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Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope

Countries in the atlas · Africa

South Africa

Table Mountain, the Cape of Good Hope, safaris in Kruger and the Drakensberg — a big and varied country.

Russian passport: visa-free · 90 daysprices ×1.2 vs Russia

Photo: Danie van der Merwe from Cape Town, South Africa · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope
Photo: Danie van der Merwe from Cape Town, South Africa · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Western Cape, South Africa

Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope

Access 1/5 · easyJFMAMJJASOND

Above Cape Town rises flat-topped Table Mountain, which you climb by cable car or on foot. Below are the waterfront, the beaches and the winding Chapman’s Peak road above the ocean.

On the peninsula are the Cape of Good Hope, inside a national park, and Boulders Beach with its colony of African penguins.

Getting there
Fly to Cape Town with a connection; drive around the peninsula.
Fees and tickets
The Table Mountain cable car costs from 475 rand online; the Cape of Good Hope 515 rand.
Sources (4)
Kruger National Park
Photo: Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Mpumalanga and Limpopo, South Africa

Kruger National Park

Access 2/5 · fairly easyJFMAMJJASOND

Kruger stretches for hundreds of kilometres along the border with Mozambique. Elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo and rhinos live here, and you can drive the tarred roads of the park on your own.

The best time is the dry winter, from May to September: the grass is lower and the animals stay close to water.

Getting there
Fly to Johannesburg, then 4–5 hours by car, or a local flight to Nelspruit or Skukuza.
Fees and tickets
The conservation fee for foreigners is 602 rand a day (secondary source).
Sources (2)
Drakensberg
Photo: Doc James · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Drakensberg

Access 2/5 · fairly easyJFMAMJJASOND

The uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: basalt walls, gorges and thousands of rock paintings by the San people.

The most famous view is the Amphitheatre, a rock wall over which Tugela Falls plunges. The trail to its top is one of the best day hikes in Africa.

Getting there
From Durban or Johannesburg, 3–4 hours by car.
Sources (1)

Before you go

South Africa: entry, safety, money, flights, laws and budget — with sources.

Entry

Russian citizens: visa-free for up to 90 days (2017 protocol), with no visa fee. Your passport must be valid for at least 30 days after departure and have 2 blank pages; children need their own international passport and the other parent’s consent if only one parent is travelling.

Since 01.07.2026 a free online SARS declaration has been mandatory for everyone entering and leaving.

Rules for any passport

Checked 2 November 2026. These are the rules for a Russian citizen with an international passport on a tourist trip. For other passports and purposes, see the official website — the button above.

Sources (5)

Safety

No Russian Foreign Ministry advice to refrain from travel (as of 02.11.2026). There are warnings about protests; in cities it is important to know which areas to avoid.

Sources (2)

Money and cards

The Mir card does not work. Bring dollars or euros in cash — they are easy to change into rand.

Sources (2)

Flights

There are no direct flights. Connections are via the UAE, Qatar, Ethiopia, Turkey and Egypt.

Sources (2)

Laws and bans

  • The online SARS declaration has been mandatory since 01.07.2026, including for children.
  • Taking out rough diamonds is prohibited; jewellery needs the shop’s certificate; wildlife products only with a permit.
  • Traffic drives on the left, and speeding fines are high.
Sources (2)

Budget

prices ×1.2 vs Russia · price level 0.43 (US = 1), 2025

Prices are a fifth higher than in Russia. Park fees: Cape of Good Hope 515 rand, Kruger 602 rand a day, the Table Mountain cable car from 475 rand.

The price level is the ratio of purchasing power parity for household consumption to the market exchange rate (World Bank). These are national averages: resorts and capitals cost more, the countryside less. Flights are not included.

Sources (3)