Northern Cape

With only a million people inhabiting its 373,000 sq km, the Northern Cape is South Africa’s last great frontier. Its scattered towns are hundreds of kilometres apart, connected by empty roads across the sublime, surreal wilderness expanses of Namakwa, the Kalahari and Upper Karoo. Under the remorseless sun, vehicles share park roads with lions, dune boards swish down roaring sands, and Kimberley’s pubs serve cold beer as they have since the 19th-century diamond rush.

It’s a raw, elemental land, where gnarly camel thorn, quiver and Halfmens trees break the boundless horizons. Yet some of nature’s greatest tricks here are instances of rejuvenating beauty. The Gariep (Orange) River waters the dry region, creating the Green Kalahari with its vineyards and epic Augrabies Falls. Following the rains, red Kalahari sands shimmer with grasses, and Namakwa’s spring blooming carpets rocky hills and plains with wildflowers.

Explore Northern Cape

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Northern Cape.

  • Museum

    Big Hole

    Although the R50 million that turned the Big Hole into a world-class tourist destination came from De Beers, touring the world’s largest hand-dug hole…

  • Cultural Centre

    Workshop Ko Kasi

    Serving both as a community centre and a much-needed tourist draw, Ko Kasi is a must-stop if you're passing through Kuruman. Started by two local…

  • Observatory

    South African Astronomical Observatory

    During the day you can take a guided tour of the huge research telescopes, including the Southern African Large Telescope, but it's the two-hour night…

  • National Park

    Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

    Welcome to the African safari of your childhood daydreams. Packs of entertaining meerkats scurry across the sand, antelopes wander the dry river beds…

  • National Park

    Augrabies Falls National Park

    The centrepiece of this park is the 56m-high waterfall created when the Gariep (Orange) River thunders through a ravine. The nearby Bridal Veil Falls drop…

  • National Park

    |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park

    South Africa’s remotest national park presents a barren but undeniably striking landscape filled with weird rock formations and sandy moonscapes dotted…

  • Archaeological Site

    Wildebeest Kuil Rock Art Centre

    On a site owned by the !Xun and Khwe San people, who were relocated from Angola and Namibia in 1990, this small sacred hill has 400-plus rock engravings…

  • Historic Site

    Moffat Mission

    Established by the London Missionary Society in 1816, the mission was named after long-serving Scottish missionaries Robert and Mary Moffat. They…

  • National Park

    Mokala National Park

    Mokala is a land of grassy plains studded with rocky hills and indigenous camel thorn trees (Tswana for the latter is 'mokala'). The species of tree is an…

  • National Park

    Namaqua National Park

    Your experience at Namaqua National Park depends a lot on when you visit. From October to July it's an extremely quiet place to hike or spot birds against…

  • Museum

    McGregor Museum

    This comprehensive museum warrants a visit of an hour or two. It covers the Second Anglo-Boer War and South Africa's role in WWI. The star though is the…

  • Nature Reserve

    Witsand Nature Reserve

    Hidden away amid a network of gravel roads, Witsand is an offbeat reserve offering up photogenic beauty and absolute serenity in equal doses. One sound…

  • Nature Reserve

    Goegap Nature Reserve

    This 150-sq-km semidesert reserve, 8km east of Springbok past the airstrip, supports some 600 indigenous plant species, 45 mammal species and 94 types of…

  • Gallery

    Republic of Rustica

    Stop at this ‘rustic art’ emporium to marvel at owner Dirk’s collection of found objects, vintage gear and general junk. Road signs, sheep skulls, tin…

  • Historic Site

    Magersfontein

    This was the site of an important battle in the Second Anglo-Boer War. There's a small museum, as well as a decent audio-visual exhibit that shows what…

  • Winery

    Die Mas Van Kakamas

    The winemaker here experiments with a range of grape varieties, though the hanepoot wines that the region is known for are still the best. Brandy and gin…

  • Park

    Tankwa Karoo National Park

    With a car with good clearance, you can access this 1430-sq-km park, where Tankwa desert moonscapes meet sheer Roggeveld cliffs. There's great…

  • Gallery

    William Humphreys Art Gallery

    One of the country’s best public galleries, with changing exhibitions of contemporary South African work, as well as a surprisingly good collection of…

  • Gallery

    Duggan-Cronin Gallery

    This ethnographic gallery holds a wonderful collection of photographs of Southern African tribes taken in the 1920s and 1930s, before many aspects of…

  • Winery

    Orange River Cellars

    At this smart new tasting centre there's a vast range of well-priced wines to taste, including dessert and sparkling wines. The colombard and muscadel are…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Northern Cape.