South African Grand Journey

This tour provides you with an opportunity to take an in-depth look at South Africa’s turbulent past. Starting with a drive across Johannesburg to the south of the city to visit the Apartheid Museum (closed on Mondays!), which opened its doors in 2002. Here you will embark on a historical voyage of discovery, a personal exploration of the past that examines the story of apartheid right up to the first democratic elections held in 1994. The tour of the museum lasts approximately two hours. Then continue to the Constitution Hill precinct, bordered by the inner-city neighbourhoods of Braamfontein and Hillbrow. It is here that South Africa’s new Constitutional Court opened in March 2004. The new court building is, most appropriately, established on the site of the Johannesburg Fort, built as a fortress in 1898 and later converted to one of the country’s most notorious prisons – popularly known as “Number Four”. Your visit here includes entry to the museum which has been established in the old prison and brings home the significance of this development and what it means for the future of Johannesburg.

Experience this exciting and eco-friendly tour for a half day cycling adventure around the township and get to know the different communities and its history. Go to places such as a former migrant workers hostel for men - continue to Meadowlands, famous for the forced removals from Sophiatown in the 1950’s. Cycle through historical landmarks of the 1976 student uprisings and visit the memorial site of Hector Pieterson. You will also cycle down Vilakazi Street where Nelson Mandela used to live and where Bishop Desmon Tutu has his home. Stop for a local lunch - Kata (township Burger) and finish the tour off at the local sheeben, have a drink, play pool and dance to kwaito music.

You will be collected early this morning by your private guide. Depart Johannesburg and travel to the ‘Land of the Rising Sun – Mpumalanga – via the magnificent Panorama Route.  Weather permitting, en route you will visit God’s Window, a boundless view of forested mountains and fertile plains, the Blyde River Canyon – the 3rd largest canyon in the world, and the extraordinary rock formations at Bourkes Luck Potholes.

The most spectacular stretch of the Panorama Route is the Blyde River Canyon. From many well-positioned vantage points one has a view of the 33 km long gorge, which starts at “Bourke’s Luck Potholes” and ends at the “Three Rondavels”. A stop will be made for lunch en route. Late afternoon arrival in the park.   (Note that 30 ZAR pp with be required as entrance fees for this tour)

This afternoon you'll meet up with others at the lodge and embark on your afternoon game drive. Sunrise and sunset are when the animals are most active. You'll be out in the reserve for a few hours before returning back to the lodge to freshen up for dinner. A private vehicle can be booked at an additional cost dependant on availability.

Before first light you'll meet up with others at the lodge and embark on your early morning game drive. Sunrise and sunset are when the animals are most active. You'll be out in the reserve for a few hours before returning back to the lodge for breakfast. A private vehicle can be booked at an additional cost depending on availability.

This afternoon you'll meet up with others at the lodge and embark on your afternoon game drive. Sunrise and sunset are when the animals are most active. You'll be out in the reserve for a few hours before returning back to the lodge to freshen up for dinner. A private vehicle can be booked at an additional cost dependant on availability.

Before first light you'll meet up with others at the lodge and embark on your early morning game drive. Sunrise and sunset are when the animals are most active. You'll be out in the reserve for a few hours before returning back to the lodge for breakfast. A private vehicle can be booked at an additional cost depending on availability.

This afternoon you'll meet up with others at the lodge and embark on your afternoon game drive. Sunrise and sunset are when the animals are most active. You'll be out in the reserve for a few hours before returning back to the lodge to freshen up for dinner. A private vehicle can be booked at an additional cost dependant on availability.

Take your flight from Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport to Durban today. The flight duration is approximately 1 hour.

Private transfer from your lodge from to KMIA Airport. This trasfer will vary depending on the location of your lodge and can take 3+hrs.

This morning you will embark on a brief Durban City Tour where you will spend the morning discovering the cultural and historical contrasts of the city.  After departing your hotel, we travel along the "Golden Mile" with it's beaches, curio sellers, rickshaw pullers and hotels. Arriving at the harbour entrance we stop for photos and a brief discussion on the origins of the city. A slow drive through the city centre offers an ideal opportunity to see the historic Farewell Square and the classic architecture of the City Hall, Central Post Office, Play House and Local History Museum.  A drive along the winding Victoria Embankment is followed by a drive through the leafy suburbs of the Berea before our arrival at the Killie Campbell Museum, formerly the home of the Campbell family who were prominent philanthropists and collectors. A short tour follows and we will be taken through this grand old house with its beautiful furniture and art collection and the Mashu Museum of Ethnology, which includes artworks, cultural artefacts and an extensive beadwork collection reflecting the colourful and vigorous tradition of the Zulu people. After this fascinating interlude we make our way across the Berea to the stately Kings House and grand old homes of the area before arriving at the Botanic Gardens. Founded in 1849 as an agricultural society {where various crops were grown on an experimental basis}, the gardens are now home to an incredible variety of both exotic and indigenous flora as well as a number of varied resident birds.

This informative tour takes you just past the town of Eshowe, north of Durban, where you visit the authentic Shakaland Cultural Village. Here you will embark on a Nandi Experience, which is a three-hour midday experience, which includes lunch and introduces you to the beer drinking ceremony, fighting formations, social systems and greetings, the Sangoma and Nyanga, as well as beadwork, pottery, beer making and spear throwing techniques. Head back to Durban filled with renewed and interesting knowledge of the Zulu nation.  

Private transfer to/from the City Hotels to the King Shaka International Airport.

Travel today between Durban and George.  Flight time is approximately 2 hours.

Your private guide and vehicle will be available today to take you around to different sights, suggest restaurants, etc.

After breakfast, depart to the lagoon-side town of Knysna. Enjoy some time at leisure at the Knsysa Waterfront Complex before embarking on an excursion to the Featherbed Nature Reserve. The trip includes a ferry across the lagoon to the base of the western head with a drive to the top of the reserve, stopping at spectacular viewpoints. Your specialist guide will provide information on history, fauna & flora. There is also an optional guided 2.2km walk through coastal forest and fynbos into ancient sea caves (on own account). The tour ends with a delicious buffet lunch served under the shade of the milkwood trees. On return to the mainland, continue on to your hotel.

After a spectacular drive over the Outeniqua Mountain Pass, we enter the red semi-desert of the Little Karoo. We start with a short tour of the town and then go on to the Cango Caves for a tour. 29km from Oudtshoorn, at the head of the picturesque Cango Valley, lay the spectacular underground wonder of the Klein Karoo - the Cango Caves. Situated in a limestone ridge parallel to the well known Wartburg Mountains, you will find the finest dripstone caverns, with their vast halls and towering formations. Enjoy a visit to the Cango Wildlife Ranch, endangered species breeding facility extraordinaire. The oldest and biggest cheetah contact centre worldwide offers visitors the rare opportunity of interacting with the hand reared cheetahs and getting actively involved in saving this species and others from extinction. From there we continue to the Safari Ostrich Farm to see one of the world’s most peculiar birds. Enjoy a tour of the farm, a traditional ostrich lunch (own cost) and perhaps even an ostrich race. Return back to the hotel late this afternoon

This morning your guide will collect you from the guesthouse and depart the Klein Karoo and the ostrich capital of Oudtshoorn. You will drive over the beautiful Franschhoek Pass, before you descending into beautiful Franschhoek Valley. Stop to from impromptu wine tours, take pictures, grab a snack or shop, or head directly to Franshhoek. The direct drive will be approximately 5 hours depending on the number of stops made along the way.

Today your resident Winelands expert will join you for a full day exploration of the culinary delights of the Franschhoek Valley, including exceptional estates such as Haute Cabriere, Moreson, La Motte and Grande Provence. You will delight in cheese tasting in the 200 year old barn at La Grange Fromagerie, chocolate tasting at the Franschhoek Chocolate factory and lunch which has been booked for you at either La Petite Ferme or Grande Provence, depending on your preference (lunch on own account). Take time to explore the town by foot as the boutiques and art are exceptional. You will return to your auberge late this afternoon.

Today we embark on a full day tour of the Cape Peninsula. Starting in Franschhoek we make our way along the coast to Cape Town.  We take in the beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay, before crossing over to Hout Bay, where you may choose to join an optional boat cruise to Seal Island. From here we drive to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve via Chapman’s Peak, one of the world’s most breathtaking coastal drives, where you will board a funicular to the top of the Peninsula to witness the symbolic meeting of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans as well as have spectacular views over False Bay. We enjoy lunch near here (not included – own account) before continuing to Simonstown, the naval base, and visiting the African Penguin breeding colony at Boulders Beach. Then continue on to Cape Town.

Today you will be met by your guide for an exploration of Cape Town, known affectionately as the Mother City. Your tour will take in the Houses of Parliament, the Castle (built between 1666 and 1679, this is South Africa’s oldest building), lively Greenmarket Square with its daily market, the Company Gardens and of course Table Mountain which will give you spectacular views over the city and Peninsula (cable car fee is not included as it is weather dependent). On our descent, we stop at the Bo Kaap, home to the Cape Malay community, with its cobbled streets and brightly coloured houses.

Enjoy time at leisure to explore at your own pace, or relax at your hotel.

Enjoy a private transfer between the airport and your hotel.