Upington Travel Guide

Map | Climate | Transportation | Attractions | Accommodation | Other towns

Upington is a town of over 50,000 inhabitants located on the banks of the Orange River, in northern Cape Province du Nord in the Siyanda District.

Culminating at 835 meters, Upington has an arid climate but thanks to the Orange River is fertile soil.

It is also thanks to the increased fertility that makes Upington to his vineyard in significant economic attractiveness.

But Upingon economy relies mainly on tourism, its main attractions are the Kgalagadi transfrontier Park, Augrabies National Park, the flowers of Namaqualand and the Richtersveld.

The main language spoken in Upington is the Afrikaans (97%), and the population is mainly of color.

The city has lots of shops, supermarkets and shops of all kinds.

Postal code of Upington is 8800
Its area code: +27 (0) 54

I. Upington map

Street Map of Upington

II. Climate and geography of Upington

The warmest month of the year in January during the austral summer.
Average temperatures are 36°C in the afternoon and 20°C in the morning.

While the month of July is the coldest of the year, average temperatures are 21°C in the afternoon and 4°C in the morning.

The driest month of the year is July where the average rainfall is only 2 millimeters, while the wettest month is March with 37 millimeters.
The amount of annual rainfall is 239 mm.

Upington	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December
Temperature max	36	34	32	28	24	21	20	23	26	30	32	34
Temperature min	20	20	17	13	8	4	3	5	9	12	16	1
Rainfall (mm)	37	39	38	31	12	4	3	4	6	15	26	24

III. Getting around in Upington

By car :

From Cape Town take the N7 and N14 to join the Springbok to go to Upington.
Coming from the Eastern Cape, take the N10 from Port Elizabeth.
From Johannesburg take the N14.
From Bloemfontein or Kimberley use the N12 and N1 towards the west, then turn onto the N10.
Several car rental agencies exist to Upington.

By Plane :

Upington has a modern airport, with regular flights deservant major cities of South Africa, like Johannesburg or Cape Town.
Is the only airline SA Airlink (a subsidiary of South African Airways).
To compare or buy a plane ticket for cheap Upington: Cheap Flights from Upington

By bus :

The company offers Intercape to travel South Africa and Southern Africa by bus.
Tel: 054 332 6091

IV. What to see and what to do in Upington

The town of Upington is typical of mid-sized city South African but not spectacular.
There are some monuments and museums to visit, such as:

The Kalahari Oranje Museum Complex

The Kalahari Oranje Museum Complex informs and presents exhibitions on the history of the region.
Schroder Street, Upington
Tel: 27 (0) 54 332-6064
Hours: Weekdays 9am-12h30 and 14h-17h, 9 am - 12 pm on Saturday.

Camel and Rider statue

Schreuder located in the street, opposite the police station.
A statue pays tribute to police officers who crisscrossed this vast arid region on camels, to be applied the law.

Donkey statue

Also located on the street Schreuder, this statue was erected to honor the donkeys who carried water.
Indeed, donkeys are so important in this area they received a statue in recognition for the work they did.
Even today you will see many people still use donkey carts as their primary mode of transportation.

Date Palm Avenue

At the entrance to Die Eiland, more than 200 palm trees line the avenue of 1 km.

Orange River Wine Route

The largest cooperative of South Africa and the second largest in the world.
Wine tastings can be arranged, but most of the grapes are not used for wine production, but exported to Europe for use as table grapes or raisins.
Tel: +27 (0)54 337 8800
Email: marketing@owk.co.za

The Hortentia Windmill

Dutch reformed church

Grave of Scotty Smith

Parks and nature reserves near Upington :

	Augrabies Falls NP The Augrabies Falls National Park is located at 1h30 drive from Upington (120 km). In lunar framework, the main waterfall is about 60 meters high, the park is also characterized by the presence of Black Rhino. Adventure activities like rafting, hiking, biking and canoeing are popular.
	Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park * Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park comprises Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana. With an area of more than two million hectares, it is one of the biggest areas of nature conservation in southern Africa.
	Witsand Nature Reserve Located about two hundred kilometers east of Upington, the Witsand Nature Reserve teems with birds of all kinds as the Pygmy Falcon, the smallest bird of prey in Africa. This reserve is home to 3300 hectares, an amazing curiositée, dunes measuring 20 to 60 meters high. Hiking, 4x4, bike, picnic and accommodations are offered.
	Spitskop Nature Reserve Located 15km north of Upington, the Spitskop is the subject closest to the city. It includes mainly the Zebras, Antelopes and gemsbok. The reserve is a perfect place for a day trip, to do a picnic, safaris or even make hiking paths.