Upon your arrival in Johannesburg you will be met by a representative of Albatros Travel. After this brief welcome and introduction you will be transferred to your Sandton-based hotel via a Soweto day tour.

Soweto is the largest black urban settlement in South Africa, with over two million residents. Created in the 1930s, Soweto grew in the 1950s after the Apartheid government’s Group Areas Act forced all African citizens out of the inner city and into the areas allocated to them. Being the centre of the struggle, Soweto has a rich political history. Some of the highlights here are a visit to the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum, commemorating the student uprisings of the 1970s; and Vilikazi Street, which has the houses of two Nobel Peace Prize winners, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

At the end of your tour you will be dropped off at your hotel where you will enjoy a lovely welcome dinner.

Driving time: Approximately 40 minutes - 48km from O.R. Tambo International to Soweto.

In the morning your Budget Car Rental Group B vehicle (Toyota Corolla or similar, air-conditioned; power steering; 4 door) will be delivered to the hotel.

You will then start the day early and drive east towards Kruger National Park. Along the way you will experience the incredible beauty of the 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 African scenery at its best!

You can enjoy lunch in the old gold miner's settlement, Pilgrims Rest or in the cosy town of Graskop.

You will arrive late in the day at your luxury 4-star lodge in the Kapama Private Game Reserve, which will accommodate you for the following three nights.

Driving time: Approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes - 437 km.

The day offers two exciting safari game drives in open game vehicles – one in the early morning and one in the afternoon. You stand a good chance of meeting most members of Africa’s Big 5, i.e. elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion and leopard. During the day you can relax and cool off at the refreshing pool or do some bird watching around the lodge. Alternatively go on an optional excursion, such as playing a round of golf at the famous Hans Merensky Golf Club.

In the evening, enjoy a delicious bush dinner – a Boma dinner – under the twinkling stars of the African sky.

Wake up in the lovely Kapama Private Game Reserve to enjoy another two exciting safari game drives in open game vehicles – one in the early morning and one in the afternoon.

You also have the option of a bush walk, where you can experience the savannah on foot in the company of an experienced ranger, or to visit the local rehabilitation centre in close proximity to the reserve.

In the evening, enjoy a fantastic dinner at the lodge and soak up the ambience of the African bushveld on your final evening at the reserve.

This morning, before breakfast, you will enjoy another exciting early morning safari. Afterwards, you will depart Kapama Private Game Reserve and make your way to Johannesburg from where you will fly to Port Elizabeth, your next destination.

On arrival at Port Elizabeth Airport you will pick up your next car and make you way to the hotel. Port Elizabeth is known as the 'Water Sport Capital of Africa', and the combination of dramatic shores, great beaches and invigorating sea breezes draw sports lovers to enjoy some of the planet’s best sailing, surfing, scuba-diving and more.

Note: On the 4/5-star version of this tour you will stay at the Kelway Hotel (4-star) whereas on the 3-star version you will stay at the charming Brookes Hill Suites (3-star).

Driving time: Kapama -Johannesburg Intl. O.R. Tambo Airport approx. 5 hours – 415 km; flying time Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth about 1½ hours. Driving time from Port Elizabeth Airport to hotel approx. 15 minutes.

This morning after breakfast you say goodbye to the friendly city of Port Elizabeth and travel along the coast towards Knysna. This is the start of the Garden Route, a very beautiful journey with the Indian Ocean on your left, and mountains and green, rolling hills on your right.

Your 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 the national flower, the King Protea, is the most well-known. Many rivers run through the forest, forming spectacular waterfalls and deep gorges. Enjoy an easy walk through the forest and along the suspension bridge, crossing the Storms River Mouth Gorge. You may also choose to go on a short boat excursion into the gorge.

Later you will continue on to Knysna, famous for its lagoon, oysters and over 800 year old iron and stinkwood trees. It is recommended that you enjoy dinner this evening at the Knysna Waterfront, where there are a variety of interesting shops and enticing restaurants.

Driving time: approximately 3 hours and 30 mins - 273km

Today you will travel north to Oudtshoorn via the spectacular Outeniqua Pass. With more than 90% of the globe’s ostrich population found here, the town is known as the world’s 'ostrich-capital' and a visit to an ostrich farm is a must. If you are brave enough you can even ride one of them! From there continue onto the picturesque Cango Valley, where you can explore the limestone rock formations of the world famous Cango Caves – one of Africa’s most extensive cave systems.

After a busy day make your way back to Knysna, where you may choose to cap the day off by enjoying an evening dinner cruise on the lagoon.

Driving time: It takes approximately 2 hours to drive from Knysna to Oudtshoorn. Driving time from the ostrich farm to Cango Caves is approximately 30 mins. Also note that the guided tours at these attractions last for about an hour each.

Today you will continue along the Garden Route to the charming town of Hermanus, South Africa’s premier whale watching destination. Indeed it is fantastic to be able to observe these gentle giants – especially the Southern Right Whale - sometimes only a few metres from the shore. The whales visit this coastline between May and November each year.

After making time for lunch in Hermanus, continue over Sir Lowry's Pass to Cape Town.  In Cape Town, you will stay in Sea Point very close to the Atlantic Ocean and in close proximity to the famous Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and the city centre – either at the Bantry Bay Luxury Suites (4-star) on the 4/5-star edition of the tour, or at the 3-star Inn on the Square in Cape Town. You will have a choice of restaurants in the local area for dinner, or make your way to the vibrant V&A Waterfront where there are also many great dining options.

Driving distance is approximately 6 hours - 492 kms from Knysna to Cape Town.

Today we recommend a trip to Robben Island with a scheduled half-day (guided) Township Tour. You can either choose to do a morning or afternoon tour.

The day takes in Nelson Mandela’s Footsteps with a visit to Robben Island where Mandela and many other prisoners were incarcerated for numerous years. Mandela served 27 years in prison in total, 18 of these on Robben Island. Today the maximum security prison is a museum and the only long term residents are a colony of penguins.

Returning from the island you can partake in the Township Tour where you will also see the District Six Museum and the colourful Bo Kaap (“Cape Malay's”), before venturing to the Cape Flats to visit Langa, Nyanga, Gugulethu, Khayelitsha and Crossroads. Unlike Soweto, few people outside South Africa have heard of any of these townships, which a great number of South Africans call home. Included in this guided tour will be a visit to a community based empowerment project as well as visits to a market, a hostel, a herbalist and a craft centre. You will have the opportunity to speak to and interact with the local residents.

Please note that prior bookings need to be made for both of these tours.

Driving time: The half day Township Tour takes approximately 4 hours, either 08.30 or 13.15 departures. The Robben Island Tour is approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes, with departures at 09.00, 11.00 and 13.00.

Today is set aside for exploring the nearby Winelands at your own pace. A full day in the Cape Winelands should include a visit to the charming town of Stellenbosch. After some wine tastings and an introduction to the South African winemaking tradition, we recommend that you continue to the Gourmet Capital of South Africa, Franschhoek and take your pick of the award-winning restaurants for lunch. After another round of wine tasting, take time to stroll through this beautiful and cosy little town.

We will give you advice on our favourite secret spots and some of the best wine cellars – a day to indulge your taste buds!

Driving time: Approximately 45 minutess from Cape Town to Stellenbosch, 30 minutes Stellenbosch to Franschhoek and Franschhoek back to Cape Town approximately 1 hour via Paarl. A full 8-9 hour day is recommended for this tour.

After a hearty breakfast at your hotel head out for a full day trip to the magnificent scenery and wildlife of the Cape Peninsula.

Take a boat trip to Duiker Island, where thousands of Cape Fur Seals live, and later enjoy lunch in the picturesque village of Simon's Town. Visit Boulders Beach to see one of South Africa's two land-based African Penguin colonies and then continue along the False Bay coast to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve.

Have your 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. You should end your tour at the beautiful Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens.

Driving time: Cape Point is 60km from Cape Town CBD. Allow 30 minutes travelling time between stops en-route.

Today, on the last day of the tour, you will have time at leisure depending on your departure time. If you have not had the chance yet, a trip on the cableway up Table Mountain is a great way to spend a few hours. Otherwise simply relax at one of Cape Town’s many cafes and reflect on the highlights of the previous twelve days.

For a shorter variation of this tour, click here. We are able to tailor-make a tour for you, so if you like this tour but wish to change it to suit your needs, please contact us.

You can also combine South Africa with one or both of the following destinations: Botswana, Namibia.