20 days South Africa itinerary

If there is one trip that will remain in our memory forever, in that top 3 of the best in life, it is South Africa. We spent 20 days there, and this itinerary is one of the ones I'm most proud of!

To say we really like South Africa is an understatement. We absolutely loved the country. Out of the 40-plus countries I've visited, whenever someone asks me for a suggestion for a destination that has it all – from museums to bungee jumping, from wildlife to nightlife, wineries and beaches – and that won't break your bank account, the answer is South Africa.

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What to do in South Africa

A quick look at the map is enough to realize that South Africa is a huge country, one of the largest on the African continent, so there's no secret: if your time – and money – is limited, you will have to make choices, as it is almost impossible see the entire country in a single vacation trip.

Our itinerary focused on (1) safaris - “game-drives” - I believe this is a priority for almost everyone who goes to sub-Saharan Africa, right?; (2) Cape Town – without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities on the continent; (3) wineries; and (4) eco-tourism and beaches.

To make the most of your trip, here are some practical tips: the best time to visit South Africa is during spring (September to November) or autumn (March to May), when the climate is milder and there are fewer tourists. But if you can't go during those times, there's no problem: we went there in December and January and had very good weather, but in some places (mainly Cape Town) there were a lot of tourists.

To move around the country, It's very easy to rent a car. There you drive on the right hand side (English system) which may take some time for you to adjust, but overall it's super peaceful, the roads are great and the traffic is well organized. We chose to rent a car, as it gave us more flexibility and made it easier to visit some places (otherwise, it would be necessary to hire tours for some trips). But it is possible to travel around the country with public transport – basically buses and in some sections there are passenger train services.

Check out this post where I summarized all the information that you need to know before visiting South Africa.

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Pretoria

Our 2019-day journey through South Africa began in Pretoria, where we visited dear friends, spending New Year's Eve and delightful days with them.

Pretoria, one of South Africa's three official capitals, isn't particularly renowned as a tourist destination. However, our hosts treated us exceptionally well, showcasing numerous fascinating sights. The new friendships we formed, combined with the warm hospitality, made it an ideal start to a trip that surpassed all expectations.

What to do in Pretoria and Johannesburg

But as a trip is not just about hanging with friends, having the best local wine and spectacular food, we took advantage of the days there to discover:

- Pretoria Zoo – South Africa's largest zoo, ranked among the world's best. We had a delightful picnic, enjoyed in the zoo's gardens, offering a preview of the wildlife we would encounter in the coming days.

- Moroleta Park – a park/natural reserve very close to the area where we were staying; The girls loved their first contact with free-ranging animals, such as zebras and ostriches.

- Apartheid Museum(50 minutes from Pretoria) - South Africa endured over 40 years of apartheid rule. Understanding this era and delving into the journey of the South African people to overcome it is crucial not only for grasping the country's history but also for comprehending and addressing the challenges of our global society. It underscores the growing need for collective action to foster a fairer and more egalitarian world.

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Graskop & Blyde River Canyon – 2 nights

Blyde River Canyon

The Blyde River Canyon extends for approximately 26km (or 50km, the size varies depending on the source of information) and, although the official website say it is the third largest on the planet. Even so, don't expect anything remotely similar to the Grand Canyon – if I can say anything in favor of the Blyde River, it's that the vibrant vegetation makes it much more pleasant and friendly than its counterpart in the Americas.

Nevertheless, it remains a sizable and breathtaking canyon with easy accessibility. You can drive to a parking lot and then follow a straightforward trail to the most popular viewpoints, with the <strong>Three Rondavels </strong>being the most renowned in the region.

On the day we visited, it was remarkably tranquil, devoid of large crowds. Another noteworthy viewpoint with excellent photo opportunities is Lowveld View, situated very close to Three Rondavels. There are various trails in the region, and adventurous visitors can even go rafting.

Bourke's Luck Potholes

Another captivating site in Blyde Canyon is Bourke’s Luck Potholes, a series of waterfalls in a narrow stretch of the canyon. Admission fees apply, and it tends to be more crowded compared to other stops in Blyde Canyon, attracting both South Africans and tourists. The site features a cafeteria and souvenir shops.

A highlight of the day was our lunch at Potluck Boskombuis, perfectly located by the river (which eventually forms Bourke’s Luck Potholes). Despite lacking electricity, the restaurant provided a charming, natural atmosphere. Dishes were expertly grilled over an open fire, and although Google Maps currently indicates temporary closure, it's worth checking for updates.

The best place to stay in the region is the city of Graskop, we stayed in Graskop Hotel, which had a great pool and double rooms perfect for four people.

Pilgrim's Rest

Another village in the region that is worth a visit is Pilgrim's Rest, a historic village from the time of the South African gold rush, which began in 1873. The quaint town has buildings preserved as they were in their heyday - such as the post office and bank.

Cafes, restaurants, and shops make it a delightful stop for a few hours en route to Kruger National Park or other destinations in the region.

The distance from Pretoria to Graskop is approximately 370 km (which we covered in 4h30). We opted to rent a car in Pretoria and used it throughout this part of the journey, returning it at Nelspruit airport, the closest one to Kruger Park.

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Kruger National Park – 2 nights

If it's possible to say what the best part of the trip was, this would be a strong contender.

We spent three days in the park, but we could have stayed much longer. Seeing the animals in nature, free, was an unforgettable experience.

To find out more about Kruger Park

Kruger, probably the most famous national park in South Africa, was established in 1898 as Sabie Game Reserve, and was gradually expanded until today it covers an area of ​​19.633 km2. It is one of the “game parks” that receives the most visitors in the world, and has (documented) 507 species of birds, 336 trees, 147 mammals, 114 reptiles, 49 fish and 34 amphibians

The park is crossed by several paved roads; you can enter (after paying the entrance fee) with your private car and travel freely along the paved roads; In this post I explain in detail everything you need to know to visit Kruger Park without spending a fortune.

On SANPARK's Official Website you can check the opening times of each park entrance, as well as other important information (this website is also where you can book accommodation within the park and activities, such as guided game drives – safaris).

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Where to stay in Kruger Park

There are several camps within the park. The camps we stayed in had an excellent structure; search the SANPARK website because the structure varies between one and another.

We stayed at Skukuza and Lower Sabie. Skukuza is the biggest camp of all, it has restaurants, swimming pool (which we didn't use), convenience store, gas station and several other facilities. Lower Sabie is also quite large, counts with similar structure and, in my opinion, is the prettiest of the two. In both of them we could easily see plenty of animals. Coming by car from Graskop, we entered the park through Phabeni Gate and exit (to Nelspruit) through Crocodile Bridge Gate.

It is essential to reserve campsites as far in advance as possible, as spaces fill up very quickly. I have a blog post with everything you need to know to visit Kruger National Park, where I explain how to book accomodation inside the Park, and best of it all, it is budget friendly!

How to go on safaris in Kruger Park

During the day, we explored the park in our own car, and in the late afternoon we took guided tours (game drives) – you can book them on the same official website Sanparks website.

The guided tour is in an adapted truck, we go with a guide and a driver, and you can do it at sunrise or sunset (or both), which are the periods when the animals are most active – you can take as many as you can , and I recommend that you take advantage of the opportunity and do as much as you can. For the guided tour, there is a minimum age limit; There is no limit to traveling with your private car, we saw several babies and small children in the campsites. Remember that you are not allowed to leave your car, except within the fenced boundaries of the campsites.

In addition to the park itself, there are several neighboring private reserves, many of them with complete accommodation + safari programs for all types of tastes and budgets (especially the deepest pockets lol).

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How to get to and from Kruger Park

We were in Graskop and we drove to Kruger Park, we entered the park through Phabeni Gate and, on the third day, we left through Crocodile Bridge Gate.

From Kruger Park we drove to Nelspruit airport (Kruger Mpumalanga) – 140km, around 2h15, but leave well in advance, because when we were going to the airport, still within the park limits, there was an elephant standing on the road, calmly feeding.

It took almost half an hour for him to decide to go to another location…

The flight to Cape Town was on a Embraer 190, which fills me with pride every time I have the opportunity to fly, because, among the thousands of people who worked to make it happen, was my father (and, like me, he was also born in São José dos Campos, Brazil).

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Cape Town – 5 nights

Cape Town deserves an entire trip, just to explore the city and surroundings. It's that kind of place that you can return to as many times as you like, and it will always be spectacular.

Where to stay in Cape Town

We stayed in a great Airbnb, in the Waterfront region, with a balcony and wonderful views of Table Mountain, made even better by the sensational sunsets.

In this post there is everything you need to know before visiting South Africa, and there I give several suggestions for accommodation in Cape Town, there is certainly one that you will enjoy.

What to do in Cape Town

We stayed in Cape Town for 5 days, and the activities were like this:

– day 1:

arrival, a walk in the neighborhood, shopping groceries and dinner in the apartment with the best sunset ever .

– day 2:

as the day dawned beautiful, we went straight to the Table Mountain – which proved to be perfect, because on the other days the mountain was covered with the so-called “cloth”, a layer of fog, really looking like a “towel” on the table. The line to go up with the cable car was big and slow (you can go up on foot, along a trail, but I don't recommend doing that with children). From the top, the views are superb, and I recommend going all the way around, to enjoy it from every possible angle. It's quite windy up there, but we didn't get cold. A friend had gone a week before and said it was really cold, so I think the best is to really be prepared and bring a jacket, or windbreaker, and plenty of water (although there is a little shop upstairs, great for fuelling the kids with ice cream). We went down, had lunch and went for <strong>a walk in Bo-kaap area</strong>.

– day 3:

Cruised along Chapman's Peak Drive to reach the Cape of Good Hope, soaking in the spectacular ocean views and snapping countless pics. On the way back we stopped at Boulders Beach home to those cool penguins. Needless to say all the kids and adults loved it! Oh, by the way, fun fact – Cape Agulhas is the real southernmost spot in Africa, not the Cape of Good Hope!

– day 4:

in the morning we went to Kirstenbosh National Botanical Garden, we had lunch at a bistro in Old Biscuit Mall and in the afternoon we enjoyed the beach in Camps Bay Beach.

- day 5:

Two Oceans Aquirium in the morning and afternoon tour to Robben Island –the island prison where Mandela and other black leaders were imprisoned during the apartheid era. We had lunch and dinner at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. Both the Aquarium and the departure point for the Robben Island tour are at the Waterfront, making this combination perfect for filling a full day of activities.

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Franschhoeck – 2 nights

South Africa's wonderful wine region, encompassing Stellenbosh, Paarl and Franschhoek. The proposal for the two days we stayed there was to simply relax and enjoy visiting the wineries.

And, yes, it is a tour that can be done safely with children of any age. The wineries are beautiful and very well prepared for tourism, some have playgrounds and picnic areas, and (I believe that if not all, the vast majority) have great restaurants.

On the first day, we visited Babylonstoren, which has beautiful gardens, with some “labyrinths”, a wonderful vegetable garden and two restaurants.

Then we went to Drakenstein Lion Park, a sanctuary for lions rescued from situations of abuse, neglect and mistreatment. We visited with an excellent guide, who told us the history of the sanctuary and the lions and lionesses (and a tigress) that live there (needless to say, they are heartbreaking).

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Tours in Franschhoek – bike and train

The next day, we went on what was perhaps the tour the girls enjoyed the most: bike tour of the wineries.We went with Bikes'n'Wines

We took a full day tour – initially it would be in a group, but as there were only 4 of us, we had the private tour. They provided bikes, for adults and children, and helmets, and we went, at the children's pace (which ended up not being as slow as we imagined) to three wineries. One better than the other: Mont Rochelle, Leeu Estates (there was an art gallery and a sculpture garden) and Rickerty Bridge.

In each winery, adults enjoyed wine tasting (3 types in each) and for children, in the first there was a juice tasting, in the second a juice and some sweets, and in the last one ice cream.

Another cool trip with children is to visit the wineries by train (Franschhoek Wine Tram), it wouldn't have been bad to have stayed an extra day there and taken this tour. But choices have to be made, and it doesn't hurt to have this as a justification for going back there soon 😉

Where to stay in Franshoek

We stayed in Le Franshoek Hotel & Spa, which had a great family room and a delicious pool, which the girls insisted on enjoying both days in the late afternoon.

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Knysna – 2 nights

That day we did the longest car stretch of the trip – 450km.

We left Franschhoek early, I don't remember where we stopped for lunch (but it was a very nice place facing the sea, probably in the region of Mossel Bay).

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Knysna

Knysna is part of the region known as “Garden Route”, and is on the edge of a lagoon.

In what was left of the day of arrival, we did a small trail to a viewpoint known as "the Heads”, which is located at the entrance of the lagoon (facing the ocean). The trail is very easy, just a few minutes, and the view is fantastic.

Robberg Nature Reserve

The next day, we went to Robberg Nature Reserve, a natural reserve that covers an entire peninsula.

You can do the short trail (which was the one we did), which took about 5 hours (including stopping to enjoy the beach), or the full trail, which according to the directions at the entrance is twice the distance and was much more demanding.

Despite some complaints, the trail was very peaceful for the children. The beaches (which, as we did clockwise, were almost at the end of the tour) are excellent, a beautiful view and in a great part for swimming.

After the tour (and a good swim), we went for coffee and ice cream in the center of Knysna (which is located on an island in the lagoon).

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Monkey land

The next day, we went to Monkey land, a sanctuary for monkeys and lemurs rescued from situations of mistreatment and abuse. The tour is guided and very interesting, but be prepared because it is in a very dense forest with mosquitoes (by the way, it was the only place on the trip where there were mosquitoes). Next door, there is the Birds of Eden, a huge area with birds flying free, but we didn't get to visit it.

Where to stay in Knysna

The closest town to Robberg and Monkeyland is Plattenberg Bay, but we chose stay in Knysna, which seemed like a nicer place to me. We stayed in an excellent Airbnb, it had more rooms than we were able to use (the girls loved it, for the first – and so far only – time in their lives, they each slept in a room, in a double bed).

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Storms River – 1 night

Leaving Monkeyland, we head to Storms River, a village right at the entrance to Tsitsikama National Park.

It is a beautiful natural park, on the shores of the Indian Ocean. The trip we took there, recommended by a friend, was the kayak with Untoched Adventures. It was sensational.

We started, paddling through the sea, and entered the Storms River, passing under the park's famous suspension bridge, and we paddled through the canyon formed by this river. At a certain point, there is no way to continue with the kayaks, so we leave them there and move to a kind of buoy/board, and continue up the river, to a point where there is really no way to go. On the way back, the current helps, and the views are even more wonderful. Unmissable

An extra day here, preferably in accommodation within the Tsitsikama park, would have been ideal to make the most of the region.

Where to Stay in Storms River

Here we stayed in a very quiet and friendly hotel, Tsitsikama Village Inn, which had a lawn that the children loved and an excellent balcony for enjoying wine after the children went to sleep.

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Addo Elephant National Park – 2 nights

Addo is another national park great for safari (“game drives”). It's about 200km from Storms River, and we headed there after the kayak trip, with a certain amount of excitement as the park entrance closed at 17pm and we had to stop somewhere for lunch.

<strong>Although smaller than Kruger, Addo is an excellent place to observe wildlife in its natural habitat.</strong>

During our visit, we encountered ostriches, lions, zebras, kudus, buffalos, wild boars, antelopes, turtles, brown dung beetles, herons, eagles, storks, and, of course, numerous elephants. Some animals were unique to Addo, while others we only spotted in Kruger, but most are possible to see in both parks.

In Addo, we explored the park on a self-guided tour during the day and joined a guided tour at sunset.

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Where to stay in Addo National Park

We stayed at Addo Main Rest Camp, and we got a cabin for 4 people (reservations can be made through the same SANPARKS Official Website. Take a look at this post about how to visit Kruger Park, The system is the same for visiting Addo.

The camp, also much smaller than the ones we stayed at in Kruger, is great, there is a great small museum about the history of the park, and there is a restaurant and convenience store. But if you prefer, there are several options for accommodation around the park, or even in Port Elizabeth, which is the closest city and you can easily visit the park in a day trip.

Last moments of our 20-day itinerary in South Africa

To end the trip with a flourish, it was a new moon and <strong>the sky was absurdly clear</strong>, with a sensational view of the stars – I say, without a shadow of a doubt, that it is in the top 3 places where I have seen the most beautiful night sky – the others two were the hotel inside the Tikal park, in Guatemala, and a village lost in the interior of Bolivia, halfway between San Pedro de Atacama and Salar de Uyuni – needless to say, in these three places, the electricity only lasted until a certain time, after that it was just starlight.

On the last day, early in the morning, we left (and this time without elephants blocking the road) to Port Elizabeth airport, where we returned the car (which we had picked up at Cape Town airport) and began the long journey back home.

As our South African adventure comes to an end, I can't help but dream of future travels, with Tanzania sitting high on my bucket list. A 7-day Tanzania safari itinerary beckons, promising another incredible journey through the diverse and captivating landscapes of Africa