Highlights of South Africa
15 day City Stay & Small Group Tour – from £2559
With flights from £3259
Explore the city sights of Cape Town at your leisure, before joining a small group tour to the Garden Route, Panorama Route and Kruger National Park.
Highlights:
- Enjoy three nights in Cape Town, staying near the V&A Waterfront
- Gaze out from Cape Agulhas, where Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet
- Visit a local wine estate, an ostrich farm and the magnificent Cango Caves
- Enjoy morning and evening game drives in Kruger National Park
- Journey along the Panorama Route past Blyde River Canyon
Your Itinerary
Expand AllThis itinerary is customisable. Just let us know if you would like to add extra nights, activities or destinations.
![Cape Town, South Africa](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Cape-Town-South-Africa-3-200x133.jpg)
Feel the excitement build as your flight arrives in Cape Town, where you will be met at the airport for the roughly 25 minute transfer to your hotel. You have three nights in the Mother City to explore at your own pace before joining your group for your small group tour to the Garden Route and Kruger National Park.
There is so much to see! You could take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain to see the iconic view over the city for yourself, join a thought provoking cruise to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, or head out to the Cape of Good Hope, stopping by the penguin colony at Boulders Beach. Your Travel Consultant can pre-book your chosen activities for you.
Southern Sun Waterfront or similar
![Cape Town, South Africa](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Cape-Town-South-Africa-3.jpg)
![Lighthouse, Cape Agulhas](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Cape-Agulhas-lighthouse-2-200x133.jpg)
Day 4 – Cape Agulhas
Leaving Cape Town, travel along Sir Lowry’s Pass with its magnificent views to Grabouw and Elgin, a lush landscape surrounded by majestic mountains. Stop en route at a farmstall packed with locally produced products from the area. Continue to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. The historic Cape Agulhas Lighthouse is considered the icon that signifies the tip of Africa. After this thrilling experience, we continue via historic Swellendam and the Tradouw Pass to Barrydale and the famous Route 62. Sample top quality port style wines in Calitzdorp, before continuing to Oudtshoorn, the ‘ostrich feather capital’ and centre of the world’s Ostrich farming industry. Overnight in Oudtshoorn. Enjoy dinner at an Ostrich Farm, dining on local specialities such as Ostrich Steak.
La Plume Guest House & Spa or similar
![Lighthouse, Cape Agulhas](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Cape-Agulhas-lighthouse-2.jpg)
![Cango Caves, near Oudtshoorn](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/CangoCavesSouthAfrica-200x133.jpg)
Day 5 – Oudtshoorn
After a leisurely breakfast take a tour of the spectacular limestone caverns of the Cango Caves, one of the world’s great natural wonders, sculpted by nature through the ages. Afterwards enjoy a wine tasting at a local wine estate in the scenic Schoemanshoek Valley. Return to Oudtshoorn for a fun filled interactive guided tour at a working Ostrich Farm.
La Plume Guest House & Spa or similar
![Cango Caves, near Oudtshoorn](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/CangoCavesSouthAfrica.jpg)
![Knysna Lagoon, Garden Route](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Knysna-Lagoon-Cape-Town-200x133.jpg)
Day 6 – Knysna
After breakfast, travel over the Outeniqua Pass to George, the sixth oldest town in South Africa, with many historical landmarks like the Slave Tree and King Edward VII Library building; said to be the best example of Edwardian architecture in the town. The tour travels via Wilderness, an attractive holiday resort, to Knysna, known as the oyster box of South Africa, nestling on the banks of a beautiful lagoon in the heart of the Garden Route.
Journey into the magical Knysna Forests, the stamping ground of the elusive Knysna elephants. Discover the stories of the woodcutters who worked the forests, the elephants that were hunted to extinction and the discovery of gold. Visit the Dalene Matthee Big Tree Memorial. The enormous Yellowwood tree of over 880 years was named after Matthee, best known author of four books on the Knysna Forest. Enjoy a delicious lunch, in the forest, of traditional cuisine and local treats.
Rex Hotel or similar
![Knysna Lagoon, Garden Route](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Knysna-Lagoon-Cape-Town.jpg)
![Knysna Heads, Featherbed, Garden Route, South Africa](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/CullinanKnysnaFeatherbed-200x133.jpg)
Day 7 – Knysna
Today you’ll have the opportunity to further explore the natural beauty of the Knysna area. Visit the Forest Legends Museum, that exhibits tools and household items used by the woodcutters, the colourful Old Suzie steam engine, that was used to generate power, and the stately Old Forester’s House, home of forester David Ernest Hutchins, who was the first person to manage the indigenous forest in a sustainable manner. Afterwards you’ll have the opportunity to visit Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary, where you will be able to see a variety of primates, roaming free in the forest. This award-winning sanctuary is well known for its efforts to rehabilitate and free previously caged primates.
The tour continues to the famous Eastern Head, where you will enjoy spectacular views of the Knysna Heads (weather permitting). Afterwards you will travel to Brenton on Sea, a breath-taking holiday location and a nature lover’s paradise with its unspoilt beaches and peaceful surroundings. The remainder of the afternoon will be at leisure.
Rex Hotel or similar
![Knysna Heads, Featherbed, Garden Route, South Africa](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/CullinanKnysnaFeatherbed.jpg)
![Agulhas Bay](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/plettenberg-bay-1-200x133.jpg)
Day 8 – Plettenberg Bay & Tsitsikamma
Travel to Plettenberg Bay, considered the jewel of the Garden Route, for a visit to the Birds of Eden sanctuary, the biggest single free flight aviary in the world. The sanctuary was developed to create a safe environment in which to release a large collection of free-flight African birds.
Our journey continues to Bloukrans Bridge, the highest single span arch bridge in the world, currently offering the highest commercially operated Bungy Jump in the world. Visit the Tsitsikamma National Park and Storms River Mouth (weather permitting). The Tsitsikamma National Park incorporates 80km of rocky coastline with spectacular sea and landscapes, a remote mountainous region with secluded valleys covered in mountain Fynbos and temperate high forests with deep river gorges leading down to the sea.
Tsitsikamma Village Inn or similar
![Agulhas Bay](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/plettenberg-bay-1.jpg)
![Bloukrans Bridge, Eastern Cape](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Tsitsikamma-National-Park-200x133.jpg)
Day 9 – Johannesburg
Head eastwards along the Tsitsikamma Forest to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), affectionately known as the “friendly city”. Travel to Chief Dawid Stuurman Airport for an onward flight to Johannesburg, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is yours to relax.
Holiday Inn Sandton or similar
![Bloukrans Bridge, Eastern Cape](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Tsitsikamma-National-Park.jpg)
![Soweto Johannesburg](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Tour-of-Soweto-4-200x133.jpg)
Day 10 – Johannesburg
Spend a full day exploring Soweto and surrounds, where some of the watershed events in the struggle against apartheid occurred. The tour starts with a drive past the FNB Stadium, also known as Soccer City and the venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final. It was the site of Nelson Mandela’s first speech in Johannesburg after his release from prison in 1990.
The drive continues through Diepkloof, home to Soweto’s richest and then to Kliptown, where the Freedom Charter was officially adopted in 1955. Drive past the Regina Mundi Church that played a pivotal role in the township’s history of resistance against apartheid. Then onto Vilakazi Street, the most famous street in Soweto, where two Nobel Prize winners once lived, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.
The afternoon will conclude with visits to the Hector Pieterson Memorial & Museum that commemorate the role of the country’s students in the struggle against apartheid and the prestigious Apartheid Museum, that covers the full history of the Apartheid era in South Africa.
Holiday Inn Sandton or similar
![Soweto Johannesburg](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Tour-of-Soweto-4.jpg)
![Apartheid Museum](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Apartheid-Museum-200x133.jpg)
Day 11 – Johannesburg
Enjoy a full day at leisure. Perhaps visit the Apartheid Museum or enjoy some shopping at Nelson Mandela Square, home to a variety of shops and boutiques catering for all tastes and budgets.
Holiday Inn Sandton or similar
![Apartheid Museum](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Apartheid-Museum.jpg)
![Giraffe and zebra, Kruger National Park](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Giraffe-Zebra-Kruger-200x133.jpg)
Day 12 – Kruger National Park
This morning you will be collected from your hotel, heading east to the Mpumalanga region. After freshening up at your lodge enter the world-famous Kruger National Park and spend the afternoon game viewing in your closed touring vehicle.
The Park offers some of the best game viewing and wildlife opportunities in the world – and you’ll soon appreciate the challenges of managing this unique reserve. After an action-packed afternoon in the Kruger Park, enjoy authentic cuisine from the region, around a cosy campfire at your lodge.
Hazyview Sun or similar
![Giraffe and zebra, Kruger National Park](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Giraffe-Zebra-Kruger.jpg)
![Leopard, Kruger National Park](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Safari-Kruger-National-Park-200x133.jpg)
Day 13 – Kruger National Park
The day begins with early morning coffee or tea, followed by a thrilling open vehicle game drive (with English speaking game ranger) through the Kruger National Park with pre-packed breakfast. Your guide will endeavour to spoil you with sightings of the “Big Five”, general game and prolific bird life. There is an option (for own account and subject to availability) to learn more about the Kruger Park Anti-Poaching Dog Unit. This specialist unit trains dogs to track poachers in the field, detect firearms, ammunition and wildlife products that enter and exit through the Kruger National Park gates.
Return to the lodge for lunch (own account) and a short siesta. In the afternoon we will journey once again through the magnificent expanses of the Kruger National Park, unrivalled in its diversity of flora and fauna. Enjoy an afternoon of game viewing in your closed touring vehicle pursuing the Big Five and other rare and endangered species. Return to the lodge for dinner served outdoors by the light of a campfire.
Hazyview Sun or similar
![Leopard, Kruger National Park](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Safari-Kruger-National-Park.jpg)
![The Three Rondavels, South Africa](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Panorama-Tour-3-200x133.jpg)
Day 14 – Mpumalanga
Enjoy breakfast before setting out to explore the magnificent Panorama Route, one of the most scenic routes in the region, offering glorious views, spectacular landscapes, and exquisite waterfalls. Visit majestic sights including God’s Window, the Three Rondavels and Blyde River Canyon – the third largest canyon of its kind in the world, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, and the charming village of Graskop, one of the first gold mining camps in the country.
Return to your lodge for a buffet Boma Dinner, served under the light of the stars.
Hazyview Sun or similar
![The Three Rondavels, South Africa](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Panorama-Tour-3.jpg)
![Sunset, Johannesburg](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Johannesburg-Sunset-200x133.jpg)
Day 15 – Johannesburg
Enjoy breakfast before starting the return journey to Johannesburg. Arrive in Johannesburg, at OR Tambo International Airport, at approximately 14:30, ready to check-in for your onward journey.
![Sunset, Johannesburg](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Johannesburg-Sunset.jpg)
Your Itinerary
This itinerary is customisable. Just let us know if you would like to add extra nights, activities or destinations.
Day 1 to 3
| Cape Town
Feel the excitement build as your flight arrives in Cape Town, where you will be met at the airport for the roughly 25 minute transfer to your hotel. You have three nights in the Mother City to explore at your own pace before joining your group for your small group tour to the Garden Route and Kruger National Park.
There is so much to see! You could take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain to see the iconic view over the city for yourself, join a thought provoking cruise to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, or head out to the Cape of Good Hope, stopping by the penguin colony at Boulders Beach. Your Travel Consultant can pre-book your chosen activities for you.
Southern Sun Waterfront or similar
![Cape Town, South Africa](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Cape-Town-South-Africa-3.jpg)
Day 4
| Cape Agulhas
Leaving Cape Town, travel along Sir Lowry’s Pass with its magnificent views to Grabouw and Elgin, a lush landscape surrounded by majestic mountains. Stop en route at a farmstall packed with locally produced products from the area. Continue to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. The historic Cape Agulhas Lighthouse is considered the icon that signifies the tip of Africa. After this thrilling experience, we continue via historic Swellendam and the Tradouw Pass to Barrydale and the famous Route 62. Sample top quality port style wines in Calitzdorp, before continuing to Oudtshoorn, the ‘ostrich feather capital’ and centre of the world’s Ostrich farming industry. Overnight in Oudtshoorn. Enjoy dinner at an Ostrich Farm, dining on local specialities such as Ostrich Steak.
La Plume Guest House & Spa or similar
![Lighthouse, Cape Agulhas](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Cape-Agulhas-lighthouse-2.jpg)
Day 5
| Oudtshoorn
After a leisurely breakfast take a tour of the spectacular limestone caverns of the Cango Caves, one of the world’s great natural wonders, sculpted by nature through the ages. Afterwards enjoy a wine tasting at a local wine estate in the scenic Schoemanshoek Valley. Return to Oudtshoorn for a fun filled interactive guided tour at a working Ostrich Farm.
La Plume Guest House & Spa or similar
![Cango Caves, near Oudtshoorn](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/CangoCavesSouthAfrica.jpg)
Day 6
| Knysna
After breakfast, travel over the Outeniqua Pass to George, the sixth oldest town in South Africa, with many historical landmarks like the Slave Tree and King Edward VII Library building; said to be the best example of Edwardian architecture in the town. The tour travels via Wilderness, an attractive holiday resort, to Knysna, known as the oyster box of South Africa, nestling on the banks of a beautiful lagoon in the heart of the Garden Route.
Journey into the magical Knysna Forests, the stamping ground of the elusive Knysna elephants. Discover the stories of the woodcutters who worked the forests, the elephants that were hunted to extinction and the discovery of gold. Visit the Dalene Matthee Big Tree Memorial. The enormous Yellowwood tree of over 880 years was named after Matthee, best known author of four books on the Knysna Forest. Enjoy a delicious lunch, in the forest, of traditional cuisine and local treats.
Rex Hotel or similar
![Knysna Lagoon, Garden Route](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Knysna-Lagoon-Cape-Town.jpg)
Day 7
| Knysna
Today you’ll have the opportunity to further explore the natural beauty of the Knysna area. Visit the Forest Legends Museum, that exhibits tools and household items used by the woodcutters, the colourful Old Suzie steam engine, that was used to generate power, and the stately Old Forester’s House, home of forester David Ernest Hutchins, who was the first person to manage the indigenous forest in a sustainable manner. Afterwards you’ll have the opportunity to visit Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary, where you will be able to see a variety of primates, roaming free in the forest. This award-winning sanctuary is well known for its efforts to rehabilitate and free previously caged primates.
The tour continues to the famous Eastern Head, where you will enjoy spectacular views of the Knysna Heads (weather permitting). Afterwards you will travel to Brenton on Sea, a breath-taking holiday location and a nature lover’s paradise with its unspoilt beaches and peaceful surroundings. The remainder of the afternoon will be at leisure.
Rex Hotel or similar
![Knysna Heads, Featherbed, Garden Route, South Africa](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/CullinanKnysnaFeatherbed.jpg)
Day 8
| Plettenberg Bay & Tsitsikamma
Travel to Plettenberg Bay, considered the jewel of the Garden Route, for a visit to the Birds of Eden sanctuary, the biggest single free flight aviary in the world. The sanctuary was developed to create a safe environment in which to release a large collection of free-flight African birds.
Our journey continues to Bloukrans Bridge, the highest single span arch bridge in the world, currently offering the highest commercially operated Bungy Jump in the world. Visit the Tsitsikamma National Park and Storms River Mouth (weather permitting). The Tsitsikamma National Park incorporates 80km of rocky coastline with spectacular sea and landscapes, a remote mountainous region with secluded valleys covered in mountain Fynbos and temperate high forests with deep river gorges leading down to the sea.
Tsitsikamma Village Inn or similar
![Agulhas Bay](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/plettenberg-bay-1.jpg)
Day 9
| Johannesburg
Head eastwards along the Tsitsikamma Forest to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), affectionately known as the “friendly city”. Travel to Chief Dawid Stuurman Airport for an onward flight to Johannesburg, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is yours to relax.
Holiday Inn Sandton or similar
![Bloukrans Bridge, Eastern Cape](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Tsitsikamma-National-Park.jpg)
Day 10
| Johannesburg
Spend a full day exploring Soweto and surrounds, where some of the watershed events in the struggle against apartheid occurred. The tour starts with a drive past the FNB Stadium, also known as Soccer City and the venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final. It was the site of Nelson Mandela’s first speech in Johannesburg after his release from prison in 1990.
The drive continues through Diepkloof, home to Soweto’s richest and then to Kliptown, where the Freedom Charter was officially adopted in 1955. Drive past the Regina Mundi Church that played a pivotal role in the township’s history of resistance against apartheid. Then onto Vilakazi Street, the most famous street in Soweto, where two Nobel Prize winners once lived, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.
The afternoon will conclude with visits to the Hector Pieterson Memorial & Museum that commemorate the role of the country’s students in the struggle against apartheid and the prestigious Apartheid Museum, that covers the full history of the Apartheid era in South Africa.
Holiday Inn Sandton or similar
![Soweto Johannesburg](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Tour-of-Soweto-4.jpg)
Day 11
| Johannesburg
Enjoy a full day at leisure. Perhaps visit the Apartheid Museum or enjoy some shopping at Nelson Mandela Square, home to a variety of shops and boutiques catering for all tastes and budgets.
Holiday Inn Sandton or similar
![Apartheid Museum](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Apartheid-Museum.jpg)
Day 12
| Kruger National Park
This morning you will be collected from your hotel, heading east to the Mpumalanga region. After freshening up at your lodge enter the world-famous Kruger National Park and spend the afternoon game viewing in your closed touring vehicle.
The Park offers some of the best game viewing and wildlife opportunities in the world – and you’ll soon appreciate the challenges of managing this unique reserve. After an action-packed afternoon in the Kruger Park, enjoy authentic cuisine from the region, around a cosy campfire at your lodge.
Hazyview Sun or similar
![Giraffe and zebra, Kruger National Park](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Giraffe-Zebra-Kruger.jpg)
Day 13
| Kruger National Park
The day begins with early morning coffee or tea, followed by a thrilling open vehicle game drive (with English speaking game ranger) through the Kruger National Park with pre-packed breakfast. Your guide will endeavour to spoil you with sightings of the “Big Five”, general game and prolific bird life. There is an option (for own account and subject to availability) to learn more about the Kruger Park Anti-Poaching Dog Unit. This specialist unit trains dogs to track poachers in the field, detect firearms, ammunition and wildlife products that enter and exit through the Kruger National Park gates.
Return to the lodge for lunch (own account) and a short siesta. In the afternoon we will journey once again through the magnificent expanses of the Kruger National Park, unrivalled in its diversity of flora and fauna. Enjoy an afternoon of game viewing in your closed touring vehicle pursuing the Big Five and other rare and endangered species. Return to the lodge for dinner served outdoors by the light of a campfire.
Hazyview Sun or similar
![Leopard, Kruger National Park](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Safari-Kruger-National-Park.jpg)
Day 14
| Mpumalanga
Enjoy breakfast before setting out to explore the magnificent Panorama Route, one of the most scenic routes in the region, offering glorious views, spectacular landscapes, and exquisite waterfalls. Visit majestic sights including God’s Window, the Three Rondavels and Blyde River Canyon – the third largest canyon of its kind in the world, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, and the charming village of Graskop, one of the first gold mining camps in the country.
Return to your lodge for a buffet Boma Dinner, served under the light of the stars.
Hazyview Sun or similar
![The Three Rondavels, South Africa](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Panorama-Tour-3.jpg)
Day 15
| Johannesburg
Enjoy breakfast before starting the return journey to Johannesburg. Arrive in Johannesburg, at OR Tambo International Airport, at approximately 14:30, ready to check-in for your onward journey.
![Sunset, Johannesburg](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Johannesburg-Sunset.jpg)
This Tour Includes
Flights & More
Ask your FREEDOM Consultant to include Economy, Premium or Business Class flights for a complete ABTA and ATOL protected package.
They can also add extra nights and experiences in places you choose, to create the exact holiday you are looking for. Popular options include:
- A visit to Victoria Falls after your tour
Next Step
Please get in touch with our Africa Experts to start planning your holiday. You’ll have a single point of contact from your first enquiry through booking.
Highlights of South Africa
15 day City Stay & Small Group Tour – from £2559
With flights from £3259
All prices are per person, based on two people sharing a twin or double room. Seasonal variations may apply, please call Freedom Destinations for more information and availability. Accommodation specified is subject to availability and may be substituted to a similar standard if necessary.
Tour price excludes the flight between Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Johannesburg.
Cape Town + South Africa Explorer tour
Map
![Highlights of South Africa tour route](https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/South-Africa-Explorer.png)
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