South Africa

Trips to Southern Africa

Open savannah, whale coast and mountain-top views — all in one trip

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Few places on earth pack so much into a single journey.

Your Southern Africa trip, built around you
Tailor-made

Your Southern Africa trip, built around you

Tell us how you travel — game drives at private lodges, a self-drive along the Garden Route, or a mix of both — and we'll put together a tailor-made trip that fits your pace, your budget and your travel style.

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The waterhole does not forgive patience
Southern Africa

The waterhole does not forgive patience

At the Kruger, everything happens around water. Sit quietly at a hide in the dry season and within an hour you'll share the same few square metres with elephant herds, giraffe and, if you're lucky, a leopard crossing at dusk. The silence between sightings is part of it.

Cape Town earns its place on your map

Cape Town earns its place on your map

Table Mountain is not just a backdrop — it's a full day out. Hike the Platteklip Gorge trail for the workout, or take the cable car and spend the afternoon wandering the plateau. Below you, the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean meet, and the city stretches from bowl to coast.

The Garden Route is a road trip with purpose

The Garden Route is a road trip with purpose

Between Mossel Bay and Storms River, the coast shifts from beach to lagoon to forest without warning. The Tsitsikamma, the Knysna Heads, Wilderness — each town is a day's reason to stop. Drive it slowly. The route rewards those who don't stick to the schedule.

How OK Africa works your Southern Africa trip

  1. 01

    Tailored from the start

    No two itineraries leave our desk looking the same. We listen to how you travel — solo, couple, family, group — and build the trip from there, not from a template.

  2. 02

    Safari and city, connected

    Southern Africa is one of the few regions where a Big Five safari and a long urban weekend genuinely complement each other. We know how to sequence both without one feeling rushed.

  3. 03

    Group or private, your call

    Travel with a small group or go entirely on your own terms. Both formats are available and we'll tell you honestly which suits your trip and your dates.

We plan your trip to Southern Africa

We help you choose how, when and for how long.

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Guide

What to see and do in Southern Africa

Southern Africa covers an extraordinary range of landscapes — from the Highveld plateau to the Cape Winelands and the semi-desert of the Karoo. Here's where most trips focus, and why each area earns its place on the map.

Kruger National Park
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Kruger National Park

Established in 1926 and still the reference point for safari in sub-Saharan Africa, Kruger covers nearly two million hectares of bushveld in Limpopo and Mpumalanga. The Big Five — lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo — all live here, alongside more than 500 bird species.

The park suits all levels: stay at the main SANParks rest camps for an affordable self-drive experience, or book a private concession on the western border for walking safaris and night drives. The dry season (May to September) gives you the best sightings, when animals concentrate around rivers and waterholes.

Cape Town & the Cape Peninsula
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Cape Town & the Cape Peninsula

Cape Town anchors the western end of every Southern Africa trip. Table Mountain is the obvious first stop — one of the world's most-reviewed natural attractions — but the city has more beneath it: the historic Bo-Kaap neighbourhood, the V&A Waterfront's working harbour, Robben Island, and the long beaches of Camps Bay and Clifton.

The Cape Peninsula deserves a full day: drive south past Hout Bay, stop at Boulder's Beach for the African penguin colony, and reach the Cape of Good Hope before the afternoon wind picks up. October to April gives you the long, clear days you want for all of it.

Garden Route
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Garden Route

The Garden Route runs roughly 300 km along the southern coast between Mossel Bay and the Storms River Mouth. The climate here is the most consistent in the country — mild temperatures and distributed rainfall year-round — which makes it the easiest leg to plan whatever month you travel.

Knysna and its lagoon, the ancient yellowwood forests of Tsitsikamma, the lakes around Wilderness and the adrenaline activities around Plettenberg Bay (bungee jumping from the Bloukrans Bridge is the highest commercial bungee jump in the world) give the route enough variety to fill five to seven days without forcing the pace.

Hermanus & the Whale Coast
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Hermanus & the Whale Coast

A two-hour drive east of Cape Town, Hermanus sits on a cliff-top above Walker Bay — one of the best land-based whale watching spots anywhere in the world. Southern right whales come to calve and nurse their young in the sheltered bay between June and November, close enough to shore that binoculars are optional.

Outside whale season, the area has excellent shark-cage diving at Gansbaai, coastal hiking on the Cliff Path, and a relaxed wine region (the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley) a few kilometres inland. It works well as a two-night stop between Cape Town and the Garden Route.

When to travel to Southern Africa

The region spans two distinct climate zones, so the best time depends on what you're going for.

May to September (dry season)
Peak safari season in Kruger and surrounding reserves. Vegetation thins, animals gather at water sources, and daytime temperatures are comfortable. Cape Town and the Garden Route are cooler and wetter — plan your trip so safari comes first.
October to April (Cape summer)
Long sunny days and warm seas make this the best time for Cape Town, the Peninsula and the Garden Route. Kruger is green and lush — great for birding and seeing newborn animals, though dense bush can make game harder to spot.
June to November (whale season)
Southern right whales are present along the Hermanus coastline from June through November. This overlaps with dry-season safari, so combining Kruger and the whale coast in one trip is genuinely possible.
December to February (summer peak)
School holiday season means higher prices and more visitors, especially in Cape Town. Kruger's bush is thick and humid. Works well if flexibility is limited — just book accommodation early and temper expectations for game visibility.
Before you travel to Southern Africa

Before you travel to Southern Africa

Visa & passport
UK and US citizens: no visa needed, up to 90 days. Passport must have 2+ blank pages. UK: valid 30 days beyond departure date.
Language
South Africa has 11 official languages. English is widely spoken across tourism, business and most urban areas.
Currency
South African rand (ZAR). GBP and USD go far — South Africa is good value for UK and US travellers.
Time zone
SAST (UTC+2) year-round. South Africa does not observe daylight saving time.
Electricity
230V / 50Hz. Type M plugs (large 3-pin). Bring a universal travel adaptor — UK and US plugs won't fit without one.
Health & insurance
Malaria risk in Kruger area: consult your GP on prophylactics. Comprehensive travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is strongly recommended.
Getting there
UK: direct flights from London Heathrow (BA, SAA ~11h 25min to Joburg; BA ~11h 30min to Cape Town) and Gatwick (Norse Atlantic).
Travelling with children
Children need an unabridged birth certificate (full, showing both parents). If one parent travels alone with a child, notarised consent is required.

Frequently asked questions about travelling to Southern Africa

Is Southern Africa safe to visit for UK and US tourists?
South Africa carries a US Level 2 travel advisory (exercise increased caution), which applies to urban petty crime rather than a specific threat to tourists. Stick to well-travelled routes, avoid displaying valuables in cities, and use reputable transfers. Safari areas and most tourist sites are considered safe. Travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is strongly recommended.
Do UK and US citizens need a visa for South Africa?
No. Both UK and US passport holders can enter South Africa visa-free for up to 90 days. Your passport needs at least two blank pages and — for UK citizens — must be valid for at least 30 days beyond your planned departure date. For Botswana and Namibia, the same visa-free rule applies; Zimbabwe and Zambia require a visa or e-Visa.
When is the best time to go to Southern Africa?
It depends on your priorities. For safari (Kruger), May to September is the dry season and by far the best window for wildlife sightings. For Cape Town and the Garden Route, October to April offers warm, sunny days. A classic combination works well: start in Kruger in the dry season, then move to the coast.
Can I combine safari with Cape Town in one trip?
Absolutely — this is one of the most popular routes in the region. Fly into Johannesburg, head to Kruger for game drives, then fly down to Cape Town and drive the Garden Route back. Two to three weeks gives you enough time to do both without rushing; ten days is the realistic minimum.
How many days do I need in Southern Africa?
A week is enough for one area (Cape Town plus the peninsula, or a focused Kruger trip). Two weeks lets you combine safari and coast properly. Three weeks opens up the Garden Route, the Winelands, Hermanus and potentially a cross-border extension into Botswana or Namibia. Talk to us about what suits your time.
Do I need a 4x4 to drive around South Africa?
Not for the main destinations. South Africa drives on the left and the motorway and main road network is well maintained. A standard car or compact SUV handles the Kruger rest camps, the Garden Route and Cape Town comfortably. A 4x4 is only necessary if you plan to tackle remote off-road tracks in Botswana, Namibia or private concession roads.
How expensive is Southern Africa for UK and US travellers?
South Africa is good value. The South African rand trades favourably against both the pound and the dollar, which means accommodation, food, local transport and activities stretch further than you'd expect. Safari lodges vary widely in price — private concessions are a premium product, while SANParks rest camps in Kruger are very affordable.
What documents do my children need to travel?
Children travelling to or through South Africa must carry an unabridged birth certificate (the full version listing both parents) alongside their passport. If one parent is travelling alone with a child, a notarised letter of consent from the absent parent is required. Check requirements for each country on your route.

Ready to start planning your Southern Africa trip?

Send us a message on WhatsApp or fill in the form and one of our Africa specialists will come back to you with ideas based on your dates, your group and how you like to…

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