Top South Africa Day Trips

This tour is the perfect way to explore the beauty of the Cape Peninsula as well as local wildlife. Travel around in a small-group tour—an intimate alternative to crowded bus tours. Along the way, see the colorful buildings of Bo-Kaap, and admire the natural beauty of the Cape of Good Hope. The tour also visits the pretty town of Hout Bay, as well as the African Penguin colony at Boulders Beach (entrance fees extra).

The Pilanesberg National Park is home to Africa’s Big Five—lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo. On this full-day tour, increase your chance of wildlife sightings with two guided game drives in an open safari vehicle, tuck into a delicious lunch looking out over a popular waterhole, and perhaps spot giraffe, hippos, zebras, and antelope in their natural environment.

Instead of spreading your sightseeing over several days, this tour helps you save time by ticking off multiple Johannesburg and Soweto landmarks in a day—including Constitution Hill, the Maboneng Precinct, Mandela House, and Orlando Towers. No need to worry about sharing the trip with other travelers, as you’ll have a private driver for just your group.

Getting to Robben Island doesn’t need to involve complicated logistics. This half-day tour simplifies the experience with pickup directly from your Cape Town hotel and admission to the Robben Island Museum included. To help you get more from your visit, a tour led by a former political prisoner is part of the experience, including the chance to see Nelson Mandela’s former prison cell.

If you’ve only got limited time to explore the highlights of Cape Town, then this guided tour is a perfect choice. Rather than being stuck on a sightseeing bus with large tourist crowds, you can benefit from the luxury of a private tour for just your personal group. Check off Bo-Kaap, Table Mountain, the Cape of Good Hope, and plenty more sights, with transport included along the way.

Cape Town and its surrounding area is loved for its abundance of spectacular nature spots, but without a car, it can be tricky to get between dispersed outdoor sites. On this private tour, enjoy the luxury of a dedicated driver and a customizable route tailored to your needs. The ideal way to tick off highlights like Bo-Kaap, Camps Bay, and Hout Bay in a day with convenient hotel pickup included.

Explore the Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on this full-day tour from Johannesburg. With guided tours of both the Sterkfontein Caves and the Maropeng Visitor Center, you’ll gain extra insight into the unique paleoanthropological site and its importance to human evolutionary theory, as well as admire fossils that date back to the beginning of humans' time on earth.

Explore the Franschhoek wine region on a hop-on hop-off tram tour, which allows you to explore the wineries that interest you at your leisure. Sit back and enjoy the scenery while you ride through vineyards dotting rolling hills; you're able to taste as much wine (own expense) as you like without worrying about driving. Includes convenient transfers from Cape Town.

Explore Cape Town at your own pace with a 1- or 2-day hop-on hop-off bus pass featuring free Wi-Fi. Journey around three bus routes with stops at more than 30 attractions including Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Table Mountain, Constantia Valley, and the V&A Waterfront. Spend as long as you wish at each, enjoy free walking tours, or upgrade to include a harbor cruise and sunset bus tour.

This comprehensive Johannesburg tour is a great pick for travelers with limited time. Enjoy a guided tour that reveals more about the city’s history, and ticks off multiple famous sights in a day—such as the township of Soweto, the Apartheid Museum, Constitution Hill, and the Nelson Mandela Foundation. No need to worry organizing transport, as the trip includes travel between sites in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle.

With tree-lined avenues, striking architecture, and important monuments shining a light on a strong colonial history, Pretoria ranks among South Africa’s must-see cities. On this tour, spin through Pretoria in comfort by air-conditioned minivan with your guide and explore with ease. Take in top attractions including the Paul Kruger House Museum, the Voortrekker Monument, and the Union Buildings, and gain insight into South Africa’s rich culture and colonial past.

This is the perfect tour for time-tight travelers interested in scenic nature spots and wildlife encounters near Cape Town. Save time waiting for local buses and go on a half-day small-group tour instead. Ride in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle along False Bay’s coastline and stop at St. James Beach, Boulders Beach Penguin Colony, the Cape of Good Hope, and Old Cape Point Lighthouse.

Go back to the earliest history of humanity at the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site—and fit two attractions into just half a day out—on this private tour. With round-trip transit from your Pretoria or Johannesburg hotel, getting around is made simple. Head first to the Sterkfontein Caves, known for their fossils and early human history, for a guided tour; then take in the interactive exhibits at the Maropeng Visitor Center.

5 hours in the world-famous Kruger Park inclusive of water. Where our guide will do most of the spotting of animals and will explain the behavior of the animals.

South Africa is world-famous for its wine, but getting to the vineyards can be difficult. Avoid the hassle of renting a car and naming a designated driver when you book this group tour to the Cape Winelands. Enjoy a savory wine and cheese pairing and cellar tour in Stellenbosch, a diverse wine tasting in Franschhoek Valley, and a sweet wine pairing in Paarl.

Save hours reading reviews and researching local wineries, and opt for this hassle-free guided wine tour instead. Spend a full day traveling between some of the area’s best wine estates, with stops at Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Along the way, enjoy cellar tours and exclusive tastings with sommeliers. The experience includes special pairings with six cheeses and six wines, plus chocolate tastings and convenient hotel pickup for a seamless day out.

Learn about the biodiversity and unique ecosystem in Addo Elephant National Park on this fully guided tour from Port Elizabeth. Explore the only place in the world that hosts Africa's "Big 7": the Southern right whale, the great white shark, elephant, black rhino, leopard, lion, and buffalo with a guide's expertise to teach you everything you ever wanted to know about these animals.

This full-day tour makes it easy to check off Bo-Kaap, Hout Bay, the Cape of Good Hope, and Boulders Beach Penguin Colony without planning an itinerary or managing logistics. Enjoy hotel pickup and a scenic route with plenty of photo stops and entertaining commentary from your guide along the way.

This wine tour is the ideal pick for travelers with limited time in Cape Town. In just half a day, explore the Cape Winelands with a small group and a driver-guide—a peaceful alternative to larger bus tours. Along the way, enjoy beautiful scenery, and have the chance to try a selection of wines—with tastings included to simplify your day.

A great option for travelers keen to see the essential attractions of Cape Town in a day, this time-saving small group tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off for convenience. Enjoy a scenic route along Chapman's Peak Drive and stops at Bo-Kaap, Table Mountain, Boulders Beach Penguin Colony, the Cape of Good Hope, and other scenic highlights along the way.

Spend a day exploring Johannesburg with a professional guide with this private, full-day tour of the city, which includes pickup from your hotel or alternative accommodations. You'll visit local highlights such as the Apartheid Museum, the Mandela House, Freedom Square, and the township of Soweto as you learn about South African history and culture.

Take a journey through history during this guided tour to explore Soweto and the Apartheid Museum. Your guides, registered with the accredited THETA (Tourism, Hospitality, Sports, Education, and Training Authority), are experienced and passionate about sharing their knowledge with you. Dive deep into the rich history and vibrant culture of Soweto and explore the profound exhibits of the Apartheid Museum with guides.

About 90 minutes from Johannesburg, the Elephant Sanctuary Hartbeesport Dam and Bush Babies Monkey Sanctuary let these intelligent and sensitive creatures live their best lives. Skip the stress of self-driving in South Africa when you join this door-to-door adventure, with a guide to explain elephants’ habits, family structures, dynamics, and even anatomy and to show you monkeys running wild and free.