South Africa travel guide

Find out what to see and do when travelling or backpacking around South Africa.

South Africa highlights

	Destination	Make a reservation
	Cape Town One of the most beautiful cities in the world; Cape Town boasts beautiful beaches, stunning vineyards, and a pulsing nightlife.	Flights Hotels Hostels Tours
	Garden Route The Garden Route is the most popular drive in the country for good reason. With rolling green hills, secluded bays, and a car-load of different activities, this is most travellers first experience of South Africa.	Flights Hotels Hostels Tours
	Kruger National Park South Africa's biggest, most popular game reserve, the Kruger offers a wealth of different safari options, proving the perfect gateway to finding the Big 5.	Flights Hotels Hostels Tours
	Drakensberg The 'Dragon Mountains' are the highest in the country and provide some of the most epic landscapes in Africa. Great for hiking, horse-riding, or just sitting back and soaking up the scenery.	Flights Hotels Hostels Tours
	Johannesburg Johannesburg (or Jo'burg) is a vibrant, bustling city that has much to offer if you can see past the scare stories. Take a Soweto tour for a real eye opening experience.	Flights Hotels Hostels Tours
	The Battlefields The site of many famous historic battles between European settlers and Zulu warriors still draw many visitors from around the globe. Hire a guide and absorb the atmosphere.	Flights Hotels Hostels Tours
	The Wild Coast One of the last truly wild sections of South Africa, the Wild Coast stretches from Durban to Port Elizabeth, where rolling hills meet the warm Indian Ocean.	Flights Hotels Hostels Tours
	St Lucia A tropical lagoon, lush mangrove forest and big white sand beaches make up this beautiful National Park on South Africa's sunshine coast.	Flights Hotels Hostels Tours

Main travellers routes

• Cape Town and the Garden Route make up a large portion of visits to South Africa. As it provides such a wealth of options, you can spend anything from a week to a month exploring this popular area.
• Many opt to fly into Johannesburg, hire a car and drive to the Kruger National Park for a safari. This route also takes in the Blyde River Canyon (the world's third largest), and can be extended to include Swaziland, the beaches of the east coast, and the Drakensberg Mountains.
• For travellers who cannot afford to rent a vehicle, or simply prefer a more lively way of getting from place to place, the Bazbus provides an excellent alternative. Running from Cape Town to Johannesburg via all the important spots, it's a cheap and cheerful way to see the country on a hop-on, hop-off basis.

Capital and main cities

• Johannesburg
• Cape Town
• Pretoria
• Durban

Languages

• There are 11 official languages in South Africa; Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.

Currency

• South African Rand
• Currency converter

Visas (always check with your embassy)

• Visas not required for UK passport holders (for up to 90 days).

Foreign Office Advice

• South Africa foreign office advice

Flights and accommodation

• Flight prices to South Africa
• Hotel and hostel prices

Tours and day trips in South Africa

• South Africa Travel Plan – Design your own South Africa Trip
• Responsible Travel in South Africa - Trips and accommodation from the main tourist routes to off-the-beaten track places.

This guide to travelling in South Africa was contributed by South Africa Travel Plan

Next: Planning a trip to South Africa