a military road, so rarely did we see another vehicle. Wildlife in the park includes the endemic Cape mountain zebra, black wildebeest, various antelope species, tortoises and more than 150 species of birds (including the black eagle and several Karoo endemics). If you want to stretch your legs, you'll find a couple of short, paved trails to follow.

The center of the 19th-century diamond rush that made millionaires of Cecil John Rhodes and Barney Barnato, Kimberley is most famous today for its Big Hole. The Hole ranks as one of the world's three largest man-made excavations, having produced more than 14.5 million carats of diamonds in its working life. Allow at least two hours to the see the Big Hole and the adjacent Mine Museum, with its examples of rough to finished diamonds and original mining-town buildings (the museum displays a rock that even Liz Taylor would envy: a 616-carat uncut diamond). If time permits, visit the McGregor Museum for its excellent natural-history exhibits and San artifacts. Kimberley lies 505 mi/815 km northeast of Cape Town.

This park, located 205 mi/330 km northeast of Johannesburg, is unquestionably one of the world's great wildlife reserves. Kruger has the "Big Five" animals—rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard and elephant—as well as plenty of others. An untouched wilderness of scrubland broken by acacia and mopane trees, its waterholes and riverbeds are home to more than 500 varieties of birds and nearly 140 species of mammals. Make reservations as early as possible, especially if you're visiting during high season or over a holiday. Scattered through this gigantic park are 18 rest camps, which range from basic camping sites to luxury lodges. Something we love about Kruger is that hikers can trek (with rangers) on wilderness trails (one to five days in length—advance reservations are strongly recommended, as these treks are very popular).

The adjacent Sabi Sands Game Reserve is composed of a handful of small, jointly managed private conservancies that share an open border with each other as well as with the Kruger. Although they come at a price, the reserves in Sabi Sands offer superb Big Five viewing in open 4x4s driven by professional ranger-guides, and boast an exceptional success rate when it comes to locating the elsewhere elusive leopard and other nocturnal predators.

One of these reserves is Sabi Sabi. Its lodges are both informal and very good (they're on a river near a water hole and provide excellent animal viewing). At Sabi Sabi you can also partake in a ranger training experience to learn the basics of game management, tracking and spoor identification, off-road driving, bush survival and orienteering.

Mala Mala Game Reserve, also part of Sabi Sands, has lodges that have been ranked among the best in the country. The first, named after the reserve, is deluxe, exclusive and on the formal side (though coat and tie are not needed). Kirkman's Camp is smaller, much less expensive and has a more informal feel. Harry's Huts, as the name implies, is even more informal, appealing to the young (very casual, no fuss made).

Londolozi Reserve also offers luxurious accommodations. In ascending order of luxury, they are the thatched chalets in the Main Camp, the more secluded Bush Camp (stone chalets that blend into the scenery) and the ultraluxurious Tree Camp (chalets suspended 75 ft/22 m aboveground). Whichever you choose, stay at least two nights (to allow for weather problems and to see as many animals as possible).

Situated to the north of Sabi Sands, Timbavati, yet another reserve sharing an open border with the Kruger, offers a chance to see rare white lions. The reserve offers a choice of lodges, including M'Bali, a deluxe property featuring tree house-type accommodations.

Also nearby is Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, about 18 mi/30 km west of Kruger National Park. Its highlight is one of the great natural wonders of South Africa: a canyon 1,970 ft/600 m deep.

South Africa's newest national park, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, is dominated by Mapungubwe Hill, which lies on the Zimbabwe border north of Muaina. Massive stone ruins, occupied from approximately AD 950-1300, are the precursor of the legendary ruins of Great Zimbabwe to the north. The people who lived there almost certainly mined gold for trade with the Indian Ocean coast, and the area has yielded several fascinating artifacts, including a pair of golden rhinos discovered in 1932.

This succulent desert 100 mi/160 km north of Cape Town hosts one of the world's most astonishing floral spectacles in August-September, when light rains transform the rocky plains into dazzling fields of multicolored flowers that stretch for miles/kilometers inland of the Atlantic coastline. More than 10% of the world's succulent species are endemic to Namaqualand, including the fantastic kokerboom (quiver tree) and bulbous halfmensboom (half-human tree).

There are some 150,000 domesticated ostriches in the world, and 120,000 of them live around Oudtshoorn, a dusty town on the edge of the Little Karoo plain 210 mi/340 km east of Cape Town. They wander the stony farms, scratching a minimal diet from the harsh desert scrub. Be sure to visit a farm (at some, you can even ride an ostrich), then head to the C.P. Nel Museum to learn about the history of the trade, which flourished in the days when ostrich feathers were a popular accessory. Plumes, once de rigueur for ladies' evening wear, are still sent all over the world.

There's also a nice suspension bridge over the Grobbelaar River. Be sure to go 20 mi/30 km north from Oudtshoorn to take a tour of the spectacular Cango Caves. Although somewhat overrun with tourists, the caverns are acclaimed as the most beautiful calcite in the world (and we won't dispute that). While in the area, also visit the Cango Crocodile Ranch and Cheetahland.

At the eastern end of the Garden Route and 400 mi/650 km east of Cape Town, P.E. (as it's commonly called) is an industrial city fringed with excellent beaches. Allow most of a day to take the Apple Express steam train to see the scenic landscape north of town, Fort Frederick (built in 1799) and Settler's Park. Along the Humewood Beach waterfront is the large Bayworld complex that houses a museum, an oceanarium and a snake park. It makes a nice refuge if you're in town on an all-too-common blustery day. Addo Elephant National Park (about an hour's drive north) has Eastern Cape elephants, black rhinos and other animals. Most visitors will find two nights in P.E. sufficient.

The country's administrative capital and part of Tshwane Municipality, Pretoria is 30 mi/45 km northeast of Johannesburg, less than an hour's drive. Important sights include the Paul Kruger House (so precisely furnished that you'd think the former president still lived there) and the historical Melrose House (for its antiques). Also noteworthy are the National Cultural History Museum (especially its African Window facility), the South African Mint (collection of world coins) and the Voortrekker Monument, commemorating the battle of Blood River, where the voortrekkers routed the Zulus. The monument is surrounded by a stone wall carved with 64 wagons in a traditional laager (defensive circle or encampment). The National Zoological Gardens is one of the largest in the world and the adjoining aquarium is outstanding, too. The city's gardens, parks and jacaranda-tree-lined streets (ablaze with color in October) are unforgettable.

Another must-see is the Premier Diamond Mine in Cullinan, 20 mi/30 km east of town, where the world's largest diamond was found. Tours of this diamond mine are available. A few miles/kilometers north of Hammanskraal is a colorful papatso (marketplace) known for Ndebele paintings—well worth a half-day visit. If you're staying longer, take the 45-minute drive out to the De Wildt Cheetah Research Centre. Tours are available daily except Monday and Friday, and advance reservations are recommended. The facility also can be visited as a day tour from Johannesburg.

This vast UNESCO World Heritage Site lies 150 mi/250 km from Durban, along the humid stretch of coast running northward from the St Lucia Estuary to Kosi Bay on the border with Mozambique. It forms the centerpiece of a mosaic of small, provincially managed conservancies known informally as the Zululand Reserves. St Lucia itself is best known for its lush, subtropical mood and teeming populations of hippos, crocs and waterbirds. The nearby Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Reserve protects all of the Big Five, including a dense population of the endangered black rhino and the white rhino; other worthwhile goals include Mkhuze Game Reserve (good hide photography), Ndumo Game Reserve (rated by some as the country's finest bird-watching location) and Zulu cultural lodges such as Shakaland and Simunye.

Eighty mi/125 km northwest of Johannesburg, Sun City is South Africa's answer to Las Vegas. Casinos abound, but the resort's most outrageous sight is The Lost City, an enormous complex that includes a water park. Statues of gazelles leap from towers crowned with palm fronds, and pools, stone bridges, wave ponds, mock ruins and artificial grottos fill the grounds. There's a golf course, too. Nearby, Pilanesberg National Park covers 200 sq mi/500 sq km of extinct volcanic craters. Wildlife includes the Big Five, with rhino being something of a specialty. Night drives offer the chance to see unusual dry-country predators such as brown hyena and aardwolf. A remarkably varied birdlife reflects the Pilanesberg's transitional location to the semiarid west and moister eastern savannah.

Formerly Umtata, this rough-and-tumble town 370 mi/600 km south of Johannesburg once served as the capital of the Transkei, an apartheid-era "independent" Xhosa homeland that was reintegrated into South Africa following the release of its most famous son: Nelson Mandela. It does have some appeal: restaurants that serve fantastic oysters and crayfish, good craft and pottery centers and the Nelson Mandela Museum. This impressive museum has three components: the museum in Mthatha, the Jonopo Traditional Village and Nelson Mandela Youth Heritage Centre in the former president's birthplace of Qunu and the Nelson Mandela Monument in Mveso (near the remains of Mandela's family homestead). Native Xhosa in the area wear distinctive red blankets, and the entire region is known for expansive beaches, excellent hiking trails and a varied landscape, including mountains.

As environmental awareness grew in the late 1970s, the South African government came under intense pressure to protect the country's natural scenery. By 1983, it had created the National Lake Area around the Wilderness wetlands, 235 mi/380 km east of Cape Town and along the southern coast east of Mossel Bay. Now a 30-mi/50-km strip of glistening vlei (lake), river and marsh, sandwiched between the Indian Ocean and the Outeniqua Mountains, Wilderness National Park is a diverse collection of habitats from hardwood rain forests to the reeds and rushes of lagoons and the scrub grasses of dune barriers.