12 Best Places to Visit in Southern Africa

Of all South African cities, Cape Town is the most attractive, with world-class accommodations, breathtaking land and seascapes, and fascinating local culture beneath the peaks of Table Mountain.

The city center boasts the colorful Bo Kaap and museums that honor South African history, resort towns nestle in the foothills of the iconic Twelve Apostles mountain range and Chapman’s Peak, and Robben Island, a short cruise from the V&A Waterfront, shares the life of South Africa’s former president, Nelson Mandela. The world’s best restaurants have set up shop in the central business district and at the base of Table Mountain, the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is a sight to behold.

A Cape Town vacation also provides an easy gateway to the rest of the Western Cape province and a jumping-off point for South African safaris or scenic coastal vacations.

Highlights: Table Mountain • Bo Kaap • V&A Waterfront • Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden • Robben Island • Twelve Apostles • Chapman’s Peak

Pairs well with: Cape Winelands • Kruger National Park • Victoria Falls • Bazaruto Archipelago

Learn more: South Africa Safaris • South Africa Travel Guide

Botswana’s breathtaking Okavango Delta is a sanctuary for wildlife, a hub for cinematic safari experiences, and one of the best places to visit for a safari. The rich grasslands surrounding the spider’s web of rivers and channels provide the perfect environment for animals and bird life to thrive, bringing some of the most incredible opportunities for wildlife viewing in Southern Africa.

The best way to experience the Okavango Delta is by boat, taking advantage of the routes to untouched parts of the park that are only accessible along the water. For example, you could join your armed ranger in a private boat for two on your honeymoon or cast lines into the river to catch ferocious tiger fish as a family.

Okavango Delta safaris allow you to discover every corner of the delta by boat or on a walking safari for an up-close encounter with the wildlife. In contrast, aerial safaris can show you the dramatic water-logged landscape from a new vantage point.

Highlights: Boat safaris • Catch-and-release tiger fishing • Walking safaris • Aerial safaris • Game drives

Pairs well with: The Kalahari Desert • Victoria Falls • Mana Pools National Park • Hwange National Park

Learn more: Botswana Safari Tours

The Victoria Falls plummet between the forests of Zambia and Zimbabwe, with the Zambezi River carving a border between the countries. As one of the world's natural wonders, Victoria Falls is an experience of a lifetime on tours through Zambia and neighboring Southern African destinations.

The natural wonder is one of the top places to Visit in Zambia. When standing at the summit of the cascade, you feel tiny compared with the enormous sheets of water stretching over a mile wide. You can feel the spray of the towering waterfalls as they crash into the Zambezi below and watch rainbows color the sky. Under the watchful guidance of a tour operator, you can even swim in a natural pool that overlooks the grand spectacle.

You can also experience the falls from different perspectives, be they by looking up at the looming summits from the base after a walk through the forest or as a backdrop in photography on trails that weave along the banks of the Zambezi River. Explore the falls as a single experience or spend more time exploring on a South Africa safari with Victoria Falls tour.

Highlights: Victoria Falls • Zambezi River sunset cruise • Helicopter falls tour • Bungee jumping • White-water rafting

Pairs well with: Cape Town • South Luangwa National Park • Okavango Delta

Learn more: Zambia Safaris • African Safari with Victoria Falls

South Luangwa National Park demonstrates why Zambia offers more than Victoria Falls. The wildlife sanctuary reveals the untamed beauty of Zambia safaris, with the wilderness quickly expanding your expectations beyond the iconic waterfall.

The national park boasts tented camps and thatched lodges that overlook grasslands stretching to the horizon and rivers where elephants, hippos, and ungulates retreat for a drink. Some camps have beds on open-air decks from which you can watch the stars, while others have private pools for relaxing after your game drives.

In South Luangwa, the adventures take you from glamorous accommodations into untouched corners of Zambia, where you can experience what sets the park apart from others. With one of the highest densities of leopards in the world, South Luangwa is proudly referred to as the Valley of the Leopards and is a prime place for seeing the big cats.

Highlights: Leopard viewing • Walking safaris • Bush spas • Authentic bush camps • Game drives

Pairs well with: Victoria Falls

The Sossusvlei salt and clay pan in Namibia highlights the Namib Desert in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, which is flanked by red sand dunes. The photogenic Mars-like landscape is the main attraction, with accommodations peppering the national park.

Spending time around Sossusvlei is a truly unique safari experience as one trades miles of shrubby grasslands for harsh desert sands. Here you can disconnect from the world and treasure moments in your private oasis, with the odd camel thorn tree providing shade from the African sun.

Dinner by candlelight underneath the stars, walks across the enormous dunes, tours of the Sesriem Canyon, and journeys through the Deadvlei forest, a remarkable area consisting of dead camel thorn trees, make Sossusvlei top on our best places to visit in Namibia and a one-of-a-kind place to visit in Southern Africa.

Highlights: Sossusvlei salt pan • Dune walks • Sesriem Canyon • Deadvlei forest

Pairs well with: Skeleton Coast

Learn more: Namibia and Botswana Safaris

The Cape Winelands in South Africa features a number of world-class estates, with vineyards cascading the green hills of Constantia, Cape Town, the farmlands of Stellenbosch, valleys of Franschhoek, pastures of Paarl, and beyond.

Each subregion of the Cape Winelands boasts estates with distinctive vineyards and wine-making practices that separate their bottles from the winery next door. Wine tours in South Africa can come in various forms, be they wine trams that guide you through the Franschhoek Valley or lunches overlooking Paarl’s historic estates.

Along the way, you can enjoy wine pairings and activities unique to the estates you visit. You may tour breweries that work alongside the wineries, savor cheeses produced in the Western Cape, or sample artisanal chocolates designed to intensify the wine-tasting experience as you indulge in the best places to visit in South Africa.

Highlights: Constantia wine route • Stellenbosch wine route • Franschhoek wine route • Paarl wine route

Pairs well with: Cape Town • Kruger National Park • Victoria Falls • Bazaruto Archipelago

Learn more: South Africa Safaris • South Africa Travel Guide

Mana Pools National Park is a Zimbabwean safari destination surrounding the floodplains of the Zambezi River, with rivers and channels connecting pockets of vegetation and intersecting bushy landscapes.

The abundance of water in the national park makes it one of Zimbabwe’s premier wildlife-viewing destinations, as lions linger around waterholes, Nile crocodiles swim alongside herds of hippos, and elephant calves play in the water. When visiting the top places in Zimbabwe, the best way to spot the wildlife is by boat, taking advantage of the network of rivers and channels to see animals up close.

On canoe trails, you can paddle alongside the elephants, and sunset safaris showcase the splendors of Southern Africa at dusk. You can enjoy catch-and-release fishing, track lions along the river banks, and watch for African skimmers and the Pel's fishing owl from your lodge’s balcony or wilderness campsite.

Highlights: Canoeing • Catch-and-release fishing • Birdwatching • Lion tracking • Sunset safaris

Pairs well with: Victoria Falls • Hwange National Park • South Luangwa National Park

Learn more: Zimbabwe Safaris

Hwange National Park is a spectacular Zimbabwean safari destination, home to large herds of elephant, prides of lion, and African wild dogs. While Mana Pools offers the best safaris on water, Hwange’s grasslands and mopane woodlands offer impeccable elephant and Big-Five viewing.

Morning and afternoon game drives in Hwange give you excellent opportunities to spot lions, leopards, black rhinos, elephants, and Cape buffalos. After exploring the park for animals, visit Ndebele villages, where you can delve into the local traditions of the tribal communities in Zimbabwe’s animal kingdom.

Wildlife viewing is not only done by 4x4. You can also experience safaris on horseback under the watchful eye of an armed ranger, carefully trotting across the grasslands up to unsuspecting wildlife. Finally, walking safaris can complete your Hwange adventures.

Highlights: Big-Five game drives • Walking safaris • Horseback safaris

Pairs well with: Victoria Falls • Mana Pools National Park • Okavango Delta

Learn more: Zimbabwe Safaris

As you make your way from the South African city of Johannesburg or fly in from Cape Town, the bustle of city life will give way to the serenity of the wilderness in the Kruger National Park.

Regarded as one of the world’s best Big-Five viewing destinations, the park is a sanctuary steeped in legend and history. The Greater Kruger region is so large that several private reserves dot the park, with Sabi Sands, Mala Mala, and Timbavati representing a few of the iconic ones to visit in Southern Africa.

All Kruger National Park Safaris revolve around seeing the Big Five, though you are likely to spot elephant, African wild dogs, kudu, an array of avifauna, and more on game drives, rhino walking safaris, and other experiences.

Highlights: Big-Five game drives • Rhino walking safaris • Sabi Sands Game Reserve • Mala Mala Game Reserve • Timbavati Private Nature Reserve

Pairs well with: Cape Town • Cape Winelands • Bazaruto Archipelago • Victoria Falls

Mozambique’s six islands that constitute the Bazaruto Archipelago are hidden gems off the country’s southern coast that you can visit on a trip passing through South Africa.

Turquoise waters teeming with colorful fish circle each island's soft, white-sand beaches, creating a dreamy backdrop for romantic beach vacations or family adventures on private Mozambique shores. Whales and dolphins gather in the protected marine park for travelers to spot from the beaches or on cruises out at sea.

You can scuba dive in the crystal-clear Indian Ocean, enjoy moments of relaxation at your seaside resort, and fine dine on the shore beneath the stars.

Highlights: Kayaking • Snorkeling • Scuba diving • Catch-and-release fishing • Whale and dolphin watching • Beach days

Pairs well with: Cape Town • Cape Winelands • Kruger National Park

Southern Africa’s Kalahari Desert extends across Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, though it almost entirely encompasses Botswana with its sweeping sand dunes and salt pans.

The Kalahari Desert of Botswana is one of the best places in Southern Africa and the world to spot cheetahs and other big cats. The former race across the rocky landscape hunting their prey, while Kalahari black-maned lions roam the bushveld, finding refuge around small pockets of water.

Oryx, giraffes, and meerkats can also be seen across the desert on game drives and mobile safaris. Besides exceptional wildlife viewing, you can walk across the vast Makgadikgadi Salt Pan, wander the Tsodilo Hills, and visit a Kalahari San village. Find out more with our Botswana Safari Guide.

Highlights: Cheetah safaris • Mobile safaris • Makgadikgadi Salt Pan • Tsodilo Hills • Kalahari San villages

Pairs well with: Okavango Delta

Namibia safaris along the Skeleton Coast bring to life the drama of the landscape, with fog veiling sandy shores riddled with shipwrecks and towering dunes. It is a fascinating coastline, as breathtaking as it is eerie.

The Skeleton Coast boasts the Cape Cross Seal Reserve, a headland that welcomes one of the world’s largest Cape fur seal colonies to its shores. You can stand on boardwalks overlooking the thousands of animals gathered on the beach as they frolic about and make themselves comfortable for the breeding season.

Beyond the Cape fur seal colony, safaris on the Skeleton Coast are remarkable. You can cross the dunes in 4x4 vehicles that take you around the dramatic landscape to desert campsites along the rivers. Here you can spot black rhinos and desert elephants, and view ancient rock engravings by Bushmen on Ugab rock formations.

Highlights: Cape Cross Seal Reserve • Desert safaris • Ugab rock art

Pairs well with: Sossusvlei

Learn more: Namibia Safaris

Whether you plan to explore Southern Africa’s coastlines on a trip to Cape Town, South Africa, and the islands off Mozambique, wish to see the Big Five in the Kruger Park, or meander the Okavango’s rivers, 10 to 14 days is a great length of time for your Southern African trip.

Up to two weeks will allow you to experience the wilderness on safaris, with days of relaxation between tours, or to visit more than one country in the region. With so many options, we often recommend trips longer than two weeks.

As you plan your trip to Southern Africa’s best places, you can use our Southern Africa Travel Guide to find more information and destination inspiration. When ready, browse our Southern Africa Safaris & Tours and start curating your trip.

More helpful information in our African Safari Travel Guide and custom African Safari Tours & Vacations can inspire trips beyond the confines of Southern Africa should you wish to see what else the continent offers on safari.