Things to do in South Africa
Hop on Hop Off Cape Town14 optionsHelicopter Cape Town9 optionsRobben Island Tour24 optionsWine Tasting Cape Town29 optionsSafaris from Johannesburg22 optionsSafaris9 optionsTwo Oceans Aquarium Tours9 optionsCape Town Safari Tours17 optionsStellenbosch Wine Tour6 optionsSoweto Tours23 optionsBoulders Beach Tours68 optionsBoat Ride Cape Town32 options
Sort
Cradle of Humankind & Rhino Park tour: Private guideA private tour from Johannesburg to the Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO World Heritage Site 50 km northwest of the city, combines a visit to Sterkfontein Caves or Maropeng with a game drive through Rhino and Lion Park. You choose which paleoanthropological site to visit, then move through a 1,200-hectare reserve where lions, rhinos, wild dogs, buffalo and cheetahs roam. The tour runs 5 to 7 hours with an air-conditioned vehicle, WiFi on board and hotel pickup included; children from age 6 are welcome.Is it for me?Your guide conducts the tour in English and adjusts the pace and stops to what you want to see, so whether this is your first time in South Africa or you have a specific interest in paleoanthropology or wildlife, the day shapes itself around you rather than a fixed itinerary.
Johannesburg City Tour: Gold Rush history and Constitutional HillA guided Johannesburg city tour explores the city's gold rush history, pre- and post-1994 transformation, and cultural landmarks including Maboneng precinct, Constitutional Hill with the Constitutional Court, Mandela Bridge, and the mining district. The tour runs four hours with a registered, English-speaking guide; pickup is included, and children from age 3 are welcome.Is it for me?The four-hour pace with walking at Maboneng and Constitutional Hill suits travelers who want to cover the city's history and culture without a full-day commitment. If you prefer a private guide or a longer, deeper dive into one neighborhood, a different tour may fit better.
Lesedi Cultural Village: Day Tour with Dance & Lunch PickupYou’ll step into South Africa’s living traditions at Lesedi Cultural Village—greeted by music, guided through five unique villages with locals sharing their stories, joining a high-energy dance show, and tasting home-cooked dishes after. It’s not just sightseeing; you’ll feel part of something bigger for an afternoon.
Cape Town Canal Cruise: Hop-On Hop-Off V&A WaterfrontYou board at Battery Park and ride the historic canal toward the V&A Waterfront, hopping off at any of five stops or staying on for the full route. A multilingual guide explains the waterway's history through headsets, and the pace is slow enough to actually see the city. Wheelchair accessible, affordable, and designed as much for commuters as for sightseers—pick it up if you want to move through Cape Town by water without a fixed itinerary holding you in place.Is it for me?A good choice if you're moving between the city center and the waterfront and want to see the canal's history without booking a separate tour or waiting for public transport—the stops let you hop off whenever something catches your eye, and the headsets mean you're not missing the story while you're looking around.
Gansbaai: Marine Big 5 Safari & Penguin Sanctuary with PickupYou’ll feel that salty wind on your face as you set out from Gansbaai toward Dyer Island with a small group and expert crew. Watch for whales, dolphins, sharks, and Cape fur seals—sometimes all within minutes—before warming up with soup and bread back on land. A visit to the African Penguin Sanctuary brings you close to real conservation work. It’s not polished or predictable—and that’s what makes it stick.
Harbour Cruise Cape Town: 30-Minute Seal & Ship ViewsYou’ll board from Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront for a half-hour cruise through the busy harbour—passing working ships, seeing seals up close and catching city views from the water. With a local guide sharing stories and plenty of small surprises along the way, it’s a short but vivid slice of Cape Town life you’ll remember.
Stellenbosch: Guided Bike Tour, Wine Tastings & Cellar VisitYou’ll cycle through Stellenbosch’s historic streets and leafy university campus with a local guide, taste award-winning wines in Jonkershoek valley, and take a private cellar tour with chocolate pairing—all while soaking up small moments that make this region feel alive.
Cape Peninsula: Penguins, Cape Point & Private Day TourYou’ll feel South Africa’s wild edge as you trace cliff roads, walk Bo-Kaap’s painted streets, hike windswept Cape Point with its lighthouses, and stand among penguins at Boulders Beach. With private transport, entry fees covered, and a local guide sharing real stories, this day trip from Cape Town blends big landscapes with small moments you’ll remember.
Phuket Hotel to Airport Transfer: Private Car & Local DriverYou’ll step out of your Phuket hotel lobby into an air-conditioned private car or van with a local driver who knows all the shortcuts to Phuket International Airport. Expect an easy door-to-door transfer with luggage help and no surprise fees—just one last smooth ride across the island before you say goodbye.
Lion & Safari Park from Johannesburg: See lions and cheetahsA wildlife safari tour from Johannesburg to the Lion Park, a 1,000-hectare reserve 45 minutes' drive away where you ride through grassland with a guide to spot lions, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs and plains game. The tour runs 3 to 4 hours with private transportation, entrance fee and bottled water included; you choose between a private tour or group sharing rate at checkout.Is it for me?Choose the private tour rate if you want the vehicle and guide to yourself, or the group sharing rate to split the cost with other travelers—both routes cover the same grassland and the same animals, so the choice depends on whether you prefer to travel alone or share the experience.
Fatbike dune riding Gansbaai: 6km descent to beachFatbike dune riding near Gansbaai takes you down 185 meters of sand dunes to the beach in a single afternoon descent through Walker Bay Nature Reserve. You ride a fatbike down steep dune faces on a narrow sandy trail, learn to read animal tracks and dune structure as you go, and finish on the beach with an English-speaking guide and small group. Transportation to the top and all gear are included; the ride takes about 2.5 hours start to finish.Is it for me?Small groups mean you get personal instruction on the dune descents and time to stop and read the landscape—the guide adjusts the pace to the group, not the other way around. If you ride a bike and want to move through a landscape rather than watch it from a vehicle, this is the format that makes it possible.
Cape Town: Constantia Wine Walk & Storytelling with LunchYou’ll walk historic Constantia vineyards near Cape Town with a local guide, tasting ten wines (including Vin de Constance) and hearing dramatic stories behind each estate. Exclusive access to private trails connects three iconic wineries before ending with a relaxed harvest platter lunch outdoors—expect laughter, small surprises, and plenty of time to soak up the valley’s atmosphere.
Addo Elephant: Morning Safari with Picnic & Hotel PickupYou’ll start your day with hotel pickup in Port Elizabeth or Colchester before heading into Addo Elephant for a real safari drive. Expect close-up wildlife sightings—zebra, antelope, maybe even lions—and pause mid-morning for a picnic brunch with fresh bread and local flavors. After spotting elephant herds near the waterholes, you’ll return home feeling changed in small ways only nature can explain.
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Big Five Safari: Half-day Park TourA half-day Big Five safari tour through Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in St Lucia, departing at 5am from your accommodation or 6am from Nyalazi gate, with expert guide, open safari vehicle, park entry, light bush breakfast and tea included. The morning timing catches wildlife at their most active, and the fixed six-hour window leaves the afternoon free.Is it for me?The six-hour window means you can book a morning safari and still have the afternoon for other activities in St Lucia — the early start is what puts you in the park when the Big Five are moving, and the fixed return time keeps the day from running into lunch or evening plans.
Gansbaai: Shark Cage Diving Viewing Tour with Meals & ShuttleYou’ll feel anticipation build as you meet your crew in Gansbaai for coffee and breakfast before heading out to sea. Watch sharks from the boat’s viewing deck while others enter the cage, then share lunch and video highlights back on shore. With meals included and Cape Town shuttle available, it’s an honest taste of South Africa’s wild coast.
Plettenberg Bay: Wild Cat Tour & Close-Up EncountersYou’ll stand just meters from lions and cheetahs on this guided wild cat tour in Plettenberg Bay, listening to real rescue stories from your local guide at Tenikwa Wildlife Centre. Expect laughter (and maybe a little nervous excitement), plus surprise encounters with penguins and meerkats along the way. It’s one of those hours you’ll remember every time you hear thunder or catch that earthy rain smell again.
Hluhluwe Imfolozi Safari from Durban: Big 5 Day Trip & PickupYou’ll feel South Africa’s wild pulse on this Big 5 safari day trip from Durban to Hluhluwe Imfolozi. Watch rhinos up close with a local guide, cross rivers into Zululand landscapes, and catch glimpses of daily life along village roads. It’s less about ticking boxes and more about those small moments you’ll remember long after you’re home.
Johannesburg & Soweto Private Tour: Mandela House VisitA private full-day tour of Johannesburg and Soweto with a live English-speaking guide covers Constitutional Hill (the Old Fort, Women's Jail and Number Four prison), the Hector Pietersen Museum in Soweto, and Mandela House on Vilakazi Street, where Nelson Mandela lived from 1946 to 1962. Hotel pickup and drop-off, entrance fees to Constitutional Hill and the museum, and transport in an air-conditioned minivan are included; the tour runs about seven hours and suits all fitness levels.Is it for me?Choose this if you want a private guide to navigate Johannesburg and Soweto's heritage sites in one day, moving by minivan between stops with moderate walking at each location.
Pretoria City Tour: Union Buildings & Voortrekker MonumentA private half-day Pretoria city tour from Johannesburg includes hotel pickup, air-conditioned minivan transport, a live English-speaking guide and entrance fees to the Union Buildings, Voortrekker Monument and Paul Kruger House Museum. The tour visits Church Square's colonial architecture, the Ou Raadsaal and Palace of Justice, and covers the history of the Great Trek and the figures who shaped South Africa's capital. Minimum age is 18; all areas are wheelchair accessible.Is it for me?The four- to five-hour pace involves walking between stops and through the Union Buildings gardens, so it suits travelers who are comfortable on their feet for a morning. If you want the major sites without a full day commitment, or you're based in Johannesburg and want to see the capital in one morning, the fixed schedule and included transport mean you don't build the itinerary yourself.
Cape Town, Cape Point & Stellenbosch: 3-Day Tour with Wine TastingYou’ll trace Cape Town’s dramatic coastline to Cape Point, ride the Table Mountain cable car for sweeping views, visit penguins at Boulders Beach, and sample local wines in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Expect salty air, laughter with your guide, and moments where South Africa feels both huge and close enough to touch.
