The Best Ten-Day South Africa Vacation Itinerary

South Africa, our home country. Very few countries' attractions are as diverse as South Africa’s. There is so much to see and do here. 

When planning a trip to South Africa, ten days is generally the recommended duration. This enables one to see and do as much as possible at a relaxed pace. If we were to plan a ten-day South Africa vacation itinerary for you it would sound a little like this. 

If there are two things South Africa is best known for, it is a safari, of course, and a metropolis experience. All our cities have so much history and culture to discover. 

We’re always in such awe that there’s a destination in Africa that is able to offer an authentic Safari experience, alongside a cultural, city one. 

Cape Town

Let’s start with the metropolis experience. Our favourite city in South Africa, is none other than the “Mother City”, Cape Town.

The great thing about Cape Town is that you do not only have a city experience, but you also get to explore all the beautiful natural wonders around the area, as well as stunning beaches.  When saying “natural wonders” I am referring to Cape Point, Boulders Beach, Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Gardens and much more.

What’s special is that one day you could be on a city tour surrounded by massive corporate buildings and learning all about Cape Town’s history, and the next you're surrounded by the ocean and mountain-like landscapes in Cape Point. Spending three nights in Cape Town is the perfect amount of time to discover all it has to offer.  

Winelands

We just had to include this in your ten-day itinerary. The Cape Winelands is one of our favourite places to be, and you can guess why.

 All one needs is two nights here, giving you a day to do some wine tastings, wine pairings and cellar tours. The Winelands area is quite dense, allowing you to explore all the popular wine farms in a short time period.  

Another great part of the Winelands is food. If you're a foodie like me, then this is the place to be. The restaurants at most wine farms are of top quality. All I can say is, have a blast on the one day that you have here. 

Kruger National Park  

Next on my itinerary, is the Kruger National Park. The Kruger National Park is South Africa’s ultimate safari destination. Kruger is known for being home to the Big Five and a diverse variety of other wildlife, including 150 mammal species and at least 500 bird species.

The Kruger consists of an area we call the greater Kruger (basically meaning it is owned by the South African government) and multiple private concessions around the Kruger (owned privately). We prefer private concessions as they have their own set of rules that make game viewing more convenient and accessible. We divide the private concessions into Northern and Southern parts.

We recommend both areas should be seen if time allows of course, specifically, Timbavati Game Reserve in the Northern area and Sabi Sands Game Reserve in the Southern area.  Generally, the Northern private concessions are known for exclusivity as mass tourism is not often found here, as well as fantastic mammal and bird sightings. 

The Southern part, on the other hand, is well known for big cat sightings. By going to both these areas you are allowing yourself to experience the best the Kruger has to offer. A safari in Kruger is like none you’ve ever seen before. Each destination mentioned is guaranteed to leave you with unforgettable memories and exciting, heart-racing experiences.