Great Itineraries: South Africa in 10 Days

With 10 days you can spend the majority of your time on safari and finish up with highlights of the Cape.

2 Days: Johannesburg

Commence your journey with a didactic experience in the City of Gold. A variety of excellent accommodation and activities are a highlight in this place colloquially known as "Jozi" (or Jo'burg). Many new developments within the central business district, such as the Maboneng precinct, offer a great variety of local eateries and opportunities to walk the city streets, discovering the history and evolution of this rejuvenated South African icon. The museums and outdoor educational tours on offer—from paleo-anthropological interests to South Africa’s more modern heritage, including the evolving Soweto and Alexandra townships and a gold-mining experience—are captured in this city. On Day 2, a trip to the Cradle of Humankind would also be worthwhile.

Logistics: Don't drive in Johannesburg. You can do all your local exploring on guided tours, which will maximize your time and your safety. But do rent a car and drive to Madikwe. It’s only three hours on good roads; alternatively, you can arrange a transfer.

2 Days: Madikwe Game Reserve

Madikwe Game Reserve on the border with Botswana is smaller than Kruger National Park but still large. Additionally, it was one of the largest relocation projects in South Africa's conservation history and offers a slightly different safari experience. The camps are all private, but this is still Big Five country and offers a wider variety of birdlife and varying accommodation options, all within a significant landscape. Spend the early afternoon of your arrival day visiting a community program just outside the reserve's gates, then relax and enjoy the still air and hot breeze of the middle of the day from a private balcony or a luxury lodge's plunge pool. Night drives may bring out the elusive leopard or lions feasting on a kill. Go on a morning safari on your second day before heading to Kruger that afternoon, with an overnight en route in Dullstroom, which is in misty-morning highland trout country with excellent accommodation and a beautiful change in landscape. The early part of the drive will give you views of contemporary African villages in the country’s platinum-mining belt, as well as the distant Waterberg and Pilanesberg ranges, which add awesome vistas to the drive.

Logistics: It's a long trip to Kruger from Madikwe, so if you don't want to drive, you may want to return to Jo'burg and fly to Kruger so you can have three nights there.

3 Days: Kruger National Park

If you decided to stop over in Nelspruit or elsewhere, rise early on Day 5, so you can meander through the scenic Blyde River Canyon with views of the distant eastern Drakensberg Range. Consider visiting the Three Rondavels and God's Window, a lookout where you can see clear to Mozambique some days. Stop for lunch in quaint Pilgrim's Rest, a former mining town. Remember to get through Kruger's gates long before sundown (check times) so you can settle in at your accommodation and avoid the fines for driving after dark. Choose either a national park accommodation (there are some awesome locations) or a luxury lodge—which number in the hundreds and offer the options of spas, walking safaris, and local community interaction in addition to game drives—or split your stay.

On your first full day in Kruger, take an organized guided trip at a rest camp to get your bearings and learn how to spot game. Book a dinner at a boma under the stars or a stargazing safari for a memorable only-in-Africa experience. Your final day should be spent exploring the park in detail, viewing your favorite animals for as long as you wish.

Logistics: It's a nine-hour drive from Madikwe to Kruger along the more direct N4. In less than seven hours (without stops) you can get to Nelspruit. It's only about two hours from Nelspruit to Pilgrim's Rest, but leave plenty of time to watch the scenery, and stop frequently for the views. It's a long trip back to Jo'burg by car; rather, drop your car off in Nelspruit and fly back.

3 Days: Cape Town

After arriving in Cape Town and dropping your bags, you should have enough time for a stroll along the Mouille Point promenade or around the Waterfront harbor precinct, followed by a sundowner or a sunset cruise. If you choose sightseeing, book dinner at any excellent city restaurant (the V&A Waterfront by night lacks soul). You can shop late in the arts-and-crafts collective, which benefits local artists. For a low-key option, dine next to the beach at the foot of the Twelve Apostles mountain range.

Head out early on the next morning to see the highlights outside of town. The funicular and beaches at Cape Point demand a visit (but don’t feed the baboons; it makes them aggressive and can end badly). Simon's Town is a beautiful period-piece village, with many hidden, niche attractions (like a brilliant toy museum). Stop for fish-and-chips in Kalk Bay. Finish your long day with a walk along the long beach at Camps Bay and dinner at one of the many establishments across the road.

On your final day, plan to visit both Table Mountain and Robben Island. Lace up your hiking shoes and fit in enough walking before your lengthy flight home. There’s no better place to do it.

Logistics: Whether driving or flying, make sure you get back to Johannesburg in time for an early-afternoon flight to Cape Town. For convenience, base yourself at a V&A Waterfront hotel in Cape Town, or if you want a more relaxing experience, get a hotel in Camps Bay in the Southern Suburbs. If you don't want to rent a car in Cape Town, there are plenty of tour companies to show you the Cape Peninsula and the city. Most flights to the United States leave in the early evening, so you can have a full day of sightseeing before your departure.