South Africa: Cape Town, Kruger, Garden Route, best time to travel, getting there and costs 2026

South Africa suits you if you want to combine Cape Town, the Cape Winelands, the Garden Route and a safari in Kruger National Park in a single trip. The country has nine provinces and 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (as of September 2026).

New in 2026 are the fares of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (since 1 July) and of the toll roads (since 1 March). The increase in VAT to 16% planned for April 2026 was already withdrawn in 2025, and it stays at 15%.

South Africa is a poorer fit if you can only travel in June, July or August and mainly want to see Cape Town. That is when most of the rain falls there, in June an average of 92.3 mm on 10.1 days (1991–2020 normals). And distances are long: from Johannesburg to the gates of Kruger Park you drive 411 to 600 km.

Getting there from Germany

In 2025, 475,831 passengers whose last known destination was South Africa boarded at the 22 main German airports, 37th place among 211 destination countries abroad. Those changing planes abroad are not included. Most flew to Cape Town (253,210) and Johannesburg (196,406), with Durban (9,154) and Gqeberha (7,145) far behind. Most departed from Frankfurt (277,245) and Munich (88,741). The strongest month was December, the weakest June (Federal Statistical Office, year 2025; total, rank, airports and months: our own analysis).

Cape Town (CPT): authorised taxis only

The operator ACSA lists Cape Town International as number three among Africa's airports. ACSA allows only five ride services at the airport and advises, for safety reasons, against using any other. Uber and Bolt via app, Citi Hopper, Centurion Tours and “Authorised Airport Taxi Services” are approved. You can get the taxis at the transport desk and at the domestic arrivals desk (as of September 2026).

Johannesburg (JNB): Gautrain to Sandton in 14 minutes

According to ACSA, O.R. Tambo is Africa's largest airport, with over 21 million passengers a year. From the airport the Gautrain runs on weekdays from 5:30 to 20:30 every 10 to 20 minutes, and at weekends every 20 to 30 minutes. It takes 14 minutes to Sandton (timetable 2025, as of September 2026). A single journey costs R228 to Sandton, R240 with a change to Park Station in the centre and R258 to Pretoria, at peak and off-peak times alike (fare since 1 June 2025). For a taxi with a meter authorised by ACSA, go to the information desk in the terminal.

Regions and destinations at a glance

As of September 2026; distances according to SANParks (archived copies 2025 and 2026), ACSA and South African Tourism. “—” means: no documented downside.

Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula

The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway runs until 31 October from 8:30 to the last descent at 19:00, and from December to January from 8:00 to 21:00. To Robben Island the tour starts at 9:00, 11:00, 13:00 or 15:00 by ferry from the V&A Waterfront, and you are out for 3.5 hours in total (both as of September 2026). Cape Point and the Boulders penguin colony near Simon’s Town take only cards, no cash (as of July 2026). On the IUCN Red List the African penguin has been classed as critically endangered since October 2024. Kirstenbosch, the botanical garden on the eastern slope of Table Mountain, is open daily from 8:00 to 19:00 from September to March (as of September 2026).

Garden Route and Addo

According to ACSA, Cape Town and Gqeberha are about the same distance from George, and the airport there counts over 700,000 passengers a year. From there it is about 70 km to Knysna. The Tsitsikamma section of Garden Route National Park is about 195 km from Gqeberha (as of April 2025). At Storms River Mouth, international adults pay a day fee of R367 (fare until 31 October 2026). To Addo Elephant National Park it is 75 km from Gqeberha airport, and you do not need an off-road vehicle for the tourist roads in the park (as of August 2026).

Kruger National Park

Kruger Park has nine gates, and from Johannesburg it is 411 km to Numbi and 428 km to Malelane (as of December 2025). From Kruger Mpumalanga airport (KMIA) a private shuttle takes about 1 hour 20 minutes to reach the park. Hire cars are available at KMIA, in Hoedspruit, Phalaborwa and in Skukuza Camp. In the camps 20 km/h is allowed, on gravel 40 and on tarmac 50 (all as of March 2026). Booked accommodation and activities cost 1% more, with the money going into a community fund (as of September 2026).

Johannesburg and the Cradle of Humankind

The Apartheid Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00, and since 1 May 2026 international adults pay R240 including an audio guide. The official visitor centre of the “Cradle of Humankind” World Heritage Site is Maropeng, open daily from 9:00 to 16:00, admission R150 (as of September 2026).

Best time to travel

WMO climate normals for 1991–2020 for the stations Cape Town airport (42 m) on the coast and Polokwane (1,226 m) in the highlands of Limpopo. The mean daily high and low and precipitation are given.

The two stations show the country's two rainfall patterns: winter rain in the Western Cape, summer rain almost everywhere else. In Cape Town 63% of the annual precipitation falls from May to August, in Polokwane 70% from November to February (our own calculation). South African Tourism advises autumn and spring for Cape Town (April, May and early September to October), and the dry winter for safaris in Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

Inland, winter nights are cold: Bloemfontein (1,354 m) averages −2.3 °C at night in July (1991–2020). In spring, according to South African Tourism, Namaqualand blooms on a strip of 500 km along the coast.

Getting around the country

Train and bus

According to South African Tourism, the long-distance train Shosholoza Meyl links the big cities, and the luxury train Blue Train runs from Pretoria to Cape Town and to Durban. For backpackers South African Tourism names the Baz Bus: it picks you up at your accommodation, and along the way you can get off and on again as you like. In Cape Town a MyCiTi pass for unlimited bus journeys costs R130 for one day and R420 for seven days (as of September 2026).

Domestic flights

There are domestic airports in Bloemfontein, East London, George, Kimberley, Gqeberha and Upington, among other places. For a safari in Kruger, Skukuza, Phalaborwa, Hoedspruit and KMIA are served daily from Johannesburg, and Skukuza and KMIA also from Cape Town (as of March 2026).

Driving and roads

The most important rules for hire car drivers (as of September 2026):

• Left-hand traffic: You drive on the left; phoning at the wheel is banned and seat belts are compulsory.
• Speed according to South African Tourism: 60 km/h in built-up areas, 100 km/h on country roads and 120 km/h on national roads, unless signed otherwise.
• Driving licence: If it is in English or comes with an English translation, and also has a photo and signature, it is valid (traffic authority RTMC). Otherwise South African Tourism recommends an International Driving Permit.
• Tolls: Since 1 March 2026 a car pays R54.50 at the Huguenot toll plaza (N1), for example. On the N4, which you take from Johannesburg to the southern Kruger gates, Middelburg costs R84.00 and Machadodorp R126.00. Toll plazas accept credit cards and cash.
• Refuelling: A petrol attendant operates the pump and usually gets a tip of around R5.

Money and costs

Payment is in rand (R, ZAR), and VAT is 15% (as of September 2026). National parks have three price tiers: South Africans, citizens of the SADC states and international visitors. The TOMSA tourism levy is voluntary; where a business charges it, you pay 1% on the room price (2020 guideline).

The admission prices apply to international adults.

Practical information

South Africa is on UTC plus 2 hours all year round. During German summer time there is no time difference; in German winter South Africa is one hour ahead (our own calculation). There are twelve official languages, including English, isiZulu, isiXhosa and Afrikaans.

You reach the police nationwide on 10111 and the ambulance service on 10177, and from a mobile phone on all networks 112 (as of September 2026). The EU rule “Roam like at home” does not apply in South Africa, and mobile data in particular can add up there.

South Africa has 12 public holidays; those falling on a Sunday are observed on the Monday. The long school holidays run roughly from mid-December 2026 to mid-January 2027 (our own derivation from the school calendar).

What applies to entry, safety and health is on the German Foreign Office's South Africa page.

Who South Africa is not for

• Anyone who avoids long flights: From Europe you are in the air for 10 to 12 hours, according to South African Tourism.
• Anyone who wants to see a lot in a short time: From Cape Town it is about 500 km to Knysna and 615 km to Tsitsikamma, and from Johannesburg up to 600 km to the Kruger gates.
• Anyone who wants to experience Cape Town dry in winter: June, July and August are the wettest months there.
• Anyone who handles heat poorly and wants to go on safari in summer: In the Lowveld it can then become humid and hot, according to South African Tourism.
• Anyone who expects admission at the domestic price: In Kruger you pay R602 a day instead of R134 for South Africans, and R600 instead of R400 on Robben Island.
• Anyone who travels spontaneously in the high season: South African Tourism advises booking hire cars early for December to February.