South Africa Itinerary help

I would say yes since you are in that part of the world. Vic Falls is amazing though in Oct my guess is that the water levels may be lower (I can only compare it to June when I was there and the flow was quite high). Cape Town too is a great destination.

Have you potentially considered doing an overland tour that combines more sights (you did say you are retired and have the time). About 10-12 years ago we did a 21 day overland trip from Cape Town to Victoria falls, passing through the Western Cape, Namibia (including Etosha NP, Soussvlei, Namib desert & the dunes, Swakopmund), Botswana (including a fly in to the Okavango delta, Chobe NP), and the falls (make sure to see it from both sides - Zimbabwe and Zambia), etc. There are lots of operators offering these trips of varying duration and different areas. Most are geared towards backpackers but there are also accommodated trips (i.e. where you stays in B&Bs or lodges). We did the accommodated trip and loved it - great intro to that part of Africa.

Of course, if you prefer a custom trip, there are lots of operators who can provide that too.

Arnold - thanks for the reply - appreciate your insights and suggestions!

I lived in SA for three years and travelled extensively. VicFalls is very cool, much like Niagra. airport is extremely easy to navigate as it is tiny. Zimbabwe has issues, but VF is well run and service is amazing. FWIW we stayed at a place called the Elephant Camp bc the famous hotel there wasn't available. They had a lot of activities at that place. The safari to Zambezi IMO is maybe a not must do if you are just coming off of a Safari near Krueger or Madikwe. The boat cruise was cool. We didnt cross the border into Chobe. I signed up to this site just to answer this question as I adore SA so much. I am not affiliated with anything mentioned here FTR. If you go to Cape Town I am guessing you will go to the winelands, try Babylonstoren which has a full day of things to do from an old time farm visit to really great restaurants and just a garden tour. Also consider going to one of the restaurants in the family of La Petit Columbe. They make the list of top restaurants in the world yearly.

Thanks shelbielegg! Lots of good tips - most appreciated!

Hi,

I love South Africa - my favourite place in the world. Here are some recommendations I would have. Cape Town is a must. It is really not an issue to fly - it's just over two hours.

Some recommendations of things to see and do:

Cape Town — My biggest recommendation is purchasing a ticket on the Hop On Hop Off (Red Bus). This functions lovely in Cape Town and takes you all around the smaller peninsula. People have strong opinions on HOHO busses, but the one in Cape Town is top tier in my opinion. The main station is just in front of the aquarium at V&A - the aquarium is lovely, too. Grab an AirBNB in De Waterkant and just Uber to V&A. There is a lovely restaurant, Den Anker at the Waterfront that I recommend. Another restaurant in CPT that is lovely is Kloof Street House, but make your reservation in advance.

You'll definitely want to make it around Chapman's Peak Drive and maybe to Simonstown if you would like a quaint area -- You don't have to purchase tickets to the Nature Reserve in Simonstown to see the penguins; they will be around when you get close to the beach! If you are interested in botanicals, stop by Kirstenbosch Gardens. Cape Town represents a unique botanical biome found no where else in the entire world (fynbos) - also makes good gin which I am sure you will find in the winelands. I would recommend taking the Wine Tram if you want to explore the winelands around Franschhoek. Franschoek is a lovely area.

You will likely be subject to loadshedding (power cuts) but where you stay can advise you one the schedule of this (which may or may not be accurate - Cape Town is typically better than the rest of the country in this regard). You may also be interested in visiting Robben Island; however, the weather will dictate if you are able to make it to the island. Cape Town weather is absolutely lovely, but unpredictable. If you want to make it up to the top of Table Mountain, your schedule should be guided by the weather - if it is a clear morning when you wake up, go to the mountain first. The V&A waterfront is a nice area to relax and has some nice restaurants and live music typically in the evenings. There are some nice restaurants along Mouille Point and Green Point area (not far from V&A Waterfront). Ubers are, in my opinion, are quick, safe, and affordable (Lyft does not function in SA). All of this said, the Hop on Hop off Red Bus is lovely and will even take you to some of the larger wine estates (Groot Constantia is nice). The areas serviced by this bus service are more than enough to fill your several days. The views on the open top of the bus are divine.

Unless visiting friends or simply enjoy urban life, a couple days in Joburg are enough. A point to see is the Apartheid Museum and Constitutional Hill. Both are easily accessible by Uber. You’ll want to stay in a suburb of Joburg (think: Sandton, Linden, Northcliff, Saxonwold), not downtown (the CBD).

Great stuff Milo - thanks so much!

I just joined this forum. We also have a safari planned for October 2026. The safari begins on October 10th in Cape Town. In an attempt to catch a reasonable business class ticket I’m remaining flexible for our arrival date by 2 or three days prior to the 10th. Tips on where to search for tickets? I could depart from DTW or even go to the airport in Windsor, Canada.

Any recommendations as to where to stay if I find that we will arrive earlier than when the safari begins would be welcomed.

If you end up staying in Johannesburg at some point, I can recommend the place we stayed, which is about 10 minutes drive from the Johannesburg airport: Sunrock Guesthouse. They have airport shuttles, which made it really easy.

If you want the best safaris, go to Kenya and Tanzania during the Great Migration (early August). My son did the safari in SA and Zimbabwe and later did East Africa with us and said our safari was way better.