
South Africa combines safaris in Kruger National Park, the Cape Peninsula, Winelands, Garden Route and Drakensberg with an eventful history and twelve official languages.
by Felix Gillen
Pick a region. The highlights, road trips and places below follow your choice.







Unique experiences that make South Africa unforgettable.
From the guide to the road: here is what comes next.
Download the guide to your phone and use it on site, even offline.
Explore the diverse regions of South Africa.
Discover the best routes through South Africa.

The Wild Coast between Port Edward and the Kei Mouth is one of the country's most pristine coasts: green hills with Xhosa villages, secluded bays and rock formations like Hole in the Wall. Roads to the coast are sometimes poor; plan short stages and drive only in daylight.

This route connects the Cape Region with the Garden Route all the way to the Addo Elephant Park. It offers safe roads, plenty of campsites, and immense scenic diversity. Perfect for a 2–3 week campervan trip.

The route leads from Upington to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park with red dunes, lions, cheetahs and oryx, then to the Augrabies Falls on the Orange and via Springbok to Namaqualand. Distances are long: plan full driving days, refuel at every chance.

The route follows the coast from Cape Town, via Hermanus, Mossel Bay, and Knysna, to Plettenberg Bay and Gqeberha. Along the way are lagoons, beaches, and the Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park. The stages are short and the infrastructure is good, even with children.

Cape Town, the Cape Peninsula, and the Winelands are in close proximity: Table Mountain, penguins at Boulders Beach, the Cape of Good Hope, and wineries in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek can be combined in eight to ten days without long drives.

The route connects the Panorama Route with waterfalls, the Blyde River Canyon and viewpoints like God's Window with safari days in Kruger National Park. Hoedspruit and Nelspruit are close to the park gates and have their own airports.
Essential info for your trip planning.
Population and LanguagesSouth Africa has about 63 million people.
Early Settlement and Colonial EraThe San and Khoikhoi were the first known inhabitants of Southern Africa; you can find…
A Cuisine of Many InfluencesSouth African cuisine combines African, Dutch, British, Malay, and Indian traditions.
Entry and CustomsVisa: German, Austrian, and Swiss citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays up to 90 days.
By Rental CarMost travellers explore South Africa by rental car.
Südafrika im Wohnmobil erlebenEine Wohnmobilreise durch Südafrika bietet dir eine unvergleichliche Freiheit, die…
General SuitabilitySouth Africa is an excellent family travel destination: it offers many family-friendly…
When is the best time for your trip?
| Month | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Sun (h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24.0 | 30 | 9.0 |
| February | 24.0 | 40 | 8.0 |
| March | 23.0 | 50 | 7.0 |
| April | 21.0 | 60 | 7.0 |
| May | 18.0 | 40 | 7.0 |
| June | 16.0 | 20 | 8.0 |
| July | 15.0 | 15 | 9.0 |
| August | 16.0 | 20 | 9.0 |
| September | 18.0 | 30 | 8.0 |
| October | 21.0 | 45 | 8.0 |
| November | 22.0 | 55 | 8.0 |
| December | 23.0 | 40 | 9.0 |
Safety, entry requirements and health: the official, up-to-date advice for South Africa is published by the UK government on GOV.UK.
Go to GOV.UK
Who's behind Fernweh?
I love to travel, and I love planning even more. Fernweh.guide is my attempt at building a really good online travel guide.