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Best of South Africa
Travel South Africa on a Small Group tour that brings together the country's big-name icons and local connections. Search for wildlife on game drives in Kruger National Park, visit a Swazi Chief's village and continue through the Eastern Cape towards the Garden Route. Explore Knysna, follow the coastline and end in Cape Town, where Table Mountain, ocean views and the city's cosmopolitan energy show you another side of South Africa.
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Welcome to Johannesburg
Your South Africa small group journey begins in Johannesburg, the country's largest city and a place shaped by gold rush history, creative neighborhoods and South Africa's modern spirit. Known as Jo'burg or Jozi, its mining past, art spaces and evolving urban culture give you an immediate sense of the country's contrasts. Settle into your hotel and take time to unwind after your travels. Later, meet your Travel Director and fellow travelers over dinner in a local restaurant to get a feel for the adventure ahead.
Hotel: The Maslow
Journey to the Kruger National Park Area
The golden Highveld gives way to rolling green hills as we travel to South Africa's Lowveld. Admire the iconic sights along Mpumalanga's Panorama Route - the Blyde River Canyon, the heavenly landscapes of God's Window and Bourke's Luck Potholes. Before evening falls, you'll venture to our hotel near the famous Kruger National Park, your home for two nights.
Hotel: Sabi River Sun Resort
Safari in Kruger National Park
Set out on a Small Group safari through Kruger National Park, one of Africa's great wildlife sanctuaries and South Africa's oldest national park. With your Local Specialist guiding the way, follow the tracks, calls and movement of the bushveld as you search for the Big Five, the Little Five and everything in between. Scan the golden grass for lions, watch for elephants moving between the trees and look closer for the smaller wonders, from animal spoor in the dust to a golden orb spider waiting on her web. Spend your afternoon at leisure, with the sounds of Kruger all around you.
Hotel: Sabi River Sun Resort
Onwards to Eswatini Dive into Culture
Travel to landlocked Eswatini and get a real feel for the local culture. You'll visit a Swazi Chief's village, meet the community and learn about their way of life before sampling some of the local pap and stew. Admire their striking crimson traditional dress up close and feel the beat of this vibrant culture during a spirited drumming class. You'll come away with a deeper connection to the villagers and their traditions.
Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn Mbabane
Head to Hluhluwe
Venture to the 'garden of province' of KwaZulu-Natal and its northern wilderness. Traversing rolling sugarcane fields and lush valleys, you'll arrive at Hluhluwe-Imfolozi National Park, where there is an opportunity to embark on an optional 4x4 game drive. This evening, enjoy a delicious South African braai (weather dependent) - a perfect way to end the day.
Hotel: Anew
Venture to Durban (Umhlanga Rocks) Stays with Stories
Explore St. Lucia, a relaxed coastal town surrounded by wetlands, wildlife and the warm Indian Ocean. Take in its easy pace before choosing to join an Optional Experience cruise on Lake St. Lucia, gliding past reed beds and mangroves as you look for hippos, crocodiles and rich birdlife along the water's edge. Continue to Durban for an orientation of South Africa's vibrant Indian Ocean city, where colonial buildings, beachfront energy and Indian heritage meet. End the day at the Oyster Box Hotel with a curry buffet, a local favorite that celebrates Durban's famous spice-filled food culture.
Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga
Make Tracks for the Drakensberg Mountains
Journey through the scenic Valley of 1000 Hills, traveling towards the escarpment that winds north from the Eastern Cape to Mpumalanga. Stop at the Nelson Mandela Capture Site, where a sculpture and visitor center mark the place where Mandela was arrested in 1962 before his 27 years of imprisonment. Continue through the Underberg, known for its arts and crafts scene and mountain setting, before arriving in the foothills of the iconic Sani Pass. The rest of the afternoon is yours to relax and take in the valley's views.
Hotel: Premier Resort Sani Pass
A Day in the Drakensberg
Enjoy the freedom to explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site your way. You might choose to join an Optional Experience and head off-road on a 4x4 Sani Pass adventure, climbing to 2,874 m (9,429 ft) and crossing into Lesotho. Stop to take in the incredible mountain views from Africa's highest pub, before enjoying lunch at another local spot en route. Prefer to keep things low-key? Stay grounded and soak up the Drakensberg's dramatic beauty at your own pace.
Hotel: Premier Resort Sani Pass
On the Road to the Eastern Cape Beaches
Travel from mountain landscapes to South Africa's untamed coastline, crossing the Eastern Cape and the green hills of the Transkei, dotted with Xhosa kraals and homesteads. Discover Nelson Mandela's legacy in Qunu, where stories of his early life connect you to the rural landscapes that shaped him. Continue to Chintsa on the Wild Coast, where unspoiled beaches and rolling dunes set the scene for your Stays with Stories experience at Crawfords Beach Lodge. Settle in by the ocean and take in this remote stretch of coast.
Hotel: Crawfords Beach Lodge
Travel to Gqeberha
Wake to the sound of the ocean and spend time admiring pristine natural surroundings before your journey to Gqeberha. Once a British settlement known as Port Elizabeth, this port city holds the distinction of being South Africa's friendliest city, a quality you'll experience first-hand as you explore it on your own terms this evening.
Hotel: Boardwalk
On to Tsitsikamma National Park and Knysna Connect with Locals
Walk beneath the tranquil canopy of Tsitsikamma's giant and ancient Yellowwoods, then arrive at Storms River Mouth to peer into the depths of the gorge. Connect with locals during a Be My Guest experience in Knysna, where you'll learn a few key Xhosa phrases and gain insights into Xhosa culture. Host Ella will share her life story and reveal the meaning behind some of the local songs that accompany your traditional Xhosa meal. The visit also contributes towards supporting Ella's work in the local community and is a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience. Our final stop today is the picturesque lagoon setting of Knysna, known as South Africa's own Garden of Eden. It is famed for its indigenous forests, fresh oysters and the two landmark Knysna Heads, which stand as sentinels at the edge of the lagoon, shielding the town from the Indian Ocean.
Hotel: Knysna Hollow Country Estate
Knysna Your Way
You'll have a free day to explore the jewel of the Garden Route. Start your day with a leisurely coffee in the Knysna Quays overlooking the lagoon, then consider an Optional Experience to Featherbed Nature Reserve including a drive through the reserve to the top of the lagoon's Western Head.
Hotel: Knysna Hollow Country Estate
Continue to Cape Town
Leave the Garden Route behind bound for the Mother City. You'll wind your way through vibrant coastal towns and the Cape Winelands before arriving in Cape Town later this afternoon. Head straight to the most iconic site in the city and visit Table Mountain by cable car (weather permitting).
Hotel: Southern Sun The Cullinan
Cape Town Your Way
Capture the cosmopolitan energy of South Africa's Mother City. Spend the day exploring its streets and squares in search of tucked-away restaurants, boutiques and galleries. Or consider joining one of our Optional Experiences to tour the scenic Cape Peninsula, sample the Cape's finest wines in the Cape Winelands or visit the infamous Robben Island. Spend your final evening at dinner with your traveling companions, indulging in delicious Cape Malay specialty dishes.
Hotel: Southern Sun The Cullinan
Farewell Cape Town
Bid a fond farewell to Cape Town after breakfast. Explore the city on your terms before your transfer to Cape Town International Airport.
Departure Dates
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Start: January 2, 2027 End: January 16, 2027 Price: $5,895 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: January 16, 2027 End: January 30, 2027 Price: $5,895 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: February 13, 2027 End: February 27, 2027 Price: $5,895 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: February 27, 2027 End: March 13, 2027 Price: $5,895 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: March 13, 2027 End: March 27, 2027 Price: $5,895 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: April 3, 2027 End: April 17, 2027 Price: $5,725 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: April 17, 2027 End: May 1, 2027 Price: $5,725 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: May 8, 2027 End: May 22, 2027 Price: $5,725 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: May 22, 2027 End: June 5, 2027 Price: $5,595 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: June 5, 2027 End: June 19, 2027 Price: $5,725 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: June 19, 2027 End: July 3, 2027 Price: $5,725 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: July 3, 2027 End: July 17, 2027 Price: $5,725 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: July 17, 2027 End: July 31, 2027 Price: $5,725 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: August 7, 2027 End: August 21, 2027 Price: $5,595 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: August 21, 2027 End: September 4, 2027 Price: $5,725 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: September 4, 2027 End: September 18, 2027 Price: $5,950 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: September 18, 2027 End: October 2, 2027 Price: $5,950 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: October 9, 2027 End: October 23, 2027 Price: $5,950 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: October 23, 2027 End: November 6, 2027 Price: $5,950 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: November 6, 2027 End: November 20, 2027 Price: $5,950 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: November 20, 2027 End: December 4, 2027 Price: $5,950 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: December 7, 2027 End: December 21, 2027 Price: $5,950 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Start: December 18, 2027 End: January 1, 2028 Price: $6,250 pp | Land Only Price My Trip |
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Product Code: TTUSAS-AFSAN27
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