Compare Highlights of Southern Africa by G Adventures vs Cape Town to Kruger Adventure by Great Value Vacations

Day 1 Cape Town

Arrive at any time.

There are no planned activities until an evening welcome meeting.

Day 2 Cape Town

Enjoy a full day in Cape Town with the option to visit Table Mountain, choose to explore Cape Point, or embark on a wine tour around Stellenbosch. In the evening, opt to join your group for meal at one of Cape Town's many great restaurants.

If you are interested in visiting Robben Island - you must book it directly with the museum on their website prior to travel: http://www.robben-island.org.za Due to high demand, it is common that this tour can be sold out over one month in advance.

Day 3 Cape Town/Johannesburg

Take a short flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg. In the afternoon, travel to Soweto for a bicycle tour and learn more about its important history and significant role in bringing the issues of segregation to the forefront.

Day 4 Johannesburg/Greater Kruger Area

Take the Panorama Route into the Kruger National Park area. In the evening, enjoy a traditional dinner and dance experience.

Day 5 Kruger National Park

Enjoy a full day wildlife safari drive in the Kruger NP. Keep an eye out for Africa's famed "big five".

Opt for a wildlife safari drive in an open safari vehicle.

Day 6 Greater Kruger Area

Head north to Timbavati Safari Lodge, for a guided nature walk in search of the small 5. Listening, touching and sensing, can open your world to the real secrets of the African Lowveld.

The lodge is nestled among glades of mature, exquisite indigenous trees, and is a paradise for nature lovers and bird watchers.

Day 7 Greater Kruger Area/Louis Trichardt

Opt for a morning safari drive, or soak up the atmosphere in the camp, before traveling to the next location, in the Louis Trichardt area. Free afternoon to relax by the pool, opt to walk/hike in the property, or learn about South Africa rich history of the Anglo Boer era.

Day 8 Louis Trichardt/Great Zimbabwe Monument Area

Get an earlier start and cross the border into Zimbabwe. Continue on to the Great Zimbabwe Monument.

Day 9 Great Zimbabwe Monument Area/Matobo National Park

Start the day with a visit to the Great Zimbabwe National Monument, Africa's most significant ruins site south of Cairo. Learn the history of the ruins and climb to the citadel for a view over the site. Continue on to Matobo National Park.

Day 10 Matobo National Park

Wake up early and opt to explore ancient cave paintings, hike the unique and stunning landscape, or hang out by the pool. In the afternoon, enjoy an included nature walk, with the opportunity to get up close and personal with the resident wildlife.

Day 11 Matobo National Park/Hwange National Park

Travel to Hwange National Park for an opportunity to spot more wildlife. Opt to enjoy an evening wildlife safari drive in a safari vehicle.

Day 12 Hwange National Park/Victoria Falls

Continue on to Victoria Falls and enjoy lunch at the G Adventurers–supported Lusumpuko Women's Club. Marvel at the spectacular falls from the Zimbabwean side, then enjoy free time in the afternoon to explore further.

Your accommodation is in Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) and NOT Livingstone (Zambia). Please make sure you have the necessary visa.

Day 13 Victoria Falls

Spend the day exploring your beautiful surroundings. Opt to visit Victoria Falls, go whitewater rafting, or take a helicopter flight over the falls.

The town of Victoria Falls is a great base to see both natural wonders and take part in some exciting activities. Get up close (and wet from the spray) while awing at the immense Victoria Falls, raft the whitewater of the mighty Zambezi, and for the more adventurous, bungee jump with Victoria Falls in view. Today, new travellers may join you for the rest of your adventure. You are welcome to join them at a group meeting this evening, followed by an optional dinner.

Want to do more with your tour? Pre-book any two of the following activities: Zambezi Whitewater Rafting, Victoria Falls Helicopter Ride, or the Zambezi River Sunset Cruise. You can pre-book on the checkout page, or through your Global Connection Officer or travel agent. Any optional activities listed on this day can also be booked upon arrival in Victoria Falls.

Day 14 Victoria Falls/Kasane

Cross the border into Botswana, and stay in Kasane, just outside of Chobe NP. Try to spot the elephants, crocodiles, and hippos this region is famous for during an optional sundowner cruise.

Drive to the border and cross from Zimbabwe into Botswana. Continue to the Kasane area, outside the gates of Chobe National Park, home to the largest elephant population in Southern Africa. Opt to check out one of Botswana's national parks and its thousands of resident elephants, crocodiles, and hippos on a sunset boat cruise on the Chobe River.

Day 15 Kasane/Nata

Opt to rise early for sunrise and marvel at your surroundings as you set out on a safari drive in Chobe National Park. Travel to Nata and watch for elephants drinking from the camp's watering hole at night.

Day 16 Nata/Maun

Prepare for a 1-night/2-day journey into the delta.

Travel to Maun, the biggest town in the Okavango Delta area, pick up any supplies needed, and prepare for the journey into the Okavango Delta. In the evening, watch a traditional dance group performance on the poolside terrace.

Day 17 Okavango Delta

Enjoy wildlife walks, traditional mokoro excursions, and birding. Learn the ways of the bush from the local polers.

The excursion begins with a drive in customized safari vehicles for about 1-2 hrs to the "dock" to board a mokoro (canoe) that takes us deep into the delta. After a 1-2 hrs in the mokoro, arrive to the basic bush camp.

Please note that you will need to bring your own sleeping bag.

Day 18 Maun/Ghanzi

Hop into a mokoro with your friends on the way back to Maun. Search for wildlife in the reeds along the river as you make your way back towards civilization. Zoom through the western part of Botswana to Ghanzi; the heart of the Kalahari. Catch a glimpse of how the Indigenous San Bushmen adapted to the Kalahari Desert on a bushman walk. They will teach you about wilderness survival skills in a place that seems uninhabitable.

Enjoy the sunrise in the delta before travelling back to Maun by mokoro. Travel along the northern portions of the Kalahari Desert throughout the day – this is a severely arid and barren landscape, though very beautiful. Arrive in the late afternoon and camp in the Ghanzi area.

Day 19 Ghanzi/Windhoek

Travel to Windhoek, the German-influenced capital city of Namibia.

Today, new travellers may join you for the rest of your adventure. You are welcome to join them at a group meeting this evening, followed by an optional dinner.

Day 20 Windhoek/Etosha National Park

Visit the G Adventures supported Penduka Village Restaurant & Shop, just outside of Windhoek, to pick up a tasty packed lunch, then continue up to Etosha National Park. Enjoy an afternoon wildlife safari drive in our touring vehicle, then opt to explore more on an open vehicle night drive.

Leave Windhoek and head north through the Namibian countryside to Etosha National Park and enjoy a wildlife safari drive in our touring vehicle. Keep an eye out for lions, giraffes, elephants, and antelopes. After sunset, some animals may head to the watering holes near the campground. Opt to head out for more wildlife safari drives in an open safari vehicle to make the most of your time here.

Day 21 Etosha National Park

Enjoy another wildlife safari drive in our touring vehicle and keep your eyes peeled for some of the famous wildlife.

Day 22 Etosha National Park/Swakopmund

Sit back and watch the stunning desert landscape go by enroute to western Namibia.

Watch the beautiful desert landscape go by en route to western Namibia. Spend two nights in the area exploring this historical town or trying some of the numerous activities available, such as sandboarding or a skydiving. Swakopmund has bizarre lunar landscapes, unforgettable sunsets, and prehistoric Welwitchia plants.

Day 23 Swakopmund

Spend a day exploring all the area has to offer. Optional activities include sandboarding, skydiving, and a township tour.

Day 24 Swakopmund/Namib Desert

Travel into the beautiful Namib Desert, stopping at Walvis Bay on the way.

Get a real feel for the Namib Desert as we spend hours crossing this empty region. En route, take a coffee break in Solitaire, a mystical village consisting of a filling station, a general dealer/coffee shop, and a small mechanical workshop. Drive through Walvis Bay, the only town on the Namibian coastline that boasts a deep sea harbor. Arrive in the area in the late afternoon, where the towering red sand dunes of Sossusvlei form the gateway into the Namib Desert.

Day 25 Namib Desert

Visit Sossusvlei Dunes and Sesriem Canyon, and climb the towering Dune 45. Opt to visit Deadvlei.

Enjoy a visit to Sossusvlei, a clay pan enclosed by the world’s largest sand dunes, up to 300m (984 ft) high. Here, use some free time to enjoy the sand dunes on your own. Visit the Sesriem Canyon, a small canyon typical of the area.

Day 26 Namib Desert/Keetmanshoop

Continue south through the Namib Desert to Keetmanshoop, enjoying dramatic Namibian landscapes along the way. In the afternoon enjoy a visit to the rare Quiver Tree Forest.

Day 27 Keetmanshoop/Orange River

Early start and visit the geological formation: Giant's Playground. Drive South and later in the day visit the breathtaking Fish River Canyon. Then, continue on to the banks of the Orange River with time to swim or just relax. Enjoy the beautiful scenery in this part of the country.

Day 28 Orange River/Lambert's Bay

Cross the border into South Africa and continue down the coast to Lambert's Bay, stopping along the way for an included wine tasting. Then, opt to visit Bird Island or stroll through this charming town.

We head towards the coast again and on to Lambert’s Bay, a picturesque town on the west coast of South Africa. Enjoy an included wine tasting at Lambert’s Bay. Learn how to analyze your palates, listen to your taste buds, and how to pair your food with the best wine raised in the foothills of the Cederburg Mountains. In the afternoon, opt to visit the well known Bird Island where you can find more than 25,000 blue-eyed gannets at certain times of the year. Penguins also gather on this island for breeding between August and October. Opt to stroll through this lovely town, visiting unique artisan shops and boutiques.

Day 29 Lambert's Bay/Cape Town

Continue on the last stretch of the trip to lovely Cape Town. Stop at the G Adventures supported !Khwa ttu San Culture and Education Centre along the way, then get ready to explore the vibrant streets of this scenic coastal city.

While travelling towards Cape Town, through Namaqualand, keep an eye out for fields of Namaqualand daisies (in season August and September). Cape Town has many different options should you book extra time to explore after the tour. Visit Table Mountain, explore Cape Point (Cape of Good Hope), or join a wine tour in and around Stellenbosch (45 min drive). Visit the old French Huguenot town of Franschoek and surroundings (1 hr drive). For the truly adventurous, try skydiving, abseiling, or even cage diving, for a close encounter with the great white sharks. Opt to wander through the city centre, which has some of the oldest buildings and gardens in South Africa (Botanical Gardens and Parliament Gardens), or visit the Cultural Historical Museum, Planetarium, and numerous other small museums and theaters.

Please note that we arrive in Cape Town in the early afternoon, you might not have time to participate in lengthy activities or see many sights. If you would like to see or do anything, we recommend booking an extra night or two before your return flight home.

Day 30 Cape Town

Depart at any time.

We highly recommend booking post-accommodation to fully enjoy this city.

If you book any optional activities on the final day of your itinerary please contact your sales agent to see if booking a post-night is necessary to participate in the activity.

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.