In a nutshell
- South Africa is a perfect country for a road trip — flexible, scenic, and totally doable with a rental car.
- We’ve traveled through South Africa ourselves and put together the ideal itinerary for 2 weeks and 3 weeks.
- Our 2-week route: Start in Cape Town, drive the Garden Route, go on safari, and wrap things up relaxing in the Cape Winelands.
- Have 3 weeks? Add Hermanus for whale watching, or extend into Kruger National Park and Johannesburg — we’ve got both options covered.
- Keep reading for all the details on each stop, plus our personal accommodation picks along the way.
Getting Around on Your South Africa Road Trip
For your South Africa road trip, we recommend renting a rental car. Driving yourself gives you the flexibility to reach every stop on your itinerary at your own pace. We’ve put together all our tips on driving in South Africa in a dedicated article.
Compare rental car deals for South Africa on Discovercars
For longer distances, you can also opt for domestic flights. This makes the most sense between Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).
2-Week South Africa Road Trip on a Map
Most travelers have about two weeks for their first trip to South Africa. That’s plenty of time to cover the highlights in the south of the country.
Here’s our suggested route for a two-week South Africa road trip:
- Days 1–4: Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula
- Days 5–8: Garden Route
- Days 9–10: Safari (e.g. in Addo Elephant Park)
- Days 11–13: Cape Winelands
- Day 14: Return flight from Cape Town
To give you a better overview, we’ve also plotted our South Africa itinerary on a map.
From July to November, South Africa is in whale season — and it’s a genuine highlight. During this period, we’d recommend adding two days in Hermanus after Cape Town and shortening the Garden Route and the safari by one day each.
One thing to keep in mind: our routes are always suggestions. Feel free to customize any itinerary to suit your own interests.
If you’re not a big wine drinker, for example, one to two days in the Cape Winelands is plenty. You can then spend more time somewhere else or take a side trip to the west coast of South Africa.
Stops on Your 2-Week South Africa Road Trip
Here’s what you can experience at each stop on your South Africa road trip.
Days 1–4: Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula
Cape Town is an incredibly beautiful city — right on the ocean, with stunning beaches and seriously delicious food. From street food to fancy rooftop restaurants, it’s all here.
Beyond eating out and lounging on the beach, there are plenty of other highlights. The Bo-Kaap neighborhood is wonderfully colorful and photogenic, and the V&A Waterfront is a lovely spot for a stroll.
And then of course there’s Table Mountain. It rises straight out of the city like it owns the place. Ride the cable car to the top for an incredible panorama over Cape Town — absolutely worth it.
Things to do in Cape Town:
- Table Mountain
- V&A Waterfront
- Bo-Kaap
- Robben Island
- Lion’s Head
- Long Street and Kloof Street
- Sea Point
- Oranjezicht Market (weekends only)
Our hotel pick for Cape Town: Latitude Aparthotel in the Sea Point neighborhood. We stayed here and can genuinely recommend it — the rooms are spacious and you even get a kitchen.
Read these articles about Cape Town too:
Day Trip to the Cape Peninsula
A day trip to the Cape Peninsula is an absolute must while you’re in Cape Town. You’ll drive along the spectacular Chapman’s Peak Drive hugging the coastline, heading south to visit the Cape of Good Hope and other highlights.
We’ve written a full article about the Cape Peninsula with all our tips. Here are the key stops in a nutshell:
- Chapman’s Peak Drive
- Cape of Good Hope
- Boulders Beach with its penguins
- Kalk Bay
- Beach huts in Muizenberg or St. James
Days 5–8: Garden Route
After Cape Town, you head straight to the next standout on the South Africa travel route: the Garden Route.
The Garden Route runs along a stretch of the southern coast and is breathtakingly beautiful. Along the way you’ll pass through several national parks with stunning scenery, charming little towns, viewpoints, and long sandy beaches.
In theory you could drive the entire Garden Route in a single day — but there are so many stops along the way that you should plan for at least two nights here.
We recommend staying in Wilderness and Plettenberg Bay. If you’d rather not switch accommodations, you can book just one place in Plettenberg Bay — the two towns are close to each other anyway.
Things to do on the Garden Route:
- Photo stop at the Map of Africa
- Wilderness Beach
- Kingfisher Trails in the Wilderness National Park
- Wild Oats Market between Wilderness and Knysna (weekends only)
- Knysna with the Knysna Elephant Park
- Hike through the Robberg Nature Reserve in Plettenberg Bay
- Beaches of Plettenberg Bay
- Main Street in Plettenberg Bay
- Old Nick Village
- Bloukrans Bridge
- Hike in Tsitsikamma National Park to the Suspension Bridge
Our hotel pick for Wilderness: Mes Amis Beach House — super cozy and run with a lot of love. It’s right on the ocean and all rooms have sea views.
Our hotel pick for Plettenberg Bay: The Joneses — we stayed here and the view was simply stunning. It’s a privately run property with several apartments and vacation homes.
Here you'll find all our tips for the Garden Route:
Days 9–10: Safari
A safari is an absolute must on any South Africa road trip — no question. For a two-week trip, we recommend going on safari along the Garden Route. We break down which game reserve or national park is the best fit for you in this article: The Best Game Resorts on the Garden Route.
Of course, Kruger National Park is even more popular for safaris. But it’s hard to fit in on a shorter itinerary because it’s at the other end of South Africa. A safari along the Garden Route is a great alternative.
We visited Addo Elephant Park. The park is about a four-hour drive east of the Garden Route and you can either drive through it in your rental car or join a guided safari. We spotted so many elephants there that we almost grew a trunk ourselves. Read all about our experiences at Addo Elephant Park here.
Private game reserves are somewhat smaller, but many still have the Big 5 — and you can stay overnight at them too.
Our hotel pick near Addo National Park: Stellenhof Country Estate — this guesthouse is near the national park and beautifully decorated. We felt completely at home here and recommend it wholeheartedly.
All our tips for safaris in South Africa:
Days 11–13: Cape Winelands
After your safari, you head back toward Cape Town. You can either drive through the interior via Route 62 or fly from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) to Cape Town if you opted for Addo National Park or a game resort further east.
Before heading home, treat yourself to a few relaxing days in the Cape Winelands. Here you can indulge in excellent wine and amazing food — and the best way to do it is to book yourself into a wine estate.
The scenery is stunning, with rolling hills and vineyards stretching in every direction. The historic towns of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are also here, both absolutely worth exploring.
Things to do in the Cape Winelands:
- Treat yourself to great wine and delicious food
- Stellenbosch
- Franschhoek
- Paarl
Our hotel pick for the Cape Winelands: Eikendal Lodge — you stay on a small wine estate with a pool, and the view over the vineyards is seriously incredible.
All our tips for the Cape Winelands:
Day 14: Departure from Cape Town
On the last day of your South Africa road trip, you drive back to Cape Town. Enjoy the beautiful scenery one last time on your way — it’s a fitting send-off.
Alternative Route During Whale Season
From July to November, South Africa is in whale season. During this time you can spot whales from the shore multiple times a day — and Hermanus is one of the best places for it.
That’s why we recommend adding two days in Hermanus to your South Africa route between July and November. We’d shorten the Garden Route and the safari by one day each to make room. Totally worth it!
The best way to see the whales is along the Hermanus Cliff Path, which follows the coastline all the way to Grotto Beach. You can scan the ocean the entire way — and the path itself is really lovely too.
Our hotel pick for Hermanus: The Whale on Main B&B — a family-run boutique hotel with great value for money.
Here you'll find all our tips for Hermanus:
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3-Week South Africa Road Trip
Do you have more than two weeks for your South Africa road trip? Great! We have two routes for a three-week trip — one with and one without Kruger National Park.
If you’re traveling with young children (under six), we recommend the route without Kruger. Children that young aren’t allowed on safaris there, so our first road trip option is definitely the better choice.
3-Week Road Trip through South Africa without Kruger
On this first route, you add three more stops in the south of South Africa.
You start just like on the two-week South Africa itinerary. However, after Cape Town you spend two more days in Hermanus — even if it’s not whale season.
After that, you continue as usual. But after your safari, instead of heading straight to the Winelands, you drive back through the interior. Along the way you pass through Prince Albert, Oudtshoorn, and the Swartberg Pass.
Prince Albert is a wonderful lesser-known spot and one of the most beautiful places in South Africa. You spend the night here and take a day trip to Oudtshoorn the next day, where you visit the Cango Caves and an ostrich farm. Then you continue over the impressive Swartberg Pass into the Cape Winelands.
After the Winelands, you also visit the stunning west coast of South Africa.
Our favorite spot here is the laid-back fishing village of Paternoster. From here you can explore the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve, and plan a stop at Langebaan with the West Coast National Park on your way back to Cape Town.
Our suggested route for a 3-week South Africa road trip without Kruger National Park:
- Days 1–4: Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula
- Days 5–6: Hermanus
- Days 7–10: Garden Route
- Days 11–12: Safari (e.g. at Addo Elephant Park)
- Days 13–14: Prince Albert and Oudtshoorn
- Days 15–18: Cape Winelands
- Days 19–20: Paternoster and the West Coast
- Day 21: Return flight from Cape Town
3-Week South Africa Road Trip with Kruger National Park
Our second road trip takes you — after the two-week South Africa route — on to Johannesburg and Kruger National Park.
We’ve adjusted the two-week route so that you visit the Cape Winelands after Cape Town, allowing you to fly directly to Johannesburg after the Garden Route. You skip the safari along the Garden Route, since you’ll be doing a safari in Kruger instead.
Keep in mind that children under six are not allowed on game drives in Kruger. So we only recommend this route if you’re traveling without children or with older kids.
Our suggested route for a 3-week South Africa road trip with Kruger National Park:
- Days 1–4: Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula
- Days 5–7: Cape Winelands
- Days 8–9: Hermanus
- Days 10–13: Garden Route
- Day 14: Flight from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) to Johannesburg
- Days 15–16: Johannesburg
- Days 17–19: Kruger National Park
- Day 20: Return to Johannesburg
- Day 21: Return flight
You can also do the route in reverse. This can sometimes work out cheaper, since more international flights connect to Johannesburg than to Cape Town. You might also fly back from Cape Town to Johannesburg at the end if an open-jaw flight isn’t available or is too pricey.
Frequently Asked Questions about a South Africa Road Trip
When is the best time to travel to South Africa?
It really depends on which region you’re visiting.
If you’re following our two-week South Africa road trip or the first three-week route, you’ll be spending almost all your time in the south. There, October through April is the sweet spot for weather. Within that window, October and March through April tend to be the quietest.
For our second three-week itinerary — which covers both the south and the north — we recommend traveling in either April or October. That gives you the best shot at good weather in both regions.
Read our full South Africa travel season guide for more tips
How long should you plan for a South Africa road trip?
Two weeks is the sweet spot for one of the most popular South Africa routes — Cape Town, the Cape Winelands, the Garden Route, and Addo National Park. You can cover all of it comfortably.
With three weeks, you can also add Kruger National Park and Johannesburg, or head to the West Coast of South Africa and the interior for a different perspective.
Can you travel South Africa on your own?
Yes, absolutely. South Africa is not inherently dangerous, and regions like Cape Town and the Garden Route are particularly safe for self-drivers.
That said, some areas require more caution. Always research the specific places you plan to visit before you go.
There are also certain safety guidelines worth following — for example, avoiding townships. We share all our advice here:
How do you get internet access in South Africa?
We recommend getting an eSIM from Saily. It’s super affordable and really easy to set up before you leave home.
For everything else you need to know, check out our article on eSIMs for South Africa.
