27 October 2026 · Gregg Abell, Field Trip Sports Travel, Johannesburg
England tour South Africa from 17 December 2026 to 15 January 2027: three Tests (Wanderers, Centurion, Newlands) and three ODIs (Paarl and Bloemfontein). Hotels near the grounds start from about £70 per person, British passport holders don't need a visa for up to 90 days, and the Newlands Test and Paarl ODI are already sold out to the public, so plan those two first.
The fixtures
| Match | Dates | Ground |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | 17–21 Dec 2026 | Wanderers, Johannesburg |
| 2nd Test | 26–30 Dec 2026 (Boxing Day) | SuperSport Park, Centurion |
| 3rd Test | 3–7 Jan 2027 | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 1st ODI | Sun 10 Jan 2027 | Boland Park, Paarl |
| 2nd ODI | Wed 13 Jan 2027 | Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein |
| 3rd ODI | Fri 15 Jan 2027 | Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein |
Where to stay, match by match
| Match | Stay | From, per person sharing |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Test, Wanderers | 6 nights, 16–22 Dec. Protea Wanderers is a walk from the ground; Melrose Arch is 10 minutes away. | R8210 (≈ £380) |
| 2nd Test, Centurion | 6 nights, 25–31 Dec. Guesthouses in Centurion, or Menlyn in Pretoria. | R2870 (≈ £135) |
| 3rd Test, Newlands | 6 nights, 2–8 Jan. Newlands guesthouses are a short walk; the City Bowl is 15 minutes by car. | R6190 (≈ £285) |
| 1st ODI, Paarl | 2 nights, 9–11 Jan. Winelands guesthouses and wine estates. | R1480 (≈ £70) |
| 2nd and 3rd ODIs, Bloemfontein | 4 nights, 12–16 Jan. Guesthouses and lodges near the centre. | R1710 (≈ £80) |
Rand prices from our hotel packages; pounds approximate at £1 = R21.56 (23 September 2026). Full options: hotels for England fans.
Getting around
- Johannesburg to Centurion: 45 minutes by road. Easy to base yourself in one place for both Tests.
- Johannesburg to Cape Town: a 2-hour flight. Book early for the New Year week.
- Cape Town to Paarl: an hour's drive, so the Paarl ODI fits neatly after Newlands.
- To Bloemfontein: an hour's flight from Cape Town or Johannesburg.
Visas, money and match days
- Visa: British passport holders don't need one for a holiday of up to 90 days. Your passport needs two blank pages and at least 30 days' validity after you leave.
- Money: the pound goes a long way in rand. Card is accepted almost everywhere.
- Sun: December and January are high summer. Five days in the sun is a lot; where you sit matters.
- Match-day access: the Newlands Test and the Paarl ODI are sold out to the public. Match-day access is available on request; ask us.
See hotels for every matchPlan the whole tour
Field Trip is an independent South African travel company and not an official agent of Cricket South Africa or the ECB.
Questions we get asked
When is England's tour of South Africa?
From 17 December 2026 to 15 January 2027: three Tests (Johannesburg, Centurion, Cape Town) and three ODIs (Paarl and Bloemfontein).
Do British fans need a visa for South Africa?
No, not for a holiday of up to 90 days on a British passport. The passport needs two blank pages and at least 30 days' validity after you leave.
Where should I stay for the Newlands Test?
Newlands guesthouses are a short walk from the ground; the Cape Town City Bowl is about 15 minutes by car. Packages start from about R6190 per person sharing for 6 nights.
Is the Newlands Test sold out?
Yes, the Newlands Test and the Paarl ODI are sold out to the public. Match-day access is available on request.