South Africa in 14 days: Cape Town, the Garden Route, Kruger
A day-by-day route from Table Mountain to Kruger National Park by way of the Garden Route, with an activity sheet and its sources for every stage.
Fourteen days in three parts: Cape Town and its peninsula, the Garden Route along the Indian Ocean, then Kruger National Park and the Blyde River Canyon. Every stage links to an activity sheet, where each fact cites its source.
Prices come from official sites, with their validity. The national park fees (SANParks) online on 1 November 2026 had expired the day before: they are not given. Where no source gives a travel time, this notebook gives none.
Days 1 and 2 · Table Mountain and Robben Island
Table Mountain rises to 1,086 m above Cape Town. The cableway runs from 8 a.m., in good weather only: 475 rand for an adult return online, a rate valid until 30 June 2027.
The next day, boats to Robben Island leave the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., weather permitting. The tour takes 3.5 hours and ends at Nelson Mandela’s cell; 600 rand for a non-South African adult.
Day 3 · Cape Point and the Boulders penguins
The peninsula runs from Table Mountain down to Cape Point, home to the Cape of Good Hope. Baboons there steal food: keep it hidden.
On the way, in Simon’s Town, the Boulders Beach penguin colony is best seen from the Foxy Beach boardwalks. Both gates are card-only.
Day 4 · Stellenbosch
Founded in 1679, 50 km east of Cape Town, Stellenbosch is the heart of the Cape Winelands. The MetroRail train goes there via Bellville, but not often: check the schedule.
Days 5 to 8 · The Garden Route
The Garden Route is the 170 km from Mossel Bay to Storms River, on the 700 km route between Cape Town and Gqeberha. None of our sources gives the driving time from Cape Town.
Knysna is known for its forests and lagoon; Storms River is the gateway to Tsitsikamma National Park. Rain falls year-round, slightly more in spring.
Day 9 · On to Kruger
Kruger Mpumalanga airport, at Mbombela, receives domestic flights from Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. Our sources give no flight from the Garden Route itself.
Days 10 to 13 · Kruger and the Blyde River Canyon
The country’s first national park, in 1926, Kruger covers 19,623 km². Speed is limited to 50 km/h, and driving unaccompanied at night is not allowed: gate and camp times are strict. With little time, stay in the south, along the rivers.
The Blyde River Canyon, the third largest on Earth, is easy to reach from the park on the Panorama Route, which starts at Graskop. The road is free, but most viewpoints charge.
Day 14 · Heading home
Leave from Kruger Mpumalanga airport at Mbombela, linked to Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.
Sources · 9
Live this journey.
The flight, a hotel and an activity of the route from our partners, in a new tab. Prices and availability are theirs.
Affiliate link: Viafro earns a commission at no extra cost to you.The journal
Keep reading.
Morocco in 10 days: Marrakech, the desert, Fez
A day-by-day route from Jemaa el-Fna square to the dunes of Erg Chebbi and the Fez medina, with an activity sheet and its sources for every stage.
Egypt in 7 days: Cairo, Luxor, Aswan
A day-by-day route from the pyramids of Giza to the temples of Abu Simbel, with an activity sheet, official opening hours and prices for every stage.
Kenya in 10 days: the Maasai Mara, then the coast
A day-by-day route from Nairobi National Park to the plains of the Maasai Mara, then Mombasa and Diani Beach, with an activity sheet and its sources for every stage.