Summary
Short description
From Cape Town and the Winelands to the Garden Route and a Big-Five safari
Highlights
- Explore the iconic sights of Cape Town
- Taste your way around the Wineland's award-winning estates
- Drive the length of the famous Garden Route
- Watch whales off the coast of Hermanus between July and October
- End with an all-inclusive Big Five safari in the Eastern Cape
In Brief
- 4 Nights Cape Town
- 3 Nights Cape Winelands
- 1 Night Oudtshoorn
- 3 Nights Garden Route
- 2 Nights Eastern Cape Game Reserve
In pictures
About
Recommended for:
April holidays | City | December holidays | February holidays | Food & wine | January holidays | March holidays | Natural world | November holidays | Safari | Self-drive
If you've any doubt as to why South Africa draws more visitors than anywhere else in Sub-Saharan Africa, the incredible diversity of this two-week tailor-made itinerary should help to convince you. Explore the stunning city of Cape Town with its catalogue of cultural attractions, world-leading restaurants and chic beachfront suburbs. Then, relax in true Cape Dutch style amid the storied vineyards of the Winelands, where optional tours and tastings will introduce you to some of the New World's most acclaimed vintages. Finally, take in the stunning scenery of the Garden Route as you wind your way past towering cliffs, sparkling lakes and deep blue lagoons en route to a Big-Five safari in the Eastern Cape.
Day by day itinerary
Day
1
UK/Cape Town
Arrive at your departure airport where included entry to a VIP lounge provides a relaxing start to your holiday. Then, board your overnight flight to Cape Town.
Days
2-5
Cape Town
Arrive at Cape Town International Airport, collect your hire car and proceed to the boutique Four Rosmead or luxurious Belmond Mount Nelson hotels, where you will spend the next four nights. With four days to explore the city and the Cape Peninsula, you can hike to the top of Table Mountain, swim with the penguins at Boulders Beach (if you can brave the chilly Atlantic waters), eat along the V&A Waterfront, tour infamous Robben Island or dig a little deeper on a historic township tour.
Stay: Four Rosmead Boutique Guest House, Cape Town (Superior) or Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town (Deluxe)
Meals: B
Days
6-8
Cape Winelands
Less than an hour’s drive east from Cape Town, the Winelands is a loose geographical region encompassing the small towns of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek – a patchwork of award-winning vineyards surrounded by dramatic mountain ranges and fertile valleys. Though the wine itself ranks as some of the best in the world, you needn’t be a connoisseur to drop in at a vineyard for a tasting or a gourmet lunch. Spend three days relaxing in this gorgeous region.
Stay: Oude Werf Hotel, Stellenbosch (Superior) or Leeu House & Estates, Franschhoek (Deluxe)
Meals: B
Day
9
Oudsthoorn
Depart the Cape Winelands and head east towards the Garden Route. From November to May, we suggest you drive along the famous Route 62 via Montagu, Ladismith and Oudsthoorn (renowned for its natural beauty and ostriches), before dropping down to George at the start of the Garden Route. From June to October, we recommend you take the coastal route via South Africa’s whale-watching capital Hermanus, before picking up the Garden Route at Mossel Bay and snaking your way past its plethora of beautiful beaches.
Stay: La Plume Guest House, Oudtshoorn (Superior) or Rosenhof Country House, Oudtshoorn (Deluxe)
Meals: B
Days
10-12
Garden Route
Spend four days exploring this 300km stretch of coastline which is something of a show home for South African scenery, comprising white-sand beaches, glassy lagoons crossed by low bridges, hillsides covered in indigenous forests and pretty coastal towns with exquisite seafood restaurants. Highlights include Wilderness, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, the Robberg Peninsula and Tsitsikamma National Park.
Stay: Hog Hollow Country Lodge, Plettenberg Bay, Garden Route (Superior) or The Plettenberg, Plettenberg Bay, Garden Route (Deluxe)
Meals: B
Days
13-14
Eastern Cape Game Reserve
After breakfast, depart your hotel and drive to either Amakhala Safari Lodge, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve or Settler's Drift in Kariega Game Reserve for the start of your luxury safari. Spend the next two days enjoying included guided game drives and expert-led bush walks as you head out into in search of the fabled Big Five – lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard. And, between safaris, you'll return to your chosen lodge for private-plunge-pool indulgence and all-inclusive gourmet dining.
Stay: Amakhala Safari Lodge, Eastern Cape (Superior) or Settlers Drift, Kariega Game Reserve (Deluxe) or Great Fish River Lodge, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve (Deluxe)
Meals: B L D
Days
15-16
Port Elizabeth/UK
After a final morning safari and breakfast, drive to Port Elizabeth and return your hire car before boarding your return flight via Johannesburg to the UK, arriving on day 16.
Meals: B
Map
Pricing
Any element of this itinerary can be adjusted to suit your needs. Just contact us to find out more.
Accommodation rating:
16-day tailor-made self-drive
from £3,410 pp incl. flights
Superior
Low Season
from £3,410 pp. incl. flights
High Season
from £4,820 pp. incl. flights
Includes:
- Complimentary UK airport lounge access
- Return international flights from London to Cape Town and Port Elizabeth to London
- Airport meet & greet
- 15 days car hire (Compact car (Classic C car with sat-nav) and self-drive pack
- 11 nights accommodation in typically 4* (Superior) hotels on a B&B basis
- 2 nights accommodation in a 4* (Superior) game lodge on a full-board basis
- Twice-daily game drives while on safari
Terms & Conditions
Prices are per person based on two people sharing a twin/double room; prices are subject to availability and possible change; normal booking conditions apply.
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