Best of South Africa

Day 1: Day 1: Arrival in Johannesburg

Location: Johannesburg

Arrive at Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport, where our representative will meet and greet you before a private transfer to your hotel. Johannesburg is a lively hub of culture, food and art, with galleries, museums, food trails and vibrant cafés around every corner. Known as the home of Nelson Mandela, the city holds some of South Africa's finest museums and historical sites. Check in, freshen up and settle in for the night.

Stay: @ Sandton Hotel

Day 2: Day 2: Johannesburg City Tour & Lesedi Cultural Village

Location: Johannesburg

Guided city orientation tour through the green suburbs of Rosebank and Houghton, where Nelson Mandela spent his last days, and past Constitution Hill, one of Johannesburg's oldest buildings and a former apartheid-era jail. Drive past the Mandela Bridge to Newtown's street art and Mary Fitzgerald Square, then on to Maboneng with its galleries, markets and restaurants. Afternoon at Lesedi Cultural Village to discover Zulu, Xhosa and Pedi traditions in historic homesteads, with lunch included. As the sun sets, gather at the Boma for traditional singing and the spectacular Giant Ngoma multi-cultural dance show.

Stay: @ Sandton Hotel

Day 3: Day 3: Johannesburg – Pilanesberg National Park

Location: Pilanesberg National Park

After breakfast, check out and take a private transfer to your lodge in Pilanesberg National Park. Check in and enjoy lunch at the lodge before your first afternoon safari game drive in an open vehicle. Pilanesberg lies within an extinct volcanic crater and offers some of the best game viewing in South Africa, with the chance to encounter the Big Five at close range. Keep your binoculars and camera ready, then return to the lodge for dinner under the African sky.

Stay: Bakubung Bush Lodge

Day 4: Day 4: Pilanesberg Safari Day

Location: Pilanesberg National Park

Set out early on a morning game drive as the bush comes to life, then return to the lodge for a hearty breakfast. Spend the warm middle hours relaxing at the lodge, with lunch included. Head out again on an afternoon safari game drive in search of the Big Five and the many other animals that roam this unspoilt volcanic landscape. Return to the lodge for dinner and swap stories of the day's sightings.

Stay: Bakubung Bush Lodge

Day 5: Day 5: Pilanesberg – Sun City

Location: Sun City

Enjoy one last morning safari game drive in Pilanesberg, followed by breakfast at the lodge. Check out and take a private transfer to your hotel at Sun City, South Africa's famous luxury resort lying between the Pilanesberg and the Elands River. The rest of the day is free to explore the resort's casino, nightclub, theatre, cinema, Segway rides and spa. Optional extras include zip-lining, parasailing, jet skiing, golf, go-karting and hovercraft rides, all at an additional cost.

Stay: Sun City Hotel

Day 6: Day 6: Sun City & the Valley of the Waves

Location: Sun City

After breakfast, spend the day at the Valley of the Waves, with unlimited access included in your package. Its water fun, sports and adventure make it the most popular attraction at Sun City, ideal for families and friends alike. Make time for at least one optional activity, such as kayaking, a banana boat or tube ride, water boarding, golf or go-karting, at an additional cost. Round off the evening at the casino, the theatre or the spa.

Stay: Sun City Hotel

Day 7: Day 7: Sun City – Johannesburg – George – Knysna

Location: Knysna

After breakfast, check out and take a private transfer to Johannesburg Airport for your flight to George (airfare not included; we recommend a flight after 12 noon). On arrival in George, a private transfer brings you to your hotel in Knysna, the heart of the scenic Garden Route. Check in and freshen up, then spend the evening at leisure, perhaps strolling the Knysna Waterfront or taking in the views from the Knysna Heads viewpoint.

Stay: Knysna Log Inn

Day 8: Day 8: Knysna – Tsitsikamma National Park – Knysna

Location: Knysna

Full day trip to Tsitsikamma National Park, the Garden Route's premier spot for the great outdoors, marine sightings, kayaking and coastal walks. Follow the popular two-kilometre Storms River Mouth Trail to the iconic Storms River Suspension Bridge. Continue to Bloukrans Bridge, home to the world's highest bridge bungy jump, more than 200 metres above the river. Jump or buy a spectator ticket to watch, at an additional cost. Return to Knysna in the evening.

Stay: Knysna Log Inn

Day 9: Day 9: Knysna – Oudtshoorn – Mossel Bay

Location: Mossel Bay

Check out for a guided full day trip to Oudtshoorn, starting at the Cango Caves, where nearly four kilometres of dimly lit passages reveal spotlit stalactites and stalagmites. At an ostrich farm, stand on ostrich eggs, feed the birds and ride a tractor and trailer on a 25-minute ostrich 'game drive' among Zimbabwe Blue ostriches. Visit Cango Wildlife Ranch, a conservation-focused park with cheetahs, tigers and even a white lion. Transfer to Mossel Bay in the evening, check in and relax.

Stay: Diaz Hotel & Resort

Day 10: Day 10: Mossel Bay – Cape Town

Location: Cape Town

After breakfast, check out and take a private transfer along the coast to your hotel in Cape Town. Cape Town, South Africa's legislative capital, was founded as a supply station for Dutch ships and is loved for its long coastline, magnificent beaches, cultural harmony and nearby vineyards. Check in, freshen up and spend the rest of the day at leisure, perhaps planning a wine tasting or a stroll by the sea.

Stay: Capetonian Hotel

Day 11: Day 11: Cape Town City Tour & Table Mountain

Location: Cape Town

Private guided half-day tour of the 'Mother City' past Parliament, City Hall and the Slave Lodge, with an optional stop at the Castle of Good Hope, the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa. Walk through the Company's Garden, admire the ice-cream coloured houses of the Bo-Kaap and watch a diamond cutter at work. Drive past the V&A Waterfront, Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay, then ride the revolving cable car up Table Mountain (weather dependent) for views stretching to Robben Island and Cape Point on a clear day. Optional 12-minute scenic helicopter ride at an additional cost.

Stay: Capetonian Hotel

Day 12: Day 12: Cape Peninsula & Cape Point

Location: Cape Town

Private guided full day tour along the Atlantic coast via Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay to Hout Bay, for a boat trip to Seal Island and its thousands of seals. Drive the breathtaking Chapman's Peak Drive to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, then ride the Flying Dutchman Funicular (two-way tickets included) up to the Cape Point viewpoint. Walk alongside the protected African penguins at Boulders Beach, then stop in Muizenberg, famous for its colourful beach huts, for lunch at your own expense, before driving back to Cape Town.

Stay: Capetonian Hotel

Day 13: Day 13: Cape Town at Leisure

Location: Cape Town

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast, then a free day with no services included: unwind at your hotel or explore the city at your own pace. Optional activities (at an additional cost) include a Robben Island tour, the Two Oceans Aquarium, a helicopter ride, paragliding, skydiving, abseiling and hot air ballooning. For something different, try a Cape sidecar tour or a Harley-Davidson ride along the coast. Our team can help you book any of these in advance.

Stay: Capetonian Hotel

Day 14: Day 14: Departure from Cape Town

Enjoy a final breakfast at the hotel and check out at the standard check-out time; if your flight is later in the day, the morning is yours for a last look at the city. A private transfer then takes you to Cape Town International Airport for your return flight home. Leave with memories of Big Five safaris, the Garden Route's forests and caves, and the mountains, beaches and penguins of the Cape, and the stories to go with them.