The best 3 weeks in South Africa itinerary: from Johannesburg to Cape Town

This 3 weeks in South Africa itinerary includes the best places to stay and things to do, to help you plan your road trip in South Africa.

South Africa is one of the most beautiful and diverse countries in the world and, without a doubt, one of the best travel adventures we’ve ever had. Golden beaches, amazing wildlife, stunning sceneries, wonderful cities, a rich history, and great food and wine…In other words, a destination that truly offers something for every traveler.

Are you planning a road trip in South Africa, and you could use some inspiration? In our South Africa itinerary, we listed all the main highlights you need to see, making it perfect for a first-time visit. We also included a map with our route from Johannesburg to Cape Town and the accommodations we’ve stayed.

A road trip in South Africa with a rental car

South Africa is a big country with so many beautiful places to see, making it quite hard to plan the perfect itinerary. During our 3 weeks in South Africa itinerary, we rented a car to drive from Johannesburg to Cape Town.

Once we arrived in Johannesburg we picked up our car at the airport and drove towards Kruger National Park and dropped the car in Durban to take a domestic flight to Port Elizabeth. In Port Elizabeth, we rented another rental car and continued along the famous Garden Route to Cape Town.

The route below is perfect for 3 weeks in South Africa with enough time to explore all the different stops.

The best 3 weeks in South Africa itinerary: From Johannesburg to Cape Town

Day 1 – Day 3: Guernsey Private Nature Reserve – Limpopo

Travel distance: 475 km – 5h 30m
Accommodation: Ngama Tented Safari Lodge

Many people start a trip to South Africa with a few days of exploring Johannesburg but we choose to hit the road straight away. With a location nearby the Panorama Route and close to Kruger to track the Big 5, Guernsey Private Nature Reserve in Limpopo is the perfect stop-over to spend a few days before exploring the rest of South Africa.

The province Limpopo, the Northernmost Province of South Africa, or like they say ‘The Great North’, is home to the many nature reserves that are amongst some of the best in the world and spectacular mountain sceneries that attract many nature and wildlife enthusiasts worldwide.

The best way to get to Guernsey Private Nature Reserve is by car as there are so many things and activities you can do here, but be sure you don’t miss the Panorama Route. With the iconic Three Rondavels, beautiful viewpoints, and stunning waterfalls this is a must-see! If you like pancakes, be sure to stop along the way at Harrie’s Pancakes, a famous pancake restaurant in the little town of Graskop.

Day 3 – Day 4: Sabi Sands Game Reserve – Kruger National Park

Travel distance: 98 km – 2h 30m
Accommodation: Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Sabi Sands is the most famous private game reserve of all. With a location bordering Kruger National Park, it’s the best place for the ultimate luxury safari and home to the Big 5. Unlike Kruger National Park, Sabi Sands Game Reserve is not open to the public. You will stay here in a luxury lodge in the very heart of the bush sharing the incredible wilderness with only a few other guests.

The lodges in Sabi Sands are including all meals and activities such as game drives and bush walks. Gin and tonic sundowners, tracking wildlife, and breathtaking views over the African bush… Unforgettable experience!

Day 4 – Day 6: Kruger National Park

Travel distance: 23 km – 40min.
Accommodation: La Kruger Lifestyle Lodge

The world-famous Kruger National Park is the oldest Park in Africa, covering an area of just under 20 000 square kilometers. Kruger National Park is perfect for a day-visit but you can easily spend days inside the park. There are 9 entrance gates and we entered through the ‘Paul Kruger’ gate and left the National Park via the ‘Malelane’ gate, where we stayed at Marloth Park, a wildlife sanctuary situated on the southern boundary of the Kruger National Park.

The entrance fee of R280/person for a full day can be paid at one of the gates before you enter. There are also a few picnic spots inside the park, so you can easily bring your own lunch to enjoy a mid-break.

Good to know: there is a speed limit of 50 km/h on tar roads and 40 km/h on gravel roads. And yes they do speed controls inside the park.

Day 6 – Day 7: Eswatini (Swaziland)

Travel distance: 204 km – 3h 10m + border crossing
Accommodation: Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary

eSwatini (former Swaziland) is one of the last absolute monarchies in the world and one of the smallest countries in whole Africa. When you come from Kruger National Park, you easily cross the border with your passport and R50 road tax for your car.

The country is full of amazing landscapes, which makes it a haven for landscape photographers. We joined a walking bush-safari, did some hiking, and visited a cultural village where the kids performed with a traditional dance. But there are many other activities to do such as white water rafting, horse riding, mountain biking, …

eSwatini is the perfect addition to your road trip in South Africa and if you can, we highly recommend adding at least one more night here.

Day 7 – Day 9: Zululand Rhino Reserve

Travel distance: 230 km – 3h + border crossing
Accommodation: Rhino River Lodge

This was one of the stops we looked forward to so much during our 3 weeks in South Africa itinerary! The Zululand Rhino Reserve is a 20 000 ha belt of private conservation land that has been established as a reserve to protect the endangered Black Rhino and home to the famous Big Five.

There are a couple of private game lodges within the reserve, where you book the whole unique safari experience. We stayed two nights at Rhino River Lodge, which is located in the Southern section of the Zululand Rhino Reserve. It’s a relaxed family-style safari lodge where you book a unique personalized bush experience with basically everything inclusive. Magical experience!

Day 9 – Day 10: Exploring St. Lucia + Durban

Travel distance:

• From Rhino River Lodge to St. Lucia: 102 km – 1h 20m
• From St. Lucia to Durban 245 km – 2h 30m

Accommodation: Coastlands Umhlanga Hotel

St Lucia is a cute little seaside town and situated in the heart of Hippo Land. With the largest hippo population in South Africa, this is the place to explore the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and see the amazing hippos and crocodiles in their natural habitat. We booked a 2 hour ‘Hippo & Croc Boat Cruise’ and got so close to the hippos. Unforgettable!

After the cruise, we continued our way to Durban where we stayed for the night to catch an early morning flight to Port Elizabeth.

Day 10: Flight from Durban to Port Elizabeth

The driving distance between Durban and Port Elizabeth is around 910 km. You can either choose to drive all the way or using those “extra” days on the West Coast. We choose the second option and dropped our car at the airport of Durban (DUR) to catch an early morning flight to Port Elizabeth (PLZ) which took us approximately 1,5 hours to arrive.

At the airport of Port Elizabeth, we picked up another rental car and continued our way to the next stop. Easy like that!

Check here the best domestic flights deals

Day 10 – Day 12: Driving the Garden Route + Plettenberg Bay

Travel distance: 230 km – 2h 30m
Accommodation: The Grand Cafe & Rooms

The Garden Route is one of the most scenic drives in South Africa and stretches from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town. It is full of beautiful hiking trails, secret beaches, and incredible views along the way. We picked Plettenberg Bay or ‘Plett’ as the locals say, as our first stop.

Plett is also known as ‘the beautiful bay of The Garden Route’ and is a true little paradise. A cozy small town with stunning beaches where you can easily spend a few days. Watching the sunrise at Keurbooms Beach, hiking the Robberg Nature Reserve, exploring Tsitsikamma National Park and bungee jumping from the highest commercial bridge in the world are only a few of the activities you can do here.

Tip: Go for lunch or a cold drink to the Lookout Deck, an amazing spot at Plett with stunning ocean views. And for the ultimate dining experience, you need to check out the restaurant of Emily Moon River Lodge. Such a lovely setting overlooking the Bitou River. Our all-time favorite!

Day 12: Driving to Swellendam along Route 62

Travel distance:

• The fastest route is about 300 km – 3h 10m
• We choose the scenic road of Route 62 – 375 km – 4h 30m

There are basically two ways to get from Plettenberg Bay to Swellendam. If you like to take the scenic one as we did, turn on the drive towards Oudtshoorn. From here you enter the famous Route 62, also known as the ‘longest wine route in the world’.

This scenic drive takes you into the heart of the Little Karoo through green vineyards, mountain passes, and small cute villages. In Oudtshoorn, you can have a meet & greet with the ostriches. Really cool! Then toward Barrydale, you need to stop at Ronnies Sex Shop and write something on their wall. Hilarious… (and nope, this is not a real sex shop)

Last but not least, grab a legendary milkshake at Diesel & Creme in Barrydale village itself. The ‘Belgian Chocolate’ and the ‘Cookie Shake’ are so yummy!

Day 12 – Day 14: Swellendam

Accommodation: A Hilltop Country Retreat

Swellendam, a town full of beautiful architecture is the perfect starting point to explore the many wineries in the area. We loved doing the Robertson wine route. Great wine tastings while having stunning views with picturesque mountains as your backdrop. Yep, that’s here! We’ve visited the family-owned winery of Van Loveren, where you can do different wine pairings for R50 per tasting.

Another lovely experience is the “Breede River Cruise” at Viljoensdrift. You fill a picnic basket with tasty food from their Deli, then you jump on the one-hour cruise enjoying the amazing sceneries to do afterward a wine tasting on their deck. Lovely!

Tip: If you search for a good spot for dinner in Swellendam, go to ‘De Vagabond’. Our favorite one!

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A wine tasting tour in the Robertson Valley

Day 14 – Day 15: Hermanus

Travel distance: 150 km – 1h 40m
Accommodation: Whale Away Guest House

Before heading to Hermanus, you need to stop at Cape Agulhas. Looking out over the ocean and standing at the place where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean, crazy feeling!

Hermanus, a laid-back seaside town, is a popular stop for whale-watching. The Cliff Path in Hermanus is a walking trail that runs almost the whole length of the town. During whale season, this is the place to spot the whales. The best time to see those giants is between July and November. Besides whale-watching, Hermanus is also a good place to stay when you want to go cage-diving with the great white sharks.

Read also: 12 awesome things to do in South Africa

Tip: our favorite food spots in Hermanus were Pear Tree, the Fisherman’s Cottage, and La Pentola.

Day 15 – Day 17: Stellenbosch & Paarl

Travel distance: 98 km – 1h 20m
Accommodation: Marianne Wine Estate

More wine tastings and great food the following days. Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa is a great spot to stay surrounded by amazing vineyards. It’s such a beautiful town full of antique stores and excellent restaurants.

In Paarl, a spectacular wine valley, you need to lunch at Blacksmith’s Kitchen. Try their wood-fired pizzas and enjoy the best views over the Berg River Valley. Picture perfect!

Day 17 – Day 20: Cape Town

Travel distance: 55 km – 45m
Accommodation: Cape Finest Guesthouse

Cape Town, the mother city, is a real paradise for everyone! One of the most beautiful cities we’ve ever visited and a place where you can do and see hundreds of things. Hiking the Table Mountain and Lion’s Head where you have 360-degree views of the city or spending a relaxing day at one of the incredible beaches. Meeting the penguins at Boulder Beach, high-quality dining, or driving the scenic Chapman’s Peak are just a few of the many things to do that make Cape Town so unique!

Read also: The 12 best things to do in Cape Town

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