South Africa: See & Experience it ALL in 12 Days, 1st Class Custom Tours

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

Although virtually all activities on this multi-day tour are shared with other travelers, we can make the trip almost completely private, per your request. Typically, the only private activities are the sightseeing tour in the city of Durban, the suspension bridge at Tsitsikamma National Park’s Storms River, and visiting the viewpoint and the waterfront in the coastal town of Knysna. Note that Kruger National Park (Mpumalanga Airport) is reached through Johannesburg or Cape Town in South Africa or through Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

We spent the day exploring Kruger National Park by Jeep. 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, we relocate to the village of Hazyview.

We make a daytrip today to Blyde River Canyon. If to compare 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.

We have a private tour guide and driver who shows us the highlights of South Africa’s third largest city. One of the many attractions we visit is the Golden Mile beachfront.

We go on a daytrip today. Firstly, we are taken to the Emdoneni Wild Cat Project. At this rehabilitation center, we come close to a cheetah, a caracal and other wild cats. Next, we are taken to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, home to the Saint Lucia Game Reserve. There we go on a guided boat tour, seeing hippos and crocodiles.

We go on another daytrip today. Firstly, we are taken to the city of Pietermaritzburg. There we are provided with a guided tour. The city hall building is the highlight. Next, we are taken through the beautiful Drakensberg Mountains to reach the Sani Pass. This scenic road is located in the country of Lesotho. Next, we are taken to a nearby pub called the “Highest Pub in Africa.” There we can purchase a drink. Lastly, we are taken to a nearby tribal settlement. There we are greeted by locals singing. We are also offered homemade bread.

We relocate from Durban to Knysna, making several stops en route. From the airport in Port Elizabeth, we are taken to Tsitsikamma National Park. The first stop within this park is Storms River. There we go on a guided zip-lining tour. Next, we go on a suspension bridge walk. Afterwards, we head to Bloukrans River Bridge. It is 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, we are taken to a fantastic viewpoint at Knysna Heads and then walk around the waterfront.

We go on a daytrip today. We start at the Cango Caves. We are provided with two different options for exploring. There is 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 our tour, we are taken to the Cango Wildlife Ranch. There we are provided with a guided tour. The ranch is home to around 90 different species of animals. Lastly for today, we head to the Knysna Waterfront Pier. There we take the sunset boat cruise. It is best described as a double-decker floating restaurant offering lagoon cruises to the Knysna Heads.

We relocate by flight 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.

From Cape Town, we are taken on a boat ride to Robben Island. There we are provided with 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 our tour, we return to Cape Town’s Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. It attracts more than 23 million visitors a year. The complex houses over 450 retail outlets. It is also still a working harbor.

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

Today we 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, Boulder’s Penguins Colony (home to approximately 2,500 breeding penguins), Muizenberg Beachfront (home to colorful beach huts) and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.

Transportation will be arranged for you to reach the airport in Cape Town. Note that if you can extend your trip, consider doing so. Give yourself another day or two to explore inside the city. Upon request, we can provide you with a private tour guide and driver.