South African Attractions
Help Me PlanFrom Waterfalls to Wineries
A private tour or safari in South Africa takes in a wide range of sights, from escarpment viewpoints and ancient caves to coastal headlands and old wine valleys. Highlights include Berlin and Lisbon Falls, the Blyde River Canyon, the Cango Caves, Cape Point and the wine routes around Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Our South Africa tours are built around many of them.
Berlin Falls
Berlin Falls, north of Graskop on the Panorama Route, drops about 80 m from a narrow rock channel into a round pool ringed by red cliffs. It takes its name from Berlyn Creek and the farm Berlyn on which it lies.
Blyde River Canyon
Running along Mpumalanga’s Panorama Route, Blyde River Canyon is among the largest canyons in the world and is often ranked second-largest in Africa after Namibia’s Fish River Canyon. Many itineraries include a stop here en route to the Kruger National Park.
Bourke's Luck Potholes
These curious cylindrical pools formed where the Blyde and Treur Rivers meet, as swirling water eroded the bedrock over thousands of years. The site marks the start of the Blyde River Canyon, midway along the Panorama Route.
Cango Caves | Limestone Halls of the Klein Karoo
Several of our Garden Route tours visit the Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo, a system of vast chambers in Precambrian limestone at the foot of the Swartberg. People used the caves in the Stone Age, and the first great hall was explored in 1780. Today guided Heritage and Adventure tours lead through the halls and their formations.
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Bridal Veil Falls
About 6 km outside Sabie, off the old Lydenburg road, Bridal Veil Falls drops about 70 m at the end of a 750 m uphill forest walk. There are picnic spots at the start of the trail.
Cape Point
Cape Point rises at the tip of the Cape Peninsula, close to the Cape of Good Hope, the most southwesterly point of Africa. With its wildlife, fynbos and rugged beaches, it is a Cape Town highlight. Enjoy panoramic views from the old lighthouse and look for rock hyrax, baboon, ostrich, and antelope.
Featherbed Nature Reserve
This private reserve occupies Knysna’s western head and protects coastal habitats that include the endangered Knysna seahorse. Scheduled excursions cross the lagoon by ferry, drive up the headland and walk back down past sea caves, with lunch under the milkwood trees; blue duiker may be spotted.
Franschhoek Wine Route
The Franschhoek Wine Route gathers acclaimed estates in a valley settled by French Huguenots. Framed by the Franschhoek and Groot Drakenstein mountains, it combines refined tasting rooms, farm-to-table cooking and scenic drives, and makes an easy day of cellar visits during a Cape Winelands stay.
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God's Window
God’s Window looks over Mpumalanga’s forested escarpment from cliffs more than 700 m above the Lowveld, and on a clear day the view reaches far across the plains toward Kruger. It is one of the most photographed viewpoints in South Africa.
Lisbon Falls
Lisbon Falls, named after the farm Lisbon on which it lies, is usually cited as Mpumalanga’s highest waterfall, at about 94 m. The falls are just north of Graskop along the R532 and make a fine stop for photos and a picnic.
Mac-Mac Falls
Mac-Mac's twin falls were originally a single stream; miners blasted the rock face in the 1870s to divert water from a gold-bearing reef. About 2 km back along the road toward Sabie, the Mac-Mac Pools are a good place for a summer swim.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Kirstenbosch grows more than 7,000 indigenous plant species on the lower slopes of Table Mountain. The Boomslang canopy walkway, about 130 m long and opened in 2014, winds through the treetops with views of the mountain and the gardens.
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Paarl Wine Route
The Paarl Wine Route winds through historic estates such as Fairview, KWV, and Nederburg, with tastings, cheese pairings and leafy picnic lawns in the Cape Winelands.
Stellenbosch Wine Route
Formed in 1971, the Stellenbosch Wine Route was South Africa’s first. Its estates surround the country’s second-oldest town, known for its oak-lined streets, gabled Cape Dutch buildings and university cafés.
Swartberg Pass
Thomas Bain’s gravel road over the Swartberg, opened in 1888, links Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo with Prince Albert in the Great Karoo. Tight hairpins and folded quartzite cliffs make it one of the country’s classic mountain drives.
The Palace of the Lost City
The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City is a themed hotel built around the legend of an ancient African kingdom. Landscaped gardens, a large waterpark and golf surround it on the edge of the Pilanesberg. Our article on Sun City, a resort styled like ancient ruins covers its golf courses and the neighboring Pilanesberg.
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Table Mountain
Table Mountain is one of Africa’s best-known landmarks. The cableway reaches the summit in about five minutes, and from the top you look over Table Bay and Robben Island to the Atlantic.
Tugela Falls
Tugela Falls, in Royal Natal National Park in the Drakensberg, is Africa’s highest waterfall at approximately 947–983 m in combined drops. Seasonal flow means views are best after rain, when the ribboning cascades are most visible.
Golf Courses
Some South African golf courses are worth seeing for their settings alone, and a round fits easily between touring days and a safari.