Things to do in South Africa

25 things to do in South Africa

Listed in full below. The running order is set by votes and loads with the page.

• Watch sunrise over the bushveld at Olifants Camp, Kruger National Park

  Arrive at dawn at the Olifants Camp lookout to see the sun rise over the Olifants River, painting the baobabs and acacias in golden light while hippos grunt below.

  Olifants Camp, Kruger National Park

• Taste Cape Malay cuisine at a family-run restaurant in Bo-Kaap

  Sample fragrant, gently spiced dishes like bobotie and denningvleis in the technicolour Muslim quarter of Bo-Kaap, where the Cape Malay culinary tradition thrives.

  Bo-Kaap, Cape Town

• Explore the vast limestone chambers of the Cango Caves

  Descend into dramatically lit caverns of stalactites and stalagmites, including the towering 'Cleopatra's Needle', on a guided tour through one of the world's great show caves.

  Cango Caves, Oudtshoorn

• Tour Robben Island and stand in Nelson Mandela's prison cell

  A ferry from the V&A Waterfront takes you to the island where Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years incarcerated; former political prisoners guide the tour, sharing stories of resilience and freedom.

  Robben Island, Cape Town

• Hike to the summit of Table Mountain via Platteklip Gorge

  The most direct route up the iconic flat-topped mountain rewards with breathtaking panoramas over Cape Town and the Atlantic Seaboard after a strenuous but rewarding ascent.

  Platteklip Gorge, Table Mountain, Cape Town

• Devour a spicy mutton bunny chow at Durban's Victoria Street Market

  Sink your teeth into a hollowed-out quarter loaf of white bread filled with fiery Durban curry—a classic street food born from the city's Indian community, best enjoyed at the bustling market.

  Victoria Street Market, Durban

• Go on a self-drive safari in Addo Elephant National Park

  Cruise in your own vehicle through dense thicket and open plains to encounter hundreds of African elephants, plus lion, black rhino and buffalo, often at close range around waterholes.

  Addo Elephant National Park, Main Camp

• Picnic among fynbos and proteas at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

  Spread a blanket on the emerald lawns of this UNESCO World Heritage Site garden, set against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, surrounded by thousands of indigenous plants and birdsong.

  Kirstenbosch, Cape Town

• Enjoy sunset cocktails and street performers at the V&A Waterfront

  The historic Victoria & Alfred Waterfront buzzes with al fresco dining, live music, and views of the harbour and Table Mountain—perfect for a breezy evening stroll and drinks.

  V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

• Walk through the Apartheid Museum's emotional exhibits in Johannesburg

  Enter through separate 'white' and 'non-white' entrances and be immersed in film footage, photographs and artifacts that lay bare the brutality and ultimate triumph over apartheid.

  Apartheid Museum, Johannesburg

• Watch southern right whales breach from the Hermanus Cliff Path

  Between June and November, whales come within metres of the rocky shore along this 12 km coastal walkway; the route is peppered with benches for effortless, magnificent land-based whale watching.

  Hermanus Cliff Path, Hermanus

• Marvel at the Three Rondavels view over Blyde River Canyon

  Stop at the panoramic viewpoint above one of the largest green canyons on Earth, where the round, hut-like Three Rondavels rise from the lush abyss of the Drakensberg escarpment.

  Three Rondavels, Blyde River Canyon

• Catch a wave at Supertubes in Jeffrey's Bay

  Paddle out at one of the planet’s most perfect right-hand point breaks, where long, fast barrels draw surfers from across the globe and surf culture defines the town.

  Supertubes, Jeffrey's Bay

• Visit the Maropeng Visitor Centre in the Cradle of Humankind

  Explore the underground exhibition at Maropeng, where you can walk through the story of human evolution and see fossils that shaped our understanding of where we came from.

  Maropeng, Cradle of Humankind

• Sip world-class wine on a Franschhoek estate

  Board the hop-on hop-off wine tram to sample award-winning Sauvignon Blanc and Méthode Cap Classique while gazing at the dramatic Franschhoek mountains and manicured vineyards.

  Franschhoek Valley, Western Cape

• Meet the endangered African penguin colony at Boulders Beach

  Walk along wooden boardwalks over the white sand and granite boulders to see hundreds of irresistibly comical penguins waddling, swimming and nesting just metres away from you.

  Boulders Beach, Simon's Town

• Hike the Tugela Gorge trail to the Amphitheatre in the Drakensberg

  Follow the river through a deep gorge, scrambling past boulders and stepping into chilly pools, until the towering wall of the Amphitheatre erupts before you—one of South Africa’s most dramatic hikes.

  Tugela Gorge, Royal Natal National Park

• Reflect at the Nelson Mandela Capture Site's sculpture in Howick

  Stand at the exact spot where Mandela was arrested in 1962, now marked by a stunning sculpture of 50 steel columns that align to form his face from a specific angle.

  Nelson Mandela Capture Site, Howick

• Savour a traditional braai at a shebeen in Vilakazi Street, Soweto

  Join locals at the only street in the world to have housed two Nobel Peace Prize winners; feast on grilled boerewors, pap and chakalaka while a lively jazz soundtrack fills the air.

  Vilakazi Street, Soweto

• Scuba dive among colourful coral reefs at Sodwana Bay

  Descend into the warm Indian Ocean at iSimangaliso Wetland Park's tropical reefs, known for abundant fish, rays, turtles and dramatic overhangs—an unexpected South African underwater paradise.

  Sodwana Bay, iSimangaliso Wetland Park

• Take an overnight luxury rail journey on the Rovos Rail

  Retrace the golden age of travel aboard the mahogany-panelled 'Pride of Africa', departing from Pretoria's Capital Park station for a slow, opulent journey across the Highveld.

  Rovos Rail departure, Capital Park Station, Pretoria

• Join a township bicycle tour to the Hector Pieterson Memorial

  Pedal through the streets of Soweto with a local guide to the poignant memorial and museum dedicated to the 12-year-old boy killed in the 1976 uprising, a turning point in the anti-apartheid struggle.

  Hector Pieterson Memorial, Soweto

• Witness the thunder of the Augrabies Falls from the main viewing deck

  Feel the spray as the Orange River plunges 56 metres into a rugged gorge at this Khoisan-named 'place of great noise', especially thundering after summer rains.

  Augrabies Falls National Park

• View ancient San rock art at Game Pass Shelter, Drakensberg

  A short hike to this overhang reveals exquisite 3,000-year-old San paintings of the 'roan antelope' and trance scenes, known as the 'Rosetta Stone' of southern African rock art.

  Game Pass Shelter, Kamberg Nature Reserve

• Stargaze at the Southern African Large Telescope in Sutherland

  Join a night tour at the SAAO observatory to peer through telescopes under some of the clearest, darkest skies on Earth, with the Milky Way arcing brilliantly overhead.

  Sutherland, Northern Cape