Stopovers between San Francisco and Johannesburg
San Francisco to Johannesburg is about 16,979 km. 12 cities sit close enough to the route to add a night or two, and Lisbon, Madrid, Panama City have airline stopover programs. Pick your dates to see what each one really costs.
Cities on the way
One of the easiest stopover cities in Europe: metro from the airport, walkable, great food.
Iberia lets you stop 1–9 nights at no extra airfare.
Copa's Panama Stopover adds the city to your trip at no extra airfare.
A train into the city; the Rockies are a short drive.
The Blue Line runs from O'Hare to the Loop around the clock.
Plenty of flights from every airline make for flexible stopovers.
UP Express runs to Union Station in 25 minutes.
Sits almost exactly on the great circle between North America and Europe, so the detour is tiny.
Train from the airport to the old town in 12 minutes, so even a single night works.
Gateway to Latin America with a beach on the way.
Riverside wine town with a direct metro from the airport.
Beach towns are 15 minutes from the airport.