14 Days in South Africa

South Africa is a fantastic destination in my book. Beautiful landscapes. Incredible wildlife viewing opportunities. Delectable food and wine. Great hiking opportunities. So much value for every dollar spent. 

We love wine, so this itinerary puts a lot of emphasis on South African wine regions. If you're less into wine, you could replace the wine touring day in Cape Town with a museum visiting day or add an extra day or two to your visit to the Garden Route. 

Key Interests: Food and wine; Landscapes; Hiking; Wildlife

Cape Town

DAY 1: Fly into Cape Town. You're likely exhausted or jet lagged from all that travel, so take it easy today by focusing on some of the spectacular drives in and around Cape Town. Drive along the Atlantic coast following the M6 highway (avoid the drive during rush hour though, when it transforms into a parking lot), stopping along the drive in Sea Point and Camp's Bay to experience the pretty beaches and oceanfront promenades. 

DAY 2: Spend the morning admiring South African flora (and the other side of Table Mountain!) at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, followed by lunch at a winery in Constantia followed by some wine tasting. Finish off your day at Muizenberg beach, watching the surfers do their thing or joining them for a surf lesson.

DAY 3: Head to what feels like the end of the world: Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. Spend the morning  hiking around the wild and desolate landscape, exploring beaches and keeping an eye out for ostrich, zebra, baboons and other wildlife. Have lunch in Simon's Town, and then head down to Boulders Beach to be mesmerized by the antics of hundreds of African penguins. On the way back to central Cape Town, take Chapman's Peak Drive for some unbelievable driving. 

DAY 4: Time to hike up Table Mountain! The Platteklip Gorge trail is the most popular and straightforward trail (straight up!) and offers views over Cape Town the entire way up (the trail is fully exposed - bring a hat, sunscreen and lots of water). Try to time your hike with a day where Table Mountain is not covered in clouds so that you can appreciate the view from the top. Head back down in the cable car.  

South African Winelands

DAY 5: Drive to the heart of South Africa's wine region - Stellenbosch. A sample wine country day might look like this. Enjoy an early picnic lunch at Warwick Wine Estate. Once you've had enough of lounging on the grass overlooking the vineyards (tough, I know), head to the Stellenbosch city centre to enjoy its tree-lined streets and cute boutiques. Check-in to your vineyard adjacent accommodation (ideally between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek), where you can lounge by the pool, and then tuck into cocktails and dinner at Delaire Graff for a memorable meal overlooking the valley and mountains.

DAYS 6-7: The next two days should be more of the same beat: wine tastings, winery lunches, poolside lounging and winery dinners. Make sure to explore the small town of Franschhoek (try to time your visit for Saturday market days). 

The Garden Route

DAY 8: Drive from the wine lands to the beginning of the Garden Route - the beautiful seaside town of Wilderness. Spend the afternoon hiking in Wilderness National Park (Kingfisher Trail). Enjoy an evening stroll along the beach in Wilderness. 

DAY 9: Leave Wilderness and continue driving east along the Garden Route. Stop in Brenton-on-Sea for some beautiful coastal views, then head over to Knysna to view the Knysna Heads and the Knysna lagoon. Ensure that you arrive at Robberg Nature Reserve by early afternoon, to enjoy some spectacular hiking with that glorious afternoon light. Sleep in Plettenberg Bay.

DAY 10: Leave Plett and continue driving east along the Garden Route, until you reach Tsitsikamma National Park. Spend the day hiking in this coastal national park, watching the waves crash into the rocks and crossing the numerous suspension bridges. In the time that you have, you can easily tackle the Waterfall Trail and the Mouth Trail, while also having a leisurely picnic or lunch at the park's oceanfront restaurant. Drive to Port Elizabeth and spend the night in accommodation near the airport.

Greater Kruger National Park

DAY 11: Fly from Port Elizabeth to either Nelspruit or Hoespruit, depending on where your safari lodge is located. From the airport you can either rent a car and head out on a self-drive safari by yourself (in Kruger National Park) or stay at one of the many privately-owned lodges where the driving is handled by others. 

DAY 12: Enjoy your South African safari!

DAY 13: Enjoy your South African safari!

DAY 14:  Enjoy the last bit of your safari experience with a morning game drive. Fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town to take your evening flight home.