Kruger to Cape Town

Welcome to Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa. First established as a gold-mining settlement in 1886, Johannesburg became known as the ‘city of gold', sitting adjacent to one of the richest gold reefs in the world. Today ‘Jo'burg' is a vibrant and thriving city with a population of more than 5 million!

We don't want you to miss out on any aspect of your small group tour. To ensure that you don't, we recommend you arrive at your hotel by 4:00pm.

Meet your fellow travellers and guide this evening for a welcome dinner and drink at the hotel.

A busy day of sightseeing is on the agenda today as we explore Johannesburg's Soweto district. Its name is an abbreviation for ‘South Western Townships', and this district emerged during the country's apartheid era as a township for black South African's forcibly removed from their homes. Despite its dark and unfortunate history, Soweto today pulsates with resilience, rich culture and strong community spirit.

We begin with a visit to Satyagraha House, the residence of Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi from 1908 - 1909. The house was built in 1907 by Gandhi's close friend and architect, Hermann Kallenbach. Today, Satyagraha House is both a museum and a guest house.

Next, we visit Constitution Hill Human Rights Precinct, a living museum that tells the important story of South Africa's journey to democracy. The site itself is a former prison and military fort that bears witness to South Africa's unstable past. Today it's home to the country's ‘Constitutional Court' which promotes and endorses the rights of all citizens.

We'll enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Soweto, before continuing to the Hector Pieterson Memorial, dedicated to preserving the memory of the 1976 Soweto uprisings. The museum houses a collection of oral testimonies, photographs, audiovisual screens displays and historical documents. We then visit Mandela House, where Nelson Mandela and his family lived from 1946 into the 1990s. The house is a humble abode of four inter-leading rooms that today contain a collection of memorabilia, paintings, and photographs of the Mandela family. Here we'll learn about their fascinating stories.

Today we depart Johannesburg and make our way towards Hazyview, a sub-tropical farming town in South Africa's Mpumalanga province. The small town is renowned for its banana plantations, and it's said to have the best climate in the world for growing the delicious fruit! Along the way we stop in Nelspruit, home to the Jane Goodall Institute and Chimp Eden Sanctuary, which we'll enjoy visiting this afternoon.

Special Experience: See our closest relatives in their natural habitat as we tour Chimp Eden, the first and only chimpanzee sanctuary in South Africa. Established in 2006, by the Jane Goodall Institute,

it is home to chimps that have been misplaced from their natural habitats in Africa. The goal of Chimp Eden is to rescue chimpanzees that have been orphaned, traded in the illegal pet market or traumatised for entertainment in circuses and night clubs. Here we have a unique opportunity to see our closest relatives in semi-wild surroundings.

This morning we depart Hazyview for Graskop Gorge, where we'll travel on the lift and enjoy some free time to bask in the spectacular views. Centrally located along South Africa's famous Panorama Route, the lift takes visitors 51 metres down the face of the gorge into the lush forest below.

Next our eyes are set on the scenic Panorama Route, travelling a portion of this famed road to Gods Window Viewpoint – one of the most picturesque vantage points in South Africa.

This afternoon we'll arrive at our lodge in Greater Kruger National Park, one of Africa's largest national parks. We'll head out on our first game drive of the tour before a group dinner at the lodge.

Special Experience: Spend two nights at Kruger Shalati Train on the Bridge which sits high above the Sabie River in Kruger National Park.

Afterwards, the remainder of the day and evening is at leisure.

Greater Kruger National Park is an extension of the Kruger National Park. With more than 20 private game reserves sharing unfenced borders, this allows the abundance of wildlife to roam freely around the entire park. Greater Kruger National Park is one of the best wildlife tourist attractions in South Africa and is home to Africa's 'Big Five' – lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffaloes.

Today is all about animals! We'll rise early to explore this magnificent game park as it is bathed in the beautiful morning light. Keep your camera handy as we will likely see many different types of animals, including wildebeest, giraffes, antelopes and elephants.

We return to the lodge for breakfast, lunch and some time to relax before heading out again this afternoon in search of more wildlife in the game reserve.

We'll rise again early this morning for one final game drive through Greater Kruger National Park, before transferring to Skukuza Airport for our flight to George, a town located on the Western Cape.

Upon arrival, we'll make our way to our hotel in the town of Knysna, also on the stunning Western Cape.

Knysna is a natural paradise, nestled between lush forests and the shores of a peaceful lagoon. The coastal town is situated along the Garden Route and offers an exciting array of land and water-based experiences.

This morning we'll enjoy a lagoon cruise to the Featherbed Island Nature Reserve, where there will be some time to explore this wilderness area and have lunch.

This afternoon we return to Knysna's famous waterfront area for some free time to wander.

We bid farewell to Knysna this morning and make our way towards Oudtshoorn, the ostrich capital of the world!

On the agenda today is discovering an ostrich farm to learn about the largest bird on earth. Here we will also enjoy a traditional lunch and tour of the unique farm. En route, we'll travel via the Outeniqua Pass, a famed mountainous road that offers some pretty spectacular views.

On arrival in Oudtshoorn, we have the afternoon and evening at leisure for more exploration at your own pace, or for simply relaxing.

Enjoy a sunrise meerkat adventure and gain a real insight into the intriguing lives of these charismatic creatures. Meerkats hate the cold, so they're only up once sunlight hits their burrow. Only one meerkat will come up initially – the sentinel. She'll face the sun and absorb heat through her ‘solar panel' – the dark patch on her belly. You'll see her head swiveling, her dark eyes moving ceaselessly back and forth. She will study the people, then the surrounding bush, then gaze at the skies looking out for the meerkats' most-feared foes – birds of prey. Then, one at a time, she will be joined by the others, and as a sentinel she'll give a quiet, regular chirrup, reassuring them that all is well. Zoologists call it the 'Watchman's Song'.

We return to the lodge for breakfast before travelling to Mossel Bay, the place at which the first Europeans landed on South African soil in 1488. Here we visit the Bartholomeu Dias Museum, named after the Portuguese explorer who landed here. The museum houses the famous 500-year-old Post-Office Tree and the Shell Museum.

We'll then continue onto Botlierskop Game Reserve where we will enjoy an afternoon game drive.

Situated on South Africa's popular Garden Route, Botlierskop Game Reserve is a luxury private safari park. The 4,500-hectare reserve offers awe inspiring views of the Langeberg and Outeniqua Mountains and passing wildlife. The park is home to the ‘Big Five' – buffalo, elephant, lion, leopard and rhino, however, you'll also see dozens of giraffes and zebras roaming freely.

We'll have the opportunity to search for wildlife during morning and afternoon game drives today. Make sure you have your camera recharged; you'll need it!

After enjoying one last game drive in Botlierskop this morning, we'll continue to Hermanus. This scenic seaside town is surrounded by majestic mountains and is world famous for whale watching.

This afternoon is at leisure for you to walk around Hermanus and explore this beautiful town at your own pace.

Hermanus has been recognised by the World Wildlife Fund as one of the 12 best whale watching destinations in the world. This morning we'll head out on an amazing whale watching cruise. After a short briefing, we board the cruise and begin our search for Humpback, Southern Right and Bryde's whales. (June to October departures only)

We then make our way towards Stellenbosch, South Africa's premier wine-growing region. Along the way, we'll stop at Betty's Bay, a picturesque seaside village positioned in a narrow strip of land sandwiched between the Kogelberg Mountains and Atlantic Ocean, bordered by freshwater lakes and the Palmiet River. We'll also stop at Gordon's Bay situated around the old harbour and Bikini Beach.

Next, we visit Glen Carlou Wine Estate, where we will enjoy some local tastings, with fantastic views of the Drakenstein Mountains in the background.

Special Experience: Bask in the spectacular views at Glen Carlou, whilst indulging in wine tastings and a delicious lunch.

Located in the heart of the wine region, Stellenbosch dates to 1679 and is the second-oldest town in South Africa. This university town is surrounded by the vineyards of the Cape Winelands and the mountainous nature reserves of Jonkershoek and Simonsberg. The town's oak-shaded streets are lined with cafes, boutiques and art galleries. Cape Dutch architecture gives a sense of South Africa's Dutch colonial history, as do the Village Museum's period houses and gardens.

This morning, enjoy a walking tour of the town and learn its history, before participating in a hands-on cooking class with lunch and wine pairing at Rickety Bridge Estate.

Afterwards, the remainder of the day and evening is at leisure.

We make our way towards Cape Town this morning, a city completely different to anywhere else in Africa. Established in 1652 with the arrival of Dutch settlers, the city is surrounded by superb beaches and majestic mountains, including the incredible Table Mountain. Apart from Cape Town's stunning natural features, the city is blessed with a laid-back ambience that meets with the approval of bohemians and holidaymakers alike. Cape Town is renowned for its great food and wine and has been named by some as the best food city in the world.

Along our journey we visit Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. Set against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain and just 13-kilometres from the city centre, Kirstenbosch is world renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape flora it displays. The hillside garden and nature reserve features rare plant species and walking trails.

Special Experience: Tour Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, one of the great botanic gardens of the world. This afternoon we will visit Simon's Restaurant located at Groot Constantia, a historic wine estate situated in the Constantia Valley. The setting offers stunning views of the vineyards and mountains, making it a perfect spot to enjoy the afternoon relaxing with a drink while taking in the beautiful scenery.

The evening is then free for you to relax and explore Cape Town's popular ‘V&A Waterfront' neighbourhood at your own pace.

Today we embark on picturesque sightseeing tour. This morning we travel to the Cape Peninsula as we make our way towards Cape Point, the most south-westerly tip of the African continent. We'll also discover the Cape of Good Hope before returning to Cape Town via Simon's Town and Boulder's Beach. Here, a colony of African penguins, also known as Jackass penguins, have established themselves since the 1980s. The penguins bray like donkeys (hence their name) and from just two original breeding pairs, there are now over 2,500 penguins on this beach.

This afternoon, we take the Fast Pass lane to ride a cable car to the top of Table Mountain (weather permitting), South Africa's most iconic landmark. Table Mountain towers over the city and is the country's most photographed attraction. It takes only 5 minutes to ascend by cable car and once atop, we'll be rewarded with spectacular views over the city, beaches and across Table Bay to Robben Island.

This morning, we cruise out to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Robben Island (weather permitting), famous for its use as isolation for political prisoners. Robben Island is where Nelson Mandela spent many of the 27 years of his imprisonment. It is now a museum and is symbolic to democratic South Africa of the price paid by many for the freedom of their country.

This afternoon we return to the mainland and visit Bo-Kaap, one of Cape Town's most distinct neighbourhoods. Bo-Kaap's origins date back to the 1760s when numerous houses were built and leased to slaves. The houses are a mix of Cape Dutch and Georgian architecture and are painted in bright colours. It is said that while the houses were leased by slaves, they were to be strictly painted white. Once this rule was lifted, the houses were decorated in vivid colours as an expression of their freedom.

Tonight, we enjoy a group farewell dinner at GOLD, a unique African-themed restaurant with a Cape Malay and African menu as well as djembe drumming.

Our tour concludes after breakfast this morning. We bid farewell to our new friends and to incredible adventure across South Africa. We transfer to Cape Town airport to begin our journey home. We hope you leave with fantastic memories!