Best of South Africa
Johannesburg & Cape Town, 3 game drives in Kruger and a private conservancy, plus a bush walk; stay in upscale hotels throughout.
Overview
Style | Small Group TourTravel with a small, intimate group of no more than 16 likeminded travelers (and often much fewer), escorted by an English speaking guide and/or tour manager for some or all of your journey. (Some exceptions, including special promotional packages, may accommodate up to 30.) More of these packages
Dedicated tour escorts & guides throughout |
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Departures | December 2024 – December 2025 | Group Size | 16 travelers max |
Themes | Active, History & Culture, Grand Tours, Nature & Wildlife | ||
Activity Level | Recreational | ||
What to Expect | This moderately-paced, escorted South Africa tour includes a reasonable amount of walking or hiking and requires an average level of physical fitness. This tour also includes long scenic drives between destinations and may have limited rest stops. Travel safely and confidently with our new health & safety protocols. | ||
Already booked? | Find everything you need to know before you go, including information about passport & visa requirements, flights, luggage, and more. |
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Explore deeper into South Africa on our comprehensive Best of South Africa small group escorted tour. Begin your tour in cosmopolitan Johannesburg, South Africa's largest metropolis, also know as "Egoli" or City of Gold. Then head north to begin your safari in Karongwe Private Game Reserve, where you'll embark on a late morning bush walk with an experienced ranger. Continue your game viewing in Kruger National Park, one of the world's oldest and most famous game reserves. Rest assured, you'll have ample opportunities to spot the Big 5! Finally, end your tour in scenic Cape Town, exploring the city's vibrant neighborhoods, storied past and incredible cuisine; then look down on it all from the top of Table Mountain. Your ticket is pre-purchased, so you won't spend hours waiting in line to buy one.
Package includes
- Flights
- Coach
- Transfers
- Hotel
- Meals
- Guides
- Round-trip flights from New York via wide-bodied jet service, including taxes & fees
- Flights, ground transportation and transfers within South Africa
- 10 nights in superior first class and deluxe hotels
- 19 meals: 10 breakfasts, 4 lunches, & 5 dinners, including welcome and farewell dinners with wine
- Professional English-speaking tour directors
- Comprehensive touring program and safaris, including entrance fees
Optional add-ons
- Flights from other cities are available. Request pricing when making your reservation.
- Optional Half-day Stellenbosch Winelands
Why you'll love it
- Visit South Africa's largest and most populous city, Johannesburg, and learn about the country’s poignant past at the Apartheid Museum.
- Experience a close-up look at daily life in the bustling neighborhood of Soweto.
- Come face-to-face with lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, buffalo and more during 2 game drives and a bush walk in Karongwe Private Game Reserve and a full-day game drive in Kruger National Park.
- Enjoy the jaw-dropping view of the Blyde River Canyon, one of the world's largest canyons, during your drive along the astonishing Panorama Route.
- Bask in the scenic and historic highlights of beautiful Cape Town, including a trip to Table Mountain by cable car.
- Explore Cape Point including Hout Bay, Boulders Beach and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
Itinerary at a Glance
![Best of South Africa map](https://res.cloudinary.com/friendly-planet/image/fetch/q_auto,f_auto,w_520,c_limit/https://m.friendlyplanet.com/media/gallery/maps/best-of-south-africa-big.png)
- 1 Depart USA
- 2 Arrive Johannesburg
- 3 Johannesburg
- 4 Johannesburg & Karongwe Private Game Reserve
- 5 Karongwe Private Game Reserve
- 6 Karongwe Private Game Reserve & Kruger National Park
- 7 Kruger National Park
- 8 Kruger National Park & Cape Town
- 9 Cape Town
- 10 Cape Point & Cape Town
- 11 Cape Town
- Optional Excursion: Half-day Stellenbosch Winelands
- 12 South Africa/USA
Videos
Dates & Prices
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 Depart USA
- Depart New York on your overnight flight to Johannesburg, South Africa
Day 2 Arrive Johannesburg
- Arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa, meet your guide, and transfer to your hotel
- This evening, meet your fellow travelers at a welcome dinner
Sandton Sun or similar Dinner
Full Day ItineraryArrive today in Johannesburg, South Africa's largest and most populous city. Upon arrival at OR Tambo International Airport, your guide will meet and transfer you to your hotel. En route, enjoy a panoramic orientation tour of this cosmopolitan city, affectionately referred to as "Jo'Burg" or "Jozi" by the locals. Check in at your hotel and enjoy the balance of the day at leisure.
This evening, get to know your fellow travelers during a welcome dinner with wine.
Day 3 Johannesburg
- Experience daily life in the Soweto neighborhood
- Learn about the rise and fall of apartheid at the Apartheid Museum
- Visit the urban Maboneng Precinct
Sandton Sun or similar Breakfast
Full Day ItineraryThis morning, embark on a fascinating tour to Soweto (short for Southwestern Township), a sprawling metropolis on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Get a close-up look at daily life in this bustling neighborhood, the most prominent black urban settlement in Africa and the center of political campaigns aimed at the overthrow of the apartheid state. On the way, drive past the Hector Pieterson Memorial. Then, visit the Apartheid Museum for an in-depth historical look at the system of extreme racial segregation that plagued South Africa from 1948 until 1994, when it was finally dismantled. Later, visit the Maboneng Precinct, an innovative urban neighborhood filled with urban art galleries, chic restaurants, and unique office spaces for creative, like-minded people.
Return to your hotel in the late afternoon.
Day 4 Johannesburg & Karongwe Private Game Reserve
- Depart for Karongwe Private Game Reserve
- Enjoy an afternoon game drive in the Karongwe Private Game Reserve
Shiduli Private Game Lodge or similar Breakfast & dinner
Full Day ItineraryDay 5 Karongwe Private Game Reserve
- Enjoy an early morning game drive in open safari vehicles
- Join a bush walk with an experienced local ranger
Shiduli Private Game Lodge or similar Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Full Day ItineraryAfter an early morning wake-up call and a fresh cup of coffee or tea served with rusks, a traditional South African biscuit, head out in open safari vehicles for your African bush game drive. Search for the Big Five - lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo - and some of the smaller fascinating creatures such as chameleons, scrub hare, and more. Return to the lodge for a full breakfast.
Later, set off on foot for a bush walk with your experienced ranger, who will teach you some bush skills such as animal tracking as well as bird and plant identification. Return to your lodge to relax and enjoy the facilities.
Day 6 Karongwe Private Game Reserve & Kruger National Park
- Drive along the awe-inspiring Panorama Route
- Stop at Graskop Gorge and take the lift to the forest below
- View the spectacular Blyde River Canyon
Angels View Hotel or similar Breakfast & lunch
Full Day ItineraryAfter breakfast, relax on a scenic journey through the Limpopo province. Stop for breathtaking views of rolling mountains, verdant valleys, the Three Rondavels, Bourke's Luck Potholes, and God's Window. Next, stop at Graskop Gorge and descend 51 meters along the face of the gorge into the forest below. Wooden walkways and suspension bridges meander along a 600-meter trail through the indigenous forest with interactive exhibits. Later, view the Blyde River Canyon, one of the world's largest canyons. En route, enjoy lunch at the ever-popular Harries Pancakes.
Continue to your hotel. On arrival, check-in and take some time to relax in the beautiful surroundings.
Day 7 Kruger National Park
- Enjoy a full-day game drive in open 4x4 safari vehicles in Kruger National Park
Angels View Hotel or similar Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Full Day ItineraryAfter an early morning wake-up call, depart for an exciting full-day safari in open 4x4 safari vehicles into the Kruger National Park, one of the world's most famous game reserves. You'll see the ever-present impala, and be on the lookout for wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, and many other types of antelopes.
Day 8 Kruger National Park & Cape Town
- Transfer to the airport in Johannesburg for your afternoon flight to Cape Town
- Spend the balance of the evening at leisure
The Capital 15 on Orange or similar Breakfast
Full Day ItineraryAfter breakfast, leave the bush behind as you transfer to the airport for your flight to Cape Town, a beautiful jewel nestled between stunning Table Mountain and a dramatic coastline. Cape Town is a modern, bustling, and vibrant city boasting gorgeous scenery, fabulous restaurants, hotels, and beaches, bursting with history and culture. Upon arrival at Cape Town's airport, transfer to your centrally-located hotel.
Enjoy the remainder of the evening at leisure.
Day 9 Cape Town
- Witness the scenic and historical highlights of Cape Town on a half-day panoramic city tour
- Weather permitting, ascend by cable car to the top of Table Mountain
- Spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure
The Capital 15 on Orange or similar Breakfast
Full Day ItineraryThis morning, enjoy a panoramic tour of Cape Town showcasing this vibrant city's scenic and historical highlights. Weather permitting, travel by cable car to the top of Table Mountain, Cape Town's most striking landmark and recently announced as one of the world's New Seven Wonders of Nature.
Continue through the Malay Quarter (Bo-Kaap). Lined with brightly colored houses and decorative mosques, this historic neighborhood was founded by formerly enslaved people from Malaysia, whose Islamic culture gives the area a distinct character and contributes to Cape Town's rich cultural diversity. The final stop on your tour is the lively Cape Town Waterfront, where numerous restaurants and entertainment options abound.
Spend the rest of the afternoon leisurely to become better acquainted with Cape Town.
Note: Table Mountain Cableway will shut down for annual maintenance from July, 15 – September 1, 2024. It will re-open, weather permitting, on September 2, 2024. If Table Mountain Cableway is closed, we will visit Signal Hill instead.
Day 10 Cape Point & Cape Town
- Enjoy a full-day excursion to Cape Point National Park, including a cruise along Hout Bay
- Visit Boulders Beach and see the African jackass penguins
- Tour the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
- Enjoy dinner paired with a drum performance
The Capital 15 on Orange or similar Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Full Day ItineraryBegin your full-day excursion to Cape Point National Park this morning with a cruise along Hout Bay, where you'll see the seals of Duiker Island. Enter the nature reserve covering the peninsula's southern part and drive through the unique scenery toward Cape Point. Travel by funicular railway to Cape Point, where you can enjoy stunning views of the Cape of Good Hope.
After lunch, make a brief stop to visit the African jackass penguins at Boulders Beach, and then continue to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, where you'll have a magnificent display of indigenous South African flora. Return to your hotel late this afternoon.
Enjoy dinner and drum performance with your fellow travelers.
Day 11 Cape Town
- Explore Cape Town at leisure, or join an optional excursion to Stellenbosch Winelands
The Capital 15 on Orange or similar Breakfast
Full Day ItineraryToday is your last day to leisurely explore Cape Town or join an optional excursion to Stellenbosch Winelands.
Optional Excursion: Half-day Stellenbosch WinelandsThis afternoon, depart to glorious Stellenbosch in the heart of the Cape Winelands. Take a leisurely drive through this beautiful, world-renowned region before venturing into the wine-making process in a fascinating cellar tour with wine tasting. Then, explore the region's fine art galleries, architecture, history, and quaint shops.
Note: This optional excursion can be purchased locally.
Day 12 South Africa/USA
- This morning, enjoy free time for some last minute shopping
Breakfast
Full Day ItineraryThis afternoon, transfer to the airport for your overnight return flight home. Your memorable South African adventure ends as you touch down tomorrow morning in New York.
Hotels
In the unlikely event that a particular hotel is not available, a similar or better hotel may be substituted.
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Trip Details
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What should I know before I go? We've compiled a comprehensive checklist, including information on how to pay your balance due, flights & transfers, packing & luggage, and more.
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Do I need a visa or other documents? Are there any entry requirements? Please review the visa & entry requirements.
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Can I make changes to my trip? Want to upgrade your seats? Depart from another city? Stay a few extra days? Something else? Just ask!
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Can I bring my kids? Are there any age restrictions? To book this package, you must be 18 or older. Your traveling companions must be 8 or older at time of travel.
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Should I purchase travel insurance? Yes! We recommend you purchase travel insurance to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. For your convenience, we offer a plan provided by Travelex Insurance Services.
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What's the fine print? Review the terms & conditions for this package.
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What should I know about South Africa? Check out our guide for practical travel tips, the best time to go, videos, and more.