One Week South Africa Trip- Johannesburg, Cape Town, Safari in Kruger National Park
Africa had been my dream since I was a little girl. I was in awe of the beauty, the culture, and the adventure I was sure Africa would bring. I dreamt of exploring Africa, of meeting the people, experiencing the culture, of volunteering, and seeing the exotic nature and wildlife. I had a box with a post-it marked, “Africa Trip” since I was a teenager working as a Sonic carhop. Africa for me was the ultimate dream. It also marked Derek and I’s first international trip and the beginning of our travel obsession. After we landed in South Africa and stepped foot in the airport I cried. I couldn’t believe I’d made it!
You may be asking, “Did it live up to all the hype?” And yes, yes it did! South Africa being the first leg of my Africa trip (Ghana was next for my volunteer trip) lived up to all the hype and daydreaming of my youth. South Africa is gritty, beautiful, exotic at times, friendly, and a true adventure of a lifetime if done right! Our trip included stops in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and a Safari in Kruger National Park. Below you will find what we did in South Africa to make it an unforgettable trip!
If at all possible I would recommend making South Africa a two week trip! We were unable to make two weeks work with our current days off at the time of our trip but longer is always better. If not, one week will still give you a taste of how incredible South Africa is.
How to Get There?
We recommend flying into Johannesburg or Cape Town. Johannesburg is a larger airport and therefore usually cheaper flights so we flew into Johannesburg. DO NOT SKIP JOHANNESBURG. This is a mistake so many travelers make, they use Johannesburg as a skipping stone to Kruger National Park or Cape Town, among other tourist destinations. Johannesburg is an experience that must not be missed!
Johannesburg- 2 days
Johannesburg is a destination in South Africa that can not be missed. Many people use Johannesburg as a stop over on their way to other parts of South Africa because it is a main transportation hub. That is a HUGE mistake!
Johannesburg is a peak into the grit and hospitality that makes Africa a truly wonderful place to visit. The Soweto townships and the home of Nelson Mandela were our favorites in Johannesburg.
Day 1
Fly in Johannesburg and spend the first day checking in to your accommodation, grab some food, and get a lay of the land. The next day hit the ground running!
Day 2
Arrive in Johannesburg by plane or train depending where you are coming from and drop off your stuff and hit the ground running!
Soweto Townships
Soweto Townships were our must do for Johannesburg so we did this first! I would highly recommend arranging a tour, it is not recommended to explore Soweto without a tour guide due to safety concerns. We felt very safe but we went through a tour.
When choosing tours make sure they hit the following sites-
Go to the Mandela House– this is a museum and home of Nelson Mandela, it is just as amazing as I dreamt it would be. If you do one thing in Soweto go here.
This museum is dedicated to telling the story of the 1976 Soweto Uprising and is named after the first victim, a 12 year old boy.
This museum tells the story of the Apartheid system in South Africa that occurred in the 20th century. This is an important part of South African history and we felt it was an important stop.
*Hours- Sunday- Saturday 9:00-5:00
Admission- 6.00
Newtown Cultural Area: Neat area to view public art
Living Room– Bar with a great view
Nelson Mandela Bridge– The bridge has a beautiful view of the city
Neighbour Goods Market– This is an area to shop from local venders
Arts/Market on Main– This area is known for its great food, dancing, and drinks. Sunday is supposed to be a great day to visit this area
Safari at Kruger National Park- 2 days
We woke up early and were picked up by the Safari Company, Africa Spear who then took us to Kruger National Park (which is about a 4 ½ hour drive). Safari is something I have dreamed about for so long and something that Derek and I will never forget. I highly recommend going through Africa Spear.
We LOVED our tour, our guide was Dave and he was incredible. He was very knowledgeable about everything in Kruger from the plants to the animals among anything South Africa. We went on the 2 day, 1 night safari. We were able to see lots of elephants, zebras, giraffes, hippos, hyenas and even spotted some rhinos. We were able to see so much in just 2 days but to increase the likelihood that you see the big cats I would recommend staying longer if you can. Check out my blog about the Safari for more info!
Cape Town- 3 days
Cape Town is such a fascinating and surprising city. To me it felt like a California city in Africa, I know that seems like a strange combination but yet the best possible combo of amazing food, drinks, nature, shopping, it honestly has it all. You will have a blast in Cape Town and want to stay longer! Cape Town was a highlight of our South African Trip.
Day 1
First day– Get a good breakfast and a good nights sleep, you will need it for a day of hiking!
We headed down to Table Mountain and Lion’s Head. We were hoping to do both in one day, I would recommend picking one. We ended up only having the energy to do Table Mountain, we hiked up the entire way and then took the caple care up to Lion’s Head and down after hiking down Table Mountain. If you want to hike up both I would recommend splitting it up into 2 seperate days or prepare to start early.
You can hike up or take the cable car up both Lion’s Head and Table Mountain. If you can I would highly recommend you hike up atleast one of these. It is an incredible hike and the view is just so much more rewarding after working your ass off for it. This is one of my favorite travel memories of all of our trips. I can’t even express the beauty in this hike. I promise you will be impressed.
After the hike I would recommend you head to Long Street to grab a bite, do some shopping (amazing vintage stores if this is your thing, it is mine!) and get a lay for the land because you will be back!
Go to Bo Kapp– explore the colorful muslim houses and take some great pictures before heading back to your hostel and showering up and maybe napping
Night Time– If you have the energy head back to Long Street for some nightlife, reminds me of New Orleans and some drunk food before hitting your bed
Day 2
Continue exploring Cape Town and all the fabulous markets and food Cape Town has to offer.
City Bowl on Market Street– We were sad to not go here because it is only open on Thursday evenings. City Bowl market sells local goods and food, stop by and browse the beautifully made local goods and eat some delicious bites.
Robben Island– Buy the tickets ahead of time. We did not and luckily were able to buy someone’s extra tickets in time to catch the last ferry, don’t risk missing out on Robben Island like we almost did. Robben Island is a prison where many notable political prisoners were held including Nelson Mandela. You will take a ferry to Robben Island where a former prisoner will give you a tour of the prison. This was a fascinating and surreal experience standing in front of Nelson Mandela’s prison cell. This is a must while in South Africa.
Day 3
Grab some breakfast and of course coffee and catch a train to Boulders Beach. The view from the train is incredible, you will be passing by beautiful coastal towns before you reach Simon’s Town where Boulders Beach is located. Boulders Beach is known for the African Penguins that live on the protected beach. You can walk up and watch the penguins play and cause mischief. You will not be allowed to tough the penguins. They are too cute and the coastal town of Simon’s Town is a charming city to explore, do some shopping and grab a bite before heading back on the train.
If you have town hop off of the train Muizenberg Beach and see the infamous colorful huts, we saw these from our train. I would of loved to had stopped and relaxed on the beach next to these beautiful huts!
Fly out of Cape Town or fly into Johannesburg for your return flight. Sadly your short adventure to South Africa is over- think of it as a sample of an extraordinary country!