One of the world’s first botanical gardens, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden hosts more than 7,000 plant species from throughout Southern Africa. Visit to explore the 1,300-acre (528-hectare) gardens spread across the slopes of Table Mountain, including extensive hiking trails, a stone sculpture garden, and sunset summer concerts.
The Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve holds the third-largest canyon in the world, which boasts cliffs that rise nearly 2625 feet (800 meters) from the river bed below. Adventurous travelers can explore the canyon’s lush green scenery, waterfalls, and wildlife on hikes, boat excursions, and rock climbing adventures.
Trails, waterfalls, and wildlife draw visitors to lush Tsitsikamma National Park. Set along South Africa’s scenic Garden Route and spanning 50 miles (80 kilometers) of coastline, the park stretches from the mouth of the Storms River to Nature’s Valley. Embark on various adventures here, from a multi-day hike along the Otter Trail to one of the world’s highest bungee jumps.
Sun City is a resort and entertainment complex located north-west of Johannesburg. One of South Africa's top leisure destinations, the resort complex is conveniently located on the South African Garden Route and next to Pilanesberg National Park. Highlights of Sun City include a casino, spa, water park, and golf courses.
As the most accessible of Cape Town’s three peaks, Signal Hill is a prime spot for catching sunset over the city. In addition to its spectacular scenery, Signal Hill also harbors the Noon Guns, two Dutch naval guns, and the last remaining Peninsula Shale Renosterveld vegetation.
Rising more than 2,000 feet (600 meters) above the Atlantic Ocean, Lion’s Head peak presides over Cape Town and can be spotted from nearly everywhere in the city, but the real treasure is the view from the peak. Hike the steep trail the top to be rewarded with views of the coastline, cityscape, and neighboring Table Mountain.
The impressive Cape Town Stadium, built to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup and formerly known as the Green Point Stadium, is Cape Town’s architectural and entertainment centerpiece. With a capacity of 55,000 people, the venue hosts everything from rugby matches to big-name performers. Visitors can catch a game, show, or explore the stadium on a tour.
Set among the rocky hills and bushland outside Johannesburg, Aha Lesedi, an African lodge and cultural village is made up of traditional homesteads and provides an opportunity to meet people from Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi, Ndebele, and Basotho origins. Lesedi reflects the diversity of South Africa’s original inhabitants with elements from many tribal cultures.
Tiny Duiker Island—also known as “Seal Island” for its large population of Cape fur seals—sits just off the South African coast at Hout Bay, near Cape Town. It measures just 253 feet by 312 feet (77 meters by 95 meters) and is a seabird sanctuary in addition to sheltering thousands of Cape fur seals.
Perhaps nowhere is South Africa’s transition to democracy more apparent than on Constitution Hill. For over a hundred years, buildings here functioned as a feared prison complex, holding everyone from common criminals to activists Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, and even Winston Churchill (briefly during the Boer War. Since 2004, the site has been home to South Africa’s Constitutional Court.
Originally a jetty built in 1654 to provide fresh water and produce to the sailors of the Dutch East India Company, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is now one of the most-visited attractions in South Africa. The area is a development consisting of two harbors, retail shops and museums, seascapes and mountain views, and plenty of places to bed down, drink up, and eat away.
Twelve Apostles Mountain Range—with its rock buttresses and deep ravines—stretches majestically south from Cape Town along the rugged Atlantic Coast. You can explore the mountains up close on numerous hiking trails, or you can view the scenic formations from the coastal road that runs between the base of the bluffs and ocean.
The Cango Caves are made up of a diverse array of underground formations. ranging from massive caverns to narrow passageways barely wide enough to squeeze through. Spacious, well-lit corridors reveal floor to ceiling stalagmites and stalactites. In contrast, the cave’s tunnels are dark and cramped, offering a bona fide caving experience.
The Delaire Graff Estate is a luxurious winery at the base of the Cape Fold Mountains, filled with art collected by owner Laurence Graff. With a particular focus on works from African artists, you’ll be surrounded by the beauty of both nature and humans. The winery is noted for its Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties.
Step into Cape Town’s dynamic history by visiting the oldest remaining colonial-era building in the country. Built by Dutch colonists at the end of the 1600s, the Castle of Good Hope once served as a maritime resupply point and military hub. Its historic architecture and displays make it a popular attraction on tours of the city.
District Six Museum was founded in 1994 to honor those who were forcibly removed from their homes in the area. In the mid-1960s the South African government began relocating some 60,000 nonwhite residents to a slum-like township miles away and destroyed their homes in order to make the neighborhood whites-only.
Offering one of Earth’s highest bungee jumps, the Bloukrans Bridge arcs 710 feet (216 meters above the Bloukrans River in Tsitsikamma National Park. Its slender-looking span impresses, but travelers come for the zipline, skywalk, rappelling—and most of all—the bungee, which drops more than 650 feet (200 meters with 5 seconds of free fall.
Rising high above Cape Town, Table Mountain is a symbol of the city and arguably its most famous natural landmark. From the flat-topped summit—reached by cable car—visitors can enjoy spectacular views of the city and ocean. On clear days, you can see Robben Island, Camps Bay, and the Atlantic Seaboard. Hiking fans also love this area, as well as adrenaline seekers who come for rappelling.
While a robust wine culture and picturesque vineyards are now synonymous with the Western Cape of South Africa, it all started with Groot Constantia. The oldest wine estate in the country, Groot Constantia offers visitors opportunities to tour the winemaking facilities, historic manor house and museum, and surrounding grounds. Plus, you can enjoy tasting their famous dessert wines.
The Stony Point promontory, in the small town of Betty's Bay near Cape Town, is home to a colony of African penguins. The colony is not as well-known as the bigger one at Boulders Beach, but you’ll still find thousands of the little penguins and, usually, fewer tourists.
When the Dutch East India Company arrived in what would become known as Cape Town in 1652, one of the first things they did was plant a garden to help feed the settlers. The Company's Garden still exists, today as a public park. A green oasis in the center of the city, the garden is a favorite of both locals and visitors.
Set at nearly 10,000 feet (2,865 meters) above sea level, Sani Pass is the gateway between KwaZulu-Natal and the landlocked mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. Via 4-wheel-drive, experience the rugged dirt road cut with hairpin turns on a steep climb to the top of Sani Pass. Your reward is a bumpy adventure along with panoramic views.
It’s easy to see why iSimangaliso Wetland Park was South Africa’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site: Here you’ll find long swathes of beach populated by birds and sea turtles, while crocodiles, hippos, and elephants make their homes in the swamps further inland. This lush, coastal environment is best explored by boat as you discover the biodiversity for which South Africa is famous.
The granite Voortrekker Monument towers 200 feet (60 meters) above Pretoria. The monument was built to honor the Great Trek—a 19th-century exodus from the then British-ruled Cape Colony to central South Africa. The monument depicts the treacherous journey in the Hall of Heroes, and an empty tomb represents the lives lost on the trek.
The misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is South Africa’s southernmost point has made it a bustling tourist hot spot, with throngs of visitors queuing for the perfect photo. Buck the trend and make your way to the true southern tip of South Africa–Cape Agulhas in Agulhas National Park. Apart from its geographical significance, the park offers hiking, fishing, and accommodation.
The cobblestone plaza of Greenmarket Square is one of Cape Town’s liveliest public spaces. Originally home to a slave market and then a produce market, the square now fills up with vendors selling painted fabrics, handcrafted jewelry, and other trinkets while street performers keep shoppers entertained with music and dance.
The neoclassical Union Buildings house Pretoria’s government headquarters and presidential offices. Designed in 1908, the sandstone wings represent South Africa’s Afrikaners and English people—joined by a central courtyard. While the building isn’t open to the public, you can always enjoy the surrounding gardens and statues.
Sweeping views and natural wonders are standard along South Africa’s Panorama Route, but there’s nothing ordinary about Bourke’s Luck Potholes. This one-of-a-kind geological site was formed by swirling whirlpools at the Treur and Blyde Rivers meeting point and features a series of gigantic cylindrical potholes scooped out of the Blyde River Canyon.
The rolling green countryside outside Howick is idyllic but marks a dark moment in South Africa’s complex past. In 1962, anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was arrested on the road. He would be imprisoned for 27 years before gaining his freedom and becoming South Africa’s first president. Today, the site of his capture is marked by a visitor center and a stunning sculpture.
A complex of 300 limestone caves, South Africa's Cradle of Humankind is one of the most significant archaeological and anthropological sites in the world. The UNESCO World Heritage Site has produced an extensive human and animal fossil record, including a nearly-complete hominin skull dating back more than 2 million years. Note: Cradle of Humankind is temporarily closed.
