Discover the best places to visit in South Africa with my South Africa destinations travel guides.

South Africa is a country of extraordinary contrasts, where dramatic coastlines meet fertile winelands, and vast untamed wilderness gives way to some of the continent’s most vibrant, cosmopolitan cities. Few destinations on earth can offer this much variety within a single trip.

Begin in Cape Town, one of the world’s great cities, where the iconic Table Mountain presides over a spectacular peninsula of beaches, neighbourhoods and world-class restaurants. From there, head along the coast to Hermanus, celebrated for some of the best land-based whale watching anywhere on the planet, particularly during the winter months when southern right whales gather in Walker Bay in remarkable numbers.

Inland, the Cape Winelands beckon. Stellenbosch is the region’s elegant heart, its oak-lined streets and centuries-old Cape Dutch architecture forming a beautiful backdrop to an exceptional food and wine scene. Nearby Franschhoek, tucked into one of the most beautiful valleys in the country, takes things up another level entirely, with a concentration of acclaimed restaurants and wine estates that would hold their own in any company globally.

For those with more time and a sense of adventure, a journey north to the Kruger National Park rewards beyond measure, offering some of Africa’s finest game viewing across its vast and ancient bushveld.

Check out all of my South Africa destinations travel guides below.