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South Africa travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Table Mountain
Table Mountain. Photo: Danie van der Merwe from Cape Town, South Africa, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
12h 15mflight from London
Randcurrency
No visafor UK passports
Type C, M, Nplugs

Safari, winelands and Cape Town under Table Mountain

Don't miss

  1. Cape Town
  2. Kruger National Park
  3. Garden Route
Good forWildlife & safariFood loversBeaches

Best time to visit South Africa from the UK

Best value: Apr–May, Aug–Nov. Mar–May and Sep–Nov; May–Sep for safari; Jun–Nov for whales. Busiest and priciest: Dec–Mar.

20 C20°J20.3 C20°F19.3 C19°M17.7 C18°A16.5 C16°M15.1 C15°J14.4 C14°J14.3 C14°A15 C15°S16.2 C16°O17.4 C17°N19.1 C19°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Cape Town, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Cape Town for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Our pick: April and NovemberThe warmest of the best-value months (17–18°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Dec–MarUsually 19–20°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: Jun–JulAround 14–15°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
  • Warmest: February (20°C) · coolest: August (14°C)A 6°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2020.319.317.716.515.114.414.31516.217.419.1

Festivals and events

  • Cape Town Jazz Festival Mar–Apr · Cape Town
  • National Arts Festival Jun–Jul · Makhanda
  • Hermanus Whale Festival Sep–Oct · Hermanus
  • Kaapse Klopse Jan · Cape Town

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 12h 15m
Distance
9,673 km
Main airport
JNB

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add South Africa to your bucket list Search flights to JNB

Practical info and travel guidance

RandCapital: Pretoria (executive)
Type C, M, N · 230VBring a UK adapter
Drive on the leftSame as the UK
10111
EmergencyAmbulance 112
Safe in citiesBottled elsewhere
  • VisaNo visa neededUp to 90 days
  • HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
  • LGBT+ travellersLegal and broadly accepted
  • Women travellersFCDO warns of sexual assault or harassmentTake extra care at night and with drinks.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for South Africa, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 8 July 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for South Africa before you book and again before you go.

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