South Africa "A Trip of a Lifetime"

Day by day

The itinerary

1. Day 1 · Cape Town

   Cape Town / Arrival

   Upon arrival off your international flight, you will be met by a transfer representative, who will assist you to your transfer vehicle. An English-speaking driver will then transfer you from Cape Town International Airport to your hotel, where you will overnight for 3 nights.

   Cape Town is addictive and inspires discovery and has been voted as the best place in the world to visit by the prestigious New York Times. This vibrant multicultural city is a healthy mix of urban and convenient living, vibey day and night spots, nature and relaxation as well as the ocean and white sand beaches at your fingertips. Ride the revolving cable car to the sky on Table Mountain; shop at the V&A Waterfront, one of Africa’s premier shopping destinations; stand on the edge of the world at Cape Point or delve into South Africa’s past at Robben Island, the prison that once held one of the world’s greatest heroes, Nelson Mandela. The “Mother City”, the “Green City”, the “Tavern of the Seas"…whatever name you give it, it stays beautiful and beckons to be explored—the more, the better.

   The President Hotel or similar

2. Day 2 · Cape Town

   Cape Town / Peninsula Tour

   After breakfast depart on a full day tour. First stop is Table Mountain, named one of the 'New 7 Wonders of Nature', for a cable car ride to the top of the mountain (weather permitting). Then, travel via the scenic Chapman's Peak drive to The Cape Point Nature Reserve, and Cape Point, where, by tradition, the Atlantic and Indian Oceans Meet. The most Southwestern Point of Africa. Continue to Boulders Beach home to the African Penguin. Next, the drive continues to Groot Constantia Wine Estate, for a wine tasting and you can wander through the scenic vineyards. Return to Cape Town, passing the University of Cape Town and the Groote Schuur Hospital.

   Return to your hotel in the late afternoon for an evening at leisure.

   The President Hotel or similar
   Breakfast

3. Day 3 · Cape Town

   Cape Town / Robben Island

   Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. You will be met and transferred to the V & A Waterfront for your visit to Robben Island.

   All visitors are required to provide either an identification document, passport, birth certificate, or driver's license. Copies of these documents will be accepted.

   Boats depart from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront and head to one of the most famous prisons in the world. This is where South Africa's father of the nation spent 18 years, the legend of a man, Nelson Mandela. Guests will disembark at Murrays Harbour on the east coast of the island and take a short walk to buses that will transport them to all the historically significant sites. The tour guides inside the prison today, are former political prisoners and their knowledge of this island is unparalleled and adds a unique cultural layer to this experience. This tour culminates with a viewing of Nelson Mandela's cell.

   Return to the V & A Waterfront by ferry. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

   The President Hotel or similar
   Breakfast

4. Day 4 · Oudtshoorn

   Cape Town – Oudtshoorn via Cape Agulhas

   You will be met early by your local tour guide and depart on a long drive today. Travel along Sir Lowry's Pass, with its magnificent views, to Grabouw and Elgin, a lush landscape surrounded by majestic mountains. Stop en route at a farmstall packed with locally produced products from the area.

   Our journey continues to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa. The area has largely been untouched and unexplored with its rugged coastline being the graveyard for many a ship. The historic Cape Agulhas Lighthouse is considered the icon that signifies the tip of Africa.

   After this thrilling experience, we continue further via historic Swellendam and the Tradouw Pass to Barrydale and the famous Route 62. En route we stop to sample roosterkoek, a traditional South African bread cooked over an open fire or grill.

   Afterwards we travel to Oudtshoorn, known as the 'ostrich feather capital' and centre of the world's Ostrich farming industry. Enjoy dinner at an Ostrich Farm, dining on local specialities such as Ostrich Steak.Overnight: La Plume Guest House or similar

   La Plume Guest House or similar
   Breakfast, lunch, dinner

5. Day 5 · Oudtshoorn

   Oudtshoorn / Meerkats & Cango Caves

   Early wake up call for an unusual outing – A Meerkat Safari. Witness these incredible wild habituated creatures emerging out of their burrows, in time to soak up the sun before they head about their daily activities (weather permitting). A portion of the monies paid by guests for this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience go towards the Buffelsdrift Foundation, that focusses on Wildlife conservation in the Klein Karoo region, habitat conservation and the local community.

   Return for breakfast and later depart for a tour of the spectacular limestone caverns of the Cango Caves, one of the world's great natural wonders, sculpted by nature through the ages. Also, join a fun filled interactive guided tractor tour at a working Ostrich Farm, followed by a wine tasting, sampling top quality wines of the region.

   La Plume Guest House or similar
   Breakfast, Dinner

6. Day 6 · Knysna

   Oudtshoorn – Knysna

   After breakfast, travel over the Outeniqua Pass to George, the sixth oldest town in South Africa, with many historical landmarks like the Slave Tree and King Edward VII Library building; said to be the best example of Edwardian architecture in the town like the King Edward VII Library building. Visit the Outeniqua Transport Museum in George. This museum offers a unique experience of the Garden Route's railway history, showcasing a vast collection of vintage vehicles, locomotives and other transport related artifacts.

   The tour continues via Wilderness, an attractive holiday resort, to Knysna, known as the oyster box of South Africa, nestling on the banks of a beautiful lagoon in the heart of the Garden Route. Enjoy a delicious lunch en route of traditional cuisine and local treats. Afterwards visit the famous Eastern Head, for spectacular views of the Knysna Heads (weather permitting). Overnight: Rex Hotel or similar.

   Rex Hotel or similar
   Breakfast, Lunch

7. Day 7 · Tsitsikamma

   Knysna – Tsitsikamma

   Today you'll have the opportunity to further explore the natural beauty of the Garden Route. After breakfast, travel to Plettenberg Bay, considered the jewel of the Garden Route. En route, stop at Mungo, a family owned and managed textile mill, producing fine quality textiles, using antique looms alongside modern weaving technology. Afterwards visit Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary, where you will be able to see a variety of primates, roaming free in the forest. This award-winning sanctuary is well known for its efforts to rehabilitate and free previously caged primates. A portion of the trip price of this TRAVEL WITH A PURPOSE Activity, goes towards ensuring that these already endangered species can survive and reproduce for a future reintroduction into the wild. Then visit Birds of Eden sanctuary, the biggest single free flight aviary in the world. The sanctuary was developed to create a safe environment in which to release a large collection of free-flight African birds.

   Tsitsikamma Village Inn or similar
   Breakfast

8. Day 8 · Tsitsikamma

   Tsitsikamma

   After breakfast, visit the Tsitsikamma National Park and Storms River Mouth (weather permitting). The Tsitsikamma National Park incorporates 80 km of rocky coastline with spectacular sea and landscapes, a remote mountainous region with secluded valleys covered in mountain Fynbos and temperate high forests with deep river gorges leading down to the sea.

   Afternoon at leisure. Enjoy a delicious dinner of local delicacies.

   Tsitsikamma Village Inn or similar
   Breakfast, Dinner

9. Day 9 · Johannesburg

   Tsitsikamma – Port Elizabeth – Johannesburg

   Head eastwards along the Tsitsikamma Forest to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), known as the “friendly city” with a wonderful climate. Travel to Port Elizabeth Airport for an onward flight to Johannesburg, where you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel.

   Evening at leisure.

   Southern Sun Sandton or similar
   Breakfast

10. Day 10 · Johannesburg

    Johannesburg / Soweto

    Spend a full day exploring Soweto and surrounds, where some of the watershed events in the struggle against apartheid occurred. The tour starts with a drive past the FNB Stadium, also known as Soccer City and the venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final. It was the site of Nelson Mandela's first speech in Johannesburg after his release from prison in 1990. The drive continues through Diepkloof, home to Soweto's richest and then to Kliptown, where the Freedom Charter was officially adopted in 1955.

    Drive past the Regina Mundi Church that played a pivotal role in the township's history of resistance against apartheid. Then onto Vilakazi Street, the most famous street in Soweto, where two Nobel Prize winners once lived, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. The afternoon will conclude with visits to the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum that commemorate the role of the country's students in the struggle against apartheid and the prestigious Apartheid Museum, that covers the full history of the Apartheid era in South Africa. Return to your hotel for overnight in Johannesburg. Overnight: Southern Sun Sandton or similar

    Southern Sun Sandton or similar
    Breakfast, Dinner

11. Day 11 · Pretoria

    Pretoria City Tour

    Your guide will meet you for your half-day tour to Pretoria.

    Pretoria is informally known as the Jacaranda City, for its beautiful, purple-lined streets when the jacaranda trees are in full bloom (seasonal). This tour offers a blend of political history, cultural heritage and architectural landmarks. Highlights include Kruger House, former residence of Paul Kruger, now a museum showcasing his life and the history of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, Church Square, the historic heart of Pretoria, surrounded by significant buildings. Voortrekker Monument, a striking granite monument commemorating the Voortrekkers, offering panoramic views and deep insight into Afrikaner history and the Union Buildings, the official seat of the South African government, set in beautifully landscaped gardens offering iconic views over the city.

    Return to your hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure.

    Southern Sun Sandton or similar
    Breakfast

12. Day 12 · Kruger National Park

    Johannesburg – Kruger National Park

    This morning you will be collected from your hotel, heading east to the Mpumalanga region. Arrive at your accommodation. After freshening up at your lodge enter the world-famous Kruger National Park and spend the afternoon game viewing in your open vehicle. The park offers some of the best game viewing and wildlife opportunities in the world – and you’ll soon appreciate the challenges of managing this unique reserve. After an action-packed afternoon in the Kruger Park, enjoy authentic cuisine from the region, around a cosy campfire at your lodge.

    Hippo Hollow or similar
    Breakfast, Dinner

13. Day 13 · Kruger National Park

    Kruger National Park / Game Drive

    The day begins with early morning coffee or tea, followed by a thrilling open vehicle game drive (with English speaking game ranger) through Kruger National Park with pre-packed breakfast. You may get to see lion, elephant, buffalo, zebra, giraffe and much more! Return to the lodge for lunch (own account) and a short siesta. In the afternoon we will journey once again through the magnificent expanses of the Kruger National Park, unrivalled in its diversity of flora and fauna. Enjoy an afternoon of game viewing in your closed touring vehicle pursuing the Big Five and other rare and endangered species.

    This afternoon enjoy a final game drive in your closed vehicle. Spend time with one of our qualified guides in the African bush learning about the diverse African wilderness and go in search of wildlife, including the “Big Five”. Enjoy a breath-taking experience in the wonderful Kruger National Park, home to prolific birdlife and numerous other game.

    Hippo Hollow or similar
    Breakfast

14. Day 14 · Mpumalanga

    Mpumalanga / Panorama Route

    Enjoy breakfast before setting out to explore the magnificent Panorama Route, one of the most scenic routes in the region, offering glorious views, spectacular landscapes and exquisite waterfalls. Visit majestic sights including God’s Window, the Three Rondavels and the Blyde River Canyon – the third largest canyon of its kind in the world, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and the charming village of Graskop, one of the first gold mining camps in the country. Return to your lodge in the late afternoon.

    Hippo Hollow or similar
    Breakfast, Dinner

15. Day 15 · Johannesburg

    Mpumalanga – Johannesburg / Departure

    Enjoy breakfast before starting the return journey to Johannesburg. Arrive in Johannesburg, at OR Tambo International Airport, at approximately 14h30, where the tour ends on arrival.

    Breakfast