If you are craving for travel and an adventurous trip, read about the best places to visit in Africa before you die so you can create your Africa bucket list much easier!
Africa is the second largest continent in the world and in the same time the second-populous one. On such a big territory there is, of course, many exciting things to see, especially as nature is almost intact in this part of the world. It’s no wonder we already covered this topic a few years ago when making a list of best places to visit in Africa before you die. That’s why we might say that we are experts in this field and that you are not going to regret visiting all the places from both of our lists. Moreover, if you’re thinking about moving for good, one of the most beautiful places in Africa to live is definitely Kigali in Rwanda, according to the Culture Trip. It is considered to be one of the cleanest and safest cities in the country.
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A lot of things are going on in Africa. With its natural diversity, every corner of it could turn out amazing. Most of the places are also under the protection of the UNESCO World Heritage Center. One of the most exciting things to see is the great migration in Tanzania. It is the movement of vast numbers of the Serengeti’s wildebeest in order to find fresh grazing or water. The timing is dependent on rainfall patterns, so keep in mind that it is not very easy to catch this phenomenon!
If you need a list of names of the places in Africa in order to find the top 10 tourist attractions, we are not going to give you just that. What you will get by reading the following pages is the list of most beautiful places all over Africa along with the valuable information about them, so that you can decide on your own what interest you the most. Every person has its preferences, so we probably can’t satisfy everyone with this list. In order to at least try, we researched the topic thoroughly by using a recommendation from the Trip Savvy, the African Exponant, and the Trip Advisor. Then, we singled out the most frequently repeated suggestions and ranked them in that manner. As many attractions by chance happen to be in South Africa, you can make a clear list of things you definitely must do in this beautiful country. On the other hand, if you are interested in other kinds of Africa’s beauty, check out our article about countries with the most beautiful women in Africa. Now, let’s see our results.
21. Table Mountain
Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain in South Africa. It is very popular as a tourist attraction, especially as you can climb it either with the cableway or by hiking to the top. The mountain is a part of the Table Mountain National Park, and it has a diverse fauna and flora.
20. Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park, also in South Africa, is known as one of the biggest game reserves. Inside you can see many wild animals such as lions, buffaloes, leopards, etc. Besides animals, you can see beautiful mountains, bush plains, and tropical forests.
19. Robben Island
Next on our list of best places to visit in Africa before you die is Robben Island. It is situated in Table Bay, a bay on the Atlantic Ocean at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula. The name in Dutch means “seal island.” Besides its beauty, it is interesting for tourists as the former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela was imprisoned there for 18 of the 27 years he served in prison before the fall of apartheid. Moreover, the place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as South African National Heritage Site.
18. Mount Kilimanjaro
It is the highest mountain in Africa with around 4,900 meters of height. It is also a part of the Kilimanjaro National Park. If you like to hike, it’s a perfect destination for you! Also, if you are interested in its scientific aspect, there are many shrinking glaciers and disappearing ice fields to research.
17. Victoria Falls
You have probably heard of the waterfall in southern Africa on the Zambezi River at the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, right? Yes, that’s it – Victoria Falls! CNN has described it as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the world. Moreover, Kalolo-Lozi people call it Mosi-oa-Tunya, “the smoke that thunders”.
16. Serengeti
Serengeti is a geographical region in northern part of Tanzania which extends into south-western Kenya. It spans approximately on 30,000 km2. It has the biggest terrestrial mammal migration in the world, which is why it is considered to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. The Kenyan part of the Serengeti is known as Maasai Mara.
15. Garden Route
The Garden Route is a stretch on the south-western coast of South Africa. It is 300-kilometre long, and it is extended from Mossel Bay in the Western Cape to the Storms River in the Eastern Cape. The name comes from its very diverse vegetation and many lagoons and lakes. It is precisely between the Indian ocean and mountains, which makes it even more beautiful. The largest city in this area is George, that is also the main administrative center.
14. Zambezi
The Zambezi that ranks 14th on the list of best places to visit in Africa before you die is the fourth-longest river in Africa. It rises in Zambia and flows through eastern Angola, through Namibia and Botswana, then along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe to Mozambique, and finally, ends in the Indian ocean. Victoria Falls are its most noted feature.
13. Great Pyramid of Giza
On the 13th place on our list of the best places to visit in Africa before you die is Great Pyramid of Giza. It is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza pyramid complex situated in Egypt. Moreover, it is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and, believe it or not, the only one that remained mainly intact.
12. Atlas Mountains
Mountain range that you definitely shouldn’t miss while in Africa is, of course, Atlas mountains in the Maghreb. They are stretching through three countries: Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The highest peak is Toubkal in Morocco, that is 4,167 meters high.
11. Okavango Delta
Another Seven National Wonders of Africa is Okavango Delta. It is situated in Botswana, and it is close to the Moremi Game Reserve, a National Park. Moreover, Okavango Delta is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
10. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
This botanical garden is one of the most important ones in the eastern part of Table Mountain, which is situated, as we already mentioned, in Cape Town. It is founded in 1913 to preserve country’s flora. Moreover, it highlights the importance of the cultivation of indigenous plants. It is administered by the South African National Biodiversity Institute.
9. Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi is one of the African Great Lakes in and around the Great Rift Valley, situated in Mozambique. It is the ninth largest lake in the world, the third largest and second deepest lake in Africa. Moreover, it is home to more fish species than any other lake. Some may also know it under the name Lake Nyasa.
8. Jemaa el-Fnaa
We are continuing our list of best places to visit in Africa before you die with Jemaa el-Fnaa that is the name of a square and market place in Marrakesh. It is mostly used by locals, but tourists don’t miss it as well. There you can find Moroccan national clothes, interesting souvenirs and much more. So, if you are in Morocco try not to miss it!
7. Great Sphinx of Giza
Sphinx of Giza or just the Sphinx is a statue of a reclining sphinx which represents mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human. It is situated on the west bank of the Nile river in Giza, Egypt. It is one of the most visited places in Egypt.
6. Sossusvlei
Sossusvlei in a literal translation means “dead-end marsh.” It represents a salt and clay pan surrounded by high red dunes, located in the National Park of Namibia. There you can see vivid pink to orange colors of dunes, which is one of the reasons why it attracts many visitors.
5. Drakensberg
Fifth on our list of best places to visit in Africa before you die is definitely Drakensberg – the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment that encloses the central Southern African plateau. It is also known by the name Drakens Mountain or Mountain of the Dragons.
4. Cape Point
Cape Point is a promontory at the southeast corner of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. To be more precise, it is situated within the Table Mountain National Park, in one of its sections known as ‘Cape of Good Hope’.
3. Majorelle Garden
At the third place on our list of best places to visit in Africa before you die we have Majorelle Garden that is a botanical garden which you can visit in Marrakech, Morocco. It was created by French artist, Jacques Majorelle in 1923 and features a Cubist villa that is designed by French architect, Paul Sinoir in the 1930s. It was first the property of the artist, but then later it was purchased by fashion designers Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé who worked to restore it. Today the garden and villa are open to the public.
2. Blyde River Canyon
The Blyde River Canyon is a third largest canyon in the world! It is very significant natural feature situated in Mpumalanga in South Africa. It is 25 kilometers long and around 750 meters deep. If you are an adventurer and water-lover, this place is perfect for you!
1. Valley of the Kings
On the top of our list of best places to visit in Africa before you die is the Valley of the Kings! It is situated in Egypt on the west bank of the Nile river. It consists of two sides – East Valley and West Valley. The archaeological discoveries in this region, with the tombs of pharaohs being the most interesting, are a very good reason to visit this place.
