Day 1: Arrive in Johannesburg
Meet your driver-guide at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Settle in and rest after the journey, then enjoy a relaxed dinner at one of the city’s excellent restaurants.

 

Day 2: Johannesburg Highlights
A full day with a private guide exploring the story of modern South Africa:

• Soweto, with Vilakazi Street, once home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners, and the Hector Pieterson Memorial

• The Apartheid Museum, a powerful and essential look at the country’s past

• Constitution Hill, once a prison complex and now the home of the Constitutional Court

• The Maboneng district, for street art, markets, and lunch

 

Day 3: Johannesburg to Kruger National Park
Drive east, about five to six hours, as the highveld gives way to the Lowveld bush. Arrive at your lodge near the park in time to settle in and rest before your first night in big game country.

 

Days 4-5: Kruger National Park
Two full days of safari in one of Africa’s largest and most celebrated reserves, home to lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffalo, the Big Five, along with hippos, giraffes, cheetahs, and wild dogs. Days begin with a sunrise game drive, followed by a break at camp and a late-afternoon drive. Night drives and guided bush walks are available at many lodges, and you can often add a sundowner stop in the bush.

 

Day 6: Kruger to Cape Town
One last morning game drive, then transfer to the airstrip and fly to Cape Town, usually connecting through Johannesburg. Arrive and check in to your hotel. Evening at leisure, with dinner at the V&A Waterfront or in the city.

 

Day 7: The Cape Peninsula, Southern Route
A full day along one of the world’s great coastal drives:

• Chapman’s Peak, a road cut into the cliffs above the Atlantic

• Boulders Beach, where African penguins waddle and swim on the sand

• Cape Point, the dramatic southwestern tip of the continent, with a walk to the lighthouse viewpoint

• Seaside lunch in Simon’s Town or Hout Bay

Between June and November, you can add a stop in Hermanus, one of the best land-based whale-watching spots in the world.

 

Day 8: Cape Winelands
A day among some of the oldest wine estates in the Southern Hemisphere, in the valleys around Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl. Taste exceptional Cape wines, enjoy a long lunch with mountain views, and wander the historic Cape Dutch architecture. Your guide handles the driving, so everyone can enjoy the tastings.

 

Day 9: Cape Town Day
Spend your final full day in the city itself:

• Table Mountain, via cable car or on foot, for views over the city and the sea (weather permitting)

• Bo-Kaap, the colorful hillside neighborhood with its Cape Malay culture and cooking

• Robben Island or the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, depending on your interests

• A final dinner with a view of the mountain, the harbor, or the sunset

 

Day 10: Depart from Cape Town
Transfer to Cape Town International Airport for your flight home.