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South Africa Itinerary: The Best of South Africa in 7 days

In recent years, South Africa has become the favourite destination among travellers. The country is a proper amalgamation of scenic beauty, cool cities, tradition, history, wildlife. South Africa has it all.  I spent 2 weeks in South Africa and used it as my hop-off point from my epic Cape Town to Cairo route a few years ago too.

On this extraordinary journey, explore mesmerizing Cape Town to vast Kruger National park, visit Soweto where Nelson Mandela once lived, and enjoy exotic foods and vintage wine.

Discover the awe-inspiring beauty of South Africa in 7days. 

Fly on your South Africa Itinerary with Lift Airlines

if you are worried about your budget while South Africa Itinerary, Lift Airline is at your rescue. The newest local carrier Lift airline will fly off with three aircraft operating seven return flights a day between Cape Town, George, and Johannesburg, from December 10 this year. The budget airline, Lift Airline’s flights bookings via website is available from November 10, 2020. 

Cheap flights online for your South Africa Itinerary

Getting around South Africa can be challenging and hurt the average pocket due to the massive size of the country. Hence finding cheap flights were difficult to find. Now, South Africans have taken charge of air traveling into their own hands and established several domestic airlines. Booking cheap flight tickets online has become easier with Mango Airlines, Kulula, and South African Airways. 

Day 1: Off to Cape Town

During their South Africa itinerary adventure, most of the travellers choose to start from Cape Town, and there is a pretty good reason behind it. Cape Town is the most vibrant city easy to fall in love with. Cape Town is famous for its scenic beauty, beautiful coastline, and amazing food scene.  It’s also a great spot to go shark cage diving (with Great White Sharks!).

Now you have landed in the Mother City, start your Cape Town exploration with V&A Waterfront. One of the best parts of the Waterfront is the Watershed that was once a warehouse but now a huge market of more than 150 vendors selling almost everything—original art to vintage clothing.

You will find a ferry for Robben Island from V&A Waterfront. Robben Island is the place where former President Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment—a place with great historical value.

You can end your day by touring the city, enjoying luscious food, or watching the sunset at Camps Bay. The sunset paints the apostle of twelve mountains with an unworldly orange hue, a stunning view to ending your day.  

Day 2: Cape Town

Start your morning with a unique view of the city. You can take a helicopter tour, or you can choose to ride in the sidecar of a WWII- era motorcycle— both are exciting ways to see the city. 

Cape Town trip would be incomplete without visiting Table Mountain. But the symbol (a cloud layer referred to as the table cloth covering the mountain) isn’t always visible. Even if you make it on a clear day, you can ride on a cable car to the top and enjoy the incredible view of Lion’s Head, Devil’s Peak, and the Atlantic Ocean.

After the Table Mountain tour, you must visit Cape Town’s most colourful neighbourhood, Bo-Caap, also known as Cape Malay Quarter. This small downtown neighbourhood is famous for its colourful houses, multicultural make-up, and great ethnic food. 

Day 3: Southernmost trip to Africa

The southernmost point of Africa is Cape Agulhas, about a two and a half hour journey from Cape Town by car. Visit the lighthouse and the point where the Indian and the Pacific Ocean meet. 

If you are more like a sightseeing person, consider visiting the Walker Bay wine region, north of Gansbaai (home of the shark cage diving). South Africa is known for its wine, and should not miss the opportunity if you have one. 

Day 4: Cape Peninsula and Boulders beach

Start your journey with Chapman’s peak drive, a cliff-hugging road that connects Hout Bay in Cape Town to Noordhoek. You can find some fantastic views here as well. After the drive, explore Simon’s Town and famous Boulder’s beach, home to a colony of endangered African Penguins. If you are lucky enough, you can get to swim with the penguins here. 

Cape Peninsula ends at Cape Point or the Cape of Good Hope, which is often mistaken as the southernmost point of Africa. Cape Point is a nature reserve which is a part of the larger Table mountain national park, where you can see Baboons and Dassies.

However, the most popular thing to do here is a hike to the lighthouse at the top of Cape point to enjoy the incredible view of the Peninsula and the ocean. 

Day 5: To Johannesburg

This largest city of South Africa is worth to visit. A must-visit to Johannesburg is Apartheid Museum in Soweto. The museum chronicles the struggle of South Africans’ during decades-long institutionalized racial discrimination. It’s crucial to visit the museum if you want to understand present South Africa.

You should book a tour to Maropeng and the Sterkfontein Caves or the “Cradle of Humankind.” It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites where some amazing discoveries have been made, including the signs of the earliest humans on earth.

And if you have enough time, explore the city in the evening and enjoy the street art which portrays their rebelliousness.

Day 6: Johannesburg to Kruger

It’s almost a 5 hours drive from Johannesburg to Kruger. On the way to Kruger, you can stop by Ndebele cultural village in Botshabelo. It’s a small village-museum where you can visit some colourful houses and get to know the small Ndebele tribe community.

Day 7: Kruger National Park

The end of your South Africa Itinerary. The highlight of visiting South Africa should be a safari to Kruger National park. It will be great if you can book a guided safari tour of the park to enjoy the wildlife and nature safely. Guides can take you to the places where private cars won’t have access; besides, they communicate with each other to know where the animals are. 

If you are lucky enough, you can see the Big 5 of Africa—lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and Cape buffalo—on your first safari. Nay, there are other animals like giraffes, baboons, antelopes, crocodiles, hippos, hyenas, zebras, etc.

It’s impossible to leave a country that is so close to nature and so vibrant and lively. If you have more time, you must visit the Garden Route along South Africa’s southern coast. This is also a beautiful part of South Africa and needs at least two days to enjoy it fully.