Ultimate South Africa

Ultimate South Africa

Discover the very best of South Africa on this all-encompassing tour. Beginning in Cape Town, take the cable car up Table Mountain and enjoy a tour of the Cape Peninsula which includes a visit to Cape Point and Boulders Beach. Next you'll head to Stellenbosch in the Western Cape winelands, before continuing to Knysna, a town at the heart of the famous Garden Route. From Port Elizabeth we'll fly to Durban and discover the KwaZulu-Natal battlefields on a tour. Kruger National Park is our next destination, where we'll head out in search of the Big Five, before a drive along the scenic Panorama Route completes this incredible adventure.

What's Included:

• Return flights from Heathrow
• 14 nights in 3 and 4-star hotels plus 2 nights in flight
• 23 meals: 14 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 7 dinners
• Travelsphere Tour Manager and Local Guide
• Overseas transfers and other transportation
• Porterage

Included Excursions & Highlights:

• Cape Town tour and Table Mountain
• Cape Peninsula, Cape Point, Boulders Beach and Botanical Gardens
• Winelands cellar tour and tasting
• The Drostdy Museum in Swellendam
• The Cango Caves and an ostrich farm
• Drive along the Garden Route
• Featherbed Nature Reserve
• Storms River Mouth in Tsitsikamma National Park
• Discover charming Port Elizabeth
• The Zulu battlefields
• Game drive in Kruger National Park
• Drive along the scenic Panorama Route
• Graskop Gorge Lift and forest walk
• A 'braai' dinner under the stars

Day 1: UK - Cape Town

Depart on your scheduled overnight flight to Cape Town today.

Day 2: Cape Town

On arrival in Cape Town, we'll transfer you to your hotel, with your sightseeing starting en route. Located on the shores of the Atlantic, with Table Mountain as a backdrop, Cape Town occupies a spectacular setting and you'll take in fabulous views as we approach it. You'll see many of the city's highlights, and if weather conditions are favourable, there's the chance to take the cable car up Table Mountain. On some days the top of the mountain is shrouded by clouds, a natural phenomenon known as the tablecloth. It's a beautiful sight, but it if means we can't make the trip to the summit today, we'll make every effort to return at another time.

Day 3: Cape Peninsula

There's a great day ahead as we set off to explore the Cape Peninsula. We'll head along Chapman's Peak, one of the most spectacular coastal drives in the world, reaching Cape Nature Reserve and Cape Point. Our return journey is made via Boulders Beach, where we'll see its famous penguin colony. We continue through Simon's Town, Fish Hoek and Muizenberg, and make a final stop at the wonderful Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.​

Day 4: Cape Town

The choice is yours today, you can explore independently, or perhaps come on an optional excursion to Khayelitsha, Cape Town's largest black township. En route you'll visit Bo-Kapp Malay Quarter and drive through District Six, whose residents were forcibly removed during the era of apartheid.

Day 5: Stellenbosch

We're going to Stellenbosch today, in the heart of the Western Cape winelands. A scenic drive takes us through lush farm land and vineyards, and when we arrive we'll take a tour of this charming historic town. We'll wander along Dorp Street admiring fine examples of Cape Dutch, Georgian and Victorian architecture, and take in fantastic views of the mountains and surrounding countryside. Later, a cellar visit with a wine-tasting rounds off the day a treat.​

Day 6: Oudtshoorn

Your next base is Oudtshoorn, and during our drive here we'll stop at Swellendam, one of the oldest towns in South Africa. A tour will introduce its stunning architecture and you'll also have time to visit its fascinating museum. Back on the road, take in lovely views of ravines, gorges, cliffs and lush vegetation as we journey through the Huisrivier pass, set between two valleys.​

Day 7: Knysna

Oudtshoorn is the 'ostrich capital of the world', and home to the world's largest population of these unique flightless birds. On our way to Knysna, our base for two nights, we'll visit the Safari Ostrich Farm to see some of these fascinating creatures up close. You're also going to see the Cango Caves today. Located in a limestone ridge alongside the stunning Swatberg Mountains, this magnificent system of underground caverns is more than 20 million years old.

Day 8: Knysna

The quaint town of Knysna lies at the heart of the Garden Route and is surrounded by ancient forests. It's a delightful place with plenty of craft shops, boutiques and cafés and after a leisurely start today, we'll head to the Knysna Lagoon for a lunch cruise aboard a paddle steamer. Guarded by two huge cliffs known as The Heads, the beautiful lagoon is home to an array of different bird species, including the African oystercatcher.

Day 9: Port Elizabeth

Your journey to Port Elizabeth via Plettenberg Bay includes a stop at Storms River Mouth in Tsitsikamma National Park.​ Here you can walk across the 77-metre-long suspension bridge which hovers above the tumultuous water flowing into the Indian Ocean.

Day 10: Battlefields

Port Elizabeth is one of the largest cities in South Africa, and we'll discover its highlights before we fly to Durban. On arrival you'll discover a very different territory to that previously experienced, as we head into the heart of the Zulu kingdom, the KwaZulu-Natal battlefields. The area is our base for two nights.​

Day 11: Battlefields

On today's guided tour you'll retrace history as you stand at the very spot where the 1879 Battle of Isandlwana and subsequent conflict at Rorke's Drift took place.​ A Local Guide will bring to life the events of the day when 20,000 Zulu warriors, armed with traditional weapons, confronted the firepower of the British army.

Day 12: Kruger

Your journey today to Kruger National Park, South Africa's largest game reserve, is long but packed full of rewards as you travel through a variety of landscapes and take in spectacular views. Your lodge-style accommodation for the next two nights is located close to the park, on the banks of the Sabie River.​

Day 13: Kruger

Kruger is home to the Big Five – lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino, so you're sure to want to head into the park today and notch up some thrilling wildlife spots. There's plenty of choice, with a range of optional game drives. You'll travel in an open safari vehicle with an expert guide who will talk to other drivers and track down the best wildlife sightings - it's a wonderful way to experience the African wilderness. You can choose from a morning or afternoon safari, then spend the rest of the day lounging by the pool. With so much to see in the park, you might choose a full day of exploration.

Day 14: Kruger

​As we head to our next lodge in Kruger we'll take in the sights on a game drive, which also includes a breakfast picnic. This afternoon is yours to do as you please. You could relax and enjoy the facilities at the lodge, or head out on an optional game drive and continue your search for wildlife.

Day 15: Kruger & Panorama Route

Start your day with a drive along the breathtaking Panorama Route, which winds its way through some of South Africa's most beautiful scenery. The rainforest at God's Window, Bourke's Luck Potholes and the Three Rondavels, are some of the highlights. We're also going to take an unforgettable journey on the Graskop Gorge Lift, which travels 51 metres down the face of the gorge and into the forest below. Here, a trail of wooden walkways and suspension bridges carves its way through the forest and interactive exhibits tell us more about the flora and fauna. Tonight, if the weather is on our side, you'll experience a braai, a traditional barbecue under the stars.

Day 16: Kruger - UK

Today we will transfer you to Johannesburg for your early-evening flight to the UK.

Day 17: UK

You'll arrive in the UK today.