How To Spend Two Weeks In South Africa: Travel Guide

Spending two weeks in South Africa? A trip here is one of the most memorable vacations that you are ever likely to have. With vibrant cities and a varied landscape, South Africa really does have it all – a true once-in-a-lifetime experience.

So, to make things quick ‘n’ easy for you to plan your travel itinerary, we’ve put together the ultimate guide. From where to stay and what to do to the hottest bars and restaurants, you’ll find everything you need to spend an incredible two weeks in South Africa.

Here’s What You Can Look Forward to in South Africa…

Stunning scenery (The 50 Most Instagrammable Spots In South Africa)
World class food (Cape Town Foodie Bucket List: 21 Dishes To Try Before You Die)
Diverse multi-cultural cities (Full city guides)
Beautiful beaches and coastlines (The 7 Best Beaches In South Africa)
Safari and wildlife (The 25 Best Safari Lodges In South Africa)
Incredible places to stay (7 Incredible Cape Town Hotels)
Incredible vineyards (7 Reasons To Go On A Wine Tour In Cape Town)

How To Spend Two Weeks In South Africa

1. Hit Up The Big Cities

There are four main cities that you should check out when visiting South Africa. We’ve created extensive guides for each city:

Each city can act as the perfect launch pad to base yourself in, but the real magic of this great country is getting out into the countryside, driving through the rugged landscape and exploring the country.

Soak up the culture for a day or two in each city before getting out into the surrounding areas for day trips or longer stays. To save time, you will more than likely be flying between most cities.

2. Use Cape Town as a Base

To cram in as much as you possibly can during your two weeks here, using Cape Town as a solid base is highly recommended. Put simply: this is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. In fact, you could quite easily fill the entire weeks just discovering this city alone.

The city itself offers so much to do between your day trips and is a wonderful place to soak up culture, food and great sightseeing. Some of the best things to do in Cape Town the city include…

It is a great city to spend a day at the beach followed by a couple of drinks taking in the views, so check out The 7 Best Beach Bars In Cape Town.

Table mountain and the surrounding peaks are spectacular. You have to hike the famous Lion’s Head. We’ve got the suss here… Lion’s Head Cape Town : 7 Things You Need To Know

There is also a brilliant coffee scene in the city, Spend a day relaxing with 7 Spots In Cape Town For A Great Cup Of Coffee.

Some of the things you can do in the general Cape Town area include…

Robben Island (see where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned)
Camp’s Bay
Exploring wine country, including Stellenbosch
Whale watching in Hermanus (depending on the season)
See the “Big 5” on safari excursions

3. Experience Incredible Safaris in South Africa

One of the first things that many people think about when coming to South Africa are the amazing opportunities to see wildlife. Safaris should play a big part of your journey here for a proper bucket list experience. Here’s our top safari guides in SA to help your planning:

The 25 Best Safari Lodges In South Africa

Hotel Of The Day: Londolozi Lodge, South Africa

The 7 Most Instagrammable Spots In The Kruger National Park

The 7 Most Instagrammable Luxury Hotels In South Africa

4. Discover South Africa’s Amazing Food Culture

The country has an abundance of great produce, thanks to the rich quality of the land. Add in some talented and creative chefs and a brilliant emerging restaurant scene? You truly will be spoilt for food options here. If you are spending a full two weeks In South Africa these are some of the foodie treats you will want to check out:

The 25 Best Spots For BBQ In South Africa

Cape Town Foodie Bucket List: 21 Dishes To Try Before You Die

21 Pizzas In South Africa You Have To Eat Before You Die

25 Of The Best Coffee Shops In South Africa – Ranked

7 Reasons To Go On A Wine Tour In Cape Town

5. Chill Out and Enjoy The County’s Beach Life

South Africa is marked by several distinct ecosystems, one of them being the dramatic cliffs at the Cape of Good Hope. However, the country’s position at the southernmost tip of Africa means that it’s surrounded by both the South Atlantic Ocean in the west and the Indian Ocean in the east.

What does this mean for you? Basically, there are tons of great beaches to explore. Put on your swimsuits and lather on the sunblock. We’ve even put together a list of The 7 best beaches in South Africa. Our top picks includes beaches where you can sunbathe, get up close penguin colonies or go for long coastal walks.

6. Find Magical Places To Stay

This is a country that offers some incredibly unique experiences. Things that you can’t do anywhere else in the world. Think: elephants drinking from your hotel swimming pool! Some of the hotels, safaris and Airbnbs here will absolutely take your breath away. Our favourites?

Get up close to these wonderful creatures and watch as they have a drink right in front of you: Share A Swimming Pool With Elephants At This Safari Lodge.

The country also has some amazing properties to rent on Airbnb. This place might just be one of the most unique in the world: Dream Airbnb: Sleep Surrounded By 70 Lions In South Africa.

You’ll ring a huge range of hotels, but if it is luxury you are after then our list of the The 7 Most Instagrammable Luxury Hotels In South Africa is all you need.

This is easily one of the prettiest hotels in South Africa – maybe even in the world! This Is Hands Down The Most Instagrammable Hotel In Cape Town.

7. Additional Resources For Spending Two Weeks In South Africa

We have rounded up some other great links, guides and resources from bloggers, national tourism boards and websites for you to help plan your trip even further.