Top 9 Places to Visit in South Africa

South Africa is a large country (almost twice as big as Texas) filled with incredible natural and cultural diversity. Emerging from isolation in the early 1990s as apartheid came to an end, South Africa grew to become a popular tourist destination as people from across the world discovered its immensely varied attractions.

With so many incredible places and experiences to choose from, South Africa offers unforgettable adventures for those wanting to visit.

Here are 9 of South Africa’s most amazing attractions.

Cities across the world have unique skylines. None of them, however, are as unique as Cape Town’s skyline. Table Mountain dominates the landscape, providing a backdrop to the entire city. Its flat sandstone top is an iconic natural monument associated with the city and the country, and it is one of South Africa’s top tourist attractions.

The mountain is almost entirely surrounded by urban areas and lies on the southern edge of Cape Town’s central business district. That makes it easily accessible, and the views of the mountain from anywhere in Cape Town are always spectacular.

Of particular note is the fact that getting to the top doesn’t require a long and dangerous hike. The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is a first-class service that offers speedy trips up and down the mountain. At the top, people can walk around the flat surface of this Natural Wonder and marvel at the incredible view of the city 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) below.

2. Kruger National Park

Tucked away in the far northeast of the country is a large safari park that covers a land area of 7,500 square miles (19,500 square kilometers), or just slightly bigger than New Jersey’s land area. The Kruger National Park is South Africa’s premier destination for those wishing to experience a real African safari, replete with all the trappings of a safari lifestyle and a massive array of wildlife.

Lions, cheetahs, leopards, rhinos, elephants, crocodiles, giraffes, jackals, Cape buffalo, zebras, and many more species live in the Kruger National Park. With plenty of amenities for visitors, the park caters to tourists all year round, although the dry season from April to September is the best time to visit.

In this family-friendly destination, tourists can relax in chalets, go on game drives and guided tours, and engage in many other activities.

It may come as a surprise to those who don’t associate South Africa with the wine industry, but the Western Cape Province is one of the world’s most famous wine-growing regions, and South Africa is a huge international exporter of world-class wines.

The first vineyard was planted in Cape Town in 1655, just three years after the first colonists arrived. As such, viticulture is likely South Africa’s oldest industry founded by colonists.

With a total area of 8,291 square miles (21,473 square kilometers), the Cape Winelands is a large area to the northeast of Cape Town. Guided wine tours are a massive draw for the Western Cape economy, and open-topped buses offer beautiful views of the landscape. They also take visitors on excursions to wine farms that offer tastings of their famous wines.

Also located in the Cape Winelands are picturesque towns such as Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl. The latter has an extremely large rock that is also a major tourist attraction!

4. Namaqualand

Situated in the northwest of the Northern Cape Province and extending into the south of Namibia, the rugged beauty of Namaqualand offers unique natural beauty found nowhere else in the world. To the west, the region borders the Atlantic Ocean and gets progressively more arid towards the east.

Home to the Nama people, a subgroup of the KhoiKhoi, the region’s cultural history is important. The land has been largely preserved, with few major habitation centers.

The unique flora of Namaqualand makes it a special place. The Namaqua National Park, situated in Namaqualand, has the highest number of succulent species in any region in the world, and 1,000 of its 3,500 plant species cannot be found anywhere else. As such, it is a biodiversity hotspot that draws visitors, especially during the spring when vast parts of Namaqualand are covered in a brightly colored blanket of daisies.

Sitting on the northern edge of Cape Town, where the land meets the sea, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is a massive tourist attraction to the “Mother City.” Named after Queen Victoria and her son, Prince Alfred, the latter of whom began construction of Cape Town’s waterfront in 1860, when the city was a British possession, the V&A Waterfront is a high-end destination with five-star hotels and fine dining.

However, one doesn’t have to be rich to enjoy the V&A Waterfront! There are plenty of experiences to enjoy for those with a smaller budget. Museums dot the area, and there is a fantastic aquarium. From the V&A Waterfront, ferries also take visitors to Robben Island, the former maximum security prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 years.

Ultimately, the V&A Waterfront is a shopper’s paradise. The shopping mall has over 400 retail outlets, and the surrounding area is filled with stalls and shops selling everything from food to art to African curios. For those looking for souvenirs of their trip to South Africa, the V&A Waterfront is the perfect spot.

The V&A Waterfront is also the Southern Hemisphere’s oldest working harbor and South Africa’s biggest tourist attraction, drawing 24 million visitors annually.

6. Blyde River Canyon

Stretching for 16 miles (26 kilometers) through the Mpumalanga Province in the northeast of South Africa, the Blyde River Canyon is a spectacular natural feature with unparalleled views of the wild African landscape it snakes through.

The canyon, claimed to be the third largest in the world after the Grand Canyon in the United States and Fish River Canyon in Namibia, is dotted with unique natural wonders. Among these attractions are Bourke’s Luck Potholes, which are otherworldly geological formations formed by water erosion.

Blyde River Canyon is also relatively close to Kruger National Park, and visitors often combine the two when vacationing in Mpumalanga Province.

Along the southern coast of South Africa lies the picturesque Garden Route, a 190-mile (300-kilometer) stretch of coastline known for its natural beauty. Along this route is the town of Knysna, a popular vacation destination for South Africans wishing to escape the pressures of urban life for a while.

The town is situated on a large warm-water estuary known as the Knysna Lagoon. The coastline and the interior of Knysna’s surroundings have become popular draws for tourists who love nature.

While the sandy beaches are regarded as some of the prettiest in South Africa, the beauty of the Knysna Forest is a top destination for hiking and gentle walks.

8. Sun City

Ninety miles (140 kilometers) northwest of Johannesburg lies the awe-inspiring Sun City Resort. Situated in the North West Province, this premier tourist destination borders on Pilanesberg National Park, and is a massive complex of sub-resorts that cater to a wide variety of preferences.

The centerpiece of Sun City is the Palace of the Lost City. Surrounded by forests, this fantastical building rises out of the wild surroundings, creating an image of absolute wonder.

Major attractions here are the casino, the golf course, and the Valley of the Waves—a beach with rolling waves located hundreds of miles from the coastline!

9. Apartheid Museum, Johannesburg

For a more sobering moment for those visiting South Africa, one of the many places to experience in the bustling city of Johannesburg is the Apartheid Museum, which delves into South Africa’s sad past of cruelty and repression.

The museum exhibits are masterfully created and help visitors understand apartheid through experiencing themselves first-hand. From the very beginning, visitors are separated by randomly generated tickets, which only allow them to enter through one of two gates, a reference to the separate entrances for “whites” and “non-whites” that were required by law during apartheid.

South Africa’s landscape, history, and cultural heritage are wholly unique. No place on Earth mirrors the experiences that this incredible country has to offer those willing to explore its points of interest, on or off the beaten track.

From beaches to mountains to deserts and lush forests, from vibrant cities to rustic villages and country living, South Africa certainly has an amazing amount of splendor waiting to charm and enthrall visitors from all over the world.