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Best time to visit South Africa

South Africa is definitely a year-round destination, with hot summers, mild winters and a climate that varies dramatically across the country. The best time to visit South Africa will depend on whether you're heading to Cape Town or Kruger, seeking wildlife or wildflowers, hiking the Drakensberg or driving the Garden Route. Our month by month guide helps you plan your trip - and we've shared tips on local festivals, too.

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Best time to visit South Africa

South Africa’s immense size plus its array of landscapes, attractions and climates mean it can be visited year round.

The best time to visit South Africa really depends on your own interests – game is easier to spot in Kruger National Park during the dry winter months of Jul-Sep, when cooler temperatures also make hiking and cycling more pleasant. Just be sure to bring warm layers! Sun-seekers heading for the south coast should aim for summer – as should keen birders in the north. October and November draw photographers to the wildflower-carpeted Northern Cape, while super-sized-wildlife fans should visit from Jul-Dec, when whales can be seen near Hermanus.

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Western Cape Weather Chart

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Our South Africa Vacations

When to visit South Africa

January and February offer contrasting fortunes depending on where you’re traveling in South Africa with maximum rain and heat in Kruger National Park, mild temperatures and regular thunderstorms in the Drakensburg Mountains and a much drier (and windier!) alternative on the Western Cape. March is pretty much the end of high season with a few migratory birds starting to return and thunderstorms in the northeast, around Kruger, generally confined to afternoon cloud bursts. April and May are the best months to visit South Africa in terms of temperatures and game viewing as well as ideal conditions for hiking in the Drakensberg. By June and July South Africa is well into the dry season in the north and east of the country although take your brolly if you’re heading for Cape Town as well as the Garden Route. August and September are still quite chilly on the Western Cape, especially at night, although wildlife watching is at a peak in the northern game reserves thanks to the lack of vegetation and little or no rain. Top tip: head to Hermanus for the start of whale watching festivities in September. October is the start of the rainy season outside of the Western Cape, although afternoon showers rarely bother a safari experience. Temperatures and rainfall continue to rise into November with more greenery making it harder to spot animals although birdwatchers and fans of wildflowers will find plenty to keep themselves occupied. December can be a hectic month with school vacations, crowded parks and ferocious heat; although you may still find some humpback whales heading along the coast from Hermanus.

Responsible Travel recommends

Rupert Calcott, from our supplier Exodus, is South African. He tells us about the best time to visit South Africa for wildlife viewing: "The colder months of July through to September are our winter, but that’s a fantastic time to come out and do the game viewing. As the country gets drier there are fewer leaves on the trees and less grass available so the animals are concentrated at waterholes. There’s greater visibility; it’s a really good time for wildlife. April to June are also wonderful because it’s not too hot and there’s less chance of rain, but we get fewer travelers."

Our active pick:

#moonlightmass
See Cape Town in a different light – literally! Each full moon, hundreds of cyclists meet at Green Point and ride around the city by moonlight. As well as being an unusual way to discover the city, the event aims to raise awareness of safety for cyclists.

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Festivals & events

Sardine run

Sardines may not spring to mind when thinking of South African wildlife, but the annual sardine run is the marine equivalent of the Great Migration. 15km-long shoals swarm up the coast of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal from May to July, creating a feeding frenzy among sharks, dolphins, whales and birds. Watch it from a boat – or try scuba diving to get closer to the action.

The Klein Karoo National
Arts Festival

Afrikaans culture is often overlooked – but it’s experiencing a revival. The Klein Karoo National Arts Festival takes place each March-April in Oudtshoorn, and includes exhibitions, music, food stalls and Afrikaans theatre.

The festival also supports many local community projects.

Kaapse Klopse!

Cape Town bursts into colour each 2nd January when thousands of Cape Coloured minstrels take to the streets in troops, singing in choirs, playing instruments and wearing vivid satin suits. The Kaapse Klopse festival dates back to the mid 1800s.

More about South Africa

South Africa travel guide

There is much to draw travelers to South Africa - including the stunning coast, incredible wildlife, and diverse cultures. But perhaps its enduring appeal is also down to how easy it is to travel in a country whose attractions are so wild - with superb roads, fantastic cuisine and comfortable lodging at all budget levels.

South Africa itineraries & maps

It may be a cliché but South Africa really does have something for everyone - with winelands, wildlife, camping and luxury lodges - not to mention the culture, from vibrant modern cities to tribal rituals.

Things to do in South Africa

We've chatted to tour leaders, vacation companies and recalled our own adventures to pick out of top four things to do in South Africa.

Things to see & do in Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park is one of South Africa’s most celebrated destinations, and rightly so, home to diverse and abundant wildlife – including the Big Five – over 500 species of birds and a great range of beautiful habitats.

Wildlife in South Africa

South Africa is home to diverse landscapes, hopping with all creatures great and small, from the Big Five on game drives, to humpback whales that skim the coast.

Cultural tours in South Africa

Unity in diversity is one way that South Africa is trying to heal the scars of apartheid. Cultural tours in South Africa are less about the Big Five and more about the Big Nine – provinces, that is, each with its own distinct cultural heritage.

Things to see & do in Cape Town & surrounds

Towered over by Table Mountain, bordered by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and on the doorstep of wildlife and wine country, Cape Town is way more than just a city.

Things to see & do along the Garden Route

The Garden Route delivers a diverse dose of South Africa in a single trip: dramatic coast and unspoiled landscapes, wildlife and cool city culture, game viewing and whale watching, hiking and kayaking.

Things to see & do in KwaZulu Natal

Prolific wildlife, wild beaches, biodiverse wetlands, jagged mountains, Zulu culture and 19th century battlefields – KwaZulu Natal is dramatic, delightful and diverse.

Township tours in South Africa

Like any form of community tourism, township tours should be led by the people who live there, be sustainable and non-intrusive.

LGBT South Africa vacation advice

South Africa is the most welcoming country in Africa for LGBT travelers – with equality and protection from discrimination enshrined in law.

Southern Africa Bushmeat & skins

There is a huge difference between legal game meat and illegally hunted bushmeat in Africa: one is sustainable, the other drives species closer to extinction.

Nelson Mandela & the Rainbow Nation

Incarcerated for 27 years for opposing apartheid in South Africa, Nelson Mandela went on to become the country’s first black head of state.

South Africa for families

This is by far one of the easiest African nations to travel in with children, with plenty in South Africa for families to enjoy from comfortable lodges to brilliant beaches and amazing wildlife.

South Africa travel advice

Read insider tips from our vacation companies - from how to really get under the skin of South Africa and where to see wildlife in Kruger, to the best way to explore Table Mountain.