I have included my three-week itinerary below for South Africa. This can also be divided up if you are planning a shorter trip or need suggestions for certain areas in South Africa. The main areas were Kruger National Park (Sabi Sands), the Panorama Route, the Garden Route, and Cape Town. I tried to stay in airbnbs when I was staying somewhere for multiple days, with the exception of Kruger & Sabi Sands since they don’t have airbnbs. I went with comfortable hotels, but ones that were less than $200 a night. I think South Africa is a hard trip to plan, so I have already created a guide for planning a trip to South Africa yourself and I will have more detailed posts about the main areas I went in South Africa.
Day 1- Fly to Johannesburg
5:40PM flight IAD
Day 2- Airport to Hotel (4 min drive)
Arrive Johannesburg 4:45PM
Pick up rental car (Avis)
Stay near airport Premiere Hotel OR Tambo
Day 3- Johannesburg to Kruger National Park (4 hr 46min drive)
Drive to Skukuza Rest Camp
Gate closes at 5:30PM
Day 4- Kruger National Park
Skukuza Rest Camp
Lower Sabie is the best rest camp to stay, but Skukuza is good too. Both have good restaurants. Cheetah’s are often at Lower Sabie
Optional Routes to Drive
Skukuza to Lower Sabie to Crocodile Bridge
Skukuza to Tshokwane
Skukuza to Renosterkoppies
Day 5- Skukuza to Panorama Route
**Note- The availability between the rest camp (Skukuza) and sabi sands (Umkumbe) was scarce so I put the panorama route between the two. Ideally I would have had Skukuza and Umkumbe back-to-back since they are so close.
Panorama Route
Graskop (1 hr 33 min drive from Skukuza)
Eat at Harrie’s Pancakes
Mac Mac Pools & Falls (River & Goldmine
Stay in Pilgrim’s Rest (cute town, diggings site where you can pan for gold) (1 hr 55 from Skukuza, 23 min from Graskop)
Other options for Panorama Route
Start here Sabie (1 hr 38 min from Skukuza)
South of Graskop
Pine plantation
Woodsman Pub & Restaurant (looks like a cabin)
Wild Fig Tree Restaurant
The Smokey (train diner)
Day 6- Panorama Route
Stops
Pinnacle Rock (100 foot tower of quartz)
God’s Window (parking lot w/ short hike to great views)
Lisbon Falls (waterfall w/ colorful wild flowers)
Berlin Falls
Bourke’s Luck Potholes
Lunch at Erasmuschoop Potluck Boskombuis (traditional African food)
Lowveld View
Three Rondavels Viewpoint (aka Blyde River Canyon)
Airbnb (1 hr 35, 2 hr from Graskop)
Day 7- Airbnb to Sabi Sands (2 hr 33 min drive)
Umkumbe Safari
Check in is from 2pm, followed by lunch and the afternoon game drive at 4pm/7-8PM Return to camp & drinks at bar/ 8 Dinner/ 9 Drinks, coffee or tea around campfire
Day 8- Sabi Sands
Umkumbe Safari
5:30AM Wake Up call/ 6 Coffee & Light Breakfast/ 630 Depart on morning game drive/ 9-10 return to lodge/ 1030 Breakfast/Brunch/11 Optional Bushwalk/ 3 Tea & light lunch/4 Depart afternoon game drive & night drive/7-8PM Return to camp & drinks at bar/ 8 Dinner/ 9 Drinks, coffee or tea around campfire
Day 9- Sabi Sands to Johannesburg (5 hr 21 min drive)
5:30AM Wake Up call/ 6 Coffee & Light Breakfast/ 630 Depart on morning game drive/ 9-10 return to lodge/ 1030 Breakfast/Brunch
Check out 11AM
Drive to Premier Hotel OR Tambo
Day 10- Fly Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth. Drive Port Elizabeth to Tsitsikamma National Park (1 hr 46 to hotel)
Fly to Port Elizabeth (8:10AM flight, arrive 10:30AM)
Optional food stops (I ate in Jeffreys Bay)
Stanley Street has a great selection of al-fresco restaurants, from craft breweries and cocktail bars to tapas and sushi.
Bridge St Brewery =craft beer and pizza
Pick up rental car
Drive to Jeffreys Bay
Cape St Francis
Lunch at Kitchen Window (other option just outside Jeffrey's at Marina Martinique try 'die walskipper' fish/steak cooked on a fire , and you are right on the beach)
Drive to Storms River/Tsitsikamma National Park
Stop by the “Big Tree”
Hike to Suspension Bridge (1 hour hike)
Optional Activities
Segway Tour or Treetop Canopy Tour
Food
Marilyn's Diner
Fynboshoek Cheese restaurant
Stay in Tsitsikamma National Park—Tsitsikamma Lodge and Spa (Love this place)
Day 11- Drive Tsitsikamma National Park to Plettenburg Way (43 min to hotel)
Tsitsikamma Gardens Restaurant for breakfast (or lunch)
Bungee jump off Blukran’s Bridge with Face Adrenaline (20 min from hotel)
Drive to Plettenburg Bay
Great beaches
Good base for a couple nights
Nature’s Valley
Monkey Land
Robberg Nature Reserve (seals)
Birds of Eden
Jakani Wildlife Sanctuary
Whale watching boat
Tenikawa Wildlife Sanctuary
Food
Ristorante Enrico. It's situated right on the beachfront with the most awesome views, and their seafood and pizzas are incredible.
Emily Moon
Lemongrass
Zinzi in harkersville (between plett and knysna)
The Fat Fish
Tapas at Bramon wine estate at the Crags
Stay at Plett River Lodge
Day 12- Drive Plettenburg Bay to George (Drive 1 hr 32 min)
Hotel to Knysna (33 min) to George (45 min)
Stop at Saturday market in Sedgefield
Breakfast there
Knysna
Lagoon Cruise
Lunch at Ile de Pain
Optional activities
Circles in the Forest 2 mile hike
Ferry to Featherbird Nature Reserve
Optional restaurants
East Head Café
Chatters Bistro
Olive Tree
Freshline Fisheries. A 'fish-shack' with limited menu, BYO wine, basic table settings, great atmosphere, cheap prices
Stay at Oubaai Hotel Golf and Spa
Optional stops and different routes
Wilderness
Food
Serendipity
Salina's Beach
Joplin's
The Girls
Good restaurants in general
Driving to Oudtshoorn instead of George maybe. Ostrich Farms and Cango Caves. Scenic drive to Swartberg Mountain pass. Karusa Winery
From here theres coastal town of Arniston/Waenhuiskrans off N2 onto R319
Cape Aghulas (southern most point of Africa
Drive to Capetown Coastal route by taking R44 and Kleinmond to town Strand
Day 13- Drive George to Franschoek wine country (4 hr, 16 min)
George
Outeniqua Power Van trip (tram up a mountain. Need to call to book. Bring picnic)
Railway Museum
Drive to Franschoek airbnb
Dinner on main street
Optional stops or routes
Mossel Bay
Sea Gypsy, for some of the best seafood in the country best view
Quay 4
Pinnacle Caves
Aloe Farm
Hermanus via Stanford R316 to R362
Birkenhead brewery
Marianas is best country kitchen in South Africa
Hermanus - Oskar's restaurant good. Also beachfront restaurants. Bientang's Cave situated right on the beachfront in a hidden cave, with views over the ocean.
Oudtshorn Cango Wildlife Ranch
Day 14- Franschhoek Wine Country
Breakfast & winetasting at Babylonstoren Winery
Wine & cheese pairing at Fairview Cellar Wine & Cheese (has goats here)
Vrede en Lust wine tasting
Allee Bleue wine tasting
Haute Cabriere
Dinner & wine at La Motte (food & wine)
Optional
You can take a wine tram. It has 4 lines the Orange & Purple are the best
Day 15- Drive Franschhoek to Peninsula Hotel (1 hr 44 min)
Wine tasting at Le Lure
Harbour House for lunch in Kalk Bay
Boulder Beach (penguin beach)
Stay at Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel
Bertha’s dinner on the pier
Day 16- Drive Cape Peninsula to Cape Town
Hotel to Peninsula (23 min)-> Peninsula to Chapman’s Peak Drive (1 hr)-> CPD to Airbnb (37 min)
Drive to Capetown Peninsula
Two Oceans restaurant
Furnicular
Lighthouse
Cape of Good Hope
Dinner at Red Herring
Drive along Chapman’s Peak
Check in to Airbnb
Optional activities
Boat to Hout Bay for island covered in seals
Noordhoek Farm Village (good ice cream)
Noordhoek Beach- nice beach, Kommetije lighthouse, surfers
Day 17- Cape Town
Take cable car up to table mountain (Table Mountain Café at top)
Drive through Bo-Kaap Neighborhood (colorful)
V&A Waterfront
The Waterfront Food Market & Watershed Market
Karibu restaurant (African food)
Day 18- Cape Town
Bay Harbour Market- Hout Bay, Fri 5-9, Sat & Sun 9-4 live music
Lions Head Hike
First Thursdays (art pop-ups)
Day 19- Cape Town
Oranjezight City Farm Market- Near V&A Waterfront Sat 830-2
The Neighbourgoods Market- The Old Biscuit Market (Hout Bay near Chapman’s Drive) Woodstock, great breakfast, 100 traders Sat 9-3
Kirstenbosh Gardens
Other information for Cape Town:
Robben Island (3 and a half hour trip)
Hop on, Hop off
The Castle of Good Hope, Greenmarket Square, museums, table mountain, camps bay beach, V & A Waterfront
Cape town food
Areas-- Kloof Street and Long Street) The V&A Waterfront
Waterkant- Loading Bay, Origins Roast (breakfast)
ConStantia- Melissa’s (flagship)
Chefs Warehouse (World’s 50 best restaurants)
Bo-Kaap- Kombuis (authentic food)
The Pot Luck Club (expensive), Chefs Warehouse (tapas,50 best restaurants in World), Azure Restaurant
Kloof Street-Manna Epicure
Jason’s Bakery
Kirstenbosch- Moyo
Truth Coffee
Grand Café
Camps Bay- Café Caprice, The Bungalow, Paranga
Culture Club Cheese (cheese tasting)
Gold (cheap 12 course meal)
Designer Shops
Kloof Street
Long Street
Bree Street
Greenmarket Square (African crafts)
Cape Town Beer Route
Lions Head (2 hr roundtrip)
Constantia Wine Route (Groot Constania Wine Estate for Lunch)
Hout Bay (Has market)
First Thurdays
Mzoli (authentic African Food)
Signal Hill—noon gun ceremony
Castle of Good Hope- Key Ceremony (like changing of guards, noon and 11 cannon firing)
Cape Malay
St George’s Cathedral
BoxGirls South Africa (township tour, includes lunch)
Pretty Hotels
Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel (Gardens & High Tea)
Table Bay Hotel (High Tea)
The Silo Hotel (good photos)
Granddaddy Hotel (rooftop bar & cinema)
Markets
Oranjezight City Farm Market- Near V&A Waterfront Sat 830-2
Mojo Market- Near Camps Bay sometimes music open all week
The Neighbourgoods Market-Woodstock, great breakfast, 100 traders Sat 9-3 The Old Biscuit Market (Hout Bay near Chapman’s Drive)
Bay Harbour- Hout Bay, Fri 5-9, Sat & Sun 9-4 live music
The Waterfront Food Market & Watershed Market (V&A?)- Open all week
Day 20- Fly to Johannesburg
Fly Cape town to Johannesburg (9:50AM)
Rent car & drive to Cradle of Human Kind (Drive 1 hr 17 min)
Dinner at African Swiss restaurant
Day 21- Aerial Cableway
Harties Cableway
Optional activities in Hartebeespoort
Hot air ballooning, dam, lion park, cheetah park, monkey sanctuary, elephant park, craft breweries. I personally don’t find any of those animal parks humane but you can be the judge of that.
Day 22- Fly home
Drive 1 hr 17 min to airport
Flight (6:30PM)
