The best of South Africa

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Lion in South Africa's North West province

© South African Tourism

Visitors to South Africa return with many stories of chance encounters with South Africans that have been life changing. Many of South Africa's tourist attractions can't be found anywhere else.

Whether you are stargazing in Sutherland, searching for San rock art deep in the caves of the Drakensberg mountains, cage-diving with great white sharks, sipping cocktails in the trunk of an ancient baobab tree or camping in the bush surrounded by wildlife, South Africa is more than an adventure - it’s an enriching life experience.

Immerse yourself deep in South Africa’s traditional cultures by exploring our cultural villages, townships and African craft markets. You’ll discover Basotho, Zulu, Xhosa, Shangaan, Pedi, and Ndebele cultural villages where you can stay in colourfully decorated mud and dung thatched huts. Here you can witness daily tribal activities such as beadwork, weaving, grinding maize, singing, dancing and drumming, and listen to folklore tales around the campfire.

Our beautiful natural landscapes provide endless opportunities for adventure, relaxation, reflection and rejuvenation. Explore our 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Among them are the breathtaking uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park with its Drakensberg mountain range, the Cape Floral region - one of the richest floral kingdoms in the world, and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Here you’ll find the highest sand dunes in the world, golden beaches, coral reefs, wetlands and some of the world's most enigmatic wildlife. Watching wild animals in their natural habitat at close range is unforgettable.

You can experience South Africa’s award-winning Big 5 game lodges and get close to our magnificent Big 5 game on 4x4 open vehicle or walking safaris. You can swim among African penguins at Cape Town’s Boulders Beach, enjoy beach horseback riding in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, and discover the San Bushmen’s ancient ways in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Our many cultural and historical sites provide insights into our fascinating past. From our Cape Dutch and Cape Malay heritage and the Gold Rush trail in Mpumalanga to the battlefields of KwaZulu-Natal where the Zulu tribe defeated the British Empire.

Visit Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela and other great leaders of South Africa's liberation struggle were incarcerated; take a township tour to Soweto, Alexandra or Khayelitsha; visit the sacred sites of Venda, taste chisanyama (barbequed meat) and African beer at a township shebeen; learn about ancient African history at the Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape; and explore South Africa’s struggle for freedom at places like the Apartheid Museum, Constitutional Hill, Liliesleaf Farm and Robben Island. 

Shopping for spices in Durban’s busy Victoria Street, or visiting the outdoor art galleries of the Ndebele are special experiences. You can trace your DNA at the Origins Centre in Johannesburg and explore your human ancestry at the Cradle of Humankind. 

South Africa is also renowned for its outdoor adventure. Here you’ll find the world's highest bridge bungee jump and the world's only crocodile cage-diving.  You can go abseiling, river rafting, hot air ballooning, fishing, angling, surfing, scuba-diving, birdwatching, horse riding, hiking, cycling, canoeing, swimming and more.

You can participate in our very popular swimming and running marathons such as the Pick n Pay Argus Cycle Tour, the Comrades Marathon, the Berg River Canoe Marathon, the Midmar Mile, the Absa Cape Epic Cycle Race and the Two Oceans Marathon. South Africa has also produced some of the world’s golfing greats and we have some of the best golf courses in the world.

If its art, theatre, music or dance you’re after, South Africa’s cosmopolitan cities and vibrant townships are home to many art, literary, theatre, music and cultural venues, and hold many events and festivals.