Take It All In

1 or 2 Days: If you have only one day in Jo'burg, take a tour of Soweto and visit the Apartheid Museum, then stop by Constitution Hill if you have a chance. Spend the evening having dinner at an African-style restaurant, such as Moyo. If you have a second day, focus on what interests you most: perhaps a trip to the Cradle of Humankind, where you can explore the sites of some of the world's most significant paleontological discoveries; a trip to Cullinan, where you can visit a working diamond mine; or a fun day or two at Sun City.

3 to 5 Days: Spend your first day touring Soweto and visiting the Apartheid Museum and Constitution Hill, followed by an African-style dinner. The next day, leave early and do Sterkfontein Caves and Maropeng in the Cradle of Humankind, then overnight at one of the establishments in the Magaliesberg, perhaps at the luxurious De Hoek Country House or Mount Grace Country House Hotel. For something beautiful but basic, stay one or two nights in a chalet at Mountain Sanctuary Park, in the Magaliesberg, then head out early to the Pilanesberg National Park, one of the finest parks in South Africa, where seeing a rhino and elephant is likely. Stay a night or two in one of the park lodges, and treat yourself to an early-morning balloon ride over the park.