South Africa

Cape Town, Kruger and wine country.

US travel advisory: Level 2 · checked 2026-11-02
Photo: Der Berzerker from Washington, DC, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
This is a first draft of the South Africa list. The full region guide is being written, and tiers may still change.

The Short List

Must-See

Must-See
Cities · Table Mountain

Cape Town

Table Mountain above an Atlantic city, with Robben Island and Cape Point.

Guide Coming Soon
Must-See
Nature · Safari

Kruger National Park

One of Africa's great parks, and easily self-drive, with luxury private reserves next door.

Guide Coming Soon
Must-See
Beaches · Scenic Drives

Garden Route

A coast road of lagoons, forests and whales.

Guide Coming Soon
Must-See
Heritage · Wine

Cape Winelands

Dutch gables and very good wine.

Guide Coming Soon
Must-See
Mountains · Views

Table Mountain

Cape Town's flat-topped icon, by rotating cable car.

Guide Coming Soon

Worth a Detour

Worth a Detour
Mountains · UNESCO

Drakensberg

A basalt wall, with San rock paintings.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Nature · Whales

Hermanus

The world's best land-based whale watching, from June to November.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Cities · History

Johannesburg and Soweto

Mandela's house and the Apartheid Museum.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Beaches · Penguins

Boulders Beach

A colony of African penguins, near Cape Town.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Heritage · UNESCO

Robben Island

The prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years, a ferry ride from Cape Town.

Guide Coming Soon

If You're Nearby

If You're Nearby
Nature · Canyons

Blyde River Canyon

One of Earth's largest green canyons.

Guide Coming Soon
If You're Nearby
Nature · UNESCO

iSimangaliso

Lakes and turtles, with hippos.

Guide Coming Soon
If You're Nearby
Nature · Safari

Kgalagadi

Black-maned lions in the red Kalahari.

Guide Coming Soon
If You're Nearby
Heritage · UNESCO

Cradle of Humankind

The caves that hold some of our oldest ancestors, near Johannesburg.

Guide Coming Soon
If You're Nearby
Cities · Beaches

Durban

A warm Indian Ocean city, famed for bunny chow.

Guide Coming Soon

On the Map

Grey pins: guides still being written.