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Organised tours are a fantastic way of exploring a destination, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s your first or fifth time visiting. A good tour will always provide something new and fascinating, revealing secrets which you’d never discover visiting as an independent traveller. Nowhere is this truer than South Africa. The country’s heady mix of history, culture, and extraordinary wilderness means that, onion-like, it has layer after layer waiting to be peeled back. To do this, you’re going to want to head out on the best South Africa tours the nation can offer.
1. Best of the Garden Route tour
The Garden Route is a 300 km (190 mile) coastal route stretching from the greater Cape Town region in the west, to Plettenberg Bay and Garden Route National Park in the east. It gets its name from the flourishing vegetation of the region. But in addition to its floral wonders, the Garden Route boasts everything from hidden coves and dramatic Indian Ocean vistas to ziplining and kayaking experiences.
To do the Garden Route the justice it deserves, you’ll want to linger. So how about five days in the Garden Route? To make it really simple to arrange, this tour starts and ends in Cape Town. From the ‘mother city,’ it takes in the sights of the Garden Route I wouldn’t want to miss. In addition, you’ll get to see others which aren’t technically part of this celebrated route but are fantastic all the same.
You’ll get to take in Oudtshoorn, the ostrich capital of South Africa, delve into Cango Caves, and head out on safari at Addo Elephant National Park. This is one of the best places in the country to take in these lovable creatures. You’ll also get to zipline through the lushness of Tsitsikamma forest, and kayak through the aptly-named Wilderness National Park. And that’s just the start.
2. Best of Johannesburg tour
In the recent past, South Africa’s biggest city was hard to love. It had a reputation for crime and dilapidation after the so-called white flight of the early 1990s, which Jozi has found it hard to shrug off.
However, as a city of over 5.5 million people, you can be sure there’s a vibrant metropolitan culture waiting to burst through the stereotypes. And what better way to discover the truth of life in this much-maligned city than with someone who calls it home guiding you around?
A one-day tour is a great first introduction to Johannesburg. Beyond the vibrant street life of the city, you’ll get to explore Soweto, the township which was home to Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The Soweto Uprising of 1976 perhaps also put the first nail in the coffin of the vicious apartheid regime – as you’ll discover at the thought-provoking Apartheid Museum.
Delving into the heart of downtown Joburg, the tour takes in Newtown, a regeneration success story, alongside Constitution Hill. The location of the post-apartheid government, its buildings are surrounded by beautiful gardens.
3. Best Hermanus whale-watching tour
Hermanus is the focal point of whale-watching tours in South Africa. Approximately 115 km (70 ish miles) south and east of Cape Town, this quaint little town lies on Walkers Bay. I think Hermanus is interesting enough to explore in any case – there’s a lovely welcoming vibe and some worthwhile attractions, such as the Old Harbour Museum.
That said, beyond the town Hermanus is known for one thing and one thing alone. It’s whales. Southern right whales take much of the glory, although Brydes and humpback whales are also frequent visitors.
Often swimming close enough to the Hermanus coast to be seen from shore, there are telescopes placed about the cliffs for this purpose. The town even has it’s own whale crier to alert people to their presence offshore.
For a closer encounter, you’ll want to head out onto the open ocean with a boat trip. They last between 1.5 – 2 hours, and come with a live onboard guide to help explain the lives and actions of the whales. Along the way, it’s likely you’ll encounter dolphins, fur seals, and a plethora of bird species too.
Whale-watching season in Hermanus is from early June until early December. The reverse of what’s usually considered the best time to visit South Africa, don’t let this put you off. Calving and mating (of the whales) is celebrated during September’s whale festival.
4. Best of the Cape Peninsula tour
You’re sure to want to discover the delights of Cape Town, a city which is both very easy to love and very easy to explore independently. Head beyond the likes of Table Mountain or Bo Kaap (as featured in my guide to what to do in Cape Town), and it becomes much easier to take an organised tour. That way, transport is all sorted, in addition to having the benefit of a local guide.
There are a great many reasons to want to head beyond the attractions of Cape Town, from fine coastal drives to the chance to commune with penguins! In my experience, tours of the Cape Peninsula take on a set route, heading along the stunning Chapman’s Peak Drive by way of Hout Bay.
One of the things which makes this tour special is the chance to pause and get close to the seals of Seal Island. You’ll then continue to Cape Point on the Cape of Good Hope, the continent’s southwestern-most point, before circling back towards the penguin colony of Boulders Beach.
5. Best of the Cape winelands tour
South Africa’s wines are enjoyed across the world, with most coming from the Cape Winelands. Next time you’re in your local supermarket, look out for the names of Paarl, Stellenbosch, and Franschhoek, all within shooting distance of Cape Town.
You’ll get to explore wine estates in each of these three towns in the region with this full-day tour of the Cape Winelands. With pick-up from points across Cape Town, you won’t have to worry about how to meet your guide. And with someone else driving, you’re free to sample as many of the 15 wines on offer during the day (alongside cheeses and chocolate) as you like.
Stopping first in Stellenbosch, you’ll get a guided walk lasting around 45 minutes of this important university town in addition to your wine tasting. In Franschhoek there’s another 30 minute (optional) tour, while on the way from Paarl you’ll stop briefly at Drakenstein Correction Centre. This may seem like an odd place to continue a tour of the Cape winelands, but as Victor Verster Prison, it was where Nelson Mandela walked to freedom, fist aloft, after 27 years of imprisonment.
6. Best Kruger National Park tour
If you’re heading to arguably the best-known national park in Africa, it’s worth making your visit a first-class one by spending at least three days amid lion country. That’s why I think this three-day Kruger safari from Johannesburg is one not to miss.
Although nothing can be guaranteed when on safari, as one of the best places in the world to see the Big Five, you’ve got a decent chance of photographing not only lion, but also elephant, leopard, rhino, and Cape buffalo.
Travelling by road from Johannesburg (around four hours), you’ll arrive in time for a relaxed lunch. When the animals begin to become more active in the later afternoon, you’ll head out on your first game drive. This is one of four separate opportunities to get your camera clicking and your heart beating over the next three days and two nights.
With game drives and accommodation all sorted, the only thing you’ll have to worry about is what the choose from the menu each evening…
The very best tours of South Africa
South Africa is a fascinating country. With a turbulent past, it can be a complex place to navigate mentally, while transport often leaves a lot to be desired. All the more reason to seek out the best South Africa tours, so you can bask in all South Africa’s wondrous attractions without having to concern yourself with any of the logistics!
