Spectacular South Africa & Victoria Falls

Cape Town

Day 1: Welcome to Captivating Cape Town!

You will be greeted by our representative at the Cape Town International Airport and escorted to a restaurant for a complimentary beverage. The guide will explain in detail your itinerary, hand over your travel documentation, maps, vouchers, a SIM card, and escort you to your onward transportation. Pick up your vehicle Europcar SA Classic Plus Category M Early Booker at Cape Town airport.

Today, you have the option to experience Cape Town from the aerial cableway and plateau on Table Mountain. The striking mountain is flanked by Devil’s Peak to the east and Lion’s Head to the west. There are breathtaking views from the summit over Table Bay, Robben Island, and the Atlantic seaboard. The cable cars depart every 10 to 15 minutes and rotate 360 degrees. Five minutes is all it takes to reach the summit and once there you can marvel at the views, eat in the restaurant, or shop at the curio shop.

Cape Town

Day 2: Boat Cruise, Penguins, and Gardens

After breakfast, enjoy any of our optional activities. These include:

Boat cruise from Hout Bay to Duiker Island - The island is a sanctuary for thousands of Cape fur seals as well as seabirds. Watch the seals in action!

Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve - The Cape of Good Hope is a scenic wonder where sandy beaches alternate with rugged stretches of rock and cliffs.

Sip on wine at the Cape of Good Hope - Conclude your discovery of one of the most stunning coastlines as you savor sparkling wine perched on the cliffs of Cape Point.

African penguins at Boulders Beach - Boulders Beach is the only place where humans can get close to African penguins in their natural habitat.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens - At this beautiful site, delve into the immense wealth of biodiversity, plant species, and the Protea Garden.

Traditional Dinner - Drum and dine in African style at GOLD Restaurant.

Cape Town

Day 3: Marine Life & the Waterfront

Begin your day with breakfast followed by optional activities that include:

Ecotour from Cape Town - Board a hydrofoil boat and look for marine life in the ecosystem of Table Bay on a 2-hour tour. See whales (seasonal), dolphins, seals, and penguins.

Helicopter flight over Table Bay - There is no better way to take in the scenic beauty of Cape Town than with a 15-minute helicopter flip over the coastline.

Robben Island Museum - Trace the footsteps of Nelson Mandela at this museum guided by a former political prisoner. It once housed the country’s most famous freedom fighter.

Victoria and Alfred Waterfront - Situated at South Africa’s oldest working harbor, it has hundreds of retail outlets selling high-end fashion, jewelry, food, and crafts. You can also watch fishing boats and container ships. Other highlights include the Cape Wheel and the outdoor amphitheater.

Cape Town

Day 4: Wine Regions, Tram Rides, and Museums

Enjoy your breakfast before choosing any of the optional activities.

Discover the wine-producing village of Franschhoek - This charming town nestled between steep mountain slopes has streets lined with many cafes and restaurants. Your tour will include a visit to the Huguenot Memorial Museum.

Tour of the Franschhoek wine region - Climb aboard a tram for a tour of this scenic region. Stop at various wine estates to savor wine tasting at your leisure.

Wander through the oak-lined streets of Stellenbosch - Stellenbosch is internationally renowned for its award-winning wines, fantastic restaurants, trendy culture, and historic buildings.

Relive history at the Stellenbosch Village Museum - The museum is composed of four different period houses showcasing various eras of architectural development.

St Lucia

Day 5: Flora and Fauna at Lake Saint Lucia Estuary

Drop your rental car and board a flight from Cape Town to Durban. Pick up your vehicle Europcar SA Classic plus Category R Early Booker at Durban airport (drop off at Johannesburg on Day 11).

Travel to St. Lucia for a boat cruise on the Lake Saint Lucia Estuary. Situated within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, the Lake Saint Lucia Estuary has extraordinary waterscapes.

The network of coastal lakes, dunes, subtropical forests, swamps, and wetland systems provides a haven for indigenous flora and fauna.

The Saint Lucia Estuary is one of the largest in Africa and this amazing mass of water is home to approximately 800 hippos and over 1000 Nile crocodiles. Wildlife such as antelope and zebra graze on its shores. Birdlife is prolific with over 500 resident species including large flocks of pelicans, flamingos, and ducks. 

Falaza

Day 6: Cape Vidal & Game Drive at Falaza

You have the option to drive your vehicle through the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a World Heritage Site, to reach the remote bay of Cape Vidal. It gives access to the eastern shores of Lake St Lucia, home to a variety of game and beaches along the Indian Ocean. You could encounter buffalo, reedbuck, and other antelope, while the lake is teeming with hippos and crocodiles. Stroll along the shore to spot humpback whales (seasonal), and explore the coastal forests with your guide.

If you wish to, you can also visit Falaza, a picturesque safari destination surrounded by coastal dunes and riverine bushland. See extremely rare trees such as the Zulu pod berry, forest fig, and Lebombo wattle. Birdlife is unique, and the reserve is also home to antelope, giraffe, warthog, zebra, and rhino. Your guided game drive will last approximately two hours and takes place in an open game viewing vehicle. 

Swaziland

Day 7: Wildlife in Swaziland

If interested, you can go for a three-hour 4x4 game drive in the Hluhluwe Game Reserve. This reserve in South Africa boasts a wealth of wildlife, including the Big Five and the endangered African wild dog. The reserve has black rhinos, white rhinos, and antelope species too.

Travel to Swaziland. Here, embark on a guided nature and wildlife walk at Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. Due to the relative absence of dangerous game, the sanctuary is ideal for walking safaris, where visitors can pass by herds of grazing antelope and soak up the distant views of Nyonyane Mountain (Execution Rock) with its striking granite peaks.

Mlilwane’s wildlife is widely regarded as unusually tolerant of human presence, Your Swazi guide will focus on your specific interest, be it birding or wildlife, as you explore the area’s diverse habitats of woodland, grassland, forest, and river.

Kruger

Day 8: Explore the Kingdom of Swaziland

Today, we suggest that you go on a tour of Swaziland with our local guide. The tiny Kingdom of Swaziland (Eswatini) is one of the few remaining executive monarchies in Africa. Visit a traditional homestead and a colorful market.

On another optional tour, you can admire glass-masters at work at the Ngwenya Glass Factory. This glass blowing factory that uses recycled glass forms the central hub of an arts and craft village in Swaziland. Visitors can watch craftsmen as they shape and mold molten glass into a variety of gorgeous pieces. As part of Ngwenya’s social upliftment program, community members are encouraged to collect discarded glass objects and bring them to the factory in return for payment. The village is also home to other arts and crafts outlets, restaurants, and a children’s playground area.

Afterward, return to South Africa as you make your way to Kruger.

Kruger

Day 9: Safari at Kruger National Park

After breakfast, enjoy a full day game drive in the Kruger Park. Your scheduled departure will leave from your hotel at dawn as you set out in an open 4x4 safari vehicle into the Kruger National Park. It is one of the largest game reserves in Africa in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

With over 12000 elephants, 27000 African buffalo and 1000 leopards, the Big Five is well represented. White rhino sightings are frequent, while spotting a black rhino may require patience and a bit of luck. Lions are plentiful with over 2000 stalking the plains.

There are more than 500 bird species including resident ones. Your morning safari concludes at one of the rest camps giving you a chance to stretch and refresh.

The vehicle will allow you to get very close to the surrounding vegetation while your experienced ranger follows fresh animal spoors. Your safari concludes in the late afternoon.

Karongwe

Day 10: Visit Karongwe Private Game Reserve

Your optional activity for the day is a visit to the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre situated close to the Kruger National Park. It works towards the rehabilitation and care of abandoned and injured wildlife. Once healthy, they are re-introduced into their natural environments. Your visit will include a fully guided tour of all the wildlife here. These may include lion, leopard, lynx, honey badger, vultures, wild dog, and any baby animals present at the time of your visit.

Later, travel to Kruger for a game drive at Karongwe Private Game Reserve just 40 minutes east of the Kruger National Park. All the major mammal species are present including giraffe, wildebeest, rhino, and zebra, while nocturnal animals such as aardvark, bushbaby, genet, and porcupine emerge in the dark. Dramatic sunsets and evenings lit by thousands of stars give you a glimpse into the soul of Africa.

Johannesburg

Day 11: Blyde River Canyon and Bourke’s Luck Potholes

Enjoy a 4x4 game drive in the morning. After breakfast, you have the option to head to the Blyde River Canyon and Bourke’s Luck Potholes. This seemingly endless river canyon is filled with some of the most beautifully scenic vistas in South Africa.

The Bourke's Luck Potholes mark the beginning of the canyon and comprise intriguing geological formations at the confluence of the Blyde and Treur rivers. The canyon itself is among the largest in the world, covered in lush sub-tropical vegetation with an average depth of 750 meters and 25 kilometers in length. It consists mostly of red sandstone and has some of the deepest precipitous cliffs of any canyon on the planet.

Afterward, get set to travel to Johannesburg.

Johannesburg

Day 12: Apartheid Museum & Gold Reef City in Johannesburg

Balance hard-hitting history and entertainment with a suggested full-day tour of the Apartheid Museum and Gold Reef City in Johannesburg.

The Apartheid Museum focuses on the policy of racial segregation that was first enforced in South Africa in 1948 and provides a very real image of what it was like to live in such a society. Limiting the freedom of movement of non-whites and the Population Registration Act led to growing resistance from the disenfranchised and more punitive measures from the government, culminating in several emergencies being declared in the 1980s before apartheid was ended in 1990s.

We propose that you follow this with a fun stop at Gold Reef City, a former gold mine that is now a theme park and offers thrilling rides, restaurants, and a glimpse into the early gold mining days. Nearby Soweto is also worth a visit, although we suggest you join an organized tour.

Victoria Falls

Day 13: Victoria Falls & Sunset Cruise

Transfer to Johannesburg O.R. Tambo airport for a flight to Victoria Falls airport in Zimbabwe. Our guide will be waiting for you in the arrival hall. You will be transferred to your hotel. Our suggestion is to explore Victoria Falls town, a great place to browse craft markets and collect souvenirs of your African travels.

You have the option to go on a 12-minute helicopter flight over the Victoria Falls, flying above the Zambezi River, the Batoka Gorge, and the thundering Victoria Falls.

You will also have the opportunity to soak up the beauty of Africa on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. From your lodge, you will be taken to the jetty and begin your sailing journey upstream from the Victoria Falls. Admire the sunset vistas and watch the wildlife that congregates along the river banks. Your lovely cruise is rounded off with aperitifs and snacks served on board the boat.

Victoria Falls

Day 14: Day Trip to Botswana’s Chobe National Park

Today, you have the option to travel to Botswana for a day trip to the renowned Chobe National Park. Once a big game hunting ground and visited by famous names such as David Livingstone, the Chobe National Park is still one of the most visited wildlife destinations in Africa, now with conservation at its core. Most famed for its huge herds of elephants and buffalos, as well as a large number of lions who have learned to prey on them, Chobe offers a classic African safari experience with many scenic highlights.

After a transfer to the Kazungula border where you will meet your Botswana guide, guests proceed straight to the Chobe River for a splendid morning of game viewing along the river banks. The beautiful river is a magnet for all varieties of wildlife and birds including herds of antelope, sharp-eyed fish eagles, waders, and herons.

Victoria Falls

Day 15: Mesmerizing Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe

You will be transferred to the Zimbabwe side of the Victoria Falls. View one of the world’s natural wonders on a visit to the falls. This enormous sheet of falling water was first discovered by David Livingstone in 1855, although it had been known to the local people for much longer. It is shared by two countries, Zambia to the north and Zimbabwe to the south.

Around two-thirds of the falls are located on the Zimbabwe side and this country is also considered to have more classical views of the main falls with footpaths leading you to breathtaking viewpoints such as Devil’s Cataract, Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls, and the popular Rainbow Falls. The waterfall views and the sheer force of the tumbling water is a sensory treat as water plunges and tumbles, sending sprays of mist up into the skies. 

Later, you will head to the Victoria Falls airport for your flight to Johannesburg. End of our services.