14-Day South Africa Itinerary: Cape Town, Garden Route & Kruger

Two weeks is the minimum that does justice to South Africa’s highlights. This itinerary covers the three most popular regions — Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula, the Garden Route, and Kruger — using a combination of hire car and domestic flights.

It’s a full two weeks. Each day has content. If you’re the type who prefers a slower pace, consider dropping the Garden Route section and spending more days in Cape Town or Kruger instead.

Quick links: Cape Town guide | Winelands | Garden Route | Kruger safari | Mpumalanga/Kruger region | Getting around | Budget guide | Best time to visit

14-Day Overview

Days	Where	Transport	Nights
1–2	Cape Town	Fly in to CPT	2
3–4	Cape Town — Peninsula and surrounds	Hire car	2
5–6	Cape Winelands (Stellenbosch, Franschhoek)	Hire car	1–2
7–10	Garden Route (Knysna, Plett, Tsitsikamma)	Hire car	3–4
11	George to Johannesburg (fly)	Domestic flight	0 transit
11–13	Kruger National Park	Hire car (from Joburg or KMIA)	3
14	Johannesburg or depart	Fly out from JNB	—

Best time for this itinerary: May–September (dry season, best game viewing in Kruger, cooler in Cape Town) or September–October (whale season, good game viewing, warming temperatures in Cape Town). See the best time to visit for month-by-month detail.

Flights In

Fly into Cape Town International Airport (CPT). Most long-haul flights from Europe connect through Johannesburg — either transfer at OR Tambo or fly direct to Cape Town. See our flights to South Africa guide for airline options, booking windows, and open-jaw ticketing.

From London: British Airways flies direct to Cape Town (11 hours). Emirates, Qatar, and Etihad connect via Dubai/Doha (14–16 hours total). KLM connects via Amsterdam. Direct is significantly more comfortable for the return leg. Compare prices across airlines on Aviasales — useful for spotting open-jaw fares (fly into Cape Town, out of Johannesburg).

Fly out of: Johannesburg OR Tambo (JNB). This is a one-way itinerary — you land in Cape Town and fly home from Joburg. Plan accordingly.

Days 1–2: Cape Town Arrival

Arrive Cape Town, recover from the flight.

Day 1: Get to your hotel. Table Mountain is the obvious first sight if you arrive with enough daylight and good weather — always check conditions before going. Otherwise, walk the V&A Waterfront, have dinner on the harbour. Shops and restaurants are open late.

Day 2: Table Mountain cableway (R430 return, book online). Morning departure, 1.5–2 hours on the summit. Afternoon in the Bo-Kaap or Company’s Garden. Evening on Kloof Street for dinner — Kloof Street House (mains R180–280) is a reliable choice.

Where to stay in Cape Town: More Quarters (De Waterkant) — from approximately R3,000 per night as of 2026, stylish suites walkable to the Waterfront. Mid-range: a Sea Point or Gardens guesthouse, R1,200–2,000. Budget: The Backpack (Upper Bree Street) — dorms from R400.

Days 3–4: Cape Peninsula and Surrounds

Day 3: Full Cape Peninsula drive. Hire a car at the airport or from a city centre agency. Hout Bay → Chapman’s Peak Drive → Cape of Good Hope (R353 entry) → Cape Point → Boulders Beach penguins (R220) → Kalk Bay → return to Cape Town. Full day, 150 km loop.

Day 4: Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden (R220) and the Atlantic Seaboard. Morning at Kirstenbosch, afternoon at Camps Bay beach promenade. Dinner in Sea Point or at the Waterfront.

Days 5–6: Cape Winelands

Drive to Stellenbosch (45 minutes from Cape Town). Stay 1–2 nights in the Winelands rather than driving back to Cape Town daily.

Day 5: Arrive Stellenbosch at mid-morning. Afternoon: 2 wine estate tastings (Tokara and Jordan, or Kanonkop and Rust en Vrede for serious wine). Dinner in Stellenbosch at Terroir or Overture.

Day 6: Morning: Franschhoek Wine Tram (R190–270) or drive via the Franschhoek Pass (Helshoogte Pass route is spectacular). Afternoon: Franschhoek main street, lunch at a winery. Return to Stellenbosch. Alternatively, continue east to start the Garden Route.

Days 7–10: The Garden Route (Hire Car)

Drive east from Stellenbosch/Cape Town on the N2. Allow 4 days for the Garden Route — it’s 300 km with plenty worth stopping for.

Day 7: Mossel Bay to Wilderness Drive to Mossel Bay (4.5 hours from Stellenbosch, allow for stops). Brief stop at Dias Museum. Continue to Wilderness — the lagoon, kayaking on the Touw River, the Wilderness beaches. Stay overnight.

Day 8: Knysna Drive to Knysna (1 hour). Knysna Heads, the lagoon ferry to the Featherbed Nature Reserve (R270), oysters at the Quays. Knysna Elephant Park (R550) if you want to walk with elephants. Overnight Knysna.

Day 9: Plettenberg Bay and Bloukrans Drive to Plett (35 minutes). Morning at Robberg Nature Reserve (R100, seal colony, dramatic coastal walk). Afternoon: optional Bloukrans Bridge bungee jump (R1,095 if you’re doing it — 216m, world’s highest). Overnight in Plett.

Day 10: Tsitsikamma and Storms River Drive to Tsitsikamma National Park (50 minutes). Entry R204. Walk the suspension bridge at Storms River Mouth. Dramatic coastline. If you have time and the trail is open, walk the first section of the Otter Trail for the views. Return to Plett or continue east to Gqeberha.

Getting from Garden Route to Kruger

Fly from George: Fly from George Airport (GRJ) to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) — this requires a connection at Johannesburg on Airlink. Allow 4–5 hours travel time. Alternatively:

Fly from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth): If you’ve driven to the eastern end of the Garden Route, Gqeberha Airport (PLZ) has flights to Johannesburg. Pick up a hire car at KMIA.

Budget for flights: George/PLZ to KMIA via JNB: R1,500–3,000 per person depending on booking timing.

Pick up a hire car at KMIA — essential for Kruger self-drive. GetRentacar lets you compare rates from Avis, Budget, Europcar and others at the airport. Our getting around South Africa guide covers insurance excess, what to check at the desk, and transfer options from OR Tambo.

Days 11–14: Kruger National Park

4 nights in Kruger. This is the heart of the itinerary. Stay at SANParks rest camps inside the park, or upgrade to a private reserve lodge:

• Budget (inside Kruger): Lower Sabie Rest Camp — self-catering chalets from approximately R1,800 per unit per night as of 2026. Overlooking the Sabie River, one of the best camps for wildlife sightings from camp itself. Skukuza and Berg-en-Dal are strong alternatives.
• Mid-range (Greater Kruger): Klaserie Drift Safari Camps — from approximately R5,000 per person per night, all-inclusive, unfenced bush camp with guided drives.
• Luxury (Greater Kruger): Londolozi Founders Camp (Sabi Sand Reserve) — from approximately R15,000 per person per night, all-inclusive. One of the original private safari lodges, legendary leopard territory. See Kruger vs private reserves for whether the upgrade is worth it.

Day 11: Arrive KMIA, pick up hire car. Drive to Numbi or Paul Kruger Gate (1–2 hours). Entry fee: R440 per adult per day + R204 per vehicle. Check in to your rest camp (Skukuza, Lower Sabie, or Berg-en-Dal recommended). Afternoon game drive from your camp.

Day 12–13: Full days in the park. Wake before sunrise. Park gates open 30 minutes before sunrise — be on the road early. Drive slowly (25 km/h), concentrate on river crossings and waterholes. Break at your rest camp during the hottest part of the afternoon (11:00–15:00). Return to the road in the late afternoon. Evening in camp — rest camps have restaurants, shops, and braai facilities.

Sightings to focus on:

• Southern Kruger: lion, white rhino, buffalo (H4-2 road between Crocodile Bridge and Lower Sabie)
• Around Satara (central): lion prides, cheetah
• Any river crossing: elephant, hippo, crocodile
• Thick bush near Skukuza: leopard (luck and patience required)

Day 14: Morning game drive, check out of rest camp, drive to KMIA (2–3 hours). Return hire car. Fly to Johannesburg (1 hour) and connect to your international flight.

Allow: OR Tambo international departures require 2.5–3 hours for check-in and security. The KMIA to JNB flight is 1 hour. Connecting international departures need to be timed carefully — we’d suggest at minimum 3.5–4 hours between arriving at OR Tambo and your international departure.

Budget Summary (per person)

Category	Estimated Cost
Accommodation (13 nights)	R20,000–30,000
Food and drink (14 days)	R8,000–12,000
Hire cars (Cape Peninsula/Garden Route, then Kruger)	R7,000–10,000 total
Domestic flights (Garden Route → Kruger, return JNB)	R4,000–7,000
Cape Point entry	R353
Boulders Beach	R220
Table Mountain cableway	R430
Robben Island	R650
Winelands tastings	R900–1,500
Garden Route (Tsitsikamma entry, Robberg, etc.)	R800
Kruger conservation fees (4 days)	R1,760 + R204 vehicle
Ubers + miscellaneous	R3,000–5,000
Total (excluding international flights)	R47,000–69,000 (~£1,960–2,875 at R24/£)

These are per-person mid-range figures based on guesthouse accommodation and rest camp stays. Solo travellers pay more; groups of 2–4 sharing cars and accommodation pay less per person.

Budget Tiers at a Glance (per person sharing, as of 2026)

Category	Budget	Mid-range	Upscale
Accommodation	R20,000	R42,000	R110,000
Meals	R8,000	R14,000	R25,000
Activities & park entry	R6,000	R10,000	R15,000
Domestic flights	R4,000	R6,000	R8,000
Car hire + fuel	R9,000	R12,000	R18,000
Total	R47,000	R84,000	R176,000
In USD (approx.)	USD 2,470	USD 4,420	USD 9,260

All prices approximate as of 2026. The upscale tier assumes a private-lodge Kruger stay.

Alternative Route: Johannesburg to Cape Town via the East

If you’d rather trade the Garden Route for the Drakensberg and the KwaZulu-Natal coast, run the trip in the other direction: fly into Johannesburg, finish in Cape Town.

The shape of it: Johannesburg and Soweto (2 nights) → Kruger (3 nights) → Panorama Route (1 night) → fly Hoedspruit to Durban (2 nights) → Drakensberg (2 nights) → fly Durban to Cape Town (3 nights) → Stellenbosch on the way to the airport. Two internal flights — Hoedspruit–Durban on Airlink (approximately R2,500–4,000 one way as of 2026) and Durban–Cape Town on FlySafair (approximately R1,500–3,000).

Highlights unique to this version:

• Johannesburg: Apartheid Museum (R125, closed Mondays), a guided Soweto tour (from approximately R750), Constitution Hill (R95). Stay at Hallmark House in Maboneng (from R1,800 per night) or Curiocity Backpackers (dorms from R350).
• Panorama Route: Blyde River Canyon’s Three Rondavels (free), Bourke’s Luck Potholes (R80), God’s Window (R30 parking), Graskop Gorge Lift (R150), pancakes at Harrie’s in Graskop (R80–130). Full detail in the Panorama Route guide.
• Durban: uShaka Marine World (from R238), Victoria Street Market, a bunny chow at Goundens (from R60). The Oyster Box in Umhlanga (from R4,500 per night) is the iconic stay; Benjamin Hotel (from R1,600) is the mid-range pick.
• Drakensberg: Cathedral Peak Hotel (from R2,800 per person half-board) or Inkosana Lodge (from R800 self-catering). Hike to the Tugela Falls chain ladders or visit the Giant’s Castle rock art caves — see Drakensberg hiking.

This route involves more moving parts (three separate car hires, two flights) and skips the Garden Route entirely — choose it if mountains and Zulu coast culture appeal more than coastal lagoons and forest.