South Africa offers diverse regions and cultures and a variety of tour options.
Whatever your interests, South Africa will likely have destinations and activities that appeal to your unique tastes. The country is a traveler's delight, from isolated wilderness areas to bustling cities, and many exciting towns and villages.
The Fairest Cape: Tours of the Mother City
“...a most stately thing and the fairest cape we saw in the whole circumference of the earth.” (Sir Francis Drake, June 18, 1580)
It's become quite clear that any year is a good year to visit Cape Town. South Africa's “Mother City” never fails to earn a mention on the annual “best in travel” lists. Readers of the Telegraph have voted it the best city in the world seven times, and it regularly appears near the top of Time Out’s annual World’s Best Cities list.
So what's new in this ever-changing city? A major highlight is the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA), the world's largest museum of contemporary African art and a post-industrial architectural marvel occupying a century-old grain silo. The museum, heralded as South Africa's answer to the MoMA or the Tate Modern, has cemented the city's status as a cultural mecca. The upper floors of the historic silo house The Silo Hotel, now one of the most admired luxury hotels in the country.
In the meantime, a wealth of fine hotels and guest houses continue to bend over backwards for guests to our shores. The exclusive Ellerman House, an exceptionally managed boutique hotel, pairs one of the country’s finest private art collections with an enviable Bantry Bay view, and its team is as attentive to guests' needs as ever.
On the more moderate end of the spectrum, another Cape Town property that continues to impress on an international plane is 2inn1Kensington, a personal boutique hotel on a quiet residential street in Oranjezicht, on the slopes above the city center. The stylish property is a firm favorite among travelers for its intimate setting and personal service at moderate rates.
On a first trip to Cape Town, a few activities are essential. Go up Table Mountain, by cable car or on foot (both are worth it), and take the ferry to Robben Island for the tour. Then drive around the Cape Peninsula, stopping at Boulders Beach and the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and taking Chapman's Peak Drive. If it's your second or third trip, you may even wish to revisit these much-loved destinations. We typically recommend a minimum of three nights in Cape Town (our Cape Town tours run from two nights upward), but there is no maximum. There really is so much to do and enjoy.
Major annual events to look out for include the ever-popular Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts (typically held every Sunday from December to April), the Investec Cape Town Art Fair (February), Cape Town Carnival (March), and the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (typically March or April).
Culinary Culture: South African Food Tours
“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” (George Bernard Shaw)
South Africa is no longer an up-and-coming culinary destination. It is an established one. Cape Town's dining scene was put on the map by the much-missed Test Kitchen, which closed in 2023, and FYN and La Colombe carried the reputation forward. La Colombe in Constantia has been the highest-placed South African restaurant in recent World's 50 Best Restaurants rankings, and FYN and Salsify at the Roundhouse have also appeared on the extended list. La Colombe also heads our list of South Africa’s best foodie experiences.
The Saxon remains one of the finest hotels in South Africa's “richest square mile” in Johannesburg. While its culinary offerings continue to evolve, the property itself remains a highly lauded destination for fine dining and world-class luxury, having garnered numerous accolades at the World Travel Awards.
Beyond the energy of Cape Town and the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg, South Africa's other fine-dining institutions are countryside establishments. The vast majority of these are wine country staples tucked away amid the rolling valleys and mountains of Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Somerset West, where you really can't go wrong.
Culinary experiences need not be limited to fine-dining, however. A thriving market culture has grown up across South Africa, with stalls selling some of the best and most original food in the country. The most famous of these remains the Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill in Cape Town.
Held every Saturday and Sunday, this market has become an established melting pot of specialty foods and a platform for emerging artisans. This is the type of event that you make an entire morning of. Get there early before the good stuff sells out; odds are that you'll be competing more with local regulars than with fellow travelers!
If you're looking for something quieter than Neighbourgoods in the Cape Town area, many avid market-goers frequent the Bay Harbour Market in Hout Bay, which operates on Friday evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays. Sundays tend to be more relaxed, and you'll likely be able to find a seat, so that you can sit down and enjoy your gourmet fare. Whichever market you elect to visit, you'll find that most offerings have an inherently local element. You'll certainly find a lot more authenticity and a fantastic atmosphere than at more commercial institutions.
Of Award-Winning Vintages and Other Delicacies: Celebrations in the Winelands
“Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilized pleasures.” (Michael Broadbent)
The Boland really is a year-round destination for a South African tour. During the winter months, you can cozy up to the fireplace of a tasting room at a world-class wine estate, sip on full-bodied reds and relish delicious fare to complement the bouquet. Summer brings the harvest season, with a series of colorful festivals, fruit-picking and balmy weather, and the Cape Winelands reward a visit in any month.
The most significant summer events typically include the Stellenbosch Harvest Parade (end of January), Franschhoek Summer Wines (early February) and the Stellenbosch Wine Festival (end of February). These are your quintessential, straightforward Winelands festivals, focused on the celebration of the region's finest ambrosial cultivars and award-winning estates.
While most of the key wine-oriented festivals and harvest parades occur in the summer, autumn and winter see more niche festivals like the Franschhoek Literary Festival (mid-May) and the Bastille Day Festival in Franschhoek (mid-July), and the South African Cheese Festival now brightens the spring.
The South African Cheese Festival, revived under new owners in 2023, is now held at Sandringham, outside Stellenbosch, over the Heritage Day long weekend in September. Visitors can expect an extraordinary variety of locally produced cheeses, along with the region's wines, fresh fruit, homemade preserves and snacks. Festive activities include demonstrations of tasty dishes and performances by talented local musicians and bands.
The Franschhoek Literary Festival, held during the third weekend of May, is a celebration of books and writers that is very popular among local bibliophiles and authors. If you harbor a deep interest in local South African culture, current affairs and African writers, you may find this festival incredibly rewarding. Even outside of festival dates, you'll find that you cannot separate Franschhoek from its culinary and wine culture. They are as part of the town as the Huguenot Memorial.
Speaking of, Franschhoek's annual Bastille Festival is essentially an homage to the town's French Huguenot founders. Typically celebrated the weekend closest to France's National Day (July 14), you'll find the town awash in red, blue and white. The main drawing card is the festival's Food and Wine Marquee, where you can enjoy the most beguiling blend of local and French flavors from all the finest local wine estates and eateries.
There is typically always something happening in the Winelands, so if you are after a bit more excitement during your visit, be sure to check the calendar beforehand.
Blast from the Past: Archaeological Tours in South Africa
“All of humanity shares an African heritage. We are one, diverse species across the globe, with our roots in Africa.” (Written on a wall at the Cradle of Humankind’s Maropeng Visitor Centre.)
While you are unlikely to make any grand, historical discoveries of your own, touring South Africa's remarkable archaeological sites is sure to be an enlightening and rewarding experience nevertheless. This is, after all, the “cradle of humankind”, where Homo sapiens can trace its ancient origins.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site known as “The Cradle of Humankind” was listed in 1999 for its contribution to the story of humanity and draws visitors from all over the world. The 47,000-hectare site is a mere hour's drive from South Africa's capital city, Pretoria, and the metropolis of Johannesburg. It sits near the Magaliesberg Mountains, which are said to be almost 40 times older than Everest.
The site's key attractions are the Sterkfontein Caves, where the most significant excavations have taken place, and the Maropeng Visitor Centre, which offers fascinating insight regarding the fossils discovered and the early history of our extraordinary planet.
The center is very much family-oriented, to ensure that the younger generation will engage with and take away important and amazing facts. Highlights include a short but exciting boat trip introducing visitors to the elements (wind, water, fire and earth) and an introduction to DNA, evolution, and prehistoric animals.
A major highlight for most visitors remains the descent into the Sterkfontein Caves. Now managed entirely by the University of the Witwatersrand, the site offers a reimagined visitor experience that brings the public closer to active “live science.” Wits scientists are credited with many of the most significant discoveries, including the world-famous “Mrs Ples,” “Little Foot,” and the headline-grabbing species, Homo naledi.
A specialist guide will highlight the excavation stories and unique formations within these sprawling limestone caves. Beyond the extraordinary facts presented, the tour is an adventure in itself, with a bit of clambering here and there. The caves reopened in April 2025 after flood damage had closed them for about two years, and they are now managed as a separate experience from the Maropeng Visitor Centre, with its own bookings. Both are covered on our day trip to the Cradle from Johannesburg.
The Cradle is by no means South Africa's only archaeological drawing card. Take a look at our 10-Day South African Rock Art Tour for an exquisite exploration of the country's most noteworthy rock art sites, from the peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains to the otherworldly landscape of the Cederberg.
Such South African tours have become increasingly popular. The Cederberg's Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve, with more than 130 rock art sites, was voted one of the top 15 resorts in South Africa in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2023 Readers' Choice Awards, and it remains one of the most highly rated properties in the country.