An Insider’s Guide To Africa’s 7 Most Popular Landmarks

Africa is a vast continent filled with many natural and manmade wonders. It’s difficult to narrow down the list of amazing African landmarks to as few as 7. The following are the most popular landmarks, but there are others just as beautiful and interesting in Africa, the Cradle of Humankind.

#1. Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Here is where the Zambezi River falls 300 feet in a sheet of water 5,000 feet wide. This awesome natural wonder can be heard and seen for miles around. The local people call this waterfall Mosi-oa-Tunya, which means “The Smoke Which Thunders”.This gorgeous waterfall can be viewed from either country. In Zambia, the falls are within Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, and in Zimbabwe, they’re part of Victoria Falls National Park. Visitors usually stay in either Livingstone in Zambia or Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.With a UniVisa, you can see the waterfall from both sides of the water. You can obtain a UniVisa for $50 at any major point of entry into Zambia or Zimbabwe. On the Zambian side, you get closer to the waterfall and feel the spray on your face. But on the Zimbabwean side, you get better panoramic views of the falls.

#2. Serengeti National Park

No visitor to Africa can claim to have truly seen Africa until they’ve encountered its wildlife. In the heart of Northern Tanzania, you can find the Serengeti National Park. This park covers 5,700 square miles of savanna, grassland plains, woodlands, and forest.The annual wildebeest migration is considered by many to be the greatest wildlife spectacle on Earth. But wildebeest are not the only big animals you can see. The Grumeti River is where you’ll find zebras struggling to get past the hungry crocodiles. The Serengeti is also home to a wide variety of big cats, such as lions and leopards, and bush elephants.There is no better place in the world than the Serengeti to practice your wildlife photography. The abundant quantity and quality of wildlife mean you can enjoy a wonderful safari here at any time of the year.

#3. Table Mountain

Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain overlooking Cape Town in South Africa. Visitors love to hike up to Lion’s Head Peak for the stunning views across the city. When it’s cloudy, the 2,195 feet peak is often above the clouds, so the peak appears to be an island in a sea of clouds.If you’re feeling lazy, there’s a fun cable car ride to the peak. The cable car company offers free guided tours of the 2-mile-wide plateau at the top.But Lion Head Peak isn’t the highest point on Table Mountain. That honor goes to Maclear’s Beacon on the eastern edge of the plateau, which is 3,563 feet above sea level.Table Mountain is renowned for its biodiversity. There you’ll find the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Around the plateau, you’ll see snakes, lizards, tortoises, porcupines, mongooses, and the endemic Table Mountain Ghost Frog. Table Mountain is also the most photographed landmark in South Africa.

#4. Mount Kilimanjaro

While Table Mountain may be impressive in a cute-mountain-next-door way, the true big boy on the block is Kilimanjaro. Standing at 19,341 feet above sea level, this dormant volcano in northern Tanzania dwarfs all its competitors. It is, of course, the biggest mountain in Africa.This snow-capped mountain is the main feature of Mount Kilimanjaro National Park and has been the subject of many studies into its disappearing ice fields and shrinking glaciers. Its forested lower slopes are home to antelopes, buffalos, and elephants.If you want to climb to the summit, this mountain is famously accessible. However, it will take you between 4 and 8 days to reach the top! Despite the necessary time commitment, 35,000 climb Kilimanjaro every year.

#5. Ngorongoro Crater

This crater is the largest volcanic caldera in the world and part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This is another great place to see large African animals, such as elephants, rhinos, buffalos, lions, and leopards. This makes the crater a very popular destination for safaris.The crater was formed around 3 million years ago when a volcano exploded and then collapsed in on itself. The original volcano is estimated to have rivaled Kilimanjaro in size!Today, the crater is a protected wilderness area and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The conservation area is a popular destination for hiking, mountain biking, and wildlife photography.

#6. The Avenue of the Baobabs

I feel it’s important to represent the whole of Africa in this list, not just the mainland. The Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar is an amazing natural landmark. It’s a group of huge baobab trees lining a dirt track in western Madagascar. This stunning mangrove draws visitors from all around the world.The baobab trees are endemic to Madagascar and stand around 100 feet high. They are estimated to be around 2,800 years old and are the last survivors of a dense tropical forest that once covered the island before deforestation.Sadly, the beautiful baobab tree is an endangered species, so go see them while you still can!

#7. The Pyramids of Giza

I’ve already mentioned one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, but I feel I should mention at least one manmade wonder. The Pyramids of Giza are the last surviving wonder from the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.Thousands of monuments created in the Kingdom of Egypt survive across Egypt, but it is these pyramids and the Great Sphinx that gain the most visitors and international fame.The most famous pyramid was constructed for King Cheops around 2650 BCE with each of its four sides facing a cardinal direction: north, south, east, or west. 2½ million blocks of limestone were dragged here and carefully arranged to make this perfect structure that still leaves every visitor in awe.