South Africa · 1-DAY TOURS
The good 1-day tours fill up weeks out and the best go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes, and how they actually differ.
Cape Town to Aquila for a Big Five chase plus Du Toitskloof wines, a Breede wine-valley drive, and a champagne buffet lunch.
“Food was plentiful but adequate (not 5 star). Driver was knowledgeable on the animals in the reserve, where they were located and their history. We had an issue with the vehicle, however it was rectified quickly.”
A full day in Soweto and Johannesburg, pairing the Apartheid Museum with Hector Pieterson, Constitution Hill, and key city sights, for $142.
“We had a fantastic day with our guide, Clement Tshabalala. He shared a wealth of knowledge about Johannesburg’s history and daily life, which made the tour both interesting and educational. The museum visits were meaningful, though in our opinion, visiting one less would have made the day a bit more relaxed. The visit to Soweto was especially powerful and unforgettable. Overall, a beautiful and very worthwhile experience.”
Private Cape Town day trip with Table Mountain cable car, penguins at Boulders Beach, Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point lighthouse, and scenic drives.
“Amazing trip, best experience, best guide who made the trip comfortable and interesting, 120% recommend to everyone not to lose a chance to explore the country in such a way”
Half-day Cape Town tour with a cable car ride to Table Mountain, Bo-Kaap stories, Castle of Good Hope, and Diamond Works.
“The tour was well designed. Our guide was very knowledgeable and experienced. He ensured we got to see all the important points on the tour”
Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek wine tastings from Cape Town. Small-group day trip with 3 estates and town-walking time.
“What a great way to explore the areas outside of Capetown. I highly recommend this tour. The countryside is beautiful and the wineries were really good. Nice day!”
A full-day Sani Pass and Lesotho trip from Durban, with a 4x4 ride, Basotho village food, and a stop at Lesotho’s famous highest pub.
“An extraordinary and exceptional journey with Major Adventures into Lesotho - Highest Pub in Africa Day Trip - 22/01/2025”
A half-day bus loop plus a small group Soweto visit with Mandela sites and apartheid landmarks, for about $39.
“Fun and very informative tour. Exceptional guide - he took us to the street where Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu lived.”
Durban to Sani Pass and Lesotho by 4x4, Basotho village bread, and Africa's Highest Pub views, in a small group.
“Amazing experience! The day was packed with great memories! The guide and driver were exceptional. Loved this experience!”
One-day Pilanesberg safari from Johannesburg with hotel pickup, a 5-hour open 4x4 drive, lunch, and ranger commentary in a small group.
“Put this on your bucket list! Even though every tour will be different and you may not see the same wildlife I did (ex: we didn't see any cats), it is awesome. Our guide / ranger was so knowledgable, answered our countless questions, and made it very interesting. If you only have a day and want to include a safari on your trip, this is the place to be.”
Watch Southern Right Whales from the shore in Hermanus, enjoy a guided coastal drive from Cape Town, and finish with a Bouchard Finlayson tasting.
“Our tour guide, Armoy Olivier, was absolutely fabulous. He talked with the locals about best places to see the whales and made sure we had a wonderful day. I recommend you contact him about any trip you want to take.”
Big Five day safari from Cape Town to Aquila Private Game Reserve, small group, hotel pickup, breakfast and lunch, and a 4-hour drive.
“It’s our first trip to the African continent. There’s no way we could leave without going to a reserve. Antiqua was the closest one from Cape Town city Center. We enjoyed the 2-hr smooth drive with Martin to the reserve for the sunset viewRead more”
Pilanesberg safari for Big Five hopes and a Sun City resort afternoon, with hotel pickup and a guided drive from Johannesburg.
“I have travelled around the world, bt this tour was the worst tour ever. highly priced for the services delivered. the tour guide and the driver were highly rude and very unfriendly. we got late by half an hour and the tour guide started shouting. on the way he did not even say a word. did not tell us anything about the city. i would not recommend this to anyone. bad bad bad.”
Pretoria highlights in a 4-hour day trip from Johannesburg, from Church Square and the Mandela sites to Kruger House and the Voortrekker Monument.
“Driver was a hour late and didn't now how to get to several places. He did have a good voice but would not recommend this tour with this guide. He left us a lone several times.”
West Coast day trip from Cape Town: Atlantis Dunes, West Coast National Park, Langebaan Lagoon, and !Khwa ttu.
“Great trip conducted by Abdul who did an excellent job, First we had a little stop at table view to get a great picture of table mountain from the other side of the bay them onto Kwa ttu cultural centre to learn about the original inhabitants of tRead more”
6-hour closed-vehicle safari from Richards Bay to Hluhluwe Imfolozi, chasing Big Five wildlife in South Africa’s oldest reserve.
“It rained and rained and all the roads were closed to see animals up close. The cruise line cancelled their tours but ours was not until we got to the preserve and game master said we could either make a u turn or carry on but it had to be unanimous. We didn’t want to go but we’re forced to go. He should have cancelled it before since he knew about the conditions. we drove 1 1/2 hours but now we were a captive audience. When we did see an animal we got pictures with only rain drops since our window didn’t open. The guide spoke about 30 words in…”
From the cableway to the Kruger gate, sorted by the kind of day you want.
