South Africa Holidays from the UK

• Long-haul without the jet lag. One or two hours of time difference means children (and adults) adjust almost immediately.
• Self-drive that feels familiar. Left-hand traffic and English signage make the Garden Route and the Winelands easy to explore at your own pace.
• Safaris for every budget. Private reserves bordering Kruger offer polished Big Five lodges, while Kruger National Park's rest camps make a great-value self-drive safari.
• Winter sun. From November to March, Cape Town has long, hot days, beaches and outdoor dining.
• Whales and wildflowers. Southern right whales usually gather near Hermanus from about June to November, and spring flowers bloom along the West Coast around August and September.
• Food and wine. Excellent restaurants and wine estates, often at prices that feel good value from the UK, depending on the exchange rate.
• Penguins, peninsulas and history. The penguins at Boulders Beach, the drive to Cape Point and the boat to Robben Island make Cape Town as rewarding for children as for adults.

Nonstop from London

At the time of writing:

• British Airways flies from Heathrow to Johannesburg and to Cape Town year-round.
• Virgin Atlantic flies from Heathrow to Johannesburg year-round, and to Cape Town in the southern summer (roughly October to April).
• Seasonal flights from Gatwick to Cape Town have also operated in the southern summer.

Flights take around 11–12 hours and mostly run overnight. There are no nonstops from UK regional airports, so connect via London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Doha or Istanbul instead.

Fly in, fly out

Open-jaw tickets save backtracking. For example: fly into Cape Town, drive the Garden Route to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), fly to Johannesburg and on to the Kruger area, then fly home from Johannesburg.

Getting to Kruger

Regional flights link Johannesburg and Cape Town with airports near Kruger, including Skukuza, Hoedspruit and Kruger Mpumalanga International. Driving from Johannesburg takes around five hours or more, depending on where you're staying.

Christmas, New Year and February half-term. Cape Town's summer: long, hot, dry days and beach weather, and the most popular time for UK families. Kruger is green and lush, with newborn animals and afternoon storms. Book 9–12 months ahead for the festive weeks.

Easter holidays. Late summer into autumn, with warm, settled weather in the Cape and a quieter Garden Route. It's a great alternative to East Africa, where the long rains usually begin around this time.

May half-term. Mild and quiet, with the bush drying out in Kruger, and good value.

Summer holidays. South Africa's winter: dry, clear and excellent for game viewing in Kruger, with cold mornings. Cape Town is cooler and wetter, but whale season is starting and wine-country lunches by the fire are a pleasure. Combine the two, or pair Kruger with Mauritius, Zanzibar or Victoria Falls.

October half-term. Spring: whales are often still along the Cape coast, Kruger is at the end of its dry season, and temperatures are warming.

What shapes the cost of South Africa from the UK:

• School-holiday flights. Fares on the nonstop routes tend to peak at Christmas and in the summer holidays, so booking early helps.
• Your safari style. Private reserves bordering Kruger range from comfortable to ultra-luxury, with meals and two game drives a day included; a self-drive safari in Kruger National Park costs far less.
• Self-drive or private driver. Car hire keeps the Garden Route affordable; a private driver-guide adds cost, but also commentary and ease.
• Family rooms. Guesthouses and self-catering cottages along the Garden Route often suit families better than hotels, and are often good value.
• Exchange rates. Much of your spending on the ground is in rand, so the pound's strength at the time makes a real difference.

As a rough guide only, good Garden Route guesthouses and boutique hotels often start around US$150–300 per room per night, and private-reserve lodges near Kruger from around US$600 per person per night (shown on our site as approximate pound conversions). Final pricing depends on dates, hotels, group size and itinerary.

• Time difference: 1 hour ahead of the UK in summer (BST) and 2 hours in winter.
• Plugs: you'll need a South Africa adapter for the large round-pin Type M sockets; newer Type N sockets take two-pin Europlugs. Many universal adapters don't fit Type M.
• Driving: on the left, like home. Rental cars are often manual unless you request an automatic, and it's worth asking us about current license requirements before you travel.
• Money: rand. Cards work almost everywhere, even in small shops; choose rand, not pounds, if a card machine offers a conversion.
• Tipping: around 10–15% is customary in restaurants, plus small tips for car guards and fuel-station attendants.
• Power: scheduled power cuts ("load-shedding") have been rare recently but can return; good hotels generally have backup power.
• Entry requirements: see the Entry requirements section for verified guidance for British passport holders, including families traveling with children, with official sources and last-checked dates.