The Perfect 2 Week South Africa Itinerary for first timers

South Africa is an amazing country with absolutely heaps to see and do. We’ve visited many times, on honeymoon, meeting up with friends and most recently with kids. It really does have something for everyone. Our latest trip was in April and as we were taking the kids we had just two weeks to cover as much as we could. I’ve detailed our exact 2 week South Africa itinerary below which covers everything from safari, beaches, vineyards and beautiful cities. I hope you’ll love it as much as we did.

These two weeks would be perfect for first timers or for those wanting to travel at a pretty calm pace – ideal for families! We tried not to include too many long travel days and stuck to the West and along the Garden route.

Two weeks in South Africa Overview

Our main stops along this route were:

• Franshhoek for the vineyards
• Gondwana Game Reserve for safari
• Knysna for beaches and sunset views
• De Kelders for nature reserves and shark diving
• Cape Town for a few city days.

The route took 14 days with us moving every 3/4 days. We covered over 750 miles with about 16 hours driving in total. A rental car is absolutely essential for this itinerary, I think that’s pretty much the case wherever you travel in South Africa.

The best part of this itinerary is that we didn’t have to take any domestic flights. Our safari was just a 4 hour drive from Cape Town which reduced both time wasted and cost. We started in Cape Town and ended in Cape Town which made hiring a car from the airport super simple.

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Our Full 2-Week Itinerary for South Africa

Day 1 – Cape Town

Accomodation – Verde Hotel Cape Town Airport

We landed at 11pm into Cape Town. Having heard it wasn’t too safe to drive in the dark we booked into the Cape Town airport hotel and had a good nights sleep.

Day 2 – Franshhoek

Accommodation – Belmont Boutique Hotel

Drive time – Cape Town airport to Franshhoek – 1 hr 15.

Distance travelled – 40 miles

Arrived in Franshhoek at midday. Checked in to The Belmont and walked to the Wine Tram. Hopped on the pink line to enjoy the route and visited Grande Provence Wine Estate for a stunning picnic and wine tasting.

Spent the evening back at The Belmont enjoying the pool and outdoor kitchen.

Day 3 – Gondwana Safari

Accommodation – Gondwana Game Reserve

Drive Time – 4 hrs 30. Plus time driving in the reserve

Distance travelled – 200 miles

Spent the morning exploring the town of Franshhoek before setting off east towards Mossel Bay. The start of the drive through the winelands mountains was breathtaking.

Stopped in Swellendam at a gorgeous bistro called Tredici for lunch and to stock up on safari supplies.

Arrived at Godwana Game Reserve at 5.30pm spotting elephants along the way. This is a luxury game reserve, home to the big five and malaria free. Checked in, enjoyed a drink at the bar and headed to our Lehele Villa for an early night.

Day 4 – Gondwana Safari

Accomodation – Gondwana Game Reserve

Drive time – self drive to and from game drives 1 hour.

Distance travelled – around the Game Reserve

A very early start (5am) for our first game drive of two. Saw so many amazing animals including lions, giraffes, elephants, hippos, rhinos, wildebeest and buffalo. We had around 6 hours between game drives to catch up on our sleep and enjoy the accommodation. Our second game drive took in the most amazing sunset and we ended our day with dinner in the beautiful restaurant onsite.

Read what a typical safari day is actually like to get a feel for what you can expect.

Day 5 – Knysna

Accommodation – Phillip Villa Knysna Heads

Drive Time – 2 hrs 20

Distance travelled – 100 miles

Another 5am start for our third and final game drive. Checked out of Gondwana and drove the 45 minutes to Mossel Bay on the coast for lunch. Explored this charming seaside town and enjoyed the food at Delfinos.

Then it was a 1 hr 40 minute drive to Phillip Villa on the Knysna Heads. We arrived at 4.30 pm, explored the beautiful house and had a quick dip in the pool before another early night.

Day 6 – Knysna

Accommodation – Phillip Villa Knysna Heads

Drive time – 40 minute to and from Thesen Island

Distance travelled – 10 miles

After a busy few days, this felt like a pretty blissful break. We had a slow start before heading down one of the many hiking trails on the Knysna Heads and made our way down to Coney Glen Beach. We watched the waves, climbed rocks and had a paddle.

Next we made the drive to Thessen Island in Knysna and enjoyed a cheeky cocktail at the waterfront before jumping aboard our sunset boat tour at 5.30pm. This was another highlight of the trip, our guide was super knowledgeable as we sailed around the lagoon. We were treated to a glass of fizz and watched the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen.

Then it was dinner at Sirocco at the waterfront before heading back to our villa for the night.

Day 7 – Plettenberg Bay

Accommodation – Phillip Villa Knysna Heads

Drive time – 1 hour

Distance travelled – 45 miles

Following a fairly late start we headed to Plettenberg Bay which was half an hour from our villa in Knysna. Plettenberg is home to a gorgeous white sand beach with a very relaxed vibe. I wouldn’t advice having a swim as there were shark warnings everywhere.

We had a long lazy lunch at the gorgeous restaurant right on Plettenberg beach. A great spot to gaze out to see and enjoy yet more South African Wine.

Next we headed back to the villa for a quick changed before heading out to dinner just steps away from where we were staying on the Knysna Heads. The 2 Stories Restaurant located in the Mount Knysna Hotel is absolutely stunning with gorgeous views over the Knysna lagoon. Food is prepared in the open kitchen in front of your and it was totally delicious.

Day 8 – Brenton on Sea

Accommodation – Phillip Villa Knysna Heads

Drive time – 1 hour

Distance travelled – 30 miles

For the morning we decided to explore Leisure Isle on the Knysna Lagoon. It’s home to some sweet beaches and the very cute Steenbok Nature Reserve. We also found the most charming coffee shop and bakery for a late breakfast.

Next up it was the short drive to yet another gorgeous beach – Brenton on Sea. The drive from Knysna Took us round the whole of the lagoon and offered up some jaw dropping views. We spent a few hours wandering across the sand and relaxing with our toes in the sea before heading back to Knysna for the evening.

Dinner was a very social occasion at Blend Country Restaurant. Where we enjoyed the energetic live music and even had a dance before heading home.

Day 9 – De Kelders

Accommodation – Whale Huys

Drive time – 5 hours

Distance travelled – 260 miles

Today was a pretty long travel day so we checked out of Phillip Villa and headed back west along the N2. We stopped again at Tredici for lunch as we enjoyed it so much.

We arrived in De Kelders, a small town just outside of Gans Bay at around 5pm and checked into our gorgeous 3 story villa. Whale Huys is a stunning property with 4 bedrooms, an infinity pool and wood fired hot tub right on the coast.

Day 10 – De Kelders

Accommodation – Whale Huys

Drive Time – 15 minutes

Distance travelled – 10 miles

After our fairly full on travel day we decided to take it very easy on day ten. This didn’t stop us getting out and exploring.

The morning was spent in the pool and hot tub at Whale Huys followed by a walk directly from our villa down to the rocky beach. We spotted turtles and took in the bright blue of the Soth Atlantic Sea.

We spent the afternoon at Walker Bay Nature Reserve which is home to the Klipgat Caves which is about a 15 minute walk down some steps from the car park. They were home to middle stone age people and is where some really interesting artefacts have been found. It’s a gorgeous area for a hike and a beach walk.

Dinner was a BBQ back at Whale Huys where we watched yet another glorious sunset before an early night.

Day 11 – Gansbaai

Accommodation – Whale Huys

Drive Time – 20 minutes

Distance travelled – 7 miles

Today was probably the most adventurous of the trip. Shark diving! Not something I ever thought I would do, especially not with kids! The company we booked with were so kind and knowledgeable it made the whole experience a lot less scary.

We were provided with wetsuits and a towel and headed out in a boat before taking it in turns to hop into a cage as sharks swam around us. Not great whites, apparently they had been scared away by the whales but the sharks were plenty big enough for me!

We travelled with a local marine biologist who had heaps of knowledge about the sea life and the fragile ecosystem of the area.

The afternoon/evening was a repeat of the previous – fun in the pool, BBQ and sunset. The diving was more than enough entertainment for one day!

Day 12 – Cape Town

Accommodation – Pepperclub Hotel Cape Town

Drive Time – 3 hours

Distance travelled – 115 miles

Yet another check out and busy day but we were still able to cram plenty in. We left (sadly) Whale Huys and drove for 40 minutes to Hermanus for brunch. We loved Ficks Pool Restaurant overlooking the sea which was right on the Hermanus cliff path and nature reserve.

Then it was another 50 minute drive to Betty’s Bay so were could cram in some more wildlife sightings. This time it was African penguins – yes they do live on the beach and yes, you can pretty much walk freely amongst them.

Once we could tear ourselves away from the penguins it was back in the car for our final drive of the trip – An hour and a half to Cape Town. This was along the whale route and took in some of the most spectacular roads I’ve travelled along.

We checked into our hotel and then headed out to the V and A Waterfront for dinner.

Day 13 – Cape Town

Accommodation – Pepperclub Hotel Cape Town

Drive Time – zero – Ubers and very cheap, safe and easy to find in Cape Town

If there was a city that could convince me to move back to a city, it would be Cape Town. Its amazing! We spent day 13’s morning exploring the super colourful Bo Kaap district.

After lunch we hiked up a very windy and steep Lions Head Mountain which provided some amazing views across the city and out to sea.

Next we recovered with a trip to Sea Point for ice cream, another lovely district in Cape Town. This time right next to the sea.

Dinner was a taxi to Camps Bay to the Codfather – a fantastic fresh fish restaurant we discovered years ago on our honeymoon. We had a mooch around Camps Bay before watching the sunset on the beach. The beach offers a great view of the Lions Head peak we had climbed earlier. A perfect way to end the day.

Day 14 – Cape Town

Accommodation – Pepperclub Hotel Cape Town

Day 14 was our last full day in South Africa and we spent it exploring the V & A Waterfront area. The kids wanted to get some shopping down so dragged us around the mall and cute souvenir shops. It’s a very vibrant area with heaps to do and see so just wandering around, taking in the street performers and laughing at the seals was great fun.

Then we visited the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art to take in some of their fascinating exhibitions. It’s a lovely gallery in a stunning building and I highly recommend popping in if you’re visiting the V & A.

We enjoyed a delicious fish dinner at Sevruga Restaurant in the Waterfront before a quick ride on the big wheel and an uber back to the hotel.

Day 15 – Cape Town and Home

We didn’t fly home until the evening of day 15 so I’ve included it as a bonus day! In the morning we headed up to the base of Table Mountain for some more views across the city. The Cable car was unfortunately closed so we couldn’t make it to the top. Although we had a few years before and I highly recommend a trip up if you can.

Then we headed back to the V & A for a late lunch at Time Out market and a spot more shopping in the smaller independent stores.

Finally we drove back to the airport to drop off our hire car and head home. Sad to be leaving but with heaps of memories made.

Overall Highlights of this 2 week South African Highlight

Honestly there were so many highlights to our two weeks in South Africa. It seemed like every day a new core memory was unlocked. If you would like to switch up this itinerary a bit you could reduce some of the beach days and continue the drive further East to Port Elizabeth which is the official end of the garden route.

What I’d do differently

If you would like to switch up this itinerary a bit you could reduce some of the beach days and continue the drive further East to Port Elizabeth which is the official end of the garden route. Apart from that I wouldn’t really change much, maybe have another night on Safari or another day exploring the wine region so we didn’t feel to rushed.

Practical tips for planning your own South Africa Itinerary

• Book your safari accommodation early – popular lodges have limited space to reduce visitor numbers and rooms available.
• Plan around the seasons depending on what your main focus is – Summer (December to February) is perfect for beaches around Cape Town, while winter (June to August) offers some of the best safari viewing thanks to thinner vegetation and drier conditions.
• Be mindful of load shedding – This is where electricity services are restricted during certain times of the day. Make sure to choose accommodation that has it’s own generator.
• Don’t underestimate driving distances – We found the roads to be in pretty good condition but trafic can build up close to towns and cities and scenic routes will take you longer due to the meandering nature of the roads.

How to get around

For this itinerary you will need to hire a car or private driver. The Garden route is very well travelled by tourists so the roads are in good condition and very easy to navigate. Once you are in towns and cities Ubers are plentiful, safe and incredibly cheap.

Use a company like Discover Cars to compare the cost of your rental and be sure to book something big enough if you’re going on safari.

Budget expectations

Getting to South Africa and your time on safari will be you biggest budget sucks. I’m not going to lie, it can be very expensive. Don’t let that put you off though, a South Africa family holiday can be as cheap as two weeks in Europe in August! When you’re in country accommodation, restaurants, car hire and taxis are all still incredibly cheap. Our 2 week itinerary over the Easter holidays cost us under £6,000 for our family of three. Sharing airbnbs with another family of 3 helped us keep the costs down. With the right research it can be done.

Booking advice

Don’t be afraid to self book. It will save you money and isn’t that complicated. I always use Skyscanner to check for the best prices for flights. Then I look at Booking.com and AirBnb for accomodation. Finally Discover cars for the best price on car hire.

If you don’t fancy booking your trip yourselves there are plenty of companies that will put together an itinerary for you. Abercrombie & Kent and Audley Travel both have some pretty good itineraries you can book totally stress free.

FAQs

Is two weeks enough time in South Africa?

If you plan on following a very similar route to the one detailed above it is definitley enough time to get a really good feel for the country. If you want to add some time in Durban or Kruger for a more authentic safari you may need to add some extra time or reduce your time exploring the Garden route.

Is South Africa suitable for kids

We were travelling with two 13 year olds and we found everywhere extremely child friendly. It’s a real adventure experience and they’ll remember the trip forever. Most safaris lodges will have their own rules for kids so be sure to check them before you book.

Final thoughts on our two weeks in South Africa – Would we go back?

For me, the sign of a successful holiday is whether I want to return. It’s a resounding yes for South Africa, we’ll definitely be heading back to explore more.