Iconic Landmarks of Africa and the World

Destinations

Africa is often reduced to a single image in the minds of travellers: savannah, acacia trees, a lion at sunset. It is a powerful image, but it is also a misleading one.

The continent contains some of the most varied landscapes on Earth—waterfalls that generate their own weather, mountain peaks that rise from rainforests to glaciers, deserts that stretch beyond the horizon, and valleys that split the Earth’s crust.

These are not backdrops. They are active, living places with their own histories, ecologies, and meanings. Here are some of Africa’s most significant landmarks, and a few beyond, that deserve more than a photograph.

Key Takeaways

Victoria Falls is the world’s largest sheet of falling water, dropping 108 metres into a gorge that generates spray visible from 40 kilometres away.
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The Great Sphinx of Giza is over 4,500 years old and remains one of the largest sculptures on Earth, yet its missing nose has never been found.
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The Serengeti is the only place on Earth where the Great Migration still occurs, with over 2 million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras moving in a continuous cycle.
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Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unfilled intact caldera in the world, supporting a dense concentration of wildlife within its 260-square-kilometre walls.
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Mount Kilimanjaro’s snow cap is shrinking due to climate change, making the trek to Africa’s highest peak increasingly urgent for those who wish to see it in its current state.

1. Victoria Falls, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Victoria Falls is not the tallest waterfall in the world, nor is it the widest. But it is the largest sheet of falling water on the planet.

That distinction matters. The Zambezi River, more than a kilometre wide at this point, plunges over a basalt ledge into a narrow gorge 108 metres below. The force of the water generates spray that rises hundreds of metres into the air.

The spray is visible from 40 kilometres away, which is how the falls earned their local name, Mosi-oa-Tunya—”the smoke that thunders”.

David Livingstone first saw the falls in 1855 and named them after Queen Victoria. He was not the first to know of them—local people had lived alongside the falls for centuries—but his account brought them to European attention.

Today, the falls are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

The experience of visiting Victoria Falls is physical. The mist soaks you. The roar vibrates through your chest. The rainbows that form in the spray are constant.

For those who want to see the falls from a different angle, helicopter flights and microlight trips offer aerial perspectives, while white-water rafting on the Zambezi below the falls is among the most intense river experiences in the world.

Victoria Falls tours can be combined with wildlife safaris in nearby national parks, making it a natural addition to a Southern African itinerary.

2. The Great Sphinx of Giza, Egypt

The Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the world’s oldest and largest monuments, and it is also one of its most mysterious.

The limestone statue measures 73 metres long and 20 metres high, with a human head on a lion’s body. It is said to have been built for Khafre, a fourth-dynasty pharaoh who ruled around 2500 BC.

The Sphinx has fascinated visitors for millennia. Its missing nose—one metre long—has never been found, and no one knows where it went.

Over the centuries, the Sphinx has been buried in sand multiple times and has required extensive restoration. It remains one of the most recognisable landmarks on Earth, a symbol of ancient Egypt’s power and mystery.

3. The Cape of Good Hope, South Africa

The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the southern end of South Africa’s Cape Peninsula. For centuries, it was believed to be the southernmost tip of Africa, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans collide.

That distinction actually belongs to Cape Agulhas, but the Cape of Good Hope remains the more famous landmark.

Its significance is historical. In the 15th century, the Cape was a crucial point for vessels sailing from Europe to the Far East.

Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias named it the “Cape of Storms” before King John II of Portugal renamed it the “Cape of Good Hope” to reflect European optimism about opening sea routes to India.

Today, the Cape of Good Hope is part of Table Mountain National Park and offers sweeping views of the coastline.

The drive to the Cape along Chapman’s Peak Drive is one of the most scenic routes in South Africa, and the area is home to chacma baboons, ostriches, and a variety of seabirds.

4. The Great Rift Valley

The Great Rift Valley is not a single landmark but a sequence of geographic breaks within the Earth’s crust, extending 7,000 kilometres from Lebanon in Asia to Mozambique in Africa.

It divides into two arms: the Western Rift Valley and the Eastern Rift Valley, which run through Uganda, Kenya, and South Sudan before joining in Tanzania.

The valley is known for its regular earthquakes, beautiful lakes, volcanoes, springs, and geysers. It is one of the most tectonically active regions on Earth, and its landscapes are correspondingly dramatic.

The lakes of the Rift Valley—including Lake Tanganyika, the world’s second-deepest lake, and Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake—support extraordinary biodiversity.

For travellers, the Great Rift Valley offers a chance to see the Earth’s surface in motion. The valley is also rich in human history, with some of the oldest hominid fossils ever discovered found in its sediments.

5. Skeleton Coast, Namibia

The Skeleton Coast spans 500 kilometres along Namibia’s northwestern Atlantic shoreline. Its name comes from the rusted shipwrecks and bleached whale bones that litter the beach, remnants of vessels that fell victim to the Atlantic’s treacherous currents, shifting sandbanks, and thick fog.

The indigenous San people called it “The Land God Made in Anger”.

Despite its harsh conditions, the Skeleton Coast is not barren. Desert-adapted wildlife—including elephants, lions, and rhinos—survive in this hyper-arid wilderness.

The coastal fog sustains a unique ecosystem that includes lichens, beetles, and other creatures found nowhere else on Earth.

The Skeleton Coast is one of the most unusual landscapes in Africa. It is not a destination for everyone, but for those who make the journey, it is unforgettable.

6. Valley of the Kings, Egypt

The Valley of the Kings lies on the west bank of the River Nile near Luxor and served as a royal burial ground for the pharaohs of Egypt’s New Kingdom, including Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Ramses II.

The valley contains over 60 tombs and an additional 20 unfinished ones.

The name “Valley of the Kings” is not entirely accurate—some members of the royal family and a few non-royal elites were also buried here.

The valley is divided into the East and West Valleys, with the eastern valley containing the majority of the tombs.

The tombs themselves are extraordinary. They were carved into the rock and decorated with intricate paintings and hieroglyphics designed to guide the pharaoh’s soul through the afterlife.

The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, largely intact, remains one of the most significant archaeological finds in history.

7. Table Mountain, South Africa

Table Mountain overlooks Cape Town and is one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Its flat top is a geological anomaly, and it reaches 1,086 metres at its highest point.

The mountain is a protected national park, and its slopes support a remarkable diversity of plant life, including more than 1,400 species of fynbos.

Most visitors take the cable car to the top, but the mountain is also a hiker’s paradise. The views from the summit are spectacular—the city, the ocean, and the Cape Peninsula all visible in a single sweep.

Table Mountain is featured on the Flag of Cape Town and is a symbol of the city itself.

8. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

The Serengeti is the most famous safari destination in Africa, and for good reason. The vast open savannah is home to hundreds of wildlife species, including the Big Five—lion, leopard, Cape buffalo, rhino, and elephant.

What makes the Serengeti truly exceptional is the Great Migration. Over 2 million wildebeest, along with hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles, move through the ecosystem in a continuous cycle, following the rains in search of fresh grass.

The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is the only place on Earth where this event still occurs.

The Serengeti is also a place of remarkable predator-prey dynamics. Lions, cheetahs, and leopards are common, and the river crossings during the migration are among the most dramatic wildlife spectacles on the planet.

Serengeti safaris are best planned around the migration cycle, which varies depending on the time of year.

9. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unfilled intact caldera in the world. It is approximately 260 square kilometres in area and 610 metres deep, protecting an entire ecosystem within its walls.

The crater is often called the “Garden of Eden” because of its extraordinary biodiversity.

The crater floor supports a dense concentration of wildlife, including all of the Big Five. Lions, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, and leopards are all present, along with cheetahs, hyenas, and large herds of wildebeest and zebras.

The crater also contains human history, with ancient hominid fossils discovered in the area.

Ngorongoro is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is recognised as the 8th Wonder of the World. It is one of the few places in Africa where you can see such a wide variety of wildlife in a single day.

Ngorongoro Crater tours are often combined with Serengeti safaris, as the two destinations are relatively close.

10. Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa at 5,895 metres. It is composed of three volcanic cones—Shira, Mawenzi, and Kibo—and is a dormant volcano.

The snow-capped peak is an iconic symbol of East Africa’s natural beauty, but the snow is shrinking due to climate change.

Climbing Kilimanjaro is a challenging but achievable trek that attracts adventurers from all over the world. The journey to the summit takes climbers through diverse landscapes, from lush rainforests at lower elevations to barren alpine deserts near the summit. The views from the top are extraordinary.

For those who prefer to see Kilimanjaro from a distance, Amboseli National Park in Kenya offers some of the best views of the mountain, with elephants in the foreground.

Beyond Africa: Petra, Jordan

Petra is not in Africa, but it deserves mention alongside the continent’s great landmarks. The city was carved from the rose-red sandstone cliffs of southern Jordan by the Nabateans between the 4th century BCE and the 2nd century CE.

The builders used a subtractive method, chiselling the structures directly into the cliffs from the top down.

Petra is more than just one of the Seven Wonders of the World or a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a testament to human ingenuity and the ability to create something extraordinary from the landscape itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the most iconic landmark in Africa?

Victoria Falls is often considered the most iconic natural landmark in Africa, while the Great Sphinx of Giza is the most iconic man-made landmark. Both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

2. Which African landmark is best for wildlife viewing?

The Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and the Ngorongoro Crater offer some of the best wildlife viewing in Africa. The Serengeti is home to the Great Migration, while Ngorongoro offers a dense concentration of wildlife within its crater walls.

3. Is it safe to visit the Skeleton Coast in Namibia?

The Skeleton Coast is remote and requires careful planning. Most visitors travel with a guided tour company. The area is safe for tourists, but the conditions are harsh and the logistics are challenging.

4. How long does it take to climb Mount Kilimanjaro?

Most routes take between five and nine days, depending on the route and the climber’s pace. Acclimatisation is critical, and the success rate is higher on longer itineraries.

5. What is the best time to visit Victoria Falls?

The best time to visit Victoria Falls depends on what you want to see. During the rainy season from February to May, the falls are at their most powerful, but the spray can obscure the view.

During the dry season from August to December, the water levels are lower, and the views are clearer.

Ready to start planning your visit to Africa’s iconic landmarks? Send us an inquiry through our contact page or WhatsApp us on +256 705 161344.