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    Upington

    South Africa

    Upington

    City

    Upington is the largest city in the north of the Northern Cape, situated on the Orange River, creating a green oasis of vineyards, raisin and date farms in the semi-desert.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. South Africa
    7. Nordkap
    9. Upington
    Upington is the largest city in the north of the Northern Cape, situated on the Orange River, creating a green oasis of vineyards, raisin and date farms in the semi-desert. For travellers, it serves mainly as a supply stop and base for the Kgalagadi and the Augrabies Falls.

    Sights in Upington

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Orange River & Sakkie se Arkie

    1Orange River & Sakkie se Arkie

    Der Orange River ist die Lebensader Upingtons. Du kannst seine Bedeutung und Schönheit am besten bei einer entspannten Bootsfahrt erleben. Steige bei Sakkie se Arkie an Bord eines gemütlichen Hausbootes oder einer Barke und gleite sanft über das Wasser, vorbei an grünen Ufern und der einzigartigen Wüstenlandschaft. Es ist die perfekte Möglichkeit, die Seele baumeln zu lassen und die Ruhe der Natur zu genießen.
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    Kalahari-Oranje Museum

    2Kalahari-Oranje Museum

    The Town Museum is housed in the old mission station, from which Upington emerged starting in 1871. It tells the story of the mission era, irrigation along the Orange River, and the region's people.
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    Donkey Monument

    3Donkey Monument

    Monument to the donkeys, indispensable as draft and pack animals in the region's development. A quirky, popular photo spot in the town.
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    Sakkie se Arkie

    4Sakkie se Arkie

    An Oranje River cruise boat, offering leisurely trips along its green banks, especially popular for sunset in the late afternoon. Book trips in advance.
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    Restaurants & Cafes

    1

    TryMe Durban Curry House

    Restaurant in 22 Scott St.
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    Chronicle

    Founded in 1871 as the Olyvenhoutsdrift mission station on the Orange, Upington was later named after Thomas Upington, then Prime Minister of the Cape Colony. Irrigation canals made the river valley fertile. The historic Schröder House recalls missionary Christiaan Schröder, founder of the station.

    Traveling

    You can reach Upington by plane or via the N10 and N14. For excursions in the region, you'll need a rental car, which you can get at the airport. In the center, distances are short.

    Accommodations in Upington

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      Sunrise over alpine peaks and a sea of clouds
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      Trip to Upington

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      • 1Orange River & Sakkie se Arkie3 days
      • 2Kalahari-Oranje Museum4 days
      • 3Donkey Monument5 days
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    Nearby

    Augrabies Falls National Park

    Augrabies Falls National Park

    In Augrabies Falls National Park in the Northern Cape, about 120 kilometers west of Upington, the Orange River plunges approximately 56 meters into an 18-kilometer-long granite gorge. Surrounding it is a barren semi-desert with smooth, polished rock domes, quiver trees, and rock hyraxes.
    Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

    Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

    The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is located in the far northwest of South Africa on the border with Botswana and Namibia, approximately 250 kilometers north of Upington. Red Kalahari dunes and two dry riverbeds characterize the landscape; here live black-maned lions, cheetahs, oryx, and springboks.
    Nordkap

    Nordkap

    The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa, between the Orange River and the Kalahari. Red dunes in the Kgalagadi, the Augrabies Falls, Kimberley's diamond heritage, and clear starry skies define this vast, dry region.
    Namaqualand

    Namaqualand

    Namaqualand is a barren semi-desert in northwestern South Africa between the Atlantic Ocean and the border to Namibia, about five hours' drive north of Cape Town. Following sufficient winter rains, the landscape transforms in spring, usually from mid-August to mid-September, into a sea of orange, yellow, and white wildflowers.
    Springbok

    Springbok

    Springbok is the main town of Namaqualand on the N7, approximately 550 kilometres north of Cape Town and a good 100 kilometres before the border with Namibia. During the wildflower season, the small town is the most important base for excursions; the rest of the year, it's a practical stopover.

    Sources & method

    • Photos: Unsplash, Pexels. Each photo carries its credit.
    • The content is based on web research from public, traceable sources. How the content is made · The role of AI