South Africa is one of my favourite countries in the world. Where else can you get such incredible natural beauty and adventure within a stone’s throw of some of the world’s coolest cities? Not to mention the great value of the South African rand!
All I knew before I arrived in South Africa was that I wanted to see as much of this incredible country in three weeks as possible.
With my South African friends singing their country’s praises, my 3-week road trip kept expanding during the planning stage. I was keen to tour along the Garden Route, and I’d heard great things about the Wild Coast. My dream route also passed through South Africa’s three biggest cities: Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. But then there were also the mountains and the Winelands and a safari or two… More and more locations kept being added to my list.
Finally, I settled on a road trip itinerary that allowed me to explore South Africa’s cool metropolises and rugged scenery, all in three weeks. From Cape Town to Johannesburg, this 3-week itinerary visits the best that South Africa has to offer. And, believe me, that’s saying a lot!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links and, at no extra cost to you, I receive a small commission if you make a purchase via these links. For more information, visit my disclosure page.
Day 1–4: Cape Town
Day 5: Stellenbosch and the Cape Winelands
Day 6–9: Garden Route
Day 10: Port Elizabeth
Day 11–13: Wild Coast
Day 14–15: Durban
Day 16–17: Drakensberg Mountains and Lesotho
Day 18–21: Johannesburg
Cape Town is one of my favourite cities I’ve ever visited! I can’t think of a better place to start (or end, if you’re doing this itinerary backwards) a road trip through South Africa.
There is so much to see in Cape Town. It really has it all, from the dreamy beaches and shopping districts to the colourful neighbourhood of Bo Kaap and, of course, the rugged slopes of Table Mountain. And that’s without mentioning the remnants of South Africa’s not-so-ancient apartheid history, such as Robben Island.
I also suggest embarking on a day trip to the nearby Cape Peninsula, the most south-western point of South Africa. Read more here about the best day trips from Cape Town. In fact, stay tuned for whole blog post dedicated to an ultimate guide to Cape Town!
Stellenbosch is a university city that, with its streets lined with oak trees, feels quite European (I see you, colonialism). With plenty of green spaces and surrounding mountains, there’s lots of good hiking to be done in the area.
Located in the Cape Winelands, Stellenbosch is famous for its wine production. I was lucky enough to tour around some of the nearby wineries and joined a few of their wine tasting sessions, including a wine and cheese tasting and a wine and chocolate tasting!
I recommend staying the night in Stellenbosch to make the most of a visit. However, it’s only a 45-minute drive or 90-minute train ride from Cape Town, making it perfect for a day trip. See more great day trips to take from Cape Town.
The Garden Route is a verdant stretch of South Africa’s south-west coastline. It’s home to some of the country’s best beaches and a wide variety of picturesque, natural beauty. In fact, the Garden Route is generally regarded as the most beautiful region in South Africa! It features forests, lakes, waterfalls, mountains, beautiful beaches and everything in between.
For the best of the Garden Route, I suggest visiting the following places:
Stay tuned for a full Garden Route itinerary!
Port Elizabeth, or PE, marks the unofficial end of South Africa’s Garden Route. PE felt very different from Cape Town to me, though they both have equally amazing beaches!
PE is also a great place to stay when visiting Addo Elephant National Park, which is less than an hour’s drive away. It’s possible to do a self-drive safari within Addo, a cheap and ethical (the perfect combination!) way to see elephants and other animals in the wild.
My stay in PE was absolutely wonderful for a reason that other budget travellers will definitely understand . . . My hostel upgraded me to a free, private room, completely out of the blue! It was the first time in 10 weeks that I didn’t sleep in a shared tent or hostel room, and I actually cried with joy. PE will always have a special place in my heart, thanks to this!
Dare I say that I thought South Africa’s Wild Coast was even more spectacular than the Garden Route? Beginning just up the coast from Port Elizabeth, the Wild Coast stretches 250 miles along the Eastern Cape’s coastline. The landscape here is much more rugged, and there are also less people around. This makes sense, as most tourists visit the Garden Route from Cape Town, but less make the journey this far round the coast.
I suggest visiting the following places:
Hogsback: Though Hogsback is slightly inland, it’s well worth a visit. The forest and mountainside of Hogsback are claimed to have inspired Tolkien’s Middle Earth. As I explored the little town’s waterfalls and forests, mist and drizzle crept in, adding to the mystical atmosphere. I stayed at Away with the Fairies, a hostel that I highly recommend. See all accommodation in Hogsback.
Coffee Bay: One of my favourite hikes in South Africa was to Coffee Bay’s Hole in the Wall, a stack with an arch eroded from its centre. The weather was contentious, and the waves were very strong, living up to the moniker of “wild”. I stayed at Coffee Shack Backpackers, where I had surfing lessons for only R80 (about £3.50)! See all accommodation in Coffee Bay.
As part of South Africa’s Golden Mile, Durban’s beaches are famous for their warm seawater and golden sand. It’s a popular beach holiday spot for both South Africans and tourists, and it’s also home to an amazing Afro-Indian culture. Definitely try a bunny chow when you’re in Durban!
Aside from chilling on the beautiful beaches, Durban is very varied, thanks in part to its colonialist history. There’s the Botanical Gardens and the Moses Mabhida Stadium. Then there’s the nine markets at Warwick Junction, which profess to be the most authentic African markets in South Africa. If you’ve ever wanted to visit a Bovine Head Market, now’s your chance! I recommend joining a walking tour to experience Durban from a local’s perspective.
The Drakensberg Mountains form part of South Africa’s border with Lesotho. They are midway between the cities of Durban and Johannesburg, making it the perfect scenic stopover between the two cities.
I stayed at the Amphitheatre Backpackers Lodge, which is located in such a rural area of Northern Drakensburg that no one ventures out there unless they really care about nature. There were incredible hikes in the area, and the lack of light pollution made it perfect for stargazing. Best of all, I could watch the sun set over the whole Drakensberg mountain range from my dorm.
On the other side of those mountains was Lesotho. Well, it would have been rude to come so close and not pop over the border! We hiked through the Maluti Mountains, passing ancient caves with rock drawings left by the San people. The Basotho were very welcoming, inviting us into their school and their homes, even cooking us a traditional lunch. I would have loved to stay longer than a day in this friendly enclave.
Read more about my adventure exploring the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho.
The final stop on this itinerary is Johannesburg, a city that gets a bad rep but which I loved! As South Africa’s biggest city, there’s plenty to see. However, there’s also a lot to visit in the surrounding area. Taking a guided tour through the township of Soweto, in the southwest of the city, is very popular. Pretoria, South Africa’s administrative capital city, is a 60-minute drive or 40-minute train journey away.
Johannesburg is also a popular start and end point for safaris in Kruger National Park. Though it’s possible to do a day trip to Kruger from Johannesburg, I suggest staying the night near the park if you want to make the most of a safari. Staying nearby allows you to visit the park in both the morning and the afternoon, doubling your chances of seeing all the Big Five!
When I visited Joburg, summer was just beginning. I meandered down roads lined with jacaranda as people spilled from pubs and bars into the sunlit streets. The atmosphere of festivity was the perfect way to spend my last days in South Africa.
Though South Africa’s public transport is decent, by far the easiest way to travel in South Africa is by car. A self-drive road trip is the best way to cover as much ground as possible and easily reach destinations outside the major cities.
However, if you don’t want to rent a car or you don’t drive (like me when I visited South Africa), all is not lost. With three weeks to see as much as possible and as a young woman travelling alone, I used South Africa’s Baz Bus service. I bought a three-week, one-way pass from Cape Town to Johannesburg, and it cost me R4500 (just under £200). The great thing about the Baz Bus is that it visits all the remote destinations on this itinerary and drops you directly at your hostel. See here for more information about the Baz Bus and up-to-date prices.
The most popular way to reach South Africa is obviously by aeroplane. Cape Town and Johannesburg, the major cities at either end of this itinerary, have plenty of daily flights.
However, if you’re overlanding in southern Africa like I was, it’s also easy to reach South Africa by land from its neighbouring countries. Johannesburg is easy to reach in half a day by car from Gaborone, Botswana’s capital. Cape Town is nearer to Namibia.
I entered South Africa from Namibia’s skeleton coast. Orange River marks the border between the two countries, and it’s quite a long drive from here to Cape Town. It was amazing to watch the landscape become more and more green as I travelled south. If, like me, you arrive in South Africa from the south of Namibia, I recommend spending an extra night near Orange River or the Cape Winelands as you travel to Cape Town.
My overland backpacking trip through East and southern Africa had been leading up to South Africa. Three weeks exploring the country’s inimitable blend of the indigenous and colonisers’ cultures, combined with untamed wildlife and cool urban areas, did not disappoint. I hope this itinerary enables you to fall in love with South Africa just as much as I did!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links and, at no extra cost to you, I receive a small commission if you make a purchase via these links. For more information, visit my disclosure page.
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