2-Week South Africa Safari & Cape Town Itinerary

After spending a month on safari in South Africa, I’ve perfected this 2-week South Africa itinerary to show you all of what South Africa has to offer as well as giving you the most ‘bang for your buck’.

I’m going to give you an idea of how much it will cost, the best time to visit and how to find the best safari tour company.

As I walk you through the itinerary, I’ll share tips, tricks and how to avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made.

I’ve also spoken at length with my favourite South Africa guides as well as conducting copious amounts of additional research to ensure you receive everything you need to know to have the ultimate 2-week South Africa safari.

It’s easy to focus only on the fun stuff when planning the trip of a lifetime, but I’ll make sure your itinerary includes the practicalities too, like choosing between a road and an air transfer between the reserves, or building in time to enjoy Cape Town at the end. These details often make all the difference.

Quick Facts

Total drive time (excluding game drives): Around 10.5 hours over 14 days, averaging around 45 minutes per day. The longest single transfer is 4 hours (Day 7, Manyeleti to Sabi Sand). Day 1 flies Johannesburg to Hoedspruit in about 60 minutes, and Day 10 flies Skukuza to Cape Town in about 165 minutes.

Best times of year: On paper, May to October (dry season), but in reality any time other than late December to late February. April and May or September to early December are my favourite months to visit.

Days 2-3: Timbavati Private Nature Reserve

Drive Time (Excluding Game Drives): 0 hours

You have two full days to take in Timbavati, the only place on earth where white lions are found in the wild.

There are game drives on either end of the day, early morning and late afternoon, with the middle of the day spent relaxing at your lodge. Being surrounded by nature will start to feel familiar, and you’ll relax into the easy rhythm of the South African bush.

Itinerary

Both days follow the same schedule: you’ll have two game drives, morning and late afternoon, with hours spent relaxing or doing other optional activities in between.

Your wake-up call or alarm will sound before dawn, and you will be in the Land Cruiser and on the road between 5:30 and 6:00 for your morning game drive. This drive lasts three to four hours, while the bush is still cool and the light is long and low.

This is the best time of the day to see predators still on the move from the night before. Halfway through, your guide will pull up somewhere scenic for a tea and coffee break in the bush.

Between 9 and 10am, you’ll return to your lodge for a late breakfast or brunch, and the middle of the day is yours to spend as you wish. Most lodges schedule optional bush walks during that period, or you might want to spend a while in a hide overlooking a waterhole.

If there is the option to go on a walking safari with an armed ranger, it’s definitely worth doing. Reading the landscape and looking for animal spoor on foot is a completely different way to experience the bush. Walks are usually included in your total accommodation rate, but it’s worth checking just in case.

After lunch and a rest, it’s time for the afternoon game drive, which heads out between 16:00 and 16:30. Depending on your sightings, you will probably stay out until around 19:00, continuing past sunset into the dark.

Along the way, you’ll stop at sunset for sundowner drinks and snacks. Your tracker will search the bush with a bright spotlight, which will catch the reflection of animals’ eyes.

Remember that your game drive vehicle will have open sides, so pack warm layers for the early starts and dipping sun: winter mornings here drop to between 41 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit (5 and 10 degrees Celsius) before the sun gets going.

On Day 3, you can expect the same schedule. This repetition is really the key to excellent sightings because consistently heading out into the bush means that you’re there and ready when the action happens. Since you’ll have the same guide and tracker, they will have time to follow up on any spoor from earlier or the day before, rather than starting from cold.

Tips for Visiting Timbavati Private Nature Reserve

Here are my top tips for visiting Timbavati Private Nature Reserve!

• If you stay at a lodge with an underground hide, it’s best to visit in the dry season as that’s when wildlife come to the waterhole.
• If you’re keen on photography, choose a lodge with cars without middle seats to ensure you always have a good view of the action. When booking with a local operator you can ask them to check this with prospective lodges.
• White lion sightings are possible but not guaranteed, because these creatures are still very rare. If spotting one is a priority for you, ask your guide to focus on them, but try not to get fixated!
• For photography, bring a telephoto lens (for example, 100-400mm) to capture wildlife in the distance.
• If you want to splash out, you could invest in some thermal binoculars. These are great for evening game drives after darkness falls.

Where to Stay in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve

You are at the same lodge in Timbavati for both of these nights.

I stayed at Kings Camp (see Day 1).

My Experience of Timbavati Private Nature Reserve

I spent my time in Timbavati staying at Kings Camp, where the warm welcome set the tone for the whole visit.

We were given refreshing welcome drinks on arrival, and were just about to be escorted to our room when the staff informed us that some elephants were visiting the camp’s underground hide. We headed straight down and wandered into the hide just as one herd left and another appeared.

Seeing a herd of elephants so close up before we had even unpacked our luggage was an incredible way to start our safari. It was amazing watching them at eye-level as they drank, sprayed water and splashed about, and the young ones in particular were really cute. The herd eventually moved off and two baby impalas arrived, before yet another elephant herd appeared.

Eventually, as the last elephant left, we checked into our room, number 7. It was magnificently huge and very comfortable.

The wildlife kept coming even during our tasty lunch of chicken curry. We admired more elephants right from the comfort of our table, and especially enjoyed the antics of one cheeky bull: he managed to locate the source of the water in the waterhole, a hosepipe, and lifted it with his trunk and drank straight from it!

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Days 5-6: Manyeleti Game Reserve

Drive Time (Excluding Game Drives): 0 hours

On Days 5 and 6 you have plenty of time to get to know Manyeleti properly. Manyeleti is famous for its open plains, and is the best place in the Greater Kruger to spot cheetahs.

Itinerary

As with other reserves in this itinerary, these two days in Manyeleti follow the same pattern. With the bumpy transfer now behind you, you can really relax and enjoy the peace of the South African bushveld.

You’ll be up before dawn and out of camp between 5:30 and 6:00, with three to four hours enjoying your morning game drive while the bush is still cool. Manyeleti is open-plains country, so that early light carries a long way across the grass and you tend to see things at a distance well before you reach them up close.

After taking in your fill of excellent sightings this morning, you’ll head back to the lodge for a late breakfast or brunch. The middle of the day is left fairly unstructured, and this is a great opportunity to go on a guided bush walk or spend some time in a hide, if your lodge offers this.

Afternoon tea punctuates the afternoon and is the signal to prepare yourself for your afternoon game drive. You’ll head out in the late afternoon, between 16:00 and 16:30, and only return after sunset, around 19:00.

When driving in the dark, trackers use a spotlight to catch the eyes of nocturnal animals hiding in the bush. This is a great way to find species you might altogether miss otherwise, whether due to their camouflage or to the darkness.

Manyeleti has a rule that no more than three vehicles can stop at a sighting. This means that when you do see something really special, you’re not queuing for a view.

This is quite different to Kruger National Park, where you sometimes struggle to peer beyond the lined-up cars to see a lion in the distance. The whole experience feels quieter and more exclusive than it would in a busier reserve.

On Day 6 you can expect the same schedule. Don’t underestimate what a second full day in the reserve can give you.

Spoor picked up on the morning of Day 5 are still worth investigating on Day 6, and a reserve this quiet gives your guides the time and space to focus on the fascinating art of tracking. When done properly like this, tracking can yield really special sightings.

Tips for Visiting Manyeleti Game Reserve

• If you stay at Pungwe Camp, bring a power bank to charge your phone, as there is no power in the rooms. You should also get an eSIM if you want to stay connected, as there is also no WiFi.
• Winter mornings can be cold, between 41 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit (5 and 10 degrees Celsius), so dress in layers that you can remove as the bush gradually starts to heat up.
• As with Timbavati, the game viewing vehicles are entirely open so it’s important that you keep quiet when near animals. It’s also important that you don’t stand up at a sighting because this can alarm the animals.
• If you have to use the “washroom” whilst out on game drive, I’m afraid the bush is your only option! In most lodges your driver will provide you with toilet paper, a paper bag to put it in (never leave paper in the bush) and hand sanitiser. However, occasionally they can forget, so always bring your own just in case.
• On the subject of using the bush washroom, make sure your guide has checked the area is safe and follow their advice on where to go. Even then, to be extra careful, make a lot of noise as you walk as this will flush out any animals and keep the area safe for you.

Where to Stay in Manyeleti Game Reserve

You are at the same lodge in Manyeleti for both of these nights.

I stayed at Pungwe Camp (see Day 4).

See Day 4 for more information about the accommodation.

My Experience of Manyeleti Game Reserve

Without a doubt, the highlights of my time in Manyeleti were my several cheetah sightings. During my time at other Greater Kruger reserves, I had no sightings of these elusive big cats, but in Manyeleti I had three separate cheetah sightings of five different individuals.

My favourite sighting of all was on my final morning in Manyeleti, before I departed for Sabi Sand. We came upon a mother cheetah and her three sub-adult cubs feeding on a freshly caught impala.

After polishing off their meal, they began to groom one another in a tender and beautiful moment. We then watched as they stood up and strode majestically across the savannah.

My time in Manyeleti also proved fruitful for male lion sightings. On our first evening we saw three large male lions patrolling their territory. Then on a separate morning we encountered a different male lion, relaxing in the shade.

Elephant sightings were also good. A particularly memorable one was of two young bull elephants play fighting. Despite rather ungainly styles of combat, the remarkable strength of these animals filled me with awe.

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Days 8-9: Sabi Sand Game Reserve

Drive Time (Excluding Game Drives): 0 hours

After the long drive here, you’ll be glad to have two full days to experience the many wonders of Sabi Sand, one of the world’s most coveted safari destinations. This is 251 square miles (65,000 hectares) of unfenced private reserve, and two uninterrupted days is what it takes for your guide to start working the ground properly rather than simply showing you around.

Itinerary

By now, you’ll be accustomed to the safari schedule: two game drives per day, morning and afternoon, with the midday hours to use as you wish.

You’re up before dawn and out of camp between 5:30 and 6:00, with 3 to 4 refreshing hours in the open-sided game drive vehicle. Having warm layers to wear really makes a difference to your comfort levels on these early morning drives, as in winter, morning temperatures hover between 41 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit (5 and 10 degrees Celsius).

After a morning of sightings, you’re back at camp for a leisurely late breakfast or brunch, and the middle of the day is yours.

Your lodge is likely to have the option of a bush walk, and I highly recommend taking one at Sabi Sand. The landscape is just so unique and full of life – you won’t regret it! You can also spend some time in a hide overlooking a waterhole, and let the show come to you.

After an indulgent afternoon tea, it’s time to head out on your final game drive of the day, which starts in the late afternoon and stretches into the early evening.

The afternoon drive heads out between 16:00 and 16:30 and returns around 19:00, carrying on with a spotlight once the sun has gone. You’ll only ever have a maximum of 2 to 3 vehicles at a sighting, due to restrictions in the reserve, so your evening spent (hopefully) leopard watching will be unhurried and intimate.

On Day 9, you’ll enjoy the same pattern. This is your last day of pure safari relaxation, so make the most of it. Your guide and traversing area are the same, and a big cat found on Day 8 is still worth looking for again on Day 9, rather than starting cold.

Tips for Visiting Sabi Sand Game Reserve

• The lodge you choose is important, as lodges have different traversable areas which vary in terms of size and wildlife.
• Choosing a lodge along the Sand River allows you to see wildlife, including many elephants, from the lodge.
• For itineraries with 3 days or more in Sabi Sand, consider staying at more than one lodge to see a variety of areas. I stayed at two locations during 5 nights in Sabi Sand.
• Your guide will know each individual leopard and lion pride by name. When you encounter a leopard or lion pride, ask your guide about them and you’ll be fascinated as you learn about their own particular characteristics and histories.

Where to Stay in Sabi Sand Game Reserve

You are at the same lodge in Sabi Sand for both nights in this itinerary.

I’ve stayed in two properties within the reserve: Inyati Game Lodge in the west of Sabi Sand, and MalaMala, the oldest lodge in Sabi Sand, at the complete other end of the reserve.

See Day 7 for the full range of accommodation across the reserve.

My Experience of Sabi Sand Game Reserve

The types of animals I saw and the quality of sightings were fairly consistent across both regions of the reserve that I stayed in, which leads me to believe that you can’t really go wrong in Sabi Sand.

During my time staying at Inyati Game Lodge in the west of Sabi Sand, I encountered four individual leopards across five different sightings. We could have easily seen more, but our focus was on seeing a variety of wildlife. If you can believe it, at times we passed on leopard sightings to see other species!

George, my driver at Inyati, was incredibly attentive, asking me what species I’d most like to see. I expressed an interest in wild dogs and also seeing a successful hunt. It was really commendable how George then went out of his way to ensure I got to experience my bucket-list sightings.

We had three separate wild dog sightings, and each one was incredible! The grand finale was on our final morning at Inyati when we found a pack of wild dogs on the hunt. Demonstrating his expert driving skills, George somehow managed to keep up with the pack as they chased down and caught an impala lamb.

Another highlight at Inyati was watching the Othawa lion pride who, at first, were rolling around in the sandy banks of the Sand River. As evening drew closer, the three young cubs became active and began to play.

Watching the cubs tussle with each other, play with a stick and even chase and pounce on one another provided me with my best ever lion sighting to date – and that’s a really impressive claim as I’ve had some great lion sightings over my lifetime.

After so much excitement at Inyati in the west of Sabi Sand, I had a hard time believing that our next destination, MalaMala in the east, could match or even top the experience we’d just had. To my amazement, it matched it!

Our guide at MalaMala, Jacques, also asked if there were any specific species we’d like to see. At this point we’d already seen all of the Big Five numerous times and so I gave him a specific and perhaps challenging list of leopard cubs, lion cubs and a successful hunt. With only 2 nights in MalaMala, I was worried that this list would be a real challenge.

On our first evening in MalaMala, we were rewarded with the most fascinating sighting of an entire leopard family, sprawled out in the Sand River right outside MalaMala Main Camp (I could see my room behind them!).

There was a female leopard, known as the Piccadilly female, with her 1-year-old cub and the cub’s father, known as the Flat Rock male.

It’s widely believed that leopard fathers have nothing to do with their cubs, so this sighting was mind-blowing. He didn’t make an effort to interact with the cub but was instead lying out very contentedly beside his family. Leopard cub, check!

The following morning, we came upon a different leopard female, known as the Sibuya female, who also had a cub – a 9-month-old male. The two of them were enjoying an impala lamb kill before they began playing. It was so heartwarming to witness!

That evening we came upon the Kambula lion pride as they became active.

The pride consisted of two females and their 6 cubs. Two of the cubs were 11 months old and the others were 9 months old. Lion cubs, check!

We stayed with the pride as they stopped to lap some water from a puddle. Then the females separated from the cubs and began stalking some impalas. Could it be that I would witness another hunt?

In a remarkable twist of events, whilst the two lionesses stalked an impala, the six cubs managed to take down an impala lamb! The six of them snarled furiously as they dug into their well-earned meal.

One of the lionesses abandoned their hunt to see what was going on, looking extremely proud of her youngsters. Whilst this was going on, the other lioness successfully took down another impala lamb. Successful hunts, check!

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Days 11-13: Cape Town

Drive Time (Excluding Game Drives): 0 hours

Cape Town is South Africa’s most popular city stop, and it offers a totally unique combination of beautiful natural scenery and urban life. After nine days in the bush, this is a complete change of gear.

You have three full days to enjoy Cape Town, and each day is built around one of the city’s main features: the mountain and City Bowl, the Cape Peninsula, then the nearby Winelands.

You’ll be pleased to know that nothing starts before dawn, and the only thing worth planning around is the weather.

Itinerary

Ideally, your three days in Cape Town follow the natural geography of the city, setting off for an adventure close to the city on Day 11. That said, it’s good to keep a bit of flexibility in your Cape Town planning and have an eye on the weather. It can get very windy in Cape Town, and when the South-Easter is howling over Table Mountain the cableway closes.

To minimise your chances of missing out on the famous mountain (locals simply refer to it as “The Mountain”), you should plan to take the cableway up to the summit first thing in the morning on the clearest day, when conditions are usually at their best.

Later in the day, you’ll head over to the V&A Waterfront from which you can take a ferry to Robben Island, and you can finish the afternoon taking a look at the brightly coloured homes in the Bo-Kaap.

Day 12 is an excellent day to take in the spectacular Cape Peninsula, with a visit to Cape Point and a stopover at Boulders Beach to see an enormous wild African Penguin colony. There are a few ways to get there, and if the road is open, you should definitely take the famously scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive. Sometimes rockfalls cause road closures here.

Finally, you might like to stop in Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden on your way home for a walk on “The Boomslang”, a wooden walkway through the tree canopies.

On Day 13 you head slightly inland to the Cape Winelands. Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are the heart of South Africa’s wine country, and you can enjoy cellar tours, wine tastings and a long lunch at one of the region’s award-winning restaurants.

Book it as a guided day trip or take a private driver so that nobody has to drive between estates. This is a relaxing and indulgent way to end two busy weeks!

About Cape Town

Cape Town is South Africa’s oldest city, founded in 1652 as a resupply station for Dutch ships rounding the Cape, and many locals still call it the Mother City.

The Table Mountain National Park runs from the City Bowl (the centre of Cape Town) all the way along to the Cape Peninsula, where you will find Cape Point. Natural bays and high mountain peaks give this coastal city a number of distinct microclimates and, with them, a huge variety of worthwhile diversions for the savvy visitor.

There is a robust tourism industry in Cape Town, which means that you will mostly find it easy to get around and find what you’re looking for. But there are also plenty of secret gems that the tourism industry won’t show you.

For safari travellers Cape Town is not a wildlife destination in its own right but a city stop that pairs naturally with the Greater Kruger reserves. After days of early wake-up calls and game drives, the city’s excellent restaurants, pristine beaches and mountain scenery make for an easy landing back into city life before the flight home.

The weather is the one thing to plan around. Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate that runs opposite to the safari calendar: its dry, warm months are November to March, while June to August brings the region’s winter rain.

The best months for Kruger game viewing are Cape Town’s wettest, so pack for both climates and, if you’re visiting in winter, expect a mix of clear spells and passing storms.

Things to Do in Cape Town

It’s impossible to get bored in Cape Town, so you need a plan when you’re here. One way of wrapping your head around the city is to think of its features in three categories: the city and Table Mountain, the Cape Peninsula, and the Winelands. With three full days, each theme comfortably fills a day.

1. Ride the Cableway up Table Mountain

Table Mountain, or “The Mountain”, as locals call it, is the jewel of the city, and the aerial cableway is the quickest way to experience it. The floor of each individual cable car rotates a full 360 degrees on the way up, so every passenger gets a good view without having to fight over a spot at the window.

The ride to the summit of the mountain takes around five minutes, and once you’re up there you’ll find a network of easy walking paths along the flat plateau. If you would rather earn your view with a hike, there are a few well-trodden routes up the mountain.

The shortest of these is Platteklip Gorge, which takes between 2 and 3 hours to climb to the top, but is pretty steep. The path consists mostly of stone steps and is well signposted, but the weather conditions can change quickly on the mountain. It’s best to hike in a group, just in case.

Keep in mind that the cableway won’t run if the wind is too strong or if there is low cloud cover. When this happens, the summit disappears under the mountain’s famous “tablecloth” and visibility on the plateau becomes dangerously poor.

If on your planned day the wind is howling and the mountain is covered, rather shuffle your itinerary a bit and save the cableway for another day (likewise, hiking is best avoided in poor weather).

Mornings are usually calmer than afternoons, and tickets booked online stay valid for several days, so a wind delay costs nothing but time.

2. Take the Ferry to Robben Island

Robben Island is a former prison island where South Africa’s political hero Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison. It’s well worth a visit to what is now a heritage site and living museum, where tours are given by former political prisoners. Many of them knew Mandela personally and tell incredibly powerful and moving stories.

You reach Robben Island by a ferry ride from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront. The full visit takes about three and a half hours, including the half hour ferry crossing each way, a bus tour of the island and a walk through the maximum security prison.

Tours do sell out in peak season, so book online well in advance rather than on the day. If you’re travelling in the shoulder season or in winter, you should be able to get hold of tickets at shorter notice.

3. Explore the V&A Waterfront and Bo-Kaap

The V&A Waterfront is a working harbour that doubles as the city’s main shopping and hotel precinct. There are a number of good restaurants, and at the Time Out food market, you’ll be able to sample many of the city’s most popular foodie spots under one roof. There is also a large makers’ market adjacent to the Time Out hall, filled with crafts and clothing made by local artisans.

The V&A Waterfront is also home to the country’s premier contemporary art museum. Zeitz MOCAA, as it is called, is housed in a former grain silo that has been transformed into an award-winning architectural spectacle.

Ten minutes away by car, you’ll find the steep cobbled streets and brightly painted houses of the Bo-Kaap. This historically rich neighbourhood is home to the descendants of the city’s large Cape Malay community. There are a few local residents who have set up heritage tours in the area, and the best way to experience this is by visiting the Bo-Kaap Cultural Hub on Pentz Street.

4. Drive Along the Cape Peninsula and Visit the Penguins

The classic peninsula loop runs south from the City Bowl, along the Atlantic Seaboard and over Chapman’s Peak Drive, a 5.6-mile (nine kilometre) toll road cut into the cliffs between Hout Bay and Noordhoek. From sleepy Noordhoek, it’s a further drive to Cape Point where, right at the tip of the peninsula, you will find the Cape of Good Hope.

For a long time, people believed that this is where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. While this isn’t true, it’s still a breathtaking place and offers dramatic views in all directions.

Cape Point is part of the Table Mountain National Park, and there is a small park entrance fee to access the site. You’ll be amazed at the variety of fynbos, the herbaceous local flora, and you’re sure to see some ostriches, bontebok, eland, zebra and cheeky baboons. Make sure you keep your car windows rolled up when the baboons are close by, and never feed them.

On the False Bay side of the loop, you should stop at Boulders Beach near Simon’s Town, where you can walk along the boardwalks and see a breeding colony of critically endangered African penguins.

The colony was only established here in 1983 and is now one of the very few places in the world to watch these birds at close range on land. There is a SANParks conservation fee to enter.

If you’re on the False Bay side of the peninsula around lunch time, make a stop at Kalk Bay, an historic fishing village that is today full of charming restaurants and shops. Locals love the Olympia Cafe, which is renowned for its hearty, rustic dishes and seafood.

Take a stroll along the harbour after lunch to see the hugely fat and friendly seals, or, if it’s hot, take a plunge at the firm local favourite, Dalebrook tidal pool.

5. Spend an Afternoon at Kirstenbosch

If you’ve had your fill of penguins and seals and still have some energy, you might want to take a relaxing stroll at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, which is en route back to the city from the peninsula.

Kirstenbosch is nestled on the eastern foothills of Table Mountain and is dedicated to South Africa’s native plants, including whole slopes of fynbos and proteas. The “Boomslang”, a 427-foot (130 metre) canopy walkway that snakes above the treetops, is included in the garden entry fee and gives views back over the city.

6. Day Trip to the Cape Winelands

No visit to Cape Town is complete without a day trip to the Cape’s renowned wine region. Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in the country and the centre of South African wine, is under an hour’s drive from the city, with Franschhoek’s valley of wine estates and restaurants about an hour away. Cellar tours, tastings and long lunches are the order of the day.

In Franschhoek, there is even a hop-on-hop-off wine tram that connects a circuit of estates, so nobody has to drive between tastings. It’s possible to go on an organised day tour, but if you’d rather identify a few farms and make your own route, it’s a good idea to hire a driver for the day.

For a really unique experience that’s hidden away from the main tourist routes, try Delaire Graff Estate tucked away on the scenic Helshoogte Pass. Besides their internationally recognised wines, there are three excellent dining options, all on the same estate. The al fresco restaurant Lorenzo’s makes delicious fresh pastas and seafood with a local twist.

7. Relax on the Beaches and Sunset Spots

Camps Bay and Clifton Beaches 1 to 4 on the Atlantic Seaboard side are picture-perfect, white sand beaches, dotted with dramatic boulders and kelp forests. The water is cold year round, so if you’re looking to have a dip or a surf, then False Bay might be a better choice.

Muizenberg Beach is a charming local spot where the surf is always gentle and predictable and the water a few degrees warmer. Many of the surf shops along the beachfront offer surfing lessons and equipment rentals.

Cape Town sunsets are majestic, and Signal Hill is a favourite spot among the locals to take them in.

Tips for Visiting Cape Town

Cape Town is an easy city to travel in by African standards, but a few practical points make the stay smoother.

• Plan your trip up Table Mountain on the clearest morning available, and have a bit of flexibility around this. The cableway closes in strong wind and low cloud, and morning conditions are the most reliable.
• Book your Robben Island visit several days ahead, if you can; tours sell out and they don’t take walk-ins.
• Uber works well throughout the city and is the simplest way to get around; there is no need to hire a car unless you want to self-drive the Peninsula or Winelands. Waiting times for Ubers in Cape Town can be slightly longer than in other cities, depending on the area you’re in and demand.
• The city is safe in the main visitor areas by day, but stick to Uber or hotel taxis after dark (avoid general metered taxis) and keep phones and cameras out of sight on the street.
• Pack a warm layer and a rain jacket for a June to August visit, whatever the safari legs of the trip demand; Cape Town’s winter is mild but can be wet and windy.
• Card payments are accepted almost everywhere, including at markets and in taxis. However, you should keep some cash in local currency (South African Rands) available to tip tour guides on Robben Island, in Bo-Kaap, and if you hire a driver for a Winelands tour. As a guideline, a R50 – R100 tip for your Robben Island guide would be appropriate as would a R20 – R50 tip for a Bo-Kaap walking guide.

Where to Stay in Cape Town

You are in the same Cape Town hotel for all four of your nights in Cape Town. The City Bowl, V&A Waterfront, Camps Bay and De Waterkant are all great bases from which to get around.

See Day 10 for more about the accommodation options across the city.

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Greater Kruger’s safari system has some specific characteristics that affect how you should book.

• Quality of wildlife viewing differs a lot between lodges: Local tour operators add a lot of value when it comes to impartially recommending which lodges currently offer the best wildlife viewing. The individual lodges are unlikely to recommend the competition, even if there are better sightings in a different location.
• Self-drive limits: Timbavati and Sabi Sand do not allow self-drive. In Manyeleti, self-drive on roads is permitted, but off-road driving is not.
• Lead time: Book 6 to 9 months ahead for the May to October peak season, especially for Sabi Sand, where popular lodges sell out early.
• Airport choice: Flying to Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport (approximately 1 hour from Johannesburg) will spare you the 5-6 hour drive from Johannesburg on roads of variable quality.
• Off-road driving: This is only available in private reserves with guided drives. Off-road driving is not permitted on self-drive safaris or in the public Kruger National Park.
• Night drives: While limited night drives are available within Kruger National Park for visitors staying in the basic South African National Parks camps inside the park, these make use of enormous, noisy safari trucks that have limited visibility. The guided night drives offered in private reserves are a much more comfortable, agile and less intrusive experience, and you’re likely to have better sightings.

Financial Protection When Booking Direct With a Local Tour Operator

You can take steps to give similar financial protection to booking with an international agent.

Paying by credit card or debit card often gives you purchase protection (in the UK, paying the operator directly by credit card gives you Section 75 protection on bookings over £100 and up to £30,000; debit cards only have chargeback, which is weaker and time-limited), good travel insurance covers trip interruption, and choosing a trusted local safari company that takes the balance payment closer to your trip date minimises risk.

Some of my recommended local tour operators are also members of similar schemes to international tour operators which protect your payment, giving you full peace of mind.

My Preference: Generally in South Africa, I like to have a mixture of mid-range and luxury accommodation. I’m happy to pay extra for luxury accommodation because it gives me access to a safari experience in excellent wildlife areas I wouldn’t otherwise be able to traverse without staying at the lodge.

An example of this is MalaMala, which has the largest traversable area in Greater Kruger – over 70% of this area is exclusively for guests at their lodge.

My Preference: If you have 2 weeks, I would recommend splitting your safari time between Timbavati, Manyeleti and Sabi Sand.

My Preference: I always book through local tour operators as they offer the best balance of value and quality.

My Preference: April and May or September to December are my favourite months to visit. These shoulder months offer excellent game viewing at slightly lower rates than the July – August peak.

I have visited in November and December which gave better lodge pricing and, whilst wildlife was slightly harder to spot due to the green vegetation, it made for spectacular photos. As you can see from my photos in this guide and in my YouTube videos from the trip, I still saw a lot of wildlife.

My Preference: The distances between reserves are short enough that flying is not necessary, in my opinion. Generally, when on safari anywhere, I only fly when drive times are over 6 hours. The longest drive in this itinerary is between Manyeleti and Sabi Sand, which only takes approximately 3.5 hours.

My Preference: Travelling as two people sharing avoids the single person room supplement at lodges.

My Preference: Personally I think the best months to visit Greater Kruger are September to early December if you want the green season beauty combined with abundant baby animals and related predator activity. Alternatively, I’d recommend April and May if you want the excellent dry season game viewing with thinner vegetation, fewer crowds than the July-August peak, and better value than high season rates.

However, just because these are my favourite months doesn’t mean they will be yours too. We all have different preferences and priorities. Read on to find out more about each season so you can choose the time that suits you best.

Quick Facts

Prices: High. Peak season rates at most lodges, especially July and August.

Weather: Clear, dry days with morning temperatures as low as 41 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit (5 to 10 degrees Celsius) and daytime highs of 77 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (25 to 28 degrees Celsius). Cold mornings on open game drive vehicles require warm layers.

Wildlife: Excellent. Thin vegetation and concentrated water sources make animals easier to find. Predator activity is high as prey is forced into predictable areas.

Birding: Resident species only during winter months. Summer migrants have departed, but raptors and large birds are easier to spot without leaf cover.

Quick Facts

Prices: At their lowest. Green season discounts of 30-50% at many lodges.

Weather: Hot and humid (82 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (28 to 40 degrees Celsius)), with afternoon thunderstorms most days. January and February are the wettest months. Mornings are usually clear and warm.

Wildlife: Good but more challenging than the dry season. Animals dispersed with plentiful water. Excellent for baby animals and predator-prey interactions.

Birding: Peak season. Migratory species present, including European rollers, cuckoos, and bee-eaters.

What 14 Days in South Africa Gets You

• Timbavati (Days 1-3): Very high density of lions with a chance of spotting the reserve’s famous white lions, plus bush walks through 206 square miles (53,395 hectares) of unfenced wilderness. Max 2 vehicles per sighting.
• Manyeleti (Days 4-6): Community-owned. Open plains provide some of the best opportunities to see cheetahs in Greater Kruger. Max 3 vehicles per sighting.
• Sabi Sand (Days 7-10): Some of the best leopard sightings in Africa, with guides who can identify up to 85 resident individuals by their spot patterns. Max 2 – 3 vehicles per sighting.
• Cape Town (Days 11-13): Enjoy 3 days in this world-class city, dining at top tier restaurants, taking in breathtaking sights such as Cape Point and Table Mountain, and seeing wild African penguins at Boulders Beach.
• Departure (Day 14): Hop on your international flight and head home.

If 14 days in Greater Kruger is more than you can spare, a 10-day or week-long trip focusing on two reserves still gives you an excellent Greater Kruger experience.

If a South African safari is stretching your budget, you may like to consider some of Africa’s more budget-friendly safari destinations. Either a 10-day Tanzania Itinerary or a 10-day Kenya Itinerary is an excellent choice for more budget-conscious travellers due to the wide availability of budget lodges in both countries.

My Preference: 10 to 14 days is the sweet spot for Greater Kruger because it lets you include Manyeleti, which a shorter trip skips. It also gives you more time to spot the Big Five and other animals on your wish list.

Read More South Africa Guides

South Africa Itineraries

Recommended itineraries and how to book them.

10-Day South Africa Safari Itinerary & Costs

7-Day South Africa Safari Itinerary & Costs

5-Day South Africa Safari Itinerary & Costs

2-Week South Africa Safari & Cape Town Itinerary & Costs

Costs & Planning

How to get the most bang for your buck and the best time of year to visit depending on what you want to do and see.

Coming soon.

National Parks & Reserves

Complete guides to the best and most famous safari reserves, including the wildlife you’ll see, entrance costs and best time to visit.

Coming soon.

Popular Safari Destinations

Tanzania

Kenya

Botswana

South Africa

Uganda

Rwanda

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How to Book Your Safari

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