Cape Town, the Garden Route & Big Five Safari

Tour Itinerary

• Day 1 • Fly to Cape Town

  Fly from the UK to Cape Town.

• Day 2 • Transfer to Hermanus

  Upon arrival at Cape Town, meet your guide and journey east to Hermanus, a famous whale-watching centre from July to November and a year-round seaside resort. En route to Hermanus, you’ll call at Stony Point, home to a unique colony of African penguins. Tonight, enjoy an included dinner at La Pentola, close to your hotel.

• Day 3 • Whale Watching & Garden Route Game Lodge

  This morning you’ll have the chance to go on a whale watching cruise before you’ll continue on the scenic journey to the Garden Route Game Lodge, in the heart of a privately operated reserve where you'll spend the next two nights. During your stay here, in the shadow of the Langeberg mountains, you’ll enjoy all the wonders of safari game drives while staying in comfortable lodges and enjoying typical African dinners looking out over the reserve. This afternoon, enjoy your first game drive before dinner.

• Day 4 • Two Included Game Drives

  A second day at the lodge begins with a pre-breakfast game drive. Enjoy some free time for a siesta - perhaps by the pool - before setting off on a second evening game drive and then perhaps enjoy a sun-downer beside the authentic Boma (camp fire) before enjoying another memorable dinner at the lodge's restaurant.

• Day 5 • Game Drive - The Cango Caves & The Little Karoo

  Join your last morning game drive, followed by a hearty breakfast, before you travel on to Oudtshoorn, the Ostrich Capital of the World, in the heart of the Little Karoo plain. The world’s strangest, largest and often most-valuable bird has been farmed here for 130 years – first for its plumage, and more recently for its high-protein, low-cholesterol meat. Enjoy a taste at your barbecue lunch, before visiting the world-renowned Cango Caves, with their caverns of stalactites and stalagmites, before transferring to Mossel Bay for a two-night stay.

• Day 6 • Knysna Lagoon

  This morning, you'll travel to coastal Knysna for a cruise on the beautiful lagoon, which hugs the edge of the fascinating Featherbed Nature Reserve. After the cruise, you’ll travel in a 4x4 up to the headland for some spectacular views, listening as your expert guide tells you about the local history, flora and fauna. A buffet lunch will be served at an outdoor restaurant under a picturesque canopy of milkwood trees. This afternoon, enjoy some free time to explore Knysna’s charming waterfront. Why not cross the water to the aptly named Leisure Island, where you can soak up the sunshine on Bollards Bay Beach or go wildlife spotting in the Steenbok Nature Reserve?

• Day 7 • Winelands Tour in Franschhoek

  Head west into the lush, rolling hills of the Cape Winelands, where you'll discover the charming, vineyard-clad town of Franschhoek, often celebrated as the culinary capital of South Africa. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to indulge in an included lunch and wine tasting. The journey continues to Stellenbosch, nestled deep in the heart of this breath-taking landscape. With its oak-lined avenues, vibrant atmosphere, and elegant Cape Dutch architecture, Stellenbosch is an enchanting place to spend the night. Enjoy an included dinner here tonight.

• Day 8 • Stellenbosch Tour, Cape Town & Table Mountain

  Enjoy a guided introduction of historic Stellenbosch. Take a scenic journey to Cape Town this afternoon, where you will spend the next three nights. On arrival in Cape Town, set out on an orientation tour of the city. You'll see historical landmarks like the Castle of Good Hope, the House of Parliament, and the leafy Company’s Gardens. You’ll also enjoy a stroll past the colourful Bo Kaap colonial district and, weather permitting, ascend Table Mountain in a rotating cable car that offers a 360-degree panorama as it climbs to the 1000-metre-high summit.

• Day 9 • Cape Peninsula

  After breakfast, travel one of the world’s most scenic coastal routes via Hout Bay and Chapman’s Peak Drive, enjoying dramatic mountain and ocean views en route to Cape Point in the Cape Floral Region, rich in unique fynbos. Ride the Flying Dutchman Funicular to the summit for sweeping vistas and lighthouse views over the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, then continue to Simon’s Town for lunch before returning to Cape Town for an evening at leisure, perhaps exploring the V&A Waterfront, Zeitz MOCAA, or colourful Bo-Kaap.

• Day 10 • Full Day At Leisure

  Today you're free to relax in one of the world’s most stunningly located cities with a full day at leisure. Perhaps take a stroll along the redeveloped Victoria and Alfred waterfront or explore the infamous Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, with a short trip across the bay (we recommend pre-booking this due to limited availability). Fascinating, informative and deeply poignant, this museum is an unmissable experience.

• Day 11 • Free Time & Return Flight

  Spend the morning at leisure before transferring to the airport for your overnight flight home.

• Day 12 • Land in the UK

  You'll land back home this morning, at the end of a wonderful holiday in South Africa.