2-Month South Africa Itinerary

Hi Eliot,

A few points in response: 1- City car: 15–20 € per day (which will be enough everywhere, even in Lesotho now) 2- Accommodation: 20–30 € per day or even less in more remote areas (check SafariNow) 3- With such a long trip, it’d be a shame to just "skim" the country—you’ve got time to drive all the way around.

In Cape Town, you could pick several bases. You’re not considering what most people come here for: safaris? Are you interested in semi-desert areas, or will Namibia have ticked that box?

Hi there,

Does it really complicate finding accommodation (availability/price)?

Where supply is limited and demand is high, yes (Kruger, all national parks in general).

Coastal resorts might also be affected.

We’d have quite a bit of time (around 2 to 2.5 months) to explore the country.

So, enough time for a pretty comprehensive road trip that could also include Lesotho and wouldn’t require any domestic flights. (rental car)

For accommodation, we usually turn to Airbnbs—are they affordable in South Africa?

There are no Airbnbs in the national parks. All accommodations are managed by the parks (Sanparks, Kznwildlife).

For the rest, there are plenty of B&Bs and self-catering options that can be booked through the usual platforms (Booking.com, etc.), via the site shared by Voyajou, or even directly.

For long-term travel, it might be worth investing in buying a tent, etc., if the budget is tight.

Finally, regarding safety—are there any regions particularly advised against outside Johannesburg?

Townships, Durban... It’s best to ask your host where you can walk and until what time. (urban centers)

Focus on the Cape Town region

Depending on your tastes, it’s not necessarily the country’s highlight... Going there at the start of your trip is a good idea weather-wise.

We’re looking for stunning landscapes, hikes, etc.

Like Voyajou, what about wildlife?

For landscapes (and even hikes), consider Cederberg, Karoo NP, Mountain Zebra NP, Swartberg, the Drakensberg, Lesotho, the country’s northern desert regions, the coastal scenery around St. Lucia, Ithala NP...

Wow, thanks so much for all your replies!

To answer your questions: yes, we’re definitely very interested in safaris and wildlife. More broadly, our main interests revolve around wide-open spaces, nature, landscapes, and animals. We’re not at all drawn to big cities, except for Cape Town since we’ll be arriving there. That said, I’ve heard that spending 15 days in Cape Town might be a bit too long.

* Regarding the accommodation prices you mentioned: should we book well in advance, or is it feasible to travel day by day without too much stress about not finding anything or running into excessive prices?

* About the semi-desert regions question, I think Namibia definitely fits the bill for that part of the trip.

* From a cost perspective, would a domestic flight—like between Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg—help us save money (time, gas, etc.)?

* Finally, based on your experience, what overall budget should we plan for a 2- to 2.5-month trip? This would help us assess whether the project is feasible. We’re aiming to travel on a budget, though we’re not necessarily planning to camp the whole time either.

Thanks again for all your feedback! I’ll probably be back with more questions as we go along!

Hi there, I think it's a shame to consider flying between PE and Johannesburg. With the time you have, the Eastern Cape, the Drakensberg, and the East Coast are worth visiting. It just depends on whether the weather will be favorable. Camping is a great option—you might even get hooked! For accommodations, you can run some simulations to see what’s available right now. Happy planning.

Hi! Don’t suppose you’d want to take me along? Anyway, 2.5 months. Given the length, I’d go for a vehicle that’s reliable—safety, comfort, good visibility, and extra range for those last kilometers off the beaten track.

The Cape and its peninsula West Coast NP Cederberg Karoo NP Detour to the coast via Swartberg Knysna Tsitsikamma Check out Addo, and then either: - Mountain Zebra, then Lesotho - Via Sani Pass to the north of the Eastern Cape and up to the coast Or: - Mountain Zebra - Eastern Cape, then Lesotho via Sani Pass Exit to the north Golden Gate Giants Castle Cathkin Peak Kamberg Highmoor Hluhluwe St Lucia iSimangaliso Cross Eswatini via Hlane Southern Kruger Exit at Orpen for the Panorama Route Re-enter via Phalaborwa Northern Kruger Mapungubwe Waterberg and Marakele And Joburg

I’m deliberately avoiding all big cities except Cape Town. Plenty of budget-friendly stops in the national parks. You can easily find nice places to stay with a good value for money.

That’s it!

Of course, there are plenty of cool stops along the main route!

Hi, Thanks again for your itinerary idea—I actually used a lot of it for inspiration! 😊 I’m reaching out because I’d love to get your thoughts on the first part of our trip. After some consideration, we’ve decided not to cover the whole country—financially, it was starting to get a bit too steep. This first part alone is already 48 days out of the 85 we planned. Proposed itinerary:

December 21–29: Cape Town and the entire peninsula.

December 29–January 3: Staying in Gordon's Bay to explore the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek wine regions, the coast, and Jonkershoek Nature Reserve. We settled on Gordon's Bay because there wasn’t much left in our budget around Stellenbosch. 😅

January 3–6: Heading to Saldanha for 3 days to enjoy West Coast National Park.

January 6–10: Cederberg, near Clanwilliam, including the Sevilla Rock Art Trail.

January 10–13: A 2-night break between Clanwilliam and Citrusdal.

January 13–14: One night in Tulbagh.

January 14–16: Staying in McGregor to enjoy the peace and quiet and Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve.

January 16–18: Montagu.

January 18–19: A transitional night in Ladismith, then driving to Calitzdorp before taking the Swartberg Pass to Oudtshoorn.

January 19–22: 3 nights in Oudtshoorn.

January 22–26: Garden Route with 4 nights in Wilderness.

January 26–February 1: Plettenberg Bay or Knysna (we’re still deciding, likely based on accommodation prices 😅). We’ve intentionally planned a longer stop to take our time and wander.

February 1–3: 2 nights in Storms River to explore Tsitsikamma Park (though we might have already visited from Knysna).

February 3–6: 3 nights in Colchester or Addo to discover Addo Elephant National Park.

For accommodations, we’re pretty happy—we’ve found quite a few rooms or entire places for around 35 to 40 € per night max, with a few nights camping here and there. As for the car, I’ve spotted some good rates with Around About Cars (their name comes up a lot, including in the Michelin Guide). Given our itinerary, I was thinking of going with a small city car. At first glance, I don’t see much point in getting something bigger, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on that. For the rest of the trip (about 38 days), I’m thinking of taking a flight from Port Elizabeth to Durban. The idea is to then do a loop: Drakensberg → St. Lucia area → Hluhluwe, then drive back to Durban. What do you think? We’d considered reaching the Drakensberg via Lesotho (or northern Lesotho), but between the small car, the roads not always being suitable, and the number of kilometers to cover, it seemed less appealing. In the end, flying seems more logical and probably more budget-friendly. At this stage, we’ve used about 60% of our budget for 60% of the trip, so we’re roughly on track. That said, I’m a little worried the second part might end up costing more than expected. Since we’ve still got a good month left to do all this, I’m trying to plan ahead as much as possible. I can already hear you asking: "What about Kruger, then?" 😅 Don’t worry, we know we’re missing out on some classics. But we’d much rather take our time and enjoy the regions we’re visiting instead of rushing through kilometers. It’ll also leave us with some amazing things to discover on our next trip to South Africa! 😊 Thanks in advance for your feedback! 👍

Hi there, 21st to the 29th for Cape Town and the peninsula... That seems long to me. It's still 8 days... Personally, I'd shorten it. Especially since Gordon's Bay is really in the same area. Saldanha might not be the prettiest spot... it's a maritime port. WCNP is truly stunning... but I'd look more towards Langebaan... touristy but very "soudaf" (South African). Along the way, there's an original possibility: Ikwathu... but the accommodations are close to the main buildings, not the ones near the road or closest to the sea. Sorry again, but the Sevilla Rock Art Trail is more beautiful in photos than in reality... In this area, I prefer Mount Ceder as a base for accommodation... great walks and just a stone's throw from the Staadsal Caves and rock art, which I find magical... I'd skip the night in Tulbagh to head there and spend more time (there are two simple and efficient lodgings... and a very nice campsite...). From there, I'd head down to Swellendam... for Bontebok NP... it's not amazing, but it's nice and cheap... That’s if I stick to your route... Otherwise, if I shake things up... Cape Town is fine, but if Gordon's Bay is for heading toward Franschhoek (places I don’t know well because the wine route isn’t my thing...), I’d do it from Cape Town... even if it means just one night in that area. From there, I’d head back west to Langebaan, Ikwathu, or Paternoster (a really beautiful campsite at Cape Columbine). From there, Tulbagh or not, and Mount Ceder or others in that area (see above). From there, I wouldn’t go as far south as you but stay north via Anysberg NR, Touwsriver, and Prince Albert, which puts me right on the Swartberg route... I’d just pass through Oudtshoorn to head toward Wilderness, then Knysna (Buffelsbay, the "Dutch" houses along the way, etc... Tsitsikamma is far from Knysna...), then Stormsriver... If you go further south via Montagu, Ladismith, Calitzdorp, and Oudtshoorn, you’ll have to head back up toward the Swartberg... though you could make it a loop instead of a round trip, but it’s a long day... Logically, you’d head toward the coast... You’d follow it down to Addo... where I think it’s better to stay inside Addo NP. PE to Durban by plane... well, yes, it’s shorter... we skip the Eastern Cape... you can’t do everything in life. From Durban... Drakensberg, yes... Kamberg Highmoor (nice walks), Giants, Cath Peak, and Monks Cowl—we can talk more about that... From there, you head down to Hluhluwe... (try to stay INSIDE Hluhluwe). St. Lucia and iSimangaliso, yes, yes, and yes again... But there’s a possibility to avoid going back to Durban and save the flight... by crossing Eswatini with Hlane or another stop... Unless Durban marks the end in South Africa? And you’re at the gates of Kruger... AroundAboutCars is fine with me—three times over... For the car... I’d try to get something fairly big... you’ll be spending a lot of time in it. In a country where accidents aren’t rare, on roads that aren’t always in top shape in some areas... Ideally, something like a two-door Hilux 4x4... Have I covered everything? My opinion, but YOUR trip...