The South African Grand Tour – Escorted

The Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa

14 days from £1,839.

International flights not included.

This weekly, fully escorted tour takes in many of South Africas attractions and highlights. You get to game drive in the Kruger National Park, looking out for the Big five. You visit the small mountain kingdom of Swaziland, the Zulu heartlands of KwaZulu Natal, visit the rugged eastern coast and travel the world-famous Garden Route. There is time to explore the picturesque winelands and the Cape of Good Hope before visiting in one of the Worlds most beautiful cities, Cape Town.

This tour departs every Monday. Please contact us for exact arrival and departure times and locations. International flights are not included. If you would like a quote for them with one of Real Africas preferred airlines, please contact us for details.

Please let us know your preferred dates and we will forward a full tailored itinerary andquotation to you by e-mail and/or post.

To enquire about this holiday, please Click here.

Day 1
The Grand Tour of South Africa starts in Johannesburg, from where we will depart for Hazyview in the province of Mpumalanga. Along the way your clients will experience the incredibly beautiful Panorama Route, with its dramatic, mountainous landscapes and winding roads. With highlights like God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and of course the mighty Blyde River Canyon, this really is South Africa’s nature at its best! We will arrive at the hotel in the late afternoon and clients will have time to freshen up before dinner.

Day 2
Clients will have an early start to the day and embark on an open-vehicle safari through Kruger National Park, an iconic reserve boasting a wildlife experience ranking with the best in Africa. Elephant, giraffe and various antelopes are often seen grazing close to the vehicles, and it is not unusual that a pack of lion prevents free passage! Kruger National Park is the land of baobabs, fever trees, knob thorns, marula and mopane trees underneath which you can find not only the Big Five, but the Little Five (buffalo weaver, elephant shrew, leopard tortoise, ant lion and rhino beetle) and the birding Big Six (ground hornbill, kori bustard, lappet-faced vulture, martial eagle, pel’s fishing owl and saddle-bill stork). We return to the hotel in the afternoon and clients will have the rest of the day at leisure. There is the option of another game drive in the evening (for clients account); this is a good time to observe the animals as they come down to the waterholes for their evening drink. Perhaps your clients will even be lucky enough to witness a lion kill. Dinner will be served at the hotel.

Day 3
Today we will travel to the Royal Kingdom of Swaziland. This small Kingdom is nestled between South Africa and Mozambique, the beautiful scenery is mountainous with lush forests. En route clients will have the opportunity to learn more about the Swazi culture at the Matsamo Cultural Village, where we will also have lunch. We will also visit the famous Ngwenya Glass Works. Our next stop is the capital city Mbabane, where vibrant markets packed with woven baskets, beadwork and carvings can be found. Clients will spend the night at a hotel in the beautiful Ezulwini Valley.

Day 4
After breakfast at the hotel, clients will enjoy a visit to the Swazi Candle Factory. Each candle seen here is individually handmade and unique, displaying a wide range of colours, shapes and patterns. We will then leave Swaziland behind and travel into KwaZulu Natal. Our hotel for the next two nights is situated close to the town of Mkuze, at the foot of the legendary Ghost Mountain. In the afternoon we will embark on a scenic drive up into the Ubombo Mountains; the views over Lake Jozini are spectacular. From the summit we will watch the sunset transform the sky into a tapestry of colours, while sipping on a sundowner. Also included in this excursion is a visit to a traditional Zulu homestead for a glimpse into the lifestyle of this fascinating culture. We return to the hotel for dinner on the terrace (weather permitting) or in the classically styled restaurant.

Day 5
Today we will travel to the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve for an afternoon game drive. Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve is an incredibly scenic park with rolling hills covered in low acacia bush. The north of the park is mountainous with amazing forests and grasslands, the south and west is open savannah. The park contains a diversity of fauna and flora and is known for its conservation of black and white rhino. It was here that the endangered white rhino was saved from extinction and the park boasts the largest population of white rhino in the world. We will return to the hotel in the late afternoon for dinner.

Day 6
Today we travel along KZN’s Elephant Coast to St Lucia, situated at the southern end of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park – a World Heritage Site. At the St Lucia Estuary clients will find high forested dunes, brilliant coral reefs, palm savannahs, dense papyrus swamps and rolling acacia bushveld. Clients will be taken on a boat cruise on the estuary, giving them the opportunity to view hippo, crocodiles and many different bird species in their natural habitat. From here we will continue to Durban, a cosmopolitan city where east meets west. We arrive in the afternoon and check into our hotel situated on the Golden Mile – a 6km stretch of beachfront.

Day 7
This morning your clients will discover the cultural and historical contrast of Durban on a city tour, before being transferred to King Shaka International Airport for their domestic flight to Port Elizabeth. They will be met at the airport and taken to their hotel, which overlooks Algoa Bay. Port Elizabeth is known as the ‘Water Sport Capital of Africa’. The combination of heavenly shores and invigorating sea breezes draw sports lovers to enjoy some of the planet’s best sailing, surfing, scuba-diving etc.

Day 8
This morning after breakfast we say good-bye to the friendly city and travel along the coast towards Plettenberg Bay. We set out along the Garden Route, a very beautiful route, with the Indian Ocean on your left, mountains and green, rolling hills on your right. Your clients’ first destination is the stunning Tsitsikamma National Park. Tsitsikamma means “place of much water” in Khoi. A combination of original forest, plantations and Fynbos – a large group of plants endemic to South Africa, of which our National Flower the King Protea is a prominent member. Many rivers run through the forest, forming spectacular waterfalls and deep gorges. Clients can enjoy an easy walk through the forest and along the suspension bridge, crossing the Storms River Mouth gorge. From here we will continue to Plettenberg Bay and check into the lodge where we will spend the next two nights. “Plett” is a holiday town with unspoilt beaches, the beautiful Robberg Peninsula, lagoons and indigenous forests.

Day 9
Today we will visit the Knysna Elephant Park, where clients will learn the story of the Knysna Elephants while having the opportunity to touch, feed and photograph these gentle giants under the expert guidance of their rangers. Later a visit to Birds of Eden – the largest free-flight bird aviary in the world. Birds of Eden stems from the need to create a safe environment in which to rehabilitate and release a large collection of free-flight African birds. Time and weather permitting, another optional excursion is also on offer at an additional cost: embark on an exciting Whale & Dolphin Ocean Safari! Clients will spend the evening at leisure and enjoy dinner at the lodge.

Day 10
After breakfast and check-out this morning we will proceed to Knysna, famous for its lagoon, oysters and over 800 year old iron and stinkwood trees. Clients will have the chance to spend some time at leisure and explore Knysna Waterfront, where there are a variety of interesting shops and enticing restaurants. Weather permitting we will embark on a cruise to the Knysna Heads. We will then travel north to Oudtshoorn via the spectacular Outeniqua Pass. With more than 90% of the globe’s population of ostrich found here, the town is known as the World’s “ostrich-capital” and of course we will visit an Ostrich Farm to learn more about these giant birds and the history of their farming in this area. If your clients are brave enough they can even ride an ostrich! Clients will check into their accommodation in the late afternoon before enjoying dinner.

Day 11
After breakfast we drive to the picturesque Cango Valley, where your clients can explore the limestone rock formations of the world famous Cango Caves. Afterwards we travel towards Cape Town along Route 62, known as the World’s Longest Wine Route. The scenery along this route is superb, taking us over majestic mountain passes and winding rivers, past vineyards and orchards and through fascinating little towns. We arrive in Cape Town in the early evening and clients will check into their hotel situated close to the famous V&A Waterfront, which offers a wide variety of shops, restaurants and entertainment.

Day 12
After a delicious breakfast at the hotel, we head out on a full day excursion to the magnificent scenery and wildlife of the Cape Peninsula. The tour includes a visit to Hout Bay Harbour, where clients can take an optional (for clients account) boat trip to Duiker Island where thousands of Cape Fur Seals live. We travel over the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Clients can have their photos taken at the most south western tip of the African continent and enjoy an invigorating walk, or leisurely funicular trip, up to the Cape Point lighthouses to admire the dramatic cliffs and amazing views. Other interesting stops will include the Naval village of Simon’s Town and Boulders Beach – to see one of South Africa’s two land-based African Penguin colonies. The day ends at the beautiful Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens.

Day 13
Today you will enjoy experience a full day Wine Tour in the Cape Winelands including a visit to the charming town of oaks, Stellenbosch. After some wine tastings, a chocolate tasting and an introduction to the South African winemaking tradition, we continue to the Gourmet Capital of South Africa, Franschhoek. After another round of wine tasting, there will be time to take a stroll in this beautiful and cosy little town. The whole day is dedicated to showing your clients our favourite secret spots and wine cellars – a day to tantalize their taste buds in some of South Africa’s most beautiful landscapes!

Day 14
On the final day in Cape Town your clients will be taken on a half day City Tour. Cape Town is rich in historical and cultural heritage and natural beauty. Some of the highlight stops on this tour will be the Company Gardens, the Castle of Good Hope and the lively Greenmarket Square – where clients can purchase arts and crafts from all over Africa. We will also take a trip through the colourful Bo Kaap area, known as the home of the “Cape Malays”. The tour ends with a drop-off at Cape Town International Airport.