Icons of Southern Africa

Dive into South Africa’s most coveted landscapes on an itinerary that sweeps you seamlessly through the country’s icons; Cape Town, the Blyde River Canyon, the Kruger National Park and Victoria Falls. From Big-5 spotting in the safari heartland to chasing moonbows in Victoria Falls, there’s enough bucket-list adventure to satisfy every imaginable whim.

Itinerary
10 nights

£5,975 - £6,595pp including international flights

Itinerary overview

Day 1

Arrival in Cape Town

Arrive in Cape Town and transfer to your hotel on the fashionable V&A Waterfront, your base for t...

Day 2

Cape Town

Your prime location makes it easy for you to dip in and out of the V&A Waterfront’s lively scene....

Day 3

Cape Town

Your last day in the Mother City can be spent on an independent sojourn around its wild white-san...

Day 4

Cape Town & The Panorama Route

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Kruger Mpumalanga. On arrival, a driver will take you ...

Day 5

The Panorama Route

Your hotel is the launch pad from which to explore some of South Africa’s finest scenery starting...

Day 6

The Panorama Route & Kruger National Park

It’s approximately a 2-hour drive to your next lodge located in the south of the iconic Kruger Na...

Day 7

Kruger National Park

There’s nowhere more synonymous with safari than the Kruger, containing more large mammal species...

Day 8

Kruger National Park

You have another full day to explore the Kruger, binoculars at hand. This time around you may cho...

Day 9

Kruger National Park & Johannesburg

Transfer 2-hours back to the airport for a short flight to Johannesburg. Your hotel is a 5-minute...

Day 10

Johannesburg & Victoria Falls

Transfer back to the airport to catch a flight to Victoria Falls. It’s a 20-minute transfer to yo...

Day 11

Victoria Falls

Don your waterproofs for a full day exploring Victoria Falls. A walking tour is almost a rite of ...

Day 12

Victoria Falls

The day is open for you to explore at your own pace. Adrenaline junkies need look no further than...

Day 13

Victoria Falls & Departure

After breakfast transfer to Victoria Falls airport for your flight to Johannesburg airport. From ...

Day 1

Arrival in Cape Town

Arrive in Cape Town and transfer to your hotel on the fashionable V&A Waterfront, your base for the next three nights. The rest of the day is for you to do as you please. Recuperate from the journey in the hotel spa or get your bearings with a sunset cruise that leaves conveniently from the wharf. For ultimate panoramas, consider boarding an optional helicopter flight to soak up Cape Town’s ravishing coastline taking in sights like iconic Table Mountain and the unforgettable peaks of the Twelve Apostles mountain range jutting into the sky. Overnight at Victoria & Alfred Hotel.

Sidecar tour of the city

Cape Town

Experience a tour of Cape Town like no other – in the sidecar of a decommissioned military bike. Strap in for a ride along the wondrous landscape of the Chapman's Peak Drive via the Atlantic Seaboard, where you'll pass by the scenic sights of Camps Bay, Hout Bay and the Constantia winelands in this unique adventure. Suitable for all ages, there are also longer sidecar tours available with the option to tailor-make your own two, four or eight-hour routes.

Day 2

Cape Town

Your prime location makes it easy for you to dip in and out of the V&A Waterfront’s lively scene. There’s always somewhere to eat from elegant fine dining restaurants to the next-level V&A Food Market selling everything from fynbos-infused gin to handmade sushi. This is made all the more appealing with the favourable exchange rate between the pound and the rand. For something more tailored, take an optional culinary trip though the City Bowl sampling the city’s gourmet culture on a sweep of diverse eateries. Work it all off on an optional hike up Table Mountain, a cool three-to-four hour trek and undoubtedly one of the most picturesque. Overnight at Victoria & Alfred Hotel.

Day 3

Cape Town

Your last day in the Mother City can be spent on an independent sojourn around its wild white-sand beaches and thrumming creative enclaves. Turn a corner and you may find a cluster of artists’ workshops brushing up against old fishermen’s buildings. Delve into another district and you’ll encounter word-class museums paving the way in global modern art. The optional My Cape Peninsula tour explores the visually striking Cape Point from different angles. Take a funicular ride through the fynbos or cruise in a car along Chapman’s Peak Drive, celebrated for its hypnotic coastal views at every bend. No visit to Cape Town is complete without an optional ferry trip to Robben Island, which leaves suitably from the V&A waterfront. A visit to Nelson Mandela’s prison cell serves as a poignant reminder of the country’s complex political past. Overnight at Victoria & Alfred Hotel.

Walk to Freedom and Robben Island

Cape Town

Learn about apartheid in South Africa on this unique Walk to Freedom tour. You’ll hear Nelson Mandela’s story on Robben Island and visit the townships where residents were gravely affected by apartheid laws. You'll also get the chance to talk to the people who live in these communities today. This full-day tour starts at 09.00am on the site of District Six, one of the old residential areas of the city. This once busy, multi-racial community was destroyed during apartheid when the government ordered mass evictions and sent people to townships miles outside of the city centre. Next, visit Langa, a typical black African township where you’ll be greeted by a community site guide who lives here and will show you around, perhaps even introducing you to their family. The tour continues with a visit to Bonteheuwel, a former mixed heritage township where you’ll learn how people were classified as ‘non-white’ during apartheid and separated into different areas. The final stop is at Gugulethu, where you will visit the Gugulethu Seven Memorial which commemorates the deaths of seven young black activists killed by police in 1986 and the Amy Biehl Memorial, who was a young American student and anti-apartheid activist who was murdered here. At about midday, you will be dropped at the V&A Waterfront where you can grab a bite to eat before boarding the boat to Robben Island. This part of the trip is run by the official Robben Island Museum and is split into two legs, a one-hour bus tour of the island and a tour of what used to be the maximum-security prison, led by a former political prisoner. You’ll get to see Nelson Mandela’s cell representing an incredibly important moment in South Africa’s history.

My Cape Peninsula Tour

Cape Town

Discover the Cape Peninsula on this private scenic day trip, at your own pace, which includes the option of vineyard lunches, penguin encounters and kayaking with seals. The tour starts with a 30-minute scenic drive down the peninsula to Cape Point, one of the southern-most points in Africa. You can either walk from here or take the Flying Dutchman funicular railway to the Cape Point Lighthouse for the best views over the coast. For the second portion of the tour you have three options. The first is to stop at Boulders Beach, which is a breeding site for African penguins, followed by lunch at Cape Point Vineyard, a mountainside estate with views over Noordhoek Beach. Alternatively, you can visit Hout Bay, where you’ll take a short boat trip to Seal Island which is home to a colony of Cape fur seals. You’ll have time to observe the seals from the boat before heading back to Hout Bay for a seafood lunch. The last option is perfect for adventurous travellers as it involves a kayaking trip from Simon’s Town, to view the penguins. Whichever tour you choose, you’ll make your way back to Cape Town in the afternoon via Chapman’s Peak Drive. This spectacular curvy road twists alongside the ocean and the 12 Apostles Mountain Range. You’ll drive by the popular sandy beaches of Camps Bay and Clifton before being dropped at your hotel in Cape Town. This tour is a great way to get out of the city for a day and explore the Cape’s incredible nature, wildlife and scenery.

Day 4

Cape Town & The Panorama Route

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Kruger Mpumalanga. On arrival, a driver will take you approximately 1-hour to your hotel on the banks of the tranquil Sabie River. Retreat to the spa to unwind ahead of your day exploring the nearby Blyde River Canyon or limber up on the 18-hole golf course, known for sightings of resident hippos. Overnight at Sabi River Sun Resort.

Day 5

The Panorama Route

Your hotel is the launch pad from which to explore some of South Africa’s finest scenery starting at the Blyde River Canyon, one of the largest canyons on earth. The geographical drama unfolds from its thick subtropical forests, their encroaching verdant canopies home to a diversity of wildlife including every primate species known in South Africa. On this spectacular drive, there are almost too many breathtaking moments to take in, like gazing up at heaving waterfalls cascading from nearly 100 metres, and investigating beautiful dolomite rock sculptured from years of elemental erosion. Your expert guide will help you select the highlights while offering the best spots for a panoramic picture. Overnight at Sabi River Sun Resort.

Day 6

The Panorama Route & Kruger National Park

It’s approximately a 2-hour drive to your next lodge located in the south of the iconic Kruger National Park, and your safari outpost for the next three nights. Enveloped in bushland, your first glimpses of the Kruger will feel like entirely new terrain. An afternoon game drive will give you the lay of the land - a private concession sprawling 6,000 hectares known not only for its superb wildlife sightings but lack of vehicles. The afternoon may offer first glimpses of the Big Five for which the area is famed and maybe hyena and giraffe, also likely sightings. As dusk falls, remedy the excitement with sundowners back at the lodge where herds of buffalo are often seen wandering through the grounds. Overnight at Jock Safari Lodge.

Day 7

Kruger National Park

There’s nowhere more synonymous with safari than the Kruger, containing more large mammal species than any other park in South Africa. The quest for the Big Five continues in the rugged bushveld exclusively traversed by guests of your lodge. This means you’ll hardly see another person in sight as you trail the continent’s greatest icons. See the sought-after wildlife in the throes of the wild, like baboons shrieking from jackalberry trees older than written history, or packs of predatory lion that scatter other animals for miles around – there are 1,700 estimated in the Kruger. Look out for endangered rhino herds, blue wildebeest and perhaps even catch a rare glimpse of the elusive wild dog. Overnight at Jock Safari Lodge.

Day 8

Kruger National Park

You have another full day to explore the Kruger, binoculars at hand. This time around you may choose to slow the pace down and tune into the smells and sounds of the bush on a walking safari with excellent guides trained to identify animal tracks. Ticking off the wish list of game is all the more exciting when on foot. Perhaps you’ll spot the threatened martial eagle identified by its Dalmatian-like flecked belly, or walk closely by towering giraffe, the tallest creatures in the animal kingdom. On the way back to the lodge, dusk could unveil sightings of nocturnal animals such as owls and bush babies. Somewhere in the distance you may hear the cackle of hyenas rolling in from the savannah. Overnight at Jock Safari Lodge.

Day 9

Kruger National Park & Johannesburg

Transfer 2-hours back to the airport for a short flight to Johannesburg. Your hotel is a 5-minute transfer from the airport with all the facilities to help you rejuvenate before your flight tomorrow. If you’re experiencing itchy feet, book the optional Cradle of Humankind tour which takes you around the UNESCO World Heritage Site to explore the origin of our species. Or for a shot of local culture, choose an optional cycling tour through the vibrant Soweto district once home to Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Overnight at Peermont D'oreale Grande.

My Jo'burg Cradle of Humankind

Johannesburg

The Cradle of Humankind is a huge area peppered with limestone caves, its two standout attractions being the Maropeng Visitor Centre and the Sterkfontein Caves. The Visitor Centre itself is interesting to look at, built in the form of a mound. When you enter, you take a journey through the earth’s history; a gentle ride on a small circular boat while learning about how the earth evolved. The ride takes you to the exhibition area where you could spend hours. The award-winning exhibition shows the development of our ancestors over the past few million years. Sterkfontein’s dark, limestone caves are fascinating. You will walk down into these huge underground caverns with incredible stalactites and stalagmites. Mrs Ples is the reason that Sterkfontein became renown being one of the oldest fossil skulls to ever be discovered at more than two-million-years old. The other famous discovery here is Little Foot – a nearly complete, millions-of-years-old Australopithecus fossil skeleton. Afterwards, for Alfred& clients, we’ve included lunch at the Cradle restaurant located at the Cradle Boutique Hotel known for its wonderful view of the African savanna.

My Jo'burg Apartheid Museum, Newtown & Maboneng

Johannesburg

On this fascinating tour you will be taken by a well-known local to see the incredible street art of Newtown, explore the vibrant area of Maboneng and visit the powerful Apartheid Museum. Newtown is a powerhouse of some of the most talented street artists across Africa. At Mary Fitzgerald Square, under a bridge you’ll find around 25 pillars of back-to-back street art. Your guide will explain just some of the stories that are behind the murals and graffiti artwork. You will then travel to Maboneng. Here there has been major reconstruction of old infrastructure in this once run down neighbourhood known as Jeppestown. Mabenong translates as ‘place of light’ and its rejuvenation now spreads over seven kilometres. Here you will find art galleries, craftwork, a variety of restaurants and music spaces. The final visit on this tour is to the Apartheid Museum. The museum opened in 2001 and documents the rise and fall of the apartheid era. The stories, movies and images are intense, and at times emotional, but it’s important to understand what went on during the apartheid era and how South Africa has been shaped as a result.

Day 10

Johannesburg & Victoria Falls

Transfer back to the airport to catch a flight to Victoria Falls. It’s a 20-minute transfer to your next hotel. Once you get there, you’re a mere stroll to the falls themselves. Revive in the pool or take tea in the wraparound veranda, the best place to watch the levitating plumes of mist and the rumble of cascading water that give this iconic landmark its name, the ‘Smoke that Thunders’. Overnight at Ilala Lodge.

Day 11

Victoria Falls

Don your waterproofs for a full day exploring Victoria Falls. A walking tour is almost a rite of passage, bringing you face-to-face with the world’s largest sheet of falling water stretching over 1,700 metres and plunging 100 metres into the earth’s crust. It’s a sight that inspired both 19th-century explorer David Livingstone and the locals, 80,000 years ago, who believed in the waterfalls’ godly power. For an adrenaline-inducing perspective, board an optional helicopter for a 12-minute circuit over the falls and up the Zambezi River, or choose the 25-minute ride to take in the sheer magnitude of its rapids and deep set gorges. If you’re looking to explore at a gentler pace, the optional Ra-Ikane river cruise drifts you serenely around Zambezi’s islets to watch wallowing hippos and the prolific birdlife. Overnight at Ilala Lodge.

Day 12

Victoria Falls

The day is open for you to explore at your own pace. Adrenaline junkies need look no further than the array of optional heart-pounding adventures like jumping into mid-air over a gorge attached by a harness and careering through the sky on a 415-metre zip line from one edge of the gorge to another. The whirling rapids make for thrilling white-water rafting adventures not to mention the picturesque scenery. While there is plenty to keep you occupied during the day, night-time brings you a chance to see a moonbow, a rare phenomenon should you be lucky enough to visit during a full moon on a clear night. Overnight at Ilala Lodge.

Day 13

Victoria Falls & Departure

After breakfast transfer to Victoria Falls airport for your flight to Johannesburg airport. From here you’ll catch your international flight home or continue travelling.

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Guide price information

Low Season

01 May - 31 Jul

£5,975

Mid Season

01 Apr - 30 Apr

£6,225pp

High Season

01 Jan - 31 Mar, 01 Aug - 31 Dec

£6,595pp

Guide price information is based on the included flights from London, accommodation, transport and experiences detailed in the itinerary above. Guide prices do not include optional things to do. Call us for up to date prices – the cost of your holiday depends upon the time of year you travel, how long you go for, preferred departure airport, airlines, hotels and things to do. Based on 2 people sharing.

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