Highlights of South Africa

You depart from London today on an overnight flight to Johannesburg, arriving on Day 2. Your first visit is to the Apartheid Museum, an insightful and at times sombre museum that illustrates the history of racial segregation in South Africa. The rest of your day is at leisure in Johannesburg.

Today you journey along the Panorama Route on a scenic coach ride to Hazyview. You travel past lush valleys, majestic mountain peaks and many landmarks, including God's Window (weather permitting), Bourke's Luck and the Three Rondavels. On arrival in Hazyview you check into your hotel, where you enjoy dinner this evening.

Today's excursion is undoubtedly one of the highlights of your trip as you visit Kruger National Park, the largest in South Africa, for a full day guided game drive. All the 'Big Five' game animals can be found here, and you spend an unforgettable day pursuing lions, leopards, rhinoceroses, elephants and cape buffalo, along with many other animals that make this wilderness their home.

Day 5 is spent at leisure. You could spend the day relaxing at the hotel, or head back to Kruger National Park to embark on a further game drive (payable locally).

Neighbouring Swaziland is your destination today. You make the journey this morning by coach, and on arrival check into your hotel for the night. One of the last remaining monarchies, this small, landlocked country is famed for its unique, handmade homewares, which you learn about on today's glass and candle factory tour. Watch the artisan candle makers at work as they produce a range of colourful candles, soaps and body balms, and be amazed by the technical skill of the glass workers as they intricately craft the 'Big Five' animals in the glass blowing factory. 

On Day 7 you travel through the Zulu war area of South Africa today, visiting Rorke's Drift with a specialist guide. Rorke's Drift is the site of the famous battle of 1879, in which 139 British troops faced the might of 4,500 Zulu warriors and won, an epic struggle which was immortalised on screen in the 1964 film, Zulu. You spend a night at a local hotel here, dining together this evening

Today you travel by coach to Durban airport for your short afternoon flight to Port Elizabeth. Here you meet your new tour guide before continuing to your hotel in George.

On Day 9 you enjoy a scenic cruise on the azure waters of the Knysna Lagoon to the Knysna Heads, a pair of dramatic sandstone cliffs that separate the lagoon from the ocean beyond. Enjoy some time at leisure before returning to your hotel in George. Knysna is set on the stunning Garden Route, a 190 mile long stretch of the south-west coast, named after the verdant scenery it cuts through. Knysna itself is the perfect place to pause when travelling along the Garden Route, with a wide variety of shops, markets, restaurants and bistros. Fresh seafood is in abundance here, and sampling the famous Knysna Oysters is a must for visitors to the area.

Today you continue travelling west along the Garden Route, heading to the fascinating town of Oudtshoorn, famous for its Ostrich population. You enjoy a tour of an ostrich farm with the opportunity to hand feed the magnificent birds. You also tour the beautifully eerie caverns of the Cango Caves, before enjoying a traditional South African barbecue dinner this evening.

On Day 11 you head inland, then west towards Cape Town on the final stretch of the Garden Route. You pause in the beautiful Stellenbosch valley for a wine tasting before continuing to your Cape Town hotel. Upon arrival in Cape Town you enjoy a short orientation tour of the city with a visit to the iconic Table Mountain (weather permitting).

Step back in time today with a trip on the historical Ceres Railway, making a return trip from Cape Town to Ceres in the heart of the Western Cape. Originally built in the early 1900's, the line is a wonderful way to take in the breathtaking scenery of the Ceres valley, where dramatic mountain peaks provide a stunning backdrop to the sprawling fruit orchards.

Today you embark on an incredible excursion around Cape Peninsula. You visit the Cape of Good Hope at Africa's south-western tip, Chapmans Peak and Kirstenbosch, before travelling along False Bay to the wonderful Penguin colony at Boulders Beach, home to Africa's only indigenous penguin.

You are free to explore South Africa's cultural capital at your own pace today. This evening, your flight departs from Cape Town International Airport, arriving back in London on Day 15.