Planning A Perfect 7-day Trip to South Africa

Planning A Perfect 7-day Trip to South Africa
Table bay, Cape Town. Image source: Pixabay

For many years, South Africa has been one of the most popular tourist destinations, packed with renowned World Heritage Sites, game reserves, serene beaches and multicultural cities. Exploring the entire country would take a lifetime, therefore, those who have very limited holiday time or resources may have to settle with a shorter visit. If you are planning to visit South Africa, but only have a few days, don’t be disappointed. You can still experience the best of South Africa before heading back home. In this South Africa travel guide, we will talk about which places to visit, how to get there, what to do and everything you need to know to have a fun-filled vacation in South Africa.

Day 1. Arriving to Cape Town

Arguably the most wonderful city in the world, start your South African adventure with Cape Town. If you are visiting Cape Town for the first time, make sure you book a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain and enjoy the breathtaking city views. Afterwards, walk your way to Blouberg beach to enjoy the beautiful sunset and take pictures of gigantic mountains resting on the other side of the bay. Head over to The Blue Peter restaurant for dinner.

Day 2. Head over to Gaansbaai

Next day, head over to the little coastal town of Gansbaai in the Western Cape. It is close to Dyer Island, where you can watch a lot of great white sharks, which is worth experiencing at least once. As soon as you are done with shark cage diving, you might want to enjoy hitting the sand dunes on a fat bike. After indulging in different experiences, get back to Gansbaai by the evening, and eat at Blue Goose that serves some of the tastiest South African beef and fresh seafood.

Day 3. Go East towards Mossel Bay

Prepare for a long drive the next day. Hire a car from Avis and drive east from Gansbaai to Mossel Bay, and from there, go on the Garden Route – a 300 kilometer coastal line route that includes some of the most amazing spots in Eastern and Western Cap provinces. You can stop wherever you want – either taking a stroll in the town of Wilderness, trying Knysna’s popular oyster or visiting exciting wildlife sanctuaries of The Crags – Birds of Eden and Monekyland. Get a good night’s sleep at a B&B in the area around.

Day 4. Continue to Port Elizabeth

Wake up to a relaxing morning and continue towards Port Elizabeth. Along the way, you can enjoy many charismatic experiences like bungee jumping from Bloukrans Bridge – the highest bridge in the world, a zipline canopy tour in the Tsitsikamma Park and surfing experience in Jeffreys Bay, which is home to the best waves in South Africa. Eat and spend your night at perfect Dungbeetle River Lodge.

Day 5-7. Experience the best of South African Safari

No trip to South Africa is complete without a safari. Enjoy the best by spending the last three days at the Kruger National Park. Fly from Port Elizabeth to Skukuza or Nelspruit with the help of Mango flights bookings, which will get you to Kruger much faster and cheaper, so you can have plenty of time to enjoy. The Kruger safari will bring you closer to all the Big Five, and every day you will see different and unique things. On the seventh day, fly back to Cape Town and on to wherever in the world your home is.

The itinerary, of course, doesn’t include everything there is to experience in South Africa. In order to cover all, you will need more than seven days. However, we have touched the best parts of South Africa, combining the natural and urban experiences into one memorable trip.