For vacationers looking for something unusual, interesting, and different, South Africa tours are available throughout the various regions of the country, and they cater to couples, families, and groups, offering numerous touring opportunities that include historical attractions, wildlife safaris, hiking, and wine tours.

A tour of South Africa can be in one specific region, such as along the coastline bordering the Atlantic or Indian oceans, or within interior parts of the North-West and Northern Cape, Free State, and Limpopo Province. Vacationers can choose from several options to tour South Africa that fit individual travel needs, time constraints, budgets, and destinations, including vehicle rentals for self-driving tours, guided tours, escorted short- and long-term coach tours, and trains.

A popular tour of South Africa involves visiting the winelands region. Traveling along the Constantia wine route that includes Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, and Wellington, you'll find that numerous wineries are open to the public for wine tasting and guided tours. The cities and wineries are approximately a 45-minute drive from Cape Town, making this destination easily accessible from one of the country's major cities and airports.

South Africa Map

Flower and gardening enthusiasts can tour South Africa via an escorted multiple-day excursion through the spectacular flower region or Namaqualand aboard a comfortable, air-conditioned coach. Similarly, some of the best tours in South Africa are by train. Different operators provide packaged tours aboard their luxury coaches. Full-service suites, first-class dining, and large windows provide the opportunity to view wildlife and South Africa's multi-faceted landscapes from the comfort of your suite. Each train company has scheduled tour packages to specific regions of the country.

Wildlife is a key component of the country, and to tour South Africa means unlimited opportunities to observe the Big Five animals—elephants, cape buffalo, lions, leopards, and rhinos—in the national parks and reserves. Some of the best tours in South Africa are available at Kruger National Park, Karoo National Park, Sabi Sands Reserve, Richtersveld Transfrontier National Park, Timbavati Nature Reserve, and the Kalahari. The parks provide day and evening guided tours in covered, air-conditioned vehicles. Tours also are available in open vehicles for photo opportunities.

For history buffs, some of the best tours in South Africa are in Cape Town, in the Western Cape region. Robben Island, the former prison site for political activists during the apartheid era, is open daily for guided tours for a look back at life as it was during that time. The prison is most famously known as the location where President Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.

Located in Cape Town, the Castle of Good Hope is the oldest building in South Africa. Constructed in the 1600s, it is an interesting tour of South Africa architecture, culture, and way of life during that period in history. Those interested in the history of Cape Town might also consider South Africa tours of townships, which include the oldest township of Langa and Khayelitsha, the second-largest after Soweto. These guided tours take visitors throughout the township to experience the culture and spirit of the country and its residents.

South Africa tours along the Eastern Cape's Wild Coast, Tsitsikamma coast, Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal, Cape Peninsula, and Cape Town's Cedarberg offer an assortment of tours along hiking trails through mountains, desert terrain, forests, deserted beaches, and rock formations. For the adventurous South Africa traveler, reef and shipwreck scuba diving, along with hammerhead expeditions and great white shark cage encounters, are available for experienced divers.