While 10 days is the most popular duration for kimkim travelers, two weeks is recommended for a satisfying trip to South Africa. You can venture farther outside Cape Town, discover the Winelands, drive the Garden Route, and go on a safari (or two) in Kruger National Park. This gives you enough time to explore outside of the main cities at a more relaxed pace and cover some beautiful parts of the country.

South Africa in 2 Weeks

South Africa - A rhino captured during a stunning sunset
A Savanna rhino at sunset on safari in Kruger

In two weeks, you can fully experience South Africa, fall in love with the dramatic landscapes and melting pot of cultures, and fit in a couple of longer road trips and more off-the-beaten-path destinations. This classic tour is the perfect introduction to South Africa and focuses on Cape Town and hot spots of the Western Cape province, including touring the Cape Winelands and seeing wildlife off the southern Cape, like sharks, fur seals, and penguins. A 2.5-hour flight takes you cross-country to must-see Kruger National Park for Big Five safari adventures and ends in urban, history-rich Johannesburg.

With two weeks, It's also possible to combine a trip to neighboring Namibia, Botswana, and/or Zimbabwe. All are within easy reach and offer incredible sightseeing, including the mighty Victoria Falls. This two-week highlights tour begins and ends in South Africa, starting in Cape Town and ending in Kruger National Park with a bush walk. In between, you'll fly from Cape Town to Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls for a sunset cruise and then cross into Botswana to gaze upon Kalahari elephants at the Chobe River. Then it's a short flight to the ​​Okavango Delta to seek out wildlife on safari as well as on a traditional mokoro boat.

Plan your trip to South Africa
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Other Durations

If you have less time to spend on a holiday in South Africa, you can still see Cape Town and the Winelands, Johannesburg, and Kruger National Park. If you have more than two weeks, you could also squeeze in Johannesburg or an alternate third option depending on what time you have, due to the vast distances between locales.

South Africa in 5 Days

A shorter stay in South Africa is possible, especially as part of a longer, multicountry Africa itinerary. Five days gives you enough time to explore Cape Town and its surroundings or focus solely on a wildlife game park like Kruger National Park. Learn more

South Africa in 1 Week

With one week in South Africa, you can explore Cape Town and road trip to one or two nearby towns and/or the Shamwari Game Reserve in Eastern Cape province. If you're looking for a faster-paced adventure, opt to spend a few nights in Cape Town before flying to Kruger for three nights or spend a day or two exploring the city of Johannesburg instead. Learn more

South Africa in 10 Days

In 10 days, you can see much of South Africa on a classic itinerary. Skip the Garden Route and Eastern Cape and board a quick flight from Cape Town to safari in Kruger National Park. If you skip Kruger, you can take a more relaxed pace and cover the popular southern Cape provinces in-depth, like Cape Town, the Garden Route, and Cape Winelands, and even enjoy a safari at Addo Elephant National Park. Learn more

South Africa in 3 Weeks

If you're lucky enough to have three weeks to spend in South Africa, you can opt for a slower-paced road trip and drive along South Africa's southern coast, covering additional provinces (and the famed Garden Route), including the ever-popular Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, like on this 21-day itinerary. You'll see the Drakensberg Mountains and Cango Caves, explore the Wild Coast, and have time to witness wildlife beyond Kruger at the Addo Elephant National Park. With added time, you'll see more of South Africa up close, but a two-hour flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg offers the chance to focus on multiple areas of the country in a shorter itinerary.

More Helpful Information

Drakensberg Amphitheatre in South Africa
Drive through the Drakensberg Amphitheatre in the Royal Natal National Park

With nine provinces to explore, there's plenty to keep you busy. Yet, with two weeks, it's a good idea to include the Cape provinces in your itinerary, starting with Western Cape. You can explore Cape Town, its surrounds, and the infamous Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned) before hitting the Garden Route. Then cross into the Eastern Cape, known for its undeveloped coast and some of the country's best surfing at Jeffreys Bay. Or use Cape Town as a home base and first venture into Northern Cape, worth checking out in the spring as the landscape offers carpets of Namaqualand wildflowers and grazing herds of animals.

You still have time leftover to discover at least one other province. If on a driving venture, check out bordering Free State, the province that gives you epic scenic drives through mountainous terrain in the Drakensberg and Maluti foothills, or stick to the coast and head into KwaZulu-Natal. A popular destination for Africans, the province provides some of the country's best marine-viewing opportunities at Sodwana Bay National Park. Alternatively, venture a little way north to Gauteng, a small province that hosts South Africa's largest city (Johannesburg) and the UNESCO-protected Cradle of Humankind.

And if its wildlife you seek, opt to fly out from Cape Town (saving the Northern or Eastern Capes, and KwaZulu-Natal and/or Gauteng for another time), focusing your attentions instead on Limpopo and Mpumalanga, known for Big Five game safaris and where popular Kruger National Park crosses both provinces. The former is best for getting off the tourist track to meet with villagers, and the latter has the impressive Blyde River Canyon, the world's third-largest canyon, and the Drakensberg Escarpment.

For alternate and equally successful game drives, there's landlocked North West province offering a diverse landscape ripe for Big Five sightings and includes Pilanesberg National Park, Kgaswane Mountain Reserve, and Madikwe Game Reserve