- South Africa
- Cape Town
- Johannesburg
- Food & Drink
Travel advice for South Africa
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to South Africa
Book your individual trip, stress-free with local travel experts
written by Kieran Meeke
updated 21.10.2020
South Africa has so much variety, whether by day or by night. In fact, like the wildlife action in a safari park, sometimes it’s only once the sun is set that the real fun begins. From world-class restaurants to cocktail bars and jazz clubs full of life until dawn, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
7 days / from4800 USD
Cape town and Garden Route - a luxury guided tour
Cape Town and the Garden Route have it all - a fascinating culture, safaris, chocolate and wine tasting, and much more. Discover the coastal city of Cape Town and the Peninsula before heading out to the Garden Route with Knysna and Mossel Bay, where you'll experience some game drives.
customize ⤍15 days / from4000 USD
The Cape Peninsula and Safaris in Kruger and Pilanesberg
Wildlife in South Africa is still truly wild, a fact that you'll be able to discover in this fascinating two weeks trip. Enjoy whale watching in Cape Town and first safaris in Aquila before heading up north: the famous Kruger and Pilanesberg national parks with all its wildlife await.
customize ⤍7 days / from3000 USD
Explore the North of South Africa: Sun City and Madikwe game reserve
For those short on time, staying close to Johannesburg may make sense. On this trip, you'll arrive and depart in South Africa's capital Johannesburg and then transfer to the theme park Lost City before continuing to Madikwe for a few days of game drives to spot plenty of wildlife.
customize ⤍17 days / from4500 USD
Secret gem in South Africa - Northern Cape Self Drive
Embark on an epic self-drive adventure from Cape Town to the Northern Cape. Witness the breathtaking floral displays of Namaqualand, marvel at the diverse wildlife in Karoo National Park, and be captivated by the awe-inspiring cascades of Augrabies Falls.
customize ⤍7 days / from950 USD
A family self drive in South Africa & Swaziland
Take the family on an African adventure in your own rental car, it's the ideal companion to discover Kruger National Park at your own pace. Further on to Swaziland and then Hluhluwe, this trip focuses on wildlife and exploration, all at your leisure.
customize ⤍3 days / from1000 USD
A Kruger adventure
Kruger National Park is one of the best known national parks in South Africa and always worth a visit. Starting and ending in Johannesburg is the most convenient one, the perfect stop to then take a domestic flight towards George or Cape Town for the rest of your trip.
customize ⤍17 days / from3650 USD
Safaris, culture & wine - South Africa's must do's
Explore cosmopolitan Johannesburg, go on safaris in Kruger NP, sip wine on the Cape Peninsula and explore the Eastern Cape - this fast-paced itinerary allows you to truly immerse yourself in the culture and lifestyle of South Africa, discovering the most fascinating parts of the country.
customize ⤍8 days / from2970 USD
Cape Amazing: Cape Town Explored
Visit Cape Town, South Africa's most breathtaking city, as you follow the circular route around the stunning peninsula. Make the most of deserted sandy beaches, quaint towns and rich winelands before you fly to Kapama Private Game Reserve for an encounter with the Big Five.
customize ⤍17 days / from5000 USD
Best of South Africa
Discover the best South Africa has to offer - start with the marvelous city of Cape Town with its peninsula, further on to the wine lands with gorgeous views of the Garden Route and on to culture, heritage & wildlife in Plettenberg Bay. End your trip with an authentic Kruger experience.
customize ⤍23 days / from4100 USD
Ultimate South Africa Road Trip
The adventure of a lifetime in your own rental car. Johannesburg and Cape Town, the Garden Route and the Eastern Cape, Kruger National Park and the Panorama Route - this itinerary packs the highlights of South Africa in one, easy to follow route. Hop in and get on the road!
customize ⤍7 days / from1610 USD
Complete Cape Town: Wildlife, Wine and Whales
Discover the natural beauty all around Cape Town. Located on the southwestern tip of South Africa, the area is home to rugged coastlines, undulating vineyards, and expanses of grassland, home some of the largest, wildest and most majestic creatures on earth.
customize ⤍10 days / from4300 USD
Cycling South Africa's Garden Route
An active, cycling adventure that is perfect for nature lovers. This exhilarating and unique tour takes you through leafy forests and up magnificent mountainsides to absorb break-taking views of the South African countryside.
customize ⤍17 days / from4250 USD
City Life & Safari - South African Gems
The perfect South Africa trip in just 17 days. Start in Cape Town with Mountain Table, Robben Island, the Peninsula and more. Head further to the wine lands for a relaxed stay before proceeding to Kruger National Park - 3 days of safari await before finishing your trip in Johannesburg.
customize ⤍18 days / from10488 USD
Five Star South Africa
Start your trip in Johannesburg with a few days exploring the city. Afterwards, take the exclusive Rovos Rail to Cape Town with several stops on the way. From Cape Town you will explore the peninsula as well as the wine lands. The Garden Route rounds up this luxurious trip.
customize ⤍Cape Town is one of the world’s most beautiful cities and, while famous for its jazz, is also regularly voted one of the world’s best for food too. With the largest population of any city in South Africa, Johannesburg (usually called Joburg or Jozi for short) has the nightlife to match. Its better weather means its entertainment – already more diverse than Cape Town’s – is also less seasonal. Here’s our guide to the best of nightlife in each to help you enjoy all these great cities have to offer.
Cape Town at night © Florian Frey/Shutterstock
With Table Mountain behind and the ocean in front, the V&A Waterfront is a stage for Cape Town to show off its best side. Whether it’s listening to an impromptu jazz concert at the open-air bandstand, watching tribal dancers busk, or enjoying fine South African cuisine at a table overlooking the view (perhaps at Karibu, where ostrich steak is a firm favourite), this is the heart of the city for both residents and visitors. You’ll also find the Two Oceans Aquarium, with its collection of African penguins and fearsome sharks. Add to this high-end shopping and some of the city’s finest hotels, including the five-star Cape Grace. The 450 or so shops are open until 9 pm every day, including Sunday, and many of the dozens of restaurants and bars are licensed until 2 am – although things tend to quieten down a bit earlier on weekdays.
If you get to the area before nightfall, pay a visit to Zeitz MOCAA Gallery. Housed in a former grain silo dating back to 1921, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa is the largest such museum in Africa. “Africa’s Tate Modern” is spread over nine floors and houses a seriously impressive collection from the continent and its diaspora, with work on display by award-winning artists such as Mary Sibande, Frances Goodman, Kendell Geers, William Kentridge, and Nicholas Hlobo.
Victoria & Albert Waterfront © David Steele/Shutterstock
MUST DO: The Fugard Theatre and Baxter Theatre Centre often have Cape jazz musicians playing as well as plays of local interest.
With its many bars and clubs busy until the early hours every day of the week, Long Street has been Cape Town’s nightlife central as long as anyone can remember. Firm favourites such as 169 On Long and Fiction play a popular mix of international and South African R’n’B, hip-hop and house with the music, drinks and party atmosphere pulling in a young, backpacker crowd from the many nearby hostels.
Long Street © Shutterstock
Bree Street, running from the foot of Table Mountain to the waterfront, is a major competitor to Long Street for a good night out. Named “Cape Town’s Coolest Block” by Vogue for its restaurants, designer stores and cocktail bars, Bree Street also has many art galleries that open late for “First Thursdays”. Browse the shops and galleries to see the very best of modern Capetonian and Southern African art and design.
MUST-DO: Hank's Olde Irish is a warm, cosy whisky bar on Bree Street. The already great atmosphere is lifted even more by regular jazz nights and DJ spots.
Cocktails with friends © Shutterstock
MUST-DO: The Cape Town Jazz Safari is an evening tour of Guguletu and its shebeens that also introduces you Cape Town’s wonderful music tradition.
The area of De Waterkant straddling Somerset Road is popular with young professionals and is the place to find the “boutique shopping experience” of Cape Quarter. It’s also a centre of gay life in the city, with many clubs and bars that are buzzing until late.
Green Point Lighthouse © Maslowski Marcin/Shutterstock
Camps Bay has a seriously upmarket set of restaurants, lounge bars and nightclubs, not to mention a theatre. Add in the long taxi ride and a night out here isn’t cheap, but the view of a long white sandy beach, lapped by Atlantic Ocean waves, makes it very special.
View over Camps Bay © Marisa Estivill/Shutterstock
MUST-DO: Café Caprice is a favourite spot for Camps Bay partygoers, with cocktails, DJs and bar food, but locals prefer Dizzy’s Café, a more casual pub that often has live music and is open 'til 4am.
Rosebank is a cosmopolitan suburb between downtown Joburg and Sandton, where you’ll find shopping malls and two of the city’s best art galleries. The Everard Read Gallery and its sister Circa Gallery stand on the corner of Jellicoe Avenue and offer a great collection of contemporary sculpture, as well as fine art and photography. Nearby is the Keyes Art Mile, a growing new development based on design-led shops, including interior decor and sneakers, and restaurants serving food that will delight Instagrammers.
After an evening of culture, Rosebank has plenty of places to eat and drink. One of the more unusual is the intimate Sin + Tax “speakeasy”, which serves great cocktails until 1 am.
MUST-DO: Enjoy great views of the western suburbs from the roof of the exciting Circa Gallery, built with design elements from Zulu cattle kraals and the ruins of Great Zimbabwe.
A formerly neglected part of the central business district near Ellis Stadium, the Maboneng Precinct is now home to a creative community supporting arty cafés, restaurants, shopping and some fun nightlife.
Art lovers will enjoy David Krut Projects, run by an art dealer who specialises in South African art. It’s inside Arts on Main, a former industrial space now full of advertising agencies and shops as well as galleries and private studios for artists such as William Kentridge.
Maboneng street sign © Shutterstock
MUST DO: The Bioscope art-house cinema on Fox Street in the Maboneng Precinct shows contemporary African cinema as well as sing-along features such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The city’s financial district has the ready supply of luxury hotels, restaurants, bars and nightclubs that you might expect. A Hard Rock Café and the faux Tuscan village of Montecasino, with its casino, cinemas, restaurants and even a comedy club are among the highlights. Clubs such as Taboo and Soiree are always popular, while a cocktail at The Landmark is a good way to kick off the evening.
Sandton at night © Arnold Petersen/Shutterstock
MUST-DO: The Radium Beerhall on Louis Botha Ave in Orange Grove may not win prizes for its pub grub but has been around since 1929, so it’s doing something right. The oldest pub in Johannesburg has live jazz four nights a week.
Considered the creative capital of Johannesburg, Melville is where you’ll find artists, writers and filmmakers frequenting coffee bars and on-trend restaurants. Party central here is along 7th street, where you’ll find venues such as the Xai Xai Lounge, a cocktail lounge inspired by a namesake in Mozambique, or the Anti Social Social Club and its partner The Tiny Tiki Bar, that bring a beach vibe to the street.
The city’s cultural heart is home to the Market Theatre, Museum Africa, Sci-Bono centre and the South African Breweries Museum, among other attractions.
Kippies Jazz Club originally put this area on the map for music and visitors will find plenty of other jazz venues nearby, as well as clubs, bars and restaurants offering live music or DJs. Try Niki’s Oasis, a restaurant and jazz bar that showcases young local talent.
MUST-DO: The Market Theatre made its name as “Theatre of the Struggle” during the 1980s for its independent, non-racial stance and is still the place to see exciting new South African drama.
Jazz musician © Shutterstock
FIRST THURSDAYS: As the name suggests, selected art galleries, museums and cultural spaces (as well as bars, restaurants and shops) in both Cape Town and Johannesburg stay open until 9pm or later on the first Thursday of each month. Part of the fun is mingling with a hipster art-loving crowd in welcoming spaces once thought the preserve of a privileged few. Entry is free and you’re encouraged to explore the cultural riches at your own pace.
written by Kieran Meeke
updated 21.10.2020
Kieran has lived in 12 countries – including Yemen and Mozambique – and written about countless others, specialising in long-form features that get beneath the surface. This love of exploring the quirky and hidden in every destination saw him run the Secret London website for 15 years, but more recently has taken him on long distance walking and horse-riding adventures. Follow him on Instagram @kieran_meeke.
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