Woman standing on a rock overlooking Camps Bay in Cape Town

August 18, 2026

What To Do On a South African Holiday

Travel Designer

Most people who visit South Africa come back saying the same thing: they wildly underestimated it.

This is not a destination that does one thing well. It does everything well, and unlike almost anywhere else on earth, it does those things in combination. One chapter spent among Franschhoek’s cellars and mountain-backed estates; another in the bush, where the day ends with sundowners and the possibility of leopard moving through the dusk. A city as cosmopolitan as any in Europe, flanked by mountains on one side and the Atlantic on the other.

South Africa is genuinely the world in one country and once you understand the breadth of what’s on offer, the challenge stops being “what do we do?” and becomes “how do we fit it all in?”

This guide is a framework for thinking about exactly that. It covers the full range of experiences available — wine, safari, city, coast, culture, food, adventure — and ends with how we combine them into itineraries that feel effortless rather than exhausting.

Wine Experiences and the Cape Winelands

At SmoothRed, South Africa’s wine story is not a footnote, but rather the driving force behind every itinerary.

The Cape Winelands sit less than an hour from Cape Town, yet they feel a world apart. Mountain ranges on every horizon, oak-lined streets, and estates that have been producing wine for centuries. What surprises most visitors is the diversity: this is not a single wine culture but a patchwork of valleys, each with its own character, its own grape varieties, its own approach to hospitality.

Cellar Visits, Tastings and Private Access

The most rewarding Winelands experiences are rarely standard table tastings. They are private cellar visits, barrel samples, hosted flights and time with the winemakers. We arrange experiences that become talking points: vertical and horizontal cellar tastings, Cap Classique poured in situ, and even ‘vineyard safaris’ through the estate.

Done well, it feels intimate rather than a checklist, giving you a deeper understanding of South African wine through the bottles and stories that define it.

Luxury Estate Stays

The Winelands offer some of the most spectacular accommodation in the world in unbelievable settings. Delaire Graff Estate on the Helshoogte Pass combines vineyards, an exceptional art collection and a Japanese fine dining restaurant (Hoseki) on a single property.

Lanzerac is one of South Africa’s great historic estates, now a five-star hotel. Babylonstoren is a working farm, spa and garden estate that has become one of the most talked-about stays in the southern hemisphere.

These are just a few options. Your Travel Designer will get to know you to recommend the option that fits your preferences best.

Harvest Season Experiences

The Cape harvest runs February to April (roughly around the same time European vineyards come into bud). It is a phenomenal time to visit: the energy in the wineries, the colour in the vineyards, the informal lunches that appear around tasting tables.

If you’ve done Bordeaux or Burgundy in harvest, South Africa in March is both wholly different and deeply familiar.

Safari and Wildlife

South Africa is the only major wine-producing country on earth that also offers Big Five safaris. Meaning that here you can do something not possible anywhere else: move seamlessly between world-class wine and one of the world’s greatest safari destinations with a single passport stamp.

Big Five Safaris

Greater Kruger, the vast unfenced wilderness of north-eastern South Africa, is typically the starting point for a South African safari. At SmoothRed, we prefer working in the private reserves that adjoin the national park: Kapama, Thornybush and Sabi Sand. These are not the national park itself, but form part of the same ecosystem and offer an incomparably quiet experience in comparison.

The reserves operate without fences, meaning wildlife moves freely across an enormous protected area, but game drives are conducted in open 4×4 vehicles with highly experienced rangers and tracker teams, with typically just six guests per vehicle.

Malaria-Free Safari Regions

For travellers who cannot take antimalarials, such as families with children under five, pregnant travellers, or those who simply prefer to avoid prophylaxis, South Africa has outstanding malaria-free options that don’t require any compromise on experience.

Shamwari and Kwandwe in the Eastern Cape, Sanbona in the Karoo, and Madikwe in the Northwest all offer malaria-free Big Five safaris.

Coastal Wildlife (Whales, Penguins, Marine Life)

The Walker Bay coast around Hermanus is one of the world’s best whale watching destinations. Southern Right whales calve here between late June and late November — Hermanus is famous enough for whale-watching that the town has its own official Whale Crier, a municipal role involving a kelp horn. The peak months are August to October, which pairs beautifully with the dry-season game viewing conditions in the Kruger.

At Boulders Beach near Simon’s Town, a colony of African Penguins (around 3,000 individuals) has made its home among granite boulders on the Cape Peninsula. It’s an unlikely sight and entirely unforgettable!

Cape Town

Cape Town is one of those cities that stays with you.

Table Mountain is the most obvious landmark: 1,086 metres of flat-topped sandstone visible from almost everywhere in the city, with a view from the summit that completely resets your sense of scale.

But Cape Town also rewards exploring by foot – the working harbour energy of the V&A Waterfront, the galleries and architecture of the Zeitz MOCAA (housed in a converted grain silo), and the Bo-Kaap neighbourhood with its painted terraces and 18th-century Cape Malay heritage.

Read our full guide to discover what to do in Cape Town.

The Garden Route

Stretching roughly 300 kilometres of coastline from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, the Garden Route is exactly what its name implies: lush, temperate, unhurried. Indigenous forests, lagoons, white-sand beaches, and the kind of small-town charm that makes you seriously consider extending your trip another week.

For wine travellers, the Garden Route holds one more surprise: Hemel-en-Aarde Valley sits just inland from Hermanus with exceptional cool climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, akin to Burgundy.

Still curious? Read our full guide on what to do in the Garden Route.

Cultural and Historical Experiences

South Africa’s history is complex, difficult, and when engaged with honestly, one of the most powerful aspects of the destination. The travellers who leave having made space for it return with a much richer understanding of where they’ve been.

Cape Town’s Historical Layers

Robben Island, just offshore from the V&A Waterfront, held Nelson Mandela for eighteen of his twenty-seven years of imprisonment. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and former political prisoners serve as guides.

The District Six Museum sits at the edge of Cape Town’s city centre, on the site of the neighbourhood that was forcibly cleared under apartheid between 1968 and 1982. More than 60,000 people were displaced. The museum is quiet, deeply human and one of the most affecting cultural experiences in the city.

Franschhoek and Huguenot Heritage

Franschhoek’s Huguenot Memorial Museum documents the arrival of French Protestant refugees in 1688, and the cultural and winemaking legacy they established in the valley. The architecture of the main street reflects this history as clearly as the wine labels do.

Food and Gastronomy

South Africa’s food scene is world-class. It is also globally underrated, but that gap is closing fast. The estate restaurant circuit in the Winelands alone can justify a foodie trip. Meanwhile, in Cape Town, the dining options span the genuinely world-class to the deeply local and just as memorable.

Not to be missed while you’re in South Africa is a traditional braai, which you’d be forgiven for thinking is just a barbecue. This is really South Africa’s primary social ritual, with the smell of wood smoke over coals ubiquitous from townships to five-star lodge terrace.

Active and Adventure Experiences

For travellers who like their luxury with a little movement, South Africa has exceptional range. Its landscapes lend themselves to days outdoors, whether that means a guided mountain hike, a round of golf, a gentle ride through the vineyards, or something considerably more exhilarating.

Hiking

Table Mountain has multiple routes for different fitness levels, from the direct Platteklip Gorge trail to the longer India Venster route, and the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve outside Stellenbosch offers serious trails through mountain fynbos.

For even more intrepid hikes, visit the Drakensberg Mountains in Lesotho, where popular routes include the 13.9km Sentinel Peak & Chain Ladders, 20.1km Amphitheatre & Tugela Gorge Loop, or the lofty Cathedral Peak Summit for a challenging single day ascent.

Golfing

South Africa is renowned for its scenic Championship courses (particularly concentrated along the Garden Route). If you have keen golfers in your party, then adding a round or two is an unforgettable addition to any South African itinerary.

Steenberg Golf Club in Constantia and Pearl Valley at Val de Vie Estate in Paarl are both exceptional, while Fancourt on the Garden Route ranks among the finest worldwide.

Cycling

Cycling works beautifully in the Winelands because the reward is never far away: another estate, another view, another glass worth stopping for.

At Boschendal in Franschhoek, there are a number of trails where you can mountain bike, exploring the Drakenstein Valley.

Horse Riding

If you prefer to explore by four legs, then South Africa offers some fabulous horseback options for keen riders.

In the Winelands, riding through the Boschendal estate vineyards is exactly as pastoral as it sounds. Meanwhile to the north, a horseback safari at Tswalu Kalahari lets you ride amongst antelope and zebra as one of the herd.

Noordhhoek near Port Elizabeth is one of the best places for stunning canters through the dunes and along the beach.

Adrenaline-filled Adventures

If you’re someone who likes your holiday experiences with a thrill, South Africa also does that in scores.

Think shark cage diving at Gansbaai, surfing at Muizenberg Beach, and Bloukrans Bridge in Tsitsikamma — at 216 metres, this is one of the world’s highest commercial bungee jumps. In Wilerness, whizz through the forest canopy on a zipline tour.

How We Create Your Perfect South African Itinerary

South Africa is at its best when it is shaped around you. Some clients come for wine and want the safari as a cherry on top; others want wildlife first, with a few indulgent days in the Cape. Still others are drawn to food, hikes, golf, coastal scenery or culture.

Our Travel Designers understand how the regions connect, which experiences are worth building around, and which hotels will make you feel most at home. By listening to you, the result is a carefully curated collection of moments that reflect your interests rather than a pre-set idea of what South Africa should be.

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FAQs About What To Do in South Africa

What are the best things to do in South Africa?

South Africa offers an exceptionally broad range of experiences for a single destination: Big Five safari in Greater Kruger, world-class wine in the Cape Winelands, a cosmopolitan city in Cape Town, dramatic coastal scenery along the Garden Route, and a cultural and culinary scene that surprises almost everyone who encounters it. Most itineraries combine three or four of these — the combination of wine and safari in particular is unique to South Africa.

Can you combine a safari and wine tour in South Africa?

Yes, you can absolutely combine safari and wine in South Africa and in fact, this is one of the most compelling things about the destination. South Africa is the only major wine-producing country with a Big Five safari offering, which means a ten-to-fourteen day itinerary can easily include both. A typical structure starts with safari in Greater Kruger, then flies into Cape Town before moving through the Winelands (Constantia, Franschhoek, Stellenbosch).

How many days do you need in South Africa?

A minimum of ten nights in South Africa covers the core: safari plus Winelands plus Cape Town, without feeling rushed. Fourteen nights allows for extension into the Garden Route, a longer Winelands stay, or an additional reserve. We would not recommend trying to compress the combination into less than ten nights — it’s possible, but the trip suffers.

What is the best area to stay in South Africa?

That depends on what you want. For wine, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch offer the most concentrated estate experience, with exceptional accommodation in both. For city base, the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town provides the most convenient and scenic access to everything. For safari, the private reserves of Greater Kruger offer the most exclusive game viewing experience.

Is South Africa a good destination for first-time visitors?

South Africa is one of the most accessible and rewarding destinations in the world for first-time visitors. English is the working language of tourism, the hospitality infrastructure is sophisticated, and the range of experiences means the trip can be shaped around any combination of interests.

Is South Africa safe for travellers?

When travelling on a fully supported luxury itinerary, with private transfers, escorted experiences and hand-picked accommodation, South Africa is perfectly safe. All of our itineraries are built around vetted partners and ground operators with deep local knowledge. We brief clients thoroughly before departure.

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