Things to do and see in South Africa

To see

Addo Elephant National Park

Addo, Eastern Cape

Home to more than 600 elephants plus lions, buffalo and rhino.

sanparks.org ↗

To see

Hole in the Wall

Coffee Bay, Eastern Cape

Detached cliff with a wave-carved arch on the Wild Coast.

To see

Mountain Zebra National Park

Cradock, Eastern Cape

Cape mountain zebra, cheetahs and Karoo views.

sanparks.org ↗

To see

East London Museum

East London, Eastern Cape

Home of the coelacanth identified in 1938.

To see

Bayworld

Gqeberha, Eastern Cape

Museum and oceanarium on the beachfront.

To see

Donkin Reserve

Gqeberha, Eastern Cape

Pyramid memorial and lighthouse on the Route 67 art walk.

To see

Valley of Desolation

Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape

Dolerite pillars above the Karoo in the Camdeboo National Park.

To do

Hogsback waterfalls

Hogsback, Eastern Cape

Forest walks to the Madonna and Child and Kettlespout falls.

To do

Supertubes

Jeffreys Bay, Eastern Cape

Watch or surf one of the world's best right-hand point breaks.

To see

Observatory Museum

Makhanda, Eastern Cape

Victorian building with a working camera obscura.

To see

Nelson Mandela Museum

Mthatha, Eastern Cape

Museum in Mthatha with the Qunu youth centre nearby.

To see

The Owl House

Nieu-Bethesda, Eastern Cape

Helen Martins's house and garden of concrete sculptures.

To do

Kowie River canoe trail

Port Alfred, Eastern Cape

Paddle up the Kowie River and camp overnight.

To do

Bloukrans Bridge bungee

Storms River, Eastern Cape

216-metre bungee jump from the Bloukrans Bridge.

To do

Tsitsikamma National Park

Storms River, Eastern Cape

Suspension bridge over the Storms River Mouth and the Otter Trail.

sanparks.org ↗

To see

National Women's Monument

Bloemfontein, Free State

Memorial to women and children who died in South African War concentration camps.

To do

Naval Hill

Bloemfontein, Free State

Game reserve in the city with a Nelson Mandela statue and views.

To see

Oliewenhuis Art Museum

Bloemfontein, Free State

Art museum in gardens in the former official residence.

To do

Clarens art galleries

Clarens, Free State

Browse dozens of galleries and craft shops around the square.

To see

Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Clarens, Free State

Sandstone cliffs, hiking trails and grassland game.

sanparks.org ↗

To see

Vredefort Dome

Parys, Free State

World Heritage Site and the oldest and largest visible meteorite impact structure on Earth.

To do

White-water rafting on the Vaal

Parys, Free State

Rafting and tubing through the Vredefort Dome.

To see

Cullinan Diamond Mine

Cullinan, Gauteng

The mine where the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond was found.

To see

Apartheid Museum

Johannesburg, Gauteng

Moving museum telling the story of apartheid and South Africa's road to democracy.

apartheidmuseum.org ↗

To see

Constitution Hill

Johannesburg, Gauteng

Former prison complex that now houses the Constitutional Court.

To do

Johannesburg Zoo

Johannesburg, Gauteng

Zoo in Parkview with more than 2,000 animals.

To do

Maboneng Precinct

Johannesburg, Gauteng

Walk the galleries, cafés and street art of this inner-city neighbourhood.

To do

Hot-air ballooning over the Magaliesberg

Magaliesburg, Gauteng

Early-morning balloon flights over the Magaliesberg.

To do

Magaliesberg Canopy Tour

Magaliesburg, Gauteng

Zipline between platforms in a mountain gorge.

To do

Lion & Safari Park

Muldersdrift, Gauteng

Self-drive and guided tours to see lions, cheetahs and wild dogs.