South Africa: See & Experience it all in 12 Days

Your tour starts at Kruger National Park, officially at 8:00 pm. Be in the lobby at this time, as your tour guide and driver will be waiting for you there. You are taken into the park for a night safari. Animals often seen at this hour include lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, zebras, elephants, and buffaloes.

Note that Kruger National Park (Mpumalanga Airport) is reached through Johannesburg or Cape Town in South Africa or through Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

Spend the day exploring Kruger National Park by 4x4. Kruger has more species of large mammals than any other game reserve in Africa. All the so-called ‘big five’ game animals roam within this park. They are the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and Cape buffalo. Following the full-day safari, travel to the village of Hazyview.

Take a day trip today to Blyde River Canyon. Compared to canyons worldwide, Blyde is one of the largest on earth. It has some of the deepest precipitous cliffs of any canyon on the planet. It is also the second largest canyon in Africa. The highlights are the lookout point at Graskop Gorge, a viewpoint called ‘God’s Window,’ Lisbon Falls, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, a viewpoint called Three Rondavels, and Lone Creek Falls.

Fly from Kruger National Park to Durban. You have a private tour guide and driver who shows you the highlights of South Africa’s third largest city. One of the many attractions you visit is the Golden Mile beachfront.

Go on a daytrip today. First, visit the Emdoneni Wild Cat Project. At this rehabilitation center, get close to a cheetah, a caracal, and other wild cats. Next, travel to iSimangaliso Wetland Park, home to the Saint Lucia Game Reserve. There, enjoy a guided boat tour, seeing hippos and crocodiles.

Go on another day trip today. First, visit the city of Pietermaritzburg. There, enjoy a guided tour. The city hall building is the highlight. Next, travel through the beautiful Drakensberg Mountains to reach the Sani Pass. This scenic road is located in the country of Lesotho. Then, stop at a nearby pub called the “Highest Pub in Africa,” where you can purchase a drink. Lastly, visit a nearby tribal settlement. There, you are greeted by locals singing and offered homemade bread.

Travel from Durban to Knysna, making several stops en route. From the airport in Port Elizabeth, you are taken to Tsitsikamma National Park. The first stop within this park is Storms River. There, enjoy a guided zip-lining tour. Next, take a suspension bridge walk. Afterwards, head to Bloukrans River Bridge, home to one of the world’s highest commercial bridge bungees. You do not have to jump! It is an optional activity (with an additional charge). Last but definitely not least is the coastal town of Knysna. Before checking into the hotel, visit a fantastic viewpoint at Knysna Heads and then walk around the waterfront.

Go on a day trip today. Start at the Cango Caves. You are provided with two different options for exploring: a Standard Tour and an Adventure Tour. The Adventure Tour consists of crawling through narrow passages and climbing up steep rock formations guided by small lights. Both tours feature halls and limestone formations. Following your tour, visit the Cango Wildlife Ranch. There, enjoy a guided tour. The ranch is home to around 90 different species of animals. Lastly for today, head to the Knysna Waterfront Pier. There, take the sunset boat cruise. It is best described as a double-decker floating restaurant offering lagoon cruises to the Knysna Heads.

Fly from Knysna/George to Cape Town. An attractive city resting upon natural beauty, surrounded with fine scenery and dominated by Table Mountain, this relatively prosperous metropolis is the undisputed architectural gem of South Africa. Cape Town is not only the most popular international city destination in the country but in Africa as a whole! This is due to its good climate, its intimate setting, and the plenty of historic landmarks dating from colonial times. No trip to South Africa is complete without a visit to Cape Town.

After ascending and visiting Table Mountain, enjoy a boat ride to Robben Island. There, take a guided tour. Nobel Laureate and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on this island. Once used for the isolation of mainly political prisoners, Robben Island is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Following your tour, return to Cape Town’s Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. It attracts more than 23 million visitors a year. The complex houses over 450 retail outlets and is also still a working harbor.

Take a daytrip today to Cape Winelands. This area, famous for its vineyards, is only a 1-hour drive from Cape Town. Thanks to Cape Winelands, South Africa ranks among the top wine-producing countries in the world. Wine tasting is included on your tour, specifically in the estates.

Today, explore in and around Cape Town. Highlights include a beach stretch called Sea Point, Camps Bay Beach, Maiden’s Cove, Hout Bay, Duiker Island (seals are everywhere), Chapman’s Peak, Noordhoek Beach, Cape Point Nature Reserve, Cape of Good Hope, False Bay, Simon’s Town, Boulders Penguins Colony (home to approximately 2,500 breeding penguins), Muizenberg Beachfront (home to colorful beach huts), and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.

Your tour ends today. Transportation will be arranged for you to reach the airport in Cape Town.