SOUTH AFRICA ESCORTED JOURNEY

On your arrival at Johannesburg Airport, you will be met by a local representative and escorted to the shuttle that will take you to the hotel.

On arrival at the hotel, there will be welcome drinks at reception. Here you will have the opportunity to meet your Big Journey Company Tour Director and discuss the upcoming tour with them.

After breakfast, we travel together to Soweto for a thought-provoking day. Soweto is a sprawling cluster of townships on the south-western flank of Johannesburg. We visit the Hector Pieterson Memorial in Orlando West, built in memory of the people who died on the June 16 Soweto Youth Uprising.

We will also stop at the Mandela House Museum, Nelson Mandela's former home in Orlando West. The museum contains an assortment of memorabilia, paintings and photographs of the Mandela family and honorary doctorates bestowed on Nelson Mandela. You can also see the mansion belonging to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in an affluent part of Orlando West. Archbishop Desmond Tutu's house and the Sisulu residences are in the same neighbourhood.

After a stop for lunch, we proceed to the Apartheid Museum. Here we will embark on a tour with a local guide on hand to assist with insight and information relating to the exhibits. Illustrating the rise and fall of apartheid, the exhibits have been assembled and organised by a multi-disciplinary team of curators, film-makers, historians and designers. We will then return to the hotel for the evening.

After breakfast today we depart Johannesburg and travel via the magnificent Panorama Route to Hazyview, Mpumalanga.

From many well-positioned vantage points along the road, one has a view of the 33km long gorge, which starts at Bourke's Luck Potholes and ends at the Three Rondavels. We will make several stops along the way to make the most of the scenery.

Late afternoon we will arrive at our hotel. Dinner will be enjoyed together at the hotel this evening.

After breakfast, we will head to one of South Africa’s most famous sites – the Kruger National Park. We will enter the world-renowned reserve at Phabeni Gate, driving in a northerly direction through the park to our lodges, searching out the wildlife, birds and smaller creatures who call this 2-million-hectare conservation area home.

In the mid-afternoon, we exit the Kruger National Park via Orpen Gate and continue the 1hr drive to our lodge accommodation, located in a private reserve. Settle into your rooms and freshen up before heading out on an open-vehicle sunset drive through the reserve. Dinner is served on our return.

Today we will enjoy the scheduled game viewing activities at Moditlo Private Game Reserve.

There will also be plenty of opportunity for relaxation in between game viewing for those who want to enjoy all the facilities the lodge has to offer.

After breakfast, it is time to leave the nature reserves as we transfer to Hoedspruit Airport for our flight to Cape Town.

Upon arrival at Cape Town International Airport, we will be met and transferred to our hotel where the remainder of your day will be at leisure. We will enjoy dinner together this evening.

We will enjoy breakfast at the hotel before embarking on a city tour of Cape Town. Cape Town is rich in both historical and cultural heritage as well as natural beauty. Some highlights on this tour will be the Company Gardens, the Castle of Good Hope and the lively Greenmarket Square where you can purchase arts and crafts from all over Africa.

We will also take a trip through the colourful Bo Kaap area, known as the home of the “Cape Malays” before enjoying a cable car trip to the top of Table Mountain (weather permitting) for panoramic views of this beautiful city.

We will return to the hotel to freshen up before transferring to a local restaurant for dinner.

Today, we head out on a full day excursion to the magnificent scenery and wildlife of the Cape Peninsula. We travel over the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Here you can have your photos taken at the most south western tip of the African continent and enjoy an invigorating walk, or a leisurely funicular trip up to the Cape Point lighthouses to admire the dramatic cliffs and amazing views.

Lunch will be enjoyed at a popular restaurant along the False Bay coastline. Other interesting stops will include the naval village of Simon's Town and Boulders Beach to see one of South Africa's two land-based African Penguin colonies.

The last stop of the day is at the beautiful Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens before returning to our hotel for the evening.

Today we will experience a full day wine tour in the Cape Winelands including a visit to the charming town of Oaks, Stellenbosch.

After some wine tastings and an introduction to the South African winemaking tradition, we’ll continue to the Gourmet Capital of South Africa, Franschhoek. After another round of wine tasting and lunch at one of the beautiful wine estates, there will be time to take a stroll in this beautiful and cosy little town.

The whole day is dedicated to showing you our favourite secret spots and wine cellars – a day to tantalize your taste buds in some of South Africa’s most beautiful landscapes!

Return to the hotel for evening at leisure.

After breakfast at the hotel you will be transferred to Cape Town International Airport you flight home.