What to See in South Africa

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

South Africa has 8 sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, including one shared with Lesotho (Maloti-Drakensberg Park):

The coast

Protected Areas of the Cape Floral Region ★★★★ (2004)
Overlooking Cape Town, Table Mountain and its park are a must-see. Visitors come for the landscapes and panoramic views, hiking or climbing, the beaches, or to see the seal colonies and penguins that live there. The Cape of Good Hope is located at the far end of the park.

Maloti-Drakensberg Park ★★★ (2000)
Formed by the merger of a park in Lesotho (Sehlabathebe) and one in South Africa (uKhahlamba Drakensberg), the site offers breathtaking landscapes, a variety of outdoor sports activities, and numerous petroglyphs created by local populations. The entire area is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park ★★★★ (1999)
Located on the coast and around Lake St Lucia, this stunning reserve (along with its neighbours) is both terrestrial and marine. It attracts visitors for its landscapes (dunes, lakes, marshes, mangroves...) and the presence of numerous birds, hippos, crocodiles, whales, and various mammals. You can also hike or horseback ride here. iSimangaliso is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Robben Island ★★★ (1999)
Off the coast of Cape Town, the small island was, among other things, a prison that notably housed Nelson Mandela for seventeen years. Transformed into a museum, the site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The interior

Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape ★★ (2007)
This vast mountainous desert expanse, straddling Namibia and South Africa, offers stunning landscapes and numerous outdoor activities. It is also a UNESCO-listed site for its unique blend of human and natural environments.

Vredefort ★ (2005)
This farming village, a few dozen kilometres south of Johannesburg, is built inside the world's largest asteroid impact crater (300 km in diameter). The Vredefort Crater is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Transvaal region

"Cradle of Humankind" ★ (1999)
This designation groups the archaeological sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, and Kromdraai. These sites have yielded over 500 fossilised hominid skeletons. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape ★ (2003)
This small park on the borders of South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe is home to the historic ruins of the Mapungubwe Kingdom. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The coast

The coast (along the Indian Ocean) spans three provinces. From west to east: Western Cape (the Cape Town region), Eastern Cape (in the middle), and KwaZulu-Natal (Durban and its surroundings up to Mozambique).

Western Cape

Cape Agulhas ★
This municipality is home to Africa’s southernmost point and the dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Less dramatic than the Cape of Good Hope, it is far less known and visited.

Cape Town ★★★
One of South Africa's top destinations and the country's second-largest city. Visitors come to explore the city and its waterfront, Table Mountain, the winelands of the hinterland, enjoy a range of water activities (surfing, diving), or relax on the surrounding beaches.

Cape Winelands ★★
This is the "hinterland" of Cape Town and a major wine-producing region. It is generally divided into six wine-growing areas (Constantia, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Robertson, Wellington). Wine lovers can enjoy interesting tours and tastings here.

Franschhoek ★★
A small town about sixty kilometres from Cape Town in a renowned wine-growing area. Founded in the late 17th century by French Huguenots, it features several French-style restaurants and a museum dedicated to them.

Gansbaai ★
This fishing village about a hundred kilometres southeast of Cape Town has become a tourist destination for whale watching and great white shark observation.

George ★
Halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, it is the main city on the Garden Route. It’s a great base for exploring or trekking in the surrounding area, as well as enjoying the beaches and surf spots.

Hermanus ★★
This port and seaside resort is renowned as the best place in the country for whale watching.

Knysna ★★
This small tourist port on the Garden Route offers beautiful hikes in the surrounding forests, as well as sea excursions to observe whales.

Langebaan ★★
A seaside resort located in a "lagoon" and renowned for its beaches, water activities, and seasonal whale-watching opportunities. Nearby, the West Coast National Park is famous for its summer wildflower blooms and birdlife.

Montagu ★
A charming small town known for its Cape Dutch architecture, appreciated for its natural surroundings and mineral springs. Hiking and climbing are popular activities in the area.

Mossel Bay ★★
A popular seaside resort on the Garden Route with beautiful beaches. It was here in 1488 that the first Europeans (Bartolomeu Dias) landed in this part of Africa.

Oudtshoorn ★
This "very Afrikaner" town in the semi-desert plain of the Little Karoo is the world capital of the ostrich. Beyond the farms, you’ll find beautiful homes and, just a few kilometres away, the Cango Caves, which are among the most stunning in South Africa. The region is also renowned for climbing.

Plettenberg Bay ★★
A popular seaside resort on the Garden Route. Visitors come for the beaches, surfing, diving, and marine wildlife (seals, whales, sharks), as well as the world’s highest bungee jump (216 metres) from Bloukrans Bridge.

Robben Island ★★★
Off the coast of Cape Town, the small island was, among other things, a prison that notably housed Nelson Mandela for seventeen years. Transformed into a museum, the site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stellenbosch ★
It is the second oldest city in South Africa. It is renowned for its "Cape Dutch" architecture and its vineyards.

Tulbagh ★★
Northeast of Cape Town, this small town offers the largest collection of "colonial houses" in the country, as well as excellent wine production that can be explored via a tourist route in the surrounding area.

Natural heritage

Garden Route ★★★★
This tourist route runs for 300 km from Mossel Bay to just beyond the border with the Eastern Cape. It’s extremely popular for its stunning landscapes of forests, mountains, lakes, and especially the coastal shoreline. There are several small parks and reserves along the route, as well as hiking opportunities.

Cango Caves ★★
The Cango Caves are among the most beautiful caves in South Africa. They are located a few kilometres north of Oudtshoorn.

Bontebok National Park ★
A small park about 250 km east of Cape Town that is home to a fairly rare species of antelope (bontebok), as well as numerous bird species.

Garden Route National Park ★★★
Formed from the merger of several protected areas, this park encapsulates the landscapes of the Garden Route. It offers a variety of hikes, including the famous Otter Trail in the former Tsitsikamma Park along the coast.

Karoo National Park ★
In the north of the province, this is a rather desert-like and isolated park with unique wildlife adapted to the environment. It is also, and above all, a fossil-rich area where you can even hike.

Table Mountain National Park ★★★★
Overlooking Cape Town, Table Mountain and its park are a must-see. Visitors come for the landscapes and panoramic views, hiking or climbing, the beaches, or to see the seal colonies and penguins that live there. The Cape of Good Hope is located at the far end of the park.

West Coast National Park ★
On the coast, north of Cape Town, this is a pretty park known for its summer wildflower blooms and the birds that live there. Right next door, you can enjoy the beaches of the seaside resort of Langebaan.

Eastern Cape

Graaff-Reinet ★★
One of South Africa’s oldest towns, still with plenty of traces of its past. The town is surrounded by several protected areas (Valley of Desolation, Camdeboo National Park).

Grahamstown ★
A fairly pretty town between Port Elizabeth and East London. Several "old" villages and reserves all around.

Hogsback ★
This village at over 1,100 m above sea level is a good base for exploring beautiful forest and waterfall landscapes or hiking in the surrounding area.

Jeffreys Bay ★★
The top surfing destination in the country and beyond, with stunning beaches as well.

Port Alfred ★
This port, including its marina, boasts beautiful beaches along its coastline with plenty of water-based activities, including surfing.

Port Elizabeth ★
The largest city in the province is an extension of the Garden Route. Beyond its beaches and water activities, it has a charming centre featuring various Art Nouveau buildings.

Wild Coast ★★
This is the stretch of coastline running from Port Elizabeth to the province of KwaZulu-Natal. It offers stunning landscapes, cliffs, beaches, and several coastal villages popular with independent travellers (Cintsa, Coffee Bay, Morgan’s Bay). In addition to water activities, you can also go hiking here, particularly on the Wild Coast Trail.

Natural heritage

Addo Elephant National Park ★★
This vast park is home to several hundred elephants as well as buffalo and a few other animals.

KwaZulu-Natal

Ballito ★★
A popular beach resort, especially among young people and surfers, north of Durban. Dolphins and whales can also be spotted offshore.

Durban ★★
The country's third-largest city is a popular holiday destination for South Africans. Visitors come for the beaches, surfing, and other water activities available in the city or along its coastal strip (Amanzimtoti, Umhlanga...).

Eshowe ★
It is the oldest town in the former Natal colony. Zulu culture is very much alive here.

Ladysmith ★
This town in the west of KwaZulu-Natal province was at the heart of the Anglo-Boer War and has various remnants from that era.

Margate ★
A major seaside resort south of Durban, known for surfing and diving.

Pietermaritzburg ★★
This Boer city is the provincial capital. It features some fine architecture and various reminders of the Anglo-Boer conflict. Just a few kilometres away, you can admire Howick Falls.

"Battlefields Route" ★★
This tourist route in the west of the province lets you discover various landmarks from the Zulu conflict and the Anglo-Boer War.

St Lucia ★★
The small town south of the lake of the same name is popular with visitors for its geographical position, which allows exploration of the surrounding area and the iSimangaliso and Hluhluwe-Umfolozi reserves in particular.

Natural heritage

Sani Pass ★★
This high-altitude pass is one of two mountain crossing points (along with Qacha's Nek) between Lesotho and South Africa. Known for being difficult and dangerous, the road nonetheless offers stunning landscapes.

Drakensberg ★★★
This mountain range is located between Lesotho and Eswatini. It is home to the Drakensberg National Park (associated with uKhahlamba), a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized for its wildlife, flora, and various archaeological remains (decorated caves, petroglyphs). The Drakensberg is a region for trekking, climbing, caving, and fishing.

Elephant Coast ★★
This is the beautiful coastal area roughly stretching from St Lucia to the Mozambique border. Sparsely populated, it is home to several coastal reserves (including iSimangaliso), lakes, forests, and stunning beaches.

Maloti-Drakensberg Park ★★★
Formed by the merger of a park in Lesotho (Sehlabathebe) and one in South Africa (uKhahlamba Drakensberg), the site offers breathtaking landscapes, a variety of outdoor sports activities, and numerous petroglyphs created by local populations. The entire area is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park ★★★★
Located on the coast and around Lake St Lucia, this stunning reserve (along with its neighbours) is both terrestrial and marine. It attracts visitors for its landscapes (dunes, lakes, marshes, mangroves...) and the presence of numerous birds, hippos, crocodiles, whales, and various mammals. You can also hike or horseback ride here. iSimangaliso is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Reserve ★★★
One of Africa’s oldest reserves and one of the places where you can see the famous "Big Five" as well as the world’s largest concentration of rhinos.

The interior

This includes the Northern Cape (bordering Namibia) and Free State (at the heart of the country and on the Lesotho border).

Northern Cape

Kimberley ★
This high-altitude city, located in the Great Karoo desert, is the capital of the Northern Cape province. All its activity and main tourist attractions revolve around mining, particularly the Big Hole, the largest hand-dug mining pit in the world.

Upington ★
This large town is primarily a starting point for exploring Augrabies Falls National Park.

Natural heritage

Kalahari Desert ★★★★
This is a legendary desert spanning South Africa, Namibia, and largely Botswana. In its arid landscape, you’ll find stunning scenery, diverse wildlife (including several national parks), and the indigenous San people who live there.

Namaqualand ★★
This arid coastal region, which includes the park of the same name, stretches from north of the Cape to Namibia. It is famous for the colorful wildflower bloom that occurs every spring. The Richtersveld National Park, shared with Namibia, is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its South African section. Namaqualand is also home to the Namaqua people, whose culture and traditions remain very much alive.

Augrabies Falls National Park ★★
On the border of Namibia, this arid park is home to a spectacular waterfall.

IAi-IAis-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park ★★
This vast mountainous desert expanse, straddling Namibia and South Africa, offers stunning landscapes and numerous outdoor activities. It is also a UNESCO-listed site for its unique blend of human and natural environments.

Free State

Bloemfontein ★
The capital of the Free State (and of the country at the legislative level), with quite a few museums and some beautiful monuments. There are two or three reserves nearby for wildlife viewing or hunting.

Vredefort ★
This farming village, a few dozen kilometres south of Johannesburg, is built inside the world's largest asteroid impact crater (300 km in diameter). The Vredefort Crater is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Natural heritage

Golden Gate Highlands National Park ★★
This is the main park in the Free State province, on the border with Lesotho. Its colours create some beautiful landscapes, but it has relatively few animals. You can hike here and see many decorated caves.

Transvaal region

This is the northeast of the country, which in 1994 was divided into four provinces: Gauteng (Johannesburg, Pretoria, and their surroundings), Limpopo (in the far northeast), Mpumalanga (bordering Mozambique and Eswatini), and North West (below Botswana).

Gauteng

"Cradle of Humankind" ★
This designation groups the archaeological sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, and Kromdraai. These sites have yielded over 500 fossilised hominid skeletons. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Johannesburg ★
Known as the country's "economic capital" and the main air gateway to South Africa for many travellers. Despite its museums and some interesting buildings, Johannesburg is rarely visited, largely due to its reputation as an unsafe city.

Pretoria ★★
The administrative capital of South Africa. It has a few historic buildings, several museums, and two or three small nature reserves on its outskirts, the best-known being Rietvlei.

Sandton ★
Located in the suburbs of Johannesburg, it is the business and commercial hub (with two massive shopping centres) of the metropolitan area.

Soweto ★★
On the outskirts of Johannesburg, Soweto is the country's best-known township. Organised "discovery" tourism has now developed there.

Natural heritage

Limpopo

Mapungubwe National Park ★
This small park on the borders of South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe is home to the historic ruins of the Mapungubwe Kingdom. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Natural heritage

Kruger National Park ★★★★
Spanning two provinces, this is South Africa's largest reserve, bordering Zimbabwe and Mozambique, with which it is linked as part of a transfrontier project. With its incredibly rich wildlife (including the famous "Big Five"), it is also one of the most visited parks in Southern Africa.

Waterberg ★★
This mountain range offers beautiful landscapes and allows for the observation of numerous bird species and some mammals in small reserves. You can hike or horseback ride here.

Mpumalanga

Pilgrim's Rest ★★
This village has been declared a national monument. Many of the buildings constructed when gold was discovered here in the late 19th century remain unchanged and can still be seen today.

Sabie ★
A small high-altitude town surrounded by forests. It's quite touristy thanks to its surroundings, which offer beautiful landscapes with several waterfalls, as well as numerous treks you can do there.

Natural heritage

Blyde River Canyon ★★★
In the northern Drakensberg, near Kruger, this is the third-largest canyon in the world. It is also one of South Africa’s most visited tourist sites. You can hike or horseback ride here.

Kruger National Park ★★★★
Spanning two provinces, this is South Africa's largest reserve, bordering Zimbabwe and Mozambique, with which it is linked as part of a transfrontier project. With its incredibly rich wildlife (including the famous "Big Five"), it is also one of the most visited parks in Southern Africa.

Sabi Sand Reserve ★★
La plus ancienne réserve privée du pays est adossée au parc Kruger. On y rencontre une large variété d'animaux dont les "Big fiveé" de la faune africaine.

North West

Natural heritage

Pilanesberg National Park ★★
This park adjacent to Sun City is one of the places where you can see the famous African "Big Five" (lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, and buffalo).

Madikwe Reserve ★★
It's a park on the border of Botswana with plenty of wildlife.