This incredible vacation to South Africa begins in Cape Town and ends in Johannesburg. There’s a guided sightseeing tour on the Cape Peninsula with a visit to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens and the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Taste renowned South African wine during an excursion to Cape Town’s spectacular wineland area. At Cape Agulhas, see where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. Travel the Garden Route to Knysna, visiting an ostrich farm en route, and journey along the dramatic coast. Continue to Port Elizabeth and fly to the bustling port city of Durban. A visit to Zululand shows you the traditional way of life of southern Africa’s most warlike tribe and gives you a taste of home-brewed beer and authentic Zulu fare. Travel through the tiny Kingdom of Swaziland to Kruger National Park, South Africa’s oldest and most famous game reserve covering 8,000 square miles of low country. In Kruger National Park, game drives in open 4-wheel-drive vehicles give you the chance to view some of Africa’s finest game, including elephant, buffalo, rhinos, and lions. Journey through the scenic wonders of the Drakensberg mountains, then head west toward South Africa’s administrative capital, Pretoria. Enjoy a guided tour of the city’s most important sights before continuing to Johannesburg, where your South Africa vacation ends.

Day 2 Arrival in Cape Town, South Africa
Welcome to a land so vast and diverse that its inhabitants proudly call it “A World in One Country.” Check into your hotel, and tonight at 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions.

Day 3 Cape Town. Excursion to Wineland Area
Discover the spectacular wineland area. See the city center of PAARL, founded by Dutch settlers in the late 17th century, and admire the surrounding countryside, mountains, and vineyards. Continue to the tiny village of Franschhoek for a visit of the HUGUENOT MEMORIAL MUSEUM, where you learn how French refugees brought the art of wine-making to South Africa. Lunch in the ancient university town of Stellenbosch, where you can stroll along oak-lined streets and admire gracious mansions built in the distinctive Cape-Dutch style. In the afternoon, visit the OLDEST SOUTH AFRICAN WINE CELLARS at Spier Winery, where you will have the opportunity for a WINE TASTING. Then, time to visit a CHEETAH ENCLOSURE, established to save the great cats from extinction. Return to Cape Town. This evening, enjoy a welcome drink followed by dinner. (B,D)

Day 4 Cape Town
Sightseeing on the Cape Peninsula starts with a drive through the country’s “Mother City,” the historic gateway for European settlers. Via the fishing port of Fish Hoek, proceed south to the Cape of Good Hope NATURE RESERVE. The panoramic view from Cape Point is simply breathtaking! Backtrack to the naval port of Simon’s Town for lunch at a waterfront restaurant. This afternoon, visit the glorious KIRSTENBOSCH NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDEN. The rest of the day is free. Your Tour Director will have suggestions for things to do. (B,L)

Day 5 Cape Town–Arniston
This morning is free to do some shopping, visit museums, or simply relax. In the afternoon, drive through panoramic Sir Lowry’s Pass. Continue to the city of Caledon, known for its seven springs (six hot, one cold). Finally, reach the southernmost tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas, where the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans meet. Overnight in Arniston. (B,D)

Day 6 Arniston–Knysna
Depart on the first leg of the beautiful Garden Route. At Mossel Bay’s MARITIME MUSEUM, see a replica of the frail vessel used by Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias on his first trip around the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. Also noteworthy: the Post Office Tree, St. Blaize Lighthouse, and the rocky tidal pools. Via Robinson Pass to the green valley of Oudtshoorn. Visit an OSTRICH FARM to learn about its breeding program. If you’re adventurous, test your riding skills on the back of one of these giant birds. Then, via the Outeniqua Pass, continue through deep Kaaimans River Gorge to your hotel in the unspoiled coastal area of Knysna. (B,D)

Day 7 Knysna
Cross the Knysna Lagoon by ferry, the mouth of which is guarded by two huge sandstone cliffs known as “The Heads.” Land at the FEATHERBED NATURE RESERVE, where you take a trailer-train to the lookout point on the Western Head. After lunch under milkwood trees, time at leisure in pretty Knysna. Back to your hotel in time to enjoy the tranquility and scenic splendor of its surroundings. (B,L)

Day 8 Knysna–Port Elizabeth–Durban
(Sat.) Set off for the scenic second leg of the Garden Route. Proceed past the resort towns of Plettenberg Bay and Nature’s Valley to TSITSIKAMMA NATIONAL PARK, famous for its natural beauty. Enjoy the unspoiled forests and rocky shore as you head for Storms River Mouth, where you see the impressive yellowwood Big Tree. Fly to Durban from Port Elizabeth. (B,D)

Day 9 Durban–Zululand
Start the day with an orientation tour of Durban, the bustling port city with a strong oriental accent. View the Da Gama Clock and City Hall, and drive along the Golden Mile. Mid-morning departure for ZULULAND, locale of the Shaka Zulu TV series. This afternoon, learn about the exploits and traditional way of life of southern Africa’s most warlike tribe. Taste home-brewed beer and authentic Zulu fare, and witness rousing, athletic dances. Overnight in a Zulu-style beehive hut, modified to include all modern comforts. (B,D)

Day 10 Zululand–Swaziland
Full-day scenic drive through the sugar cane fields and thornveld of KwaZulu-Natal, into the tiny Kingdom of Swaziland. Before visiting the Swazi capital of Mbabane, take your time to hunt for unique African souvenirs in the Ezulwini Valley market. Spend the night at Piggs Peak, where William Pigg discovered gold in 1884. (B,D)

Day 11 Swaziland–Kruger National Park
North across the Swaziland border into the South African province of Mpumalanga. Now for the highlight: Kruger National Park, Africa’s oldest and most famous game reserve, covering 8,000 square miles of low country between the Crocodile River in the south and the Limpopo in the north. Cross the Crocodile River at Malelane Gate and settle into an exciting game-watching routine as your motorcoach slowly makes its way to a pleasant lodge on the western fringe of the park. (B,D)

Day 12 Kruger National Park
Dawn and morning outings in an open four-wheel-drive vehicle in Kruger National Park. Of the hunter’s “big five,” elephant, buffalo, rhino, and lion are quite common here, while even the much more elusive leopard may venture into open ground for you. Spot crocodiles and hippopotamuses in the riverine areas. Zebras, giraffes, odd-looking wildebeests, and dainty gazelles are easy prey for your camera. Then, return to the lodge for an afternoon at leisure. You may want to join an experienced guide for an optional afternoon game drive. (B,D)

Day 13 Kruger National Park–Drakensberg–Mpumalanga Province
A morning dedicated to the scenic wonders of the Drakensberg: sweeping views from God’s Window, gushing Lisbon Falls, and spectacular 16-mile BLYDE RIVER CANYON. Finally, inspect BOURKE’S LUCK POTHOLES, an amazing system of cylindrical cavities sculpted by river erosion. Time for lunch and sightseeing at PILGRIM’S REST, a perfect replica of a mining town during the late 19th-century gold rush period. Late-afternoon arrival at your overnight hotel. (B,D)

Day 14 Mpumalanga Province–Pretoria–Johannesburg
Head west towards Pretoria, South Africa’s jacaranda-adorned administrative capital. Your orientation tour features the UNION BUILDINGS, the massive VOORTREKKER MONUMENT commemorating the Boers’ epic Great Trek, and the KRUGER HOUSE, the former residence of nation-building statesman “Oom Paul” Kruger, and Melrose House, where the peace treaty was signed that ended the bitter Anglo-Boer War. Upon arrival in Johannesburg, the country’s prosperous industrial and commercial center, enjoy an orientation drive of the city. Tonight, a farewell dinner to celebrate the success of your South African adventure. (B,D)

Day 15 Johannesburg–Homebound Flight
If your flight leaves late, your room may be available until 6 pm. (B)

Day 16
Your homebound flight arrives today.

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