South Africa Explorer

Cape Town • Garden Route • Johannesburg • Kruger National Park

Tour Overview

South Africa Explorer offers some of the most beautiful scenery of the Garden Route and the world-famous Kruger National Park! Enjoy stops along the Garden Route including Oudtshoorn, Knysna, Tsitsikamma and a fabulous safari on this 12- day tour. Includes 11 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 4 dinners.

Includes/Excludes

Includes: 11 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 4 dinners, accommodation, porterage, transport, open vehicle safaris and sightseeing as specified.

Excludes: Flight and departure tax between Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg.

Rates

Starting from $3,899 (Land Tour Only)

Addons

  • 2-3 nights in Cape Town with optional day tours.
  • Johannesburg Walking Tour
  • Morning Maropeng, Cradle of Humankind & Sterkfontein Caves
    Afternoon Pretoria Tour

Day to Day Itinerary

Cape Town to Mossel Bay

Travel along Sir Lowry’s Pass to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa. Continue via historic Swellendam to Mossel Bay.

About Accommodation

The Diaz Hotel & Resort sits on the pristine seashore of Mossel Bay’s renowned Diaz Beach, right in the heart of the picturesque and famous Garden Route. The Diaz Hotel is located only 10m from the high-water mark and offers spectacular ocean views from every window and balcony. The Diaz Hotel was named in honour of the famed Portuguese navigator, Bartolomeu Dias, who landed in Mossel Bay in 1488.

 

Mossel Bay to Oudtshoorn

Continue to Oudtshoorn for an ostrich farm guided tour, a wine tasting and a Cango Caves tour.

About Accommodation

La Plume Guest House is a Boutique Guest House on a working ostrich, alfalfa and cattle farm with spectacular views of the Swartberg Mountains and the Olifants River Valley. A warm welcome awaits you at this charming 1902 Victorian homestead with its tranquil surroundings where Karin, the owner, has combined old-world charm with modern comforts to ensure extraordinary service and personal attention.

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Highlights

  • Cango Caves: Situated in a limestone ridge parallel to the well-known Swartberg Mountains, you will find the finest dripstone caverns, with their vast halls and towering formations.
  • Ostrich Farm Visit: Learn more about these remarkable birds and their fascinating nature.

Oudtshoorn to Knysna

Travel to Knysna for a lagoon cruise to the Featherbed Nature Reserve (weather permitting), including a trailer ride to the top of the Western Head to enjoy panoramic views, returning for lunch. Afternoon at leisure.

On Day 4 we visit the Garden of Eden and Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary. Continue to the Eastern Head for spectacular views (weather permitting). Rest of the day at leisure.

About Accommodation

The aha Rex Hotel located on the world-famous Garden Route, aha The Rex Hotel is a celebration of urban style, making it one of the most exhilarating getaway destinations in its class. Expect an eclectic mix of modern and classic comforts that capture the essence of 4-star luxury. The O Bar & Eatery serves Buffet Breakfast daily in a contemporary setting with cuisine that is beautifully presented and prepared using only the freshest ingredients that Knysna has to offer.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Knysna to Tsitsikamma

Travel to Plettenberg Bay and visit Birds of Eden Sanctuary. Continue to Bloukrans Bridge, then visit the Tsitsikamma Park and Storms River Mouth (weather permitting).

About Accommodation

The Tsitsikamma Village Inn offers 49 beautiful and individually decorated rooms. This historic hotel, offering scenic accommodation in Storms River along the Garden Route of South Africa, was established in 1946. This hotel is tucked away in the lush Tsitsikamma forest, close to Storms River Mouth, in the Tsitsikamma National Park. This historic South African hotel has served as a stop-over for travellers for more than a century. Most of the rooms are situated around a typical Village green. These buildings reflect many of the different building styles that were to be found in the Cape Colony during the 1800s.

Meals: Breakfast

Highlights

  • Plettenberg Bay is a premier holiday destination situated on the Southern Cape coast of South Africa. Plett, as it is popularly known, has sweeping golden beaches, the iconic Robberg Peninsula, intriguing lagoons and estuaries, towering indigenous forests and unpolluted rivers, vineyards and wine estates
  • Birds of Eden is home to about 220 different types of birds, and more than 3500 birds live in the sanctuary. The award winning bird sanctuary provides a forever home where previously caged birds can live a life of free-flight in a habitat as large and natural as is possible.

Tsitsikamma » Port Elizabeth » Johannesburg

Day 6: Head to Port Elizabeth Airport for an onward flight to Johannesburg, where you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel. Rest of day at leisure, unescorted.

Day 7: Spend a full day touring Soweto and surrounds including the Apartheid Museum and Hector Pieterson Memorial. Continue to the Liliesleaf Heritage Site.

Day 8: Enjoy a full day at leisure. Take some time to relax, shop at the world-famous Sandton mall or enjoy a lunch at Mandela Square.

About Accommodation

Holiday Inn is located in the heart of Sandton, the hotel is in close proximity of a number of key attractions such as Sandton City, one of the largest shopping centres in the southern hemisphere, and Nelson Mandela Square, which offers a diverse range of restaurants, shops, entertainment and vibrant nightlife.

Meals: Breakfast

Highlights

  • Soweto is an urban area of the city of Johannesburg. The population has historically been overwhelmingly black and some of the watershed events in the struggle against Apartheid occurred in this township. On this tour we will see the sights of Soweto including Winnie & Nelson Mandela’s former house, Desmond Tutu’s House, the Hector Peterson Memorial and Walter Sisulu Freedom Square. Afterwards we will head towards the Apartheid Museum. Once there you will have the opportunity to learn more about Apartheid and the resilient movement against it.

Johannesburg » Kruger National Park

 

About Accommodation

The Protea Hotel Kruger Gate is a lodge-style hotel, with soaring walkways and treetop ambiance, uniquely offers classic Big 5 safaris in the Kruger National Park with all the comforts of an upmarket 4-star hotel experience. Your adventures into the pristine wilderness will be perfectly balanced by the hotel’s contemporary relaxation options. Set in a tranquil riverine woodland of immense African trees, there is a range of elegant accommodation from standard to large guest rooms, and from the executive to presidential suites. With refined Africa-inspired décor, all rooms have en-suite bathrooms, air-conditioning, free wi-fi and in-room dining

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner Each Day at The Protea Hotel Kruger Gate

Highlights:

  • Safari Drives: Kruger National Park is renowned for its spectacular game viewing including Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino), prolific birdlife and numerous other game.
  • The magnificent Panorama Route in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province is one of the continents great natural wonders and one of the world’s most beautiful driving routes. Centred around the Blyde River Canyon, the world’s third largest canyon, the Panorama Route offers a dramatic terrain of lush mountain peaks scarred with ochre cliff faces. Dozens of magnificent waterfalls, raging rivers and one of the largest afforested areas in South Africa.

Mpumalanga » Johannesburg

Return to Johannesburg arriving at OR Tambo International Airport at approximately 14h30, where the tour ends.

Meals: Breakfast

TESTIMONIAL

From the moment I stepped off the plane, South Africa inspired me, humbled me, excited me and floored me! I travelled with an incredible group of people who seemed to share all my emotions, that was truly a highlight – travelling with like-minded people. If I ever got separated from the group all I had to do was listen out for loud laughter and there they were! Loved it!

I went through a wide range of emotions and feelings during the two weeks. I was awestruck by the natural beauty – Blyde’s Canyon, Table Mountain, Cape Point and the list goes on.

Our guides and drivers were professional and our bus was comfortable and always on time. We sipped fine wines, saw an incredible range of wildlife, visited a township, savoured the barbequed meat at a local Braii (BBQ) and met local South Africans. The infrastructure is incredible in South Africa and we felt welcome wherever we went.

Kendria H.

TESTIMONIAL

I would like to take this opportunity to thank for the wonderful way you organized, co-ordinated and facilitated my recent trip to South Africa. Your professionalism was unsurpassed. You went above and beyond what I expected and for that I am truly appreciative.

South Africa was a wonderful experience and a beautiful country. I learned so much about the country, the people and the culture. As a Canadian of Jamaican heritage this trip meant a lot to me as I always wanted to visit the motherland. There could not have been a better place to start than in South Africa.

I was especially moved by my visit to Robben Island and the Apartheid museum. I was equally impressed with the magnificence that is Table Mountain. I would be remised not to mention the visits we had to the wine vineyards. The wines of South Africa are just so delectable.

Kruger National Park was exciting and exhilarating. The abundance of wild life in their natural habitat can never be equalled by a trip to any zoo in the world. I will be encouraging all my friends who are contemplating a vacation to someplace special to get in touch with Ramie of Travelead, as I know they will be looked after in the most hospitable way.

Charles G.

TESTIMONIAL

What a great experience it was to go to South Africa with Travelead!

Everything was well organized and we had a wide variety of things to stimulate our senses: Jazz performances, English high tea, the mist and the roar of the ocean at the Cape of Good Hope, the peaceful rustle of the grass at sunrise as the Big Five animals moved about on the plains on our safaris, the spectacular views from Table Mountain in Cape Town, and a wide variety of traditional and exotic food!

The guides and drivers were friendly and knowledgeable about present day life and the history of South Africa and gave us personal perspectives. We learned a great deal about Mandela and apartheid by visiting museums and historical areas. We found the people to be genuinely happy and welcoming. The children, at the school that we visited, performed for us by singing and dancing, were quick to smile, and wanted to visit with us afterwards. Since we were in a small group, we were able to do some additional things with our guides during our free time.

There is so much more that I will treasure in my memories and I have only given you a taste of what I have experienced. I would highly recommend this trip!

Louise B.

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