South Africa · Local picks
100+ Places to Visit in South Africa
These are the places worth your time in South Africa, from Cape Town's mountain and markets to Stellenbosch's wine farms, Johannesburg's museums, Kruger's camps, the Garden Route and Durban's beachfront. Classics sit beside quiet corners few travellers find, so every kind of visitor discovers something to love.
Places to Visit in Cape Town
Things to Do
- Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (Tafelberg Road)
The rotating cable car to the top of the city's famous flat mountain. - Two Oceans Aquarium (V&A Waterfront)
Kelp forests, turtles and sharks that keep children and adults enthralled. - Chapman's Peak Drive (Hout Bay)
One of the world's great coastal roads, carved into the cliffs.
Arts and Culture
- Robben Island Museum (V&A Waterfront)
Tours led by former political prisoners of the island where Mandela was held. - Zeitz MOCAA (V&A Waterfront)
Contemporary African art in a striking converted grain silo. - District Six Museum (Buitenkant Street)
Moving stories of a community forcibly removed under apartheid. - Bo-Kaap (Bo-Kaap)
Brightly painted houses, mosques and Cape Malay cooking on cobbled streets. - Iziko Slave Lodge (City Centre)
One of the city's oldest buildings, telling the story of slavery at the Cape.
Nature and Outdoors
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (Newlands)
Indigenous gardens on the mountain's slopes with a treetop walkway and summer concerts. - Boulders Beach (Simon's Town)
Boardwalks and a sheltered beach beside a colony of African penguins. - Cape Point (Table Mountain National Park)
Dramatic cliffs, a lighthouse walk and the wild end of the Cape Peninsula. - Lion's Head (Signal Hill)
A short, popular summit hike for sunrise and sunset views. - Silvermine Nature Reserve (Tokai)
Fynbos trails and a quiet reservoir far from the crowds. - Muizenberg Beach (Muizenberg)
Colourful beach huts and gentle waves ideal for learning to surf.
Shopping and Markets
- Old Biscuit Mill Neighbourgoods Market (Woodstock)
A Saturday food and design market in a converted mill. - Greenmarket Square (City Centre)
An open air craft market on a historic cobbled square.
Restaurants
- The Pot Luck Club (Woodstock)
Inventive small plates with city views from the top of the Old Biscuit Mill. - Biesmiellah (Bo-Kaap)
A long running family spot for Cape Malay bobotie, curries and samoosas. - Kalky's (Kalk Bay)
Fish and chips eaten at harbour side tables beside the fishing boats. - Harbour House Kalk Bay (Kalk Bay)
Seafood with waves breaking right below the windows.
Cafés
- Truth Coffee Roasting (Buitenkant Street)
A steampunk themed roastery serving some of the city's best coffee. - Jason Bakery (Bree Street)
Famous croissants and doughnuts in a busy little bakery.
Bars and Nightlife
- The Gin Bar (Wale Street)
A hidden courtyard bar behind a chocolate shop, serving inventive gin cocktails. - Mojo Market (Sea Point)
A big indoor market hall with food stalls and live music most nights.
Events
- Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts (Newlands)
Sunday picnic concerts on the lawns through the summer.
Stays
- Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel (Gardens)
A grand pink hotel famous for afternoon tea in leafy gardens. - The Silo Hotel (V&A Waterfront)
Dramatic glass windows above Zeitz MOCAA with harbour views.
Places to Visit in Stellenbosch
Things to Do
- Spier Wine Farm (Lynedoch)
A family friendly estate with picnics, art and a long history. - Babylonstoren (Simondium)
A vast fruit and vegetable garden, farm restaurant and wine tasting. - Delaire Graff Estate (Helshoogte Pass)
Mountain views, art and wine on a scenic pass. - Franschhoek Wine Tram (Franschhoek)
Hop on hop off tram and bus tours between wine estates. - Lanzerac (Jonkershoek Valley)
A historic Cape Dutch estate with oak shaded tastings. - Boschendal (Groot Drakenstein)
Picnics on the lawn at one of the oldest wine farms in the Cape.
Arts and Culture
- Stellenbosch Village Museum (Dorp Street)
Restored houses showing life in the town over three centuries.
Restaurants
- La Petite Colombe (Franschhoek)
Celebrated tasting menus in the heart of the Winelands.
Nature and Outdoors
- Jonkershoek Nature Reserve (Stellenbosch)
Mountain trails and waterfalls minutes from town.
Shopping and Markets
- Root 44 Market (Stellenbosch)
A weekend market of food stalls and crafts with live music.
Stays
- Le Quartier Français (Franschhoek)
A boutique hotel in the village centre, close to restaurants.
Places to Visit in Johannesburg
Arts and Culture
- Apartheid Museum (Ormonde)
Powerful, essential history of apartheid and the road to democracy. - Constitution Hill (Braamfontein)
A former prison that now houses the Constitutional Court. - Mandela House (Soweto)
Nelson Mandela's former home on Vilakazi Street. - Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum (Soweto)
Remembers the students of the 1976 Soweto uprising. - Maboneng Precinct (Jeppestown)
Galleries, street art and cafés in a revived inner city area, best with a guide. - Origins Centre (Wits University)
A museum on human ancestry and ancient rock art. - Union Buildings (Pretoria)
Presidential buildings, gardens and a giant Mandela statue. - Freedom Park (Pretoria)
A memorial telling the story of South Africa's struggles and heroes.
Restaurants
- Sakhumzi (Soweto)
A buffet of South African township cooking on Vilakazi Street. - The Local Grill (Parktown North)
A respected steakhouse with an excellent South African wine list.
Shopping and Markets
- Rosebank Sunday Market (Rosebank)
A rooftop market of crafts, food and design every Sunday.
Nature and Outdoors
- Cradle of Humankind (Muldersdrift)
Fossil sites and caves at the heart of the story of human origins. - Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden (Roodepoort)
A waterfall and nesting black eagles on the edge of the city. - Pilanesberg National Park (North West)
A malaria free Big Five park a short drive from the city.
Things to Do
- Gold Reef City (Ormonde)
A theme park built around an old gold mine, with a mine tour.
Bars and Nightlife
- Marble (Rosebank)
Wood fired cooking and a terrace bar with views over the northern suburbs.
Events
- Pretoria Jacaranda season (Pretoria)
Streets turn purple with blossom each October.
Stays
- The Saxon Hotel (Sandhurst)
An elegant hotel where Mandela edited his autobiography.
Places to Visit in Kruger National Park
Stays
- Skukuza Rest Camp (Southern Kruger)
The park's largest camp, beside the Sabie River with good facilities. - Lower Sabie Rest Camp (Southern Kruger)
River views and excellent game viewing on the doorstep. - Satara Rest Camp (Central Kruger)
Open plains known for lion and cheetah sightings. - Punda Maria Rest Camp (Northern Kruger)
A quiet camp in the remote and bird rich far north. - Olifants Rest Camp (Central Kruger)
A clifftop camp with sweeping views over the Olifants River. - Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve (Sabi Sand)
Guided drives and close leopard sightings in a private reserve. - Singita Lebombo Lodge (Eastern Kruger)
Design led lodge perched above the N'wanetsi River.
Things to Do
- Sunrise game drive (Kruger National Park)
Guided early drives from rest camps when predators are most active. - Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (Hoedspruit)
Cheetah conservation and rehabilitation work up close.
Nature and Outdoors
- Lake Panic Bird Hide (Near Skukuza)
A peaceful hide for hippos, crocodiles and kingfishers. - Blyde River Canyon (Panorama Route)
One of the largest green canyons in the world. - Bourke's Luck Potholes (Panorama Route)
Swirling rock formations carved by the river. - God's Window (Panorama Route)
A cliff edge lookout over the Lowveld.
Places to Visit in Garden Route
Nature and Outdoors
- Robberg Nature Reserve (Plettenberg Bay)
A peninsula hike with seals, dolphins and big ocean views. - Storms River Mouth (Tsitsikamma)
A suspension bridge over the river mouth on a wild coast. - Wilderness lagoon canoe trip (Wilderness)
Paddle up the Touws River to a forest waterfall. - Map of Africa viewpoint (Wilderness)
A forest shaped like the continent and paragliders overhead. - Knysna Heads (Knysna)
Sandstone cliffs guarding the estuary with sweeping views. - Noetzie Beach (Knysna)
A secluded beach lined with castle style houses. - Brenton on Sea (Knysna)
A long, wild beach with fynbos covered dunes.
Things to Do
- Bloukrans Bridge Bungy (Bloukrans)
One of the highest bridge bungee jumps in the world. - Cango Caves (Oudtshoorn)
Huge limestone caverns with guided adventure tours. - Monkeyland (The Crags)
A free roaming primate sanctuary with guided walks. - Birds of Eden (The Crags)
A giant walk through bird aviary over forest. - Dias Museum Complex (Mossel Bay)
A replica sailing ship and the old post office tree.
Restaurants
- Knysna Oyster Company (Thesen Island, Knysna)
Oysters straight from the lagoon in a casual setting.
Shopping and Markets
- Wild Oats Community Farmers Market (Sedgefield)
A Saturday morning market of local produce and baking.
Stays
- Tsala Treetop Lodge (Plettenberg Bay)
Suites on stilts among the forest canopy.
Places to Visit in Durban
Nature and Outdoors
- Durban beachfront promenade (Golden Mile)
Kilometres of seaside walking, cycling and swimming beaches. - iSimangaliso Wetland Park (St Lucia)
Hippos, crocodiles and wild beaches in a World Heritage Site. - Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park (Zululand)
A Big Five park famous for rhino conservation. - Valley of a Thousand Hills (Botha's Hill)
Rolling hills, crafts and Zulu culture an hour inland. - Drakensberg Amphitheatre (Royal Natal National Park)
A vast rock wall and the Tugela Falls hike.
Things to Do
- uShaka Marine World (Point)
An aquarium and water park in a shipwreck theme. - Moses Mabhida Stadium SkyCar (Stamford Hill)
A ride to the top of the stadium arch for views of the city and sea. - Umhlanga Lighthouse and promenade (Umhlanga)
A seaside walk to the red and white lighthouse.
Shopping and Markets
- Victoria Street Market (City Centre)
Spices, curry powders and crafts in a bustling indoor market.
Restaurants
- Capsicum Restaurant (Britannia Hotel, Overport)
A local favourite for Durban curry and bunny chow. - Ile Maurice (Umhlanga)
Mauritian French cooking with sea views.
Bars and Nightlife
- Florida Road (Morningside)
The city's busiest strip of restaurants and bars.
Arts and Culture
- Phansi Museum (Glenwood)
A remarkable private collection of southern African art and beadwork. - KwaMuhle Museum (City Centre)
The history of apartheid era pass laws in Durban. - Inanda Heritage Route (Inanda)
The Gandhi Settlement, Ohlange and Mandela's 1994 vote site. - Nelson Mandela Capture Site (Howick)
A striking sculpture where Mandela was arrested in 1962.
Stays
- The Oyster Box (Umhlanga)
A classic beachfront hotel beside the lighthouse.
More to Explore
We are still checking these with fresh sources, so confirm opening times before you go.
- Cape Town Jazz Festival (City Centre, Cape Town)
Africa's grandest jazz festival, held each year at the convention centre. - Langa township walking tour (Langa, Cape Town)
Cape Town's oldest township, explored with a local guide. - Kalk Bay antique shops (Kalk Bay, Cape Town)
Rummage through antiques, books and crafts in a seaside village. - Jordan Restaurant (Stellenbosch Kloof, Stellenbosch)
Seasonal fine dining overlooking a vineyard dam. - Schoon Bakery (Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch)
Sourdough and pastries from a respected local baker. - De Warenmarkt (Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch)
A lively food and drinks hall in a converted old building. - Chaf Pozi (Soweto, Johannesburg)
Shisa nyama style grilled meat beneath the painted Orlando towers. - Neighbourgoods Market Johannesburg (Braamfontein, Johannesburg)
A Saturday food market with a rooftop view over the city. - Kitcheners Carvery Bar (Braamfontein, Johannesburg)
A historic pub that turns into a lively dance spot at weekends. - Father Coffee (Braamfontein, Johannesburg)
Small batch roasting in a lively student neighbourhood. - Mugg and Bean Skukuza (Skukuza, Kruger National Park)
Hearty meals on a deck above the Sabie River. - Sirocco (Thesen Island, Knysna, Garden Route)
Seafood and wood fired pizza by the water. - Mitchell's Brewery (Knysna, Garden Route)
A pioneer of South African craft beer. - Kranshoek Coastal Walk (Plettenberg Bay, Garden Route)
Cliff top trails above crashing surf. - Cafe 1999 (Glenwood, Durban)
A long loved neighbourhood restaurant for relaxed dinners with Mediterranean flavours.