South Africa · SOUTH AFRICAN FOOD TOURS
Good south african food tours fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and where they differ.
Meet Faldela at her Bo-Kaap home for a 2.5-hour English cooking class focused on Cape Malay food. You will prepare dishes such as curry, rotis, samosas, and sweet treats, learn about spices and local traditions, then sit down for lunch with soft drinks. Ingredients, equipment, and recipes are included.
“It was a nice experience. I would like to get the recipes of the dishes we made...”
Walk from Bo-Kaap through Bree Street and De Waterkant, tasting Cape Malay dishes, South African classics, drinks, snacks, coffee, and tea. Your local guide, often Olivia, adds stories about Cape Town’s food, culture, and past. The route covers about 2 kilometers and ends away from the starting point.
“This was a wonderful way to learn about South African cuisine and walk around town a little. The walking was not strenuous and all the food was delicious! Olivia, “The Queen”, was the sweetest tour guide and always made sure we were together and kept the conversations going.”
Join Steven, Stephen, Mostaff, or another English-speaking guide for two game drives in Addo Elephant National Park. The small group is limited to nine people, with pickup from Port Elizabeth or Colchester, refreshments all day, and a generous braai lunch served inside the park.
“Our guide, Steven was great. Very informative and found a lot of wildlife for us. The lunch was very good. All in all a great day.”
Spend one hour aboard the IQ Catamaran at the V&A Waterfront, enjoying two gin and tonic servings, a colour-changing gin experiment, sparkling wine, and views of Table Mountain and the Atlantic coast. Crew members such as Pride are known for friendly service and taking photos. Bring a jacket, even on sunny days.
“super friendly helpful staff. they postponed the trip by an hour to ensure we had good weather and better sea conditions, they care about the clients experience”
At Pahari African Restaurant in Salt River, Caleb and Florence guide you through traditional dishes including Sadza, chicken stew, chakalaka, sugar beans, and peanut-butter greens. You will hear the stories behind the food, help prepare the meal, enjoy African drinks and snacks, and sit down together for a communal dinner. Vegetarian and vegan options are available.
“Have taken many different cooking classes all over the world and found that this was one of the best ever.,Florence and Caleb and staff provided the history of the food we cooked and interacted with the class. It was a great mix and the African Cooking Experience has to be recommended hiighly.”
Join a small group of up to nine for morning and afternoon game drives in Addo Elephant National Park. Guides such as Stephen, Siya, and Eddie are praised for spotting animals and explaining their behavior. The day includes park fees, refreshments, and a cooked braai with meat, salads, rooster brood, beer, wine, and vegetarian options by request.
“Our guide was knowledgeable about the area, knew where the lions were, gave us plenty of great photo opportunities, and cooked a mean braai! Thanks for your efforts! I would recommend this tour and go again!”
Explore Johannesburg’s Maboneng or Yeoville with a local host, stopping at small African restaurants for at least four dishes from countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, or Congo. Expect street art, city history, walking on uneven pavement, and pickup options. Guides may include Romeo, Murnendeni, Nsoki, or Angela.
“Had a fantastic experience, not only did I try some delicious food, but also saw amazing street art and had a great insight into the South African culture. I also felt I was off the beaten track with few, if any other tourists getting to experience the incredibly vibrant local area”
Join Cape Malay Cook Up for a two-hour class in a traditional Bo-Kaap home. You will prepare dishes such as samosas, chilli bites, flatbread, and curry, then sit down for lunch with your host. Expect hands-on cooking, stories about Malay culture and Bo-Kaap, and a friendly shared table.
“We really enjoyed our cooking class! The food was very tasty and everyone was able to participate in different parts of the process. The host gave us lots of information about the history of the cuisine and was very friendly.”
Spend four hours exploring Bo-Kaap with local guides such as Faldela, Gadija, or Ilyas, then cook samosas, chicken curry, roti, salsa salad, and koesisters in a local home. You will visit a spice shop, learn about the neighborhood’s Muslim Cape Malay culture, eat what you prepare, and take home the recipes.
“It was amazing - Gadija took us on our historical walking tour of Bo Kaap and explained the history before entertaining us with the cookery session with Bilquis - I finally learnt how to make flaky roti Yeahh”
Join Joel, Brian, or another African Sightings guide for a nine-hour Addo safari from Port Elizabeth. Travel in a small group, search for elephants, lions, rhinos, buffalo, and more, then enjoy a sit-down braai with meat, salads, drinks, and vegetarian options.
“ein wunderschöner Tag mit vielen Tieren, gutem Essen u. Trinken. Kann ich nur empfehlen. Die Abholung am Hafen hätte besser sein können, da viele Personen die Wagen nicht gleich gefunden haben.”
Join chef Nicola Spilsbury at Spilsbury’s Kitchen for a four-hour, small-group cooking class in Franschhoek. Prepare traditional South African dishes, learn practical kitchen tips, enjoy local wine with your meal, and share the evening with up to 12 food lovers. The class starts at 5 pm and returns to its central meeting point.
“Spilsbury's Kitchen is not just a beautiful space to be in with unique and stunning options of kitchenware to purchase but it is also a place to escape the real world and "play" a little. What an insightful journey of self-expression I had - through tRead more”
At Pahari African Restaurant, Florence and Caleb guide you through a 150-minute cooking class covering Sadza, chicken stew, chakalaka, sugar beans, and beef bones with greens. You will hear how family recipes changed over time, sample African drinks and snacks, cook as a small group, and share the meal at the table.
“Hele aardige mensen, echt Afrikaans eten. Goede uitleg erbij over tradities en geschiedenis”
You’ll spend about two hours at Mount Nelson, a grand Cape Town hotel beneath Table Mountain, choosing loose-leaf teas and filling your plate from a buffet of sandwiches, empanadas, pastries, éclairs, petit fours, fruit, and cakes. Pickup and drop-off are included from selected city hotels, with groups limited to six.
“This was a beautiful hotel with excellent service for afternoon tea. My only complaint is Viator was expensive to book through almost 50 per person when you could have went straight to the hotel and got exact same for half the price and just get your own taxi, which are cheap.”
Join Lorette and Desmond in their Grassy Park home for a private three-hour Cape Malay cooking class. You will prepare two or three dishes, perhaps roti with chicken curry, bobotie, or malva pudding, then sit down with the family to eat. Recipes, drinks, lunch or dinner, and gratuities are included.
“My husband was sick and unable to accompany me. Lorette went to the trouble to make a custard to go with the Mavi pudding because my husband had eaten it at a restaurant and loved it (without the custard) which is the classic way to eat it I learned. She gave me to go Read more”
Spend about four hours tasting several South African and East African dishes with guide Tingo Mtambalika of Santacruise Tours. Expect private group service, pickup options, and a menu that may include chapati, beef stew, fish stew, Xhosa-style braai meat, and Cape Malay curries. Confirm the exact dishes and meeting arrangements before booking.
“I highly recommend you book this tour during your stay. The food was delicious. Tingo and the servers helped make sure my food choice was on point. The service was very friendly and welcoming. Overall, great experience!”
Pick a park, a coastline or a city.
