‘Big Five’ South Africa Tour

Cape Town, the Cape Winelands, Kruger National Park and Johannesburg

This 12 day journey brings together the very best of South Africa. You begin with six nights at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. From there you visit Robben Island, ride the cable car up Table Mountain, drive the Cape Peninsula to Cape Point, and spend a day in the Cape Winelands.

You then fly to Kruger National Park for two nights at a lodge inside the park itself. Twice a day you head out with an experienced guide in search of the Big Five: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino.

The tour ends in Johannesburg. You drive the Panorama Route on the way, then explore Soweto, the Apartheid Museum and Pretoria. You travel privately throughout, with your own driver and guide, and stay in hand-picked hotels.

South Africa

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Activity

  1. Day 1: Arrive in Cape Town

    Welcome to South Africa. Our representative meets you at Cape Town International Airport and transfers you to The Commodore Hotel at the V&A Waterfront. The rest of the day is yours. The Waterfront is a short walk from the hotel, with restaurants, shops and views across the harbor to Table Mountain.

    Overnight: The Commodore Hotel, V&A Waterfront

    Meals included: None

    Note: We do not include a meal on arrival day, because flight times can change.

  2. Day 2: Robben Island and the V&A Waterfront

    This morning you walk to the Nelson Mandela Gateway, a few minutes from your hotel, for the ferry to Robben Island. Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison here, and the island is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your visit includes the maximum security prison and his cell. The afternoon is free to enjoy the Waterfront.

    Overnight: The Commodore Hotel, V&A Waterfront

    Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

    Note: Ferry departures depend on the weather and sell out in season, so we book them well ahead.

  3. Day 3: Table Mountain and the City

    Ride the cable car to the top of Table Mountain for views over the city, the Atlantic and Robben Island. Your guide then shows you the city: the Company’s Garden, the Castle of Good Hope and the brightly painted houses of the Bo-Kaap, the historic Cape Malay quarter.

    Overnight: The Commodore Hotel, V&A Waterfront

    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Note: The cable car runs only in good weather. If it is closed, we move the visit to another day.

  4. Day 4: The Cape Peninsula and Cape Point

    A full day along one of the world’s great coastal drives. Follow the Atlantic coast through Camps Bay and over Chapman’s Peak Drive, when open, to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. On the return along False Bay, stop at Boulders Beach near Simon’s Town to see the colony of African penguins.

    Overnight: The Commodore Hotel, V&A Waterfront

    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  5. Day 5: The Cape Winelands

    Drive inland to the Cape Winelands, framed by mountains and vineyards. Visit the university town of Stellenbosch, then Franschhoek, founded by French Huguenot settlers in the 1600s. Enjoy a wine tasting at a selected estate and lunch in Franschhoek, with a stop in Paarl before returning to Cape Town.

    Overnight: The Commodore Hotel, V&A Waterfront

    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  6. Day 6: Cape Town at Leisure

    A free day to explore at your own pace. You might visit Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, shop at the Waterfront, or take a sunset cruise. Your Palace Travel team can arrange any of these for you.

    Overnight: The Commodore Hotel, V&A Waterfront

    Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

  7. Day 7: Fly to Kruger National Park

    After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Skukuza, in the heart of the Kruger region. You are met on arrival and taken to aha Skukuza Safari Lodge, inside the park at Skukuza on the Sabie River, about 20 minutes from the airport. After lunch, set out on your first afternoon game drive.

    Overnight: aha Skukuza Safari Lodge, Kruger National Park

    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  8. Day 8: Big Five Safari

    Today is all about wildlife. Head out at first light on a morning game drive in an open safari vehicle with your guide, when the animals are most active. Return to the lodge to relax, then go out again in the late afternoon. Kruger is home to the Big Five, as well as cheetah, wild dog, giraffe, zebra, hippo and hundreds of bird species.

    Overnight: aha Skukuza Safari Lodge, Kruger National Park

    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  9. Day 9: The Panorama Route to Johannesburg

    After an early breakfast, drive along the Panorama Route along the edge of the escarpment. Stop at God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and the Three Rondavels above the Blyde River Canyon, one of the largest canyons in the world. Continue to Johannesburg, arriving in the evening. This is a long travel day, with about five hours of driving after the Panorama Route.

    Overnight: The Da Vinci Hotel and Suites, Sandton

    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  10. Day 10: Soweto and the Apartheid Museum

    Begin at the Apartheid Museum, which tells the story of South Africa’s struggle for freedom. In the afternoon, visit Soweto. Walk Vilakazi Street, home at different times to two Nobel Peace Prize winners, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Visit the Mandela House and the Hector Pieterson Memorial and enjoy lunch in Soweto.

    Overnight: The Da Vinci Hotel and Suites, Sandton

    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

  11. Day 11: Pretoria and Nelson Mandela Square

    Drive to Pretoria, the administrative capital. See the Union Buildings and the nine meter statue of Nelson Mandela, then the Voortrekker Monument. Return to Sandton for an afternoon of shopping at Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square, both next to your hotel. This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner.

    Overnight: The Da Vinci Hotel and Suites, Sandton

    Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

  12. Day 12: Departure

    The morning is free until your transfer to O.R. Tambo International Airport for your flight home.

    Meals included: Breakfast

Trip Includes

  • Meet and assist on arrival and all airport transfers.
  • Economy class flight from Cape Town to Skukuza
  • 11 nights in the hotels listed, or similar.
  • Meals listed in the itinerary
  • Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver for all tours and transfers
  • Experienced English-speaking guide
  • Morning and afternoon game drives in Kruger in an open safari vehicle with a professional guide
  • Kruger National Park conservation fees
  • Entrance fees for the sites listed, including the Robben Island ferry and the Table Mountain cable car.
  • Wine tasting in the Cape Winelands

Not Included

· International flights

· Visa fees, where required.

· Meals not listed in the itinerary

· Drinks, unless included by the hotel

· Travel insurance, which we strongly recommend.

· Gratuities for drivers, guides and rangers

· Personal expenses

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12 Day Tourstarting from$7495 / person
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