14 day EXPLORER TOUR

[Download a brochure for this tour]

Main Attractions: 

• Cultural and historical Johannesburg, featuring Constitution Hill, Newtown and northern suburbs
• Panorama Route featuring Pilgrim's Rest, Blyde River Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes, God's Window and Lisbon Falls
• World famous Kruger National Park, rich in fauna and flora, with game viewing in open safari vehicles
• Maputaland Reserve featuring an open safari game drive in the Hluhluwe Game Reserve
• Greater St Lucia Wetlands National Park - estuary river cruise
• Pristine unspoilt KwaZulu-Natal beaches
• Optional Shakaland cultural experience
• Scenic Garden Route featuring attractions such as Bloukrans, Storms River, Tsitsikamma Forest, Big Tree and Nature's Valley
• The "Oyster Capital" of Knysna. Lagoon boat cruise opportunity
• The ostrich capital of Oudtshoorn, with a tour of an ostrich farm and fully guided tour of the Cango Caves
• Magical Cape Town featuring: Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and Cape Point, Malay Quarter, world famous and award-winning wine estates.


Day 1

On arrival in Johannesburg, your expert guide, who will privately transfer you to your hotel, will meet you. Half day Johannesburg City Tour including the downtown historical buildings and the arty suburb of Melville. Return to your hotel via the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens in Emmarentia and the suburb of Rosebank.

Accommodation: Protea Hotel Wanderers or similar

Day 2

Depart from Johannesburg and travel to the 'Province of the Rising Sun', Mpumalanga, via the historic towns of Witbank, Dullstroom and Lydenburg. Travel over the famous Long Tom Pass on to the small town of Sabie. Visit the Lone Creek Waterfall before arriving at your elegant hideaway. Enjoy a delectable dinner that can only be described as a 'culinary masterpiece'.

Accommodation: Lone Creek River Lodge (Timber Cottages) or similar

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 3

After breakfast, visit the Mac Mac Waterfalls. Pay a short visit to the historic town of Pilgrim's Rest, where the richest alluvial gold deposits in South Africa were discovered in 1873. Continue exploring the Panorama Route featuring the Blyde River Canyon, Three Rondavels, Bourke's Luck Potholes, God's Window and various waterfalls. Continue to your private game lodge near the Kruger National Park. Arrive in time for afternoon tea, followed by your evening game drive in an open safari vehicle. Return to the lodge for a diverse selection of eclectic cuisine.

Accommodation: Makalali Private Game Reserve or similar + 2 game viewing activities

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4

Early morning game drive followed by breakfast. Enter the world famous Kruger National Park established in 1898 at Orpen Gate. This national park which covers over two million hectares is unrivalled in the diversity of its flora and fauna. Spend the day looking for the 'Big Five', general game and prolific bird life. After a late afternoon arrival at your hotel, relax and enjoy dinner in the elegant dining room.

Accommodation: Casa Do Sol Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5

After breakfast travel via Nelspruit to the Kingdom of Swaziland. Drive through North-Eastern Swaziland along the Lebombo Mountains. Leave Swaziland and continue via the town of Pongola to your lodge in the Ubizane Game Reserve, arriving in the late afternoon. Dinner served in the boma under the African sky (weather permitting).

Accommodation: Ubizane Game Reserve or similar + 1 game viewing activity

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6

After an early safari in Hluhluwe Game Reserve followed by breakfast, visit St Lucia a World Heritage Site, and enjoy a river cruise on the estuary. Here we view prolific wetlands bird life, fish eagles, hippo and crocodiles. After driving through sugar cane plantations along the Indian Ocean seaboard, arrive in the bustling city of Durban for drop off at hotel.

Accommodation: Protea Hotel Umhlanga or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 7

Optional full day tour of Shakaland. Depart Durban and travel to Eshowe and the authentic Zulu Kraal of Shakaland. Feel the pulsating rhythm of Africa as you re-live the excitement and romance of the days of Shaka, King of the Zulus. Experience the sight of assegaai wielding warriors, share the fascinating secrets of Sangomas and witness traditional customs such as tribal dancing, spear making and the beer making ceremony.

Traditional Zulu lunch will be served. For those not taking the tour, enjoy the day at leisure. Please note that this excursion is not included in the package price.

Accommodation: Protea Hotel Umhlanga or similar


Meals included: Breakfast

Day 8

Morning at leisure. Semi-private transfer to Durban International Airport for your flight to Port Elizabeth (not included). On arrival at Port Elizabeth Airport, semi-private transfer to your beachfront hotel.

Accommodation: Protea Hotel Marine or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 9

Departing Port Elizabeth, enter the Garden Route via the high forests of the Tsitsikamma Mountains. Attractions to be visited through the Tsitsikamma Forest area include the Big Tree. Remember to keep an eye out for the rare Knysna Loerie. Gaze in awe at the scenery whilst crossing the bridge over the Storms River where photographic opportunities abound. After lunch at the scenic Storms River mouth (not included), continue via the 'millionaires playground' of Plettenberg Bay to South Africa's 'Oyster Capital', Knysna.

After a short refreshment stop at Knysna's East Head we continue via Sedgefield to the quaint seaside village of Wilderness. Enjoy a superb dinner at the hotel or at one of the nearby restaurants, located within walking distance.

Accommodation: Protea Hotel Wilderness Resort or similar

Meals included: Breakfast 

Day 10

From our hotel in Wilderness, we travel to Knysna to embark on the Featherbed Nature Reserve ferry from the Knysna Waterfront. On arrival we take a 'Unimog' (tractor driven wagon) ride to the top of the Western Head. An optional hike can be taken through the indigenous Knysna forest to the restaurant area where lunch (included) is served.

On our return to Knysna we depart for an elephant experience, where we are able to enjoy a very close encounter with these gigantic mammals. Finally we take the scenic drive back to Wilderness for drop off at your hotel.

Accommodation: Protea Hotel Wilderness Resort or similar

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 11

Experience the stunning views of the Outeniqua Pass as we travel towards the Klein Karoo's capital - Oudtshoorn. Here we visit the Safari Ostrich Ranch where we are given fun and detailed information about these strange flightless birds and their magnificent plumage. After enjoying a traditional ostrich lunch (included), we proceed on to the world famous Cango Caves, where a guided tour allows us to explore the ancient stalagmites and stalactites.

We are then introduced to some rare and endangered animals on a fully guided tour at the Cango Wildlife Ranch. The day concludes with a scenic drive back to Wilderness where you will be dropped off at your hotel

Accommodation: Protea Hotel Wilderness Resort or similar

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 12

After a sumptuous breakfast, our journey to Cape Town begins. After a visit to Mossel Bay, we travel over the majestic Tradouw's Pass toward Barrydale. Enjoy a wine tasting before you sit down to a real South African lunch in a typical country restaurant in Barrydale. Continuing through the Little Karoo we drive through Montagu, a quaint country village.

After leaving we traverse Kogmanskloof Pass through to the town of Robertson and then on to Worcester. We continue over the Du Toit's Kloof Pass with stunning views over the Paarl valley to Cape Town.The adventure ends by being dropped off at your hotel.

Accommodation: Extreme Hotel Cape Town or similar

Meals included: Breakfast 

Day 13

Full day Cape highlights tour travelling via Camps Bay, Hout Bay, and Chapman's Peak to the Cape of Good Hope Reserve. After enjoying stunning views from the highest point, continue towards Simonstown and Muizenberg. After lunch (not included), sample some South African wines at a local wine estate. Travel through the University town of Stellenbosch before returning to the hotel in the early evening. Please note: the drive along Chapman's Peak is subject to the road being open.

Accommodation: Extreme Hotel Cape Town or similar

Meals included: Breakfast 

Day 14

Private transfer to Cape Town International Airport for your homebound flight

Meals included: Breakfast