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Day 1: Welcome to Cape Town!

Accommodation: Pepperclub Hotel & Spa

Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is yours at leisure. Overnight in Cape Town at the Pepperclub Hotel. 

Day 2: Cape Town

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy some more time at leisure this morning. This afternoon you’ll be collected from the hotel by your tour guide, for a scheduled City Tour – a geographical and cultural extravaganza showing you Cape Town from its historical beginnings to modern buildings and malls.  The tour commences with a tour of the iconic Table Mountain (weather permitting; cable car fee not included). In the city itself, we visit the Company Gardens (a treed haven in the center of the city), the S.A. Museum, the Castle of Good Hope (the oldest surviving building in South Africa) and the vibrant and arty flea market, Greenmarket Square. Return to the hotel by 5:30.  Dinner will be on your own. Overnight in Cape Town.

Day 3: Cape Town

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast you’ll embark on a scheduled full-day Cape Winelands Tour. This is a delightful drive, which winds its way to the heart of the Cape Winelands through superb mountain ranges, vineyards and Cape Dutch homesteads. Head off to the wine country via the N2 to the heart of South Africa's wine industry, Stellenbosch, boasting great beauty and culture that is steeped in South African history. With the sheer vastness of wine estates on offer, we are truly spoiled for choice when we enjoy our first wine tasting of the day. Travel over the Helshoogte Pass to the town of Franschhoek.  Billed as the Gourmet Capital of South Africa, this charming town, in a most picturesque valley, retains a French Huguenot style. We enjoy a wine tasting before taking time to enjoy the fabled culinary skills of the Franschhoek chefs at one of the many award-winning restaurants (lunch on own account). Time permitting, a visit to a Paarl region estate would be included to round off the day’s wine-tasting experiences before heading back to Cape Town.  Dinner on own, and overnight in Cape Town.

Day 4: Cape Town

Meals: Breakfast

This morning, after breakfast at the hotel, you will be collected for your scheduled full-day Cape Point & Peninsula Tour.  We travel along the Atlantic Seaboard via Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay, stopping at a Llandudno look-out point before continuing to Hout Bay, a quaint village and fishing harbor with magnificent mountain views and beach (you’ll have the option to enjoy a boat trip to Seal Island – on own account). Continue via Chapman’s Peak, one of the world’s most breathtaking coastal drives, to Cape Point and the Good Hope Nature Reserve.  After lunch at a nearby restaurant (not included), we go on to historic Simon’s Town – a village with charming Victorian architecture, a naval base and a large penguin colony at the beautiful Boulders Beach. Boulders Penguin Colony is home to a growing colony of the vulnerable African Penguin. Wooden walkways allow visitors to view the penguins in their natural habitat, and there is also a new information center.  End the day with a visit to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, which is world-renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape Flora it displays, and for the magnificence of its setting against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. The tour ends upon return to your hotel during the late afternoon. Dinner on own, and overnight in Cape Town.

Day 5: Cape Town – Johannesburg

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast you will be transferred to Cape Town International Airport for your flight to Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport.

On arrival in Johannesburg, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon, you’ll be collected from your hotel for a scheduled afternoon Johannesburg City Tour.  Johannesburg is a booming, happening city and the area close to City Hall, Newtown Cultural Precinct and Maboneng Precinct, which has completely transformed the Market Theatre and surrounds, now forms the heart of urban revival.  Visit the Ghandi Memorial, see how art is being used to revitalize and uplift the inner city of Johannesburg, and get a bird’s eye view of Johannesburg from the top of Carlton Centre. Return to your hotel for remainder of the evening at leisure. Overnight in Johannesburg.

Fly to Johannesburg

Day 6: Johannesburg

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Protea Hotel Balalaika Sandton

After breakfast this morning you’ll be picked up for your scheduled morning half-day Soweto Tour. Soweto is a cluster of townships located at the South Western flank of Johannesburg.  It is from here that most of the struggle was fought against the injustices of the apartheid regime, and it is home to sites of historical importance. The tour ends with lunch at a local township tavern before proceeding to spend the remainder of the afternoon exploring the exhibit at The Apartheid Museum.

The legendary Apartheid Museum provides an interactive voyage of discovery, one which takes you from the dark days of ‘whites only’ privilege, through to Nelson Mandela’s historic release. The Apartheid Museum is a multimedia experience, with documentary film snippets, texts, sound clips and live accounts, recapturing life in the dark days of South Africa. For anyone wanting to understand and experience what apartheid South Africa was really like, a visit to the Apartheid Museum should not be missed. Overnight in Johannesburg.

Day 7: Panorama Route to Hazyview

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Today we will depart Johannesburg and travel to the “Land of the Rising Sun” – Mpumalanga – via the magnificent Panorama Route (also known as the gateway to the country’s premier wildlife reserve).  The most spectacular stretch of the Panorama Route is the Blyde River Canyon. From many well-positioned vantage points one has a view of the 20 mile-long gorge, which starts at "Bourke's Luck Potholes" and ends at the "Three Rondavels." Time and weather permitting, stop at God’s Window. Arrive at your hotel by late afternoon, in time to freshen up for dinner (included). Overnight in the Kruger Lowveld.

Day 8: Hazyview - Kruger Private Reserves

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Perry’s Bridge Hollow Boutique Hotel

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Manyeleti Reserve, sharing unfenced borders with the Kruger National Park, for an authentic African bush stay.  The camp offers a breathtaking wildlife experience while still pampering the senses with meticulous service and superb cuisine.

Morning and evening game tracking drives with highly experienced guides in open 4x4 vehicles bring you into close contact with the “Big Five” as well as the wide variety of other animals and birdlife.

Day 9: Kruger Private Reserves

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Enjoy a full day of being treated like African Royalty while creating a memorable safari experience on the scheduled game viewing activities on offer.

Day 10: Depart South Africa

Your South African adventure comes to an end today. Time permitting, embark on your final early morning game viewing activity before returning to camp for breakfast. You will be transferred to Hoedspuit Airport for your flight to Johannesburg, and continued journey home.

Day 1 Join trip Johannesburg Airport; drive to the Drakensberg Mountains

Arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city, and once home to both Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Today your leader will meet you at O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) at 10.30am, we aim to depart no later than 11.30am. From the airport we drive south-east to the Drakensberg Mountains. The drive to the Drakensberg is around 4.5 hours. Drakensberg is the world's oldest mountain range, deriving its name from the Afrikaans word for 'Dragon Mountains'; in the inevitable mist, the razor back ridges of the mountains have a certain likeness to these mythical beasts. On arrival to our accommodation, there may be an opportunity to take a short walk among the rugged nature. If you are booking your own flights to Johannesburg, we recommend giving yourself plenty of time to clear the airport, so therefore the latest your flight can arrive is 10.30am.

Meals Provided : Dinner

Day 2 Walk in Drakensberg World Heritage Site

We wake up to a hearty breakfast before having an opportunity to partake in a guided walk, where we will be able to experience the beauty of this mountain range first hand. The full walk will usually take four to five hours and is of a moderate to challenging level of difficulty. However those wishing to do a shorter more gentle walk can, as there are a number turning points along the way. Weather permitting, upon returning, our guide will have prepared a tasty 'al fresco' lunch enabling us to soak up the spectacular views of the Drakensberg. Following lunch your guide will relay to you the true story of 'Shaka' the famous Zulu warrior. The afternoon is left open to either relax whilst enjoying a cool drink or perhaps continue our adventure with an easy walk through the mountain valleys to view a rock carving close to camp.

Meals Provided : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3 Visit battlefields; drive on to St Lucia

After an early start, we depart on the drive to the famous battlefield of Rorke's Drift, arriving around mid-morning. Portrayed in the film Zulu Dawn, the battle at Rorke's Drift was a bloody and hugely significant battle in the history of the Zulu nation. Although time is limited today, due to the distance we must travel, our leader will take time to explain the importance of these clashes in relation to South Africa's history, British colonialism and the Zulu people. After a picnic lunch, we will drive for the rest of the afternoon to St Lucia where we will stay for the next three nights.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 4 Game Drives in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve

We rise early this morning to take advantage of the 'golden hour' on what is our first opportunity to experience a 'Big 5' safari, in one of Africa's oldest game reserves. Hluhluwe-iMfolozi park boasts the densest population of both white and black rhino in the whole of Africa. We will have lunch at one of the reserve's picnic sites, where we can stretch our legs and freshen up before continuing on our journey through this ancient Zulu hunting ground. With over 500 species of birds recorded at this reserve it is also a paradise for any birdwatchers amongst us. In the mid-afternoon, we return for St. Lucia where there is the opportunity to experience the optional activity of a 'Hippo Cruise' on the Greater St. Lucia Estuary. The cruise meanders along allowing us to relax whilst viewing the hippos and crocodiles in their natural habitat as, once again, the sun drops from the African sky.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 5 At St Lucia Wetland Reserve

Today is a day of leisure, where we have a choice of optional activities available in the area. There is the opportunity to continue our game viewing experience by taking a leisurely open game drive in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, which was the first World Heritage Site in South Africa and home to 4 of the 'Big 5'. The word iSimangaliso means miracle and wonder, which aptly describes this truly unique place. The day includes a 'braai' lunch and an option of an afternoon swim or snorkel in the warm Indian Ocean at Cape Vidal. There is also the chance to amble to the St. Lucia beach for a relaxing dip in the ocean or spend time walking the local forest trails. In the evening you can enjoy an exhilarating night game drive when all the nocturnal wildlife start their day. From November to February we can join a guided turtle tour in the Wetland.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 6 Drive to Eswatini

This morning we make our way to Eswatini, during June to November we may have the opportunity to participate in the optional activity of whale watching, the St. Lucia coastline is the optimal location to view Humpback whales as they make their way up the coastline to Mozambique to breed. We then drive north and enter Eswatini - a tiny, independent kingdom inhabited by the Swazi tribe who revere their king and take great pride in retaining their culture and traditions. Our journey takes us through some spectacular scenery in the Ezulwini Valley and past numerous traditional homesteads. In the late afternoon we enter one of Eswatini's best wildlife reserves, Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. This secluded and beautiful sanctuary is a haven of tranquillity, located as it is in a natural bowl beneath the Nyonyane Mountains. For the next two nights our accommodation is in traditional dome-shaped beehive huts set in a wooded area. Though the camp has all the mod cons of showers, toilets, outdoor swimming pool and restaurant and bar it is rustic in the best sense of the word. Warthogs and antelope share the camp with us and the restaurant overlooks a lake populated by water birds. Due to the high demand in Mlilwane, accommodation is subject to change without notice and can vary in style. We'll endeavour to stay within the park when possible, however, some departures may be staying up to a 15 minute drive from the sanctuary in a hotel or guesthouse.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 7 Game viewing and optional activities in Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary

Mlilwane is Eswatini's oldest protected area, owned and managed by a non-profit making trust, it is situated in the low foothills of the Nyonyane Mountains. The park has been rehabilitated to become Eswatini's most frequented reserve where one can enjoy the beauty of the surroundings and the abundant wildlife that grace these plains. Mlilwane has a large area of open grassland making game viewing and bird watching relatively easy and this morning we begin with a walk in search of zebra, wildebeest, nyala and warthog. The afternoon is left free to choose one of the optional activities available at the reserve, the absence of big cats allows us to partake in mountain biking or trail walking in a relaxed setting. The alternatives are to accompany our guide to the friendly local curios thus providing a real feel for the Swazi people and their culture, or relax and sit back to watch the local wildlife grazing outside our very own front door.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 8 Drive to Kruger National Park

After an early start we drive north re-entering South Africa and crossing the Crocodile River into the Kruger National Park. This two million hectare wilderness is amongst the world's first proclaimed National Park and is justifiably South Africa's showpiece, boasting 147 mammal species. The park offers the 'Big 5' and over 500 recorded bird species along with scenery as diverse as riverine forest, granite outcrops, endless savannah and impenetrable mopani woodland. We take a game drive on our way to the camp area where we stay overnight. These camp areas benefit from modern infrastructure with toilet and shower blocks, restaurants and shops, as well as our accommodation.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 9 Game viewing in Kruger National Park; drive to Graskop

The Kruger National Park was established in 1898 to protect big game that had been hunted to near extinction, it is now one of the most prolific animal habitats in South Africa, committed to animal conservation. We depart camp for our morning game drive searching for sightings of the extensive wildlife that make this national park their home. We stop at various watering holes where we may see buffalo or antelope taking an early morning drink and hopefully a pride of lions nearby. We finish the morning drive by having lunch at one of the park's restaurants. Our afternoon game drive takes us to the Sabie River, which is a major water source for the park's wildlife and a fantastic spot for game viewing. We leave the park in the late afternoon, climbing in excess of 1,000 metres to our overnight stop at Graskop.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 10 Drive to O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) where our trip ends

Departing at 9am this morning we drive for around 7 hours back to Johannesburg. Along the way we drive through the airy uplands of Mpumalanga, an area that has been inhabited since the Stone Age and boasts rivers, multiple waterfalls, craggy escarpments and colourful birdlife. We'll stop at several excellent viewpoints, including the aptly named 'God's Window' and admire the awe-inspiring Blyde River Canyon . We'll arrive into O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) at about 5pm and this is where our trip ends. The earliest your flight can depart is 7.20pm.

Meals Provided : Breakfast