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South Africa Trip Itinerary


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)

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