If South Africa is one of the many destinations on your bucket list, our Cape Town and safari package is a very smart choice. The tour includes three full days in this spectacular harbor city, where you can book extraordinary (and affordably priced!) optional tours that showcase South Africa’s incredible diversity. Discover the enduring legacy of Nelson Mandela, explore the scenic Winelands or even go shark cage diving…if you dare! Then it’s off to Dinokeng Private Game Reserve where we’ll do our best to help you spot lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffalos, aka the “Big 5.” 4.5/5 stars on Tripadvisor!
Itinerary at a Glance
Tour Itinerary:
4 nights in Cape Town
2 nights in Dinokeng Private Game Reserve
Tour Highlights
Cape Town Orientation Tour
Table Mountain & Cape Town City Tour
Leisure time to explore Cape Town
Cape Peninsula (Optional Tour)
Dinokeng Private Game Reserve
3 open-vehicle game drives
Opportunity to see “the Big 5”
Your Tour Includes
Optional round-trip airfare from the New York area (varies by departure) including taxes, fees & fuel surcharges
Intra-South Africa flight and ground transport
Accommodations at superior first-class hotels
8 meals: 6 breakfasts (B) and 2 dinners (D)
3 open-vehicle, half-day game drives in Dinokeng Private Game Reserve
Note: Flights may not be available on all departures.
You may have to book your own flights to the tour destination. If so, you are responsible for making your own way to the tour starting point, where you will meet your Tour Director. This is normally the first hotel in your itinerary.
Welcome to the “Mother City,” where Mother Nature definitely shows off some of her very best handiwork. As you’re escorted from the airport to your hotel, tune into a guided orientation tour of Cape Town. Orientation briefing will outline all of your Cape Town options. Learn more about all this city offers here. Tonight, join the other smarTours travelers for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
*Depending on flight schedules, the welcome dinner may be moved to Day 3.
Accommodations: President Hotel or similar Meals: Dinner
Day 2:
Cape Town
Today’s all about exploring (and savoring!) this unique city. Join a local expert to see the highlights and charms of Cape Town. We’ll ascend via cable car to the top of Cape Town’s iconic landmark, Table Mountain, for the incredible city and bay views. Then you’ll have a chance to view and photograph Table Mountain from a distance from the historic, colorful neighborhood known as Bo-Kaap (the Malay Quarter). The final stop is a guided Diamond Experience where you learn about the journey of a diamond direct from South African mines to a finger. Our tour ends at the vibrant V&A Waterfront, where you can enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure. Relax at a café, sip a glass of South Africa’s renowned wine or browse local art and craft shops.
Note: Table Mountain Cable Car will be completing annual maintenance from July 15th–September 1st, 2024. During this period, we have replaced this experience with a visit to Signal Hill for views of the city and the Atlantic coast line as well as provided a voucher to the V&A Waterfront.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3:
Cape Town at Leisure
Delight in a day at leisure in Cape Town! Consider joining an Optional Tour to Cape Peninsula to see stunning seascapes, the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, Cape Point, and Boulders Beach for penguin colonies sightings. This evening, consider an optional Gold Dinner where we can experience an African-themed restaurant with a 14-course meal.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4:
Cape Town
So many options! Today is at leisure for independent exploration, shopping, or relaxing. Go to the beach, take an optional excursion to the scenic Winelands, or take the plunge with a thrilling great white shark cage diving excursion. You may also use your free time to visit Robben Island and see where Nelson Mandela spent nearly two decades in captivity.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5:
Cape Town/Dinokeng Private Game Reserve
After breakfast this morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to Johannesburg. You’ll be met at the airport and driven to your lodge. Named for the Boekenhout tree which is indigenous to the area, the Mongena Private Game Lodge offers an outstanding bush safari within the Dinokeng Game Reserve. Guests are often delighted to meet the tame zebras, nyalas and springbucks which roam and reside within the main camp. Enjoy some time to freshen up and relax or consider participating in one of the reserve’s optional activities. This evening, enjoy dinner at the camp’s restaurant.
Accommodations: Mongena Private Game Lodge or similar Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6:
Dinokeng Private Game Reserve
This morning’s early morning game drive begins at sunrise. As a private game reserve, there are no public roads, you’ll have an opportunity to go off-roading, and you’ll have fewer safari vehicles to compete with for game viewing. With both its diverse terrain and vegetation, the Dinokeng Game Reserve offers the chance to see both browsing and grazing species. Search for the Big Five which include lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffalo! You may also see some of the reserve’s other residents including cheetah, brown hyena, giraffe, zebra, kudu, impala, waterbuck, wildebeest, hippo, crocodile, the endangered blue crane, and more! After your early morning drive, enjoy a buffet breakfast. You’ll have some time at leisure to participate in the game reserve’s optional activities. This afternoon enjoy a late afternoon game drive and high tea before returning to the lodge. This evening enjoy dinner at your lodge.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7:
Depart Dinokeng Private Game Reserve
After your early morning game drive and a buffet breakfast, we'll depart for Johannesburg Airport, stopping along the way at Cambanos Curios, known for its large and varied selection of souvenirs and African goods, for any last-minute souvenirs and gifts. Our tour comes to an end as we arrive at Johannesburg airport.
Meals: Breakfast
Guided Tour Pricing
We are working diligently to secure future tour dates and pricing for
this itinerary. Please fill out the "Request a Future Date" form
linked below, and we will notify you once dates are available.
Located approximately 1.5 hours from Johannesburg within the Dinokeng Private Game Reserve, Mongena Private Game Lodge offers incredible game drive experiences with opportunities to see the Big 5 and more.
10 KM ON Rust De Winter Road D48, Dinokeng Game Reserve, Hammanskraal, Gauteng Province, South Africa
Enhance your trip with these optional tours.
Indicated optional tours are available to pre-book
when you reserve your trip and can be added to your
reservation up to final payment. This is the best option
to guarantee your spot on your preferred optional tour!
Optional tours require a minimum number of participants.
Optional tours are non-refundable unless they do not operate.
Some optional tours can be purchased in-destination and
may cost extra. The payment methods and currency
information to purchase tours in-destination will be
provided on final documentation.
Full Day Cape Peninsula Tour
$119 per person
Stunning seascapes, spectacular gardens—and penguins? Our day on Cape Peninsula is truly extraordinary, as we pass steep mountains, secluded coves and sweeping beaches before a stop at a Hout Bay fishing village. Then it’s on to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, home to baboons, rheboks and Cape Mountain zebras. At Cape Point, soak up the majestic views at the confluence of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. We will head to the most remarkable of the mainland African penguin colonies, Boulders Beach (admission inside park not included) in Simon’s Town, with over 2,500 birds. But we’re not done yet! We’ll finish the day at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on the slopes of Table Mountain. Considered one of the world’s great botanic gardens, Kirstenbosch is a UNESCO World Heritage Site boasting over 7,000 indigenous plants.
AVAILABLE TO PRE-BOOK!
Robben Island Tour**
$40 per person
Catch the ferry to Robben Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the infamous maximum-security prison where Nelson Mandela and others were jailed. Adding to the realism of this tour: guides on the island were once political prisoners! Important tour details:
Ferries depart several times daily, weather permitting, from V&A Waterfront. Transfers from your hotel to the pier and back are not included.
The Robben Island excursions are operated by a non-profit foundation, and tickets are sold on a first-come-first-served basis. smarTours® does not book this tour and cannot guarantee your space.
Learn more and pre-book online.
** Want to visit both Robben Island and the Winelands? We recommend that you reserve the 9:00 a.m. ferry to Robben Island to coincide with your last day in Cape Town. Provided there are no delays in the morning, you’ll be able to join the afternoon Winelands tour. Please note that the ferry schedule is subject to change based on inclement weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances. This Robben Island Tour takes approximately four hours.
Taste for yourself why South African wines are so celebrated with a trip to the enchanting Winelands and the second oldest town in South Africa. See Stellenbosch's oak-lined streets and admire the gables of Cape Dutch architecture. We’ll then head to a wine estate for a wine tasting session and to explore the grounds. Here’s your chance to purchase some local wines!
AVAILABLE TO PRE-BOOK!
Gold Dinner
$72 per person
There is no better way to experience an African-themed restaurant than the Gold restaurant. They promise a "taste safari" that includes flavors from Cape Town and all over the stunning continent. How does the evening go there? The evening kicks off with a djembe drumming session followed by a hand-washing ceremony. Then you delve into a 14-course meal, each one from a different African country.
AVAILABLE TO PRE-BOOK!
Full Day Great White Shark Cage Diving
$259, including breakfast, packed lunch and transfers
On this full-day adventure, you'll depart from Kleinbaai and enjoy 2-4 hours at sea, depending on how often the sharks visit the boat, diving and viewing from the cage. The cage holds five people at a time and each person can spend about 20 minutes in the cage! All scuba equipment, including 7mm wetsuits, are provided and you don't need a scuba license to cage dive. If you prefer not to go in the cage, you won't be missing out! You'll enjoy a picnic lunch onboard and a hot homemade soup at the lodge upon return. Hot showers and dry towels are available. This excursion is all about education and developing a new perception of the great white shark so come with all your questions! This tour is weather permitting.
Note: This tour operates on the last day in Cape Town, and it is not possible to do Robben Island or Winelands if you participate in this optional activity. Please also note that this tour must be cancelled at least 24 hours prior to departure, otherwise 100% cancellation fees will apply. In addition, if bad weather prevents you from going to sea, you will be informed and given a full refund. If strong winds pick up while at sea and a return to shore is required for your safety, you will not be entitled to a refund. In addition, due to variable weather conditions and variable shark activity, diving may not always be possible and is therefore not guaranteed.
AVAILABLE TO PRE-BOOK!
What to Expect
Max Group Size: 30 travelers
Activity Level: Level 1
Expect most included touring to require walking and standing periods up to 3 hours at a time (up to 2 times per day) on easy terrain with some light stairs. Learn More
Pacing Level: Leisurely
Expect half-day tours most days with a free day in most cities to explore independently. There are few to no early mornings and/or long travel days by bus (don’t worry—there are always comfort stops!), and you may expect to stay in most accommodations for 4+ nights. Learn More
No Additional Entry Requirements for U.S. Passport Holders
A valid passport is required for international tours. Currently, there are no additional entry requirements for U.S. passport holders, but this can change at any time. Before travel, both U.S. and non-U.S. passport holders should visit our Passports & Visas page to reconfirm entry requirements.
Safari vehicles have high ground clearance and require agility to embark and disembark. A few early wake-ups are required to travel and for game drives.
For more detailed information about this tour and destination, visit
our Before You Depart section.
Reviews
Deb D
2 months ago
This was our first SmarTours experience. It is a very good first exposure to Southern Africa. In a short time we saw the coastal beauty of Cape Town and the grasslands around Pretoria and Johannesburg. Very good value and well-run.
Jenn
10 months ago
Amazing tour!!! Beautiful scenery. Great add on tours. Great guides
Minnie P
1 year ago
The trip "Capetown and Safari Express" was exciting from the time we landed in the beautiful city of Capetown, South Africa to the day we left from the awesome rustic lodge in Johannesburg. Accommodations were lovely in both locations. Beautiful and delicious breakfasts (included) were hosted daily. My favorite were the made to order omelets and the delicious coffee. The welcome dinner at a local restaurant was very special. Optional activities or excursions were easy to book. I enjoyed the Table Mountain and City tours. The views were breathtaking.
In Johannesburg at the rustic and well appointed lodge, scrumptious meals and exiting daily safaris led by knowledgeable and experienced rangers was the order of the day. I was very pleased that we observed and photographed numerous animals including 4 of the big 5. Beautiful sunsets and stunning sunrises added more amazement to the experience. On the final day, a visit to Pretoria where we saw historical and government sites as we learned about South African culture and politics. This was more than I expected and a great value for the price of this trip.
Aunie A
1 year ago
This trip was amazing! A must do for all...the beauty of the people and the country is unparalled. It's truly a once in a lifetime experience. The guides we had for our excursions were truly amazing. These people are full of knowledge about the history of the country and share that with you. You get much more than you pay for when booking the excursions. The guides are friendly, love to answer questions and again just jam pack you with so much knowledge about the history of the country. Highly recommend booking the excursions with SmarTours. The travel was also very well organized and the accommodations exceeded our expectations. Our hotel in Cape Town was beautiful and centrally located to just about everything, we walked a block to catch the Hop on Hop off bus tour, walked to the Pub that was on the corner for drinks one evening, and walked to dinner. The breakfast buffet was delicious and had just about everything. Once we arrived and the Mongena Lodge our trip got even better. The location was amazing! The rooms were wonderful and unique, and the staff was fantastic! The game drives were our favorite part of the whole trip, our Ranger Alex was full of knowledge about not only the Big 5, which we saw 3 out of 5, but also about the birds and the foliage as well. It was truly wonderful, we will be back with friends to support this wonderful place. We also wanted to give a big big BIG kudos to Darryl our Jo'burg guide. He was SO friendly and SO full of knowledge and made our trip truly special and captured the spirit of the people of SA. He was amazing and we feel like we made a friend for life. I cannot say enough good things about that man...he is fantastic!!! We had such an amazing experience. Do not hesitate to book this tour, the country is beautiful and very safe. Cape Town is a super cool, super hip, super trendy town with beautiful people, and the Safari is truly a once in a lifetime experience. We are already planning to book another tour with friends this time around. Thank you so much SmarTours and all your staff and partners. The only negative I have is that we wish that we were able to upgrade our seat assignments prior to travel. We would have no issue paying for the upgrades to get seats together with the people we are traveling with and for more seat room - especially for a 16 hour flight! So if there's anyway to improve upon that. If not for the travel restrictions on seat upgrades this would be a 5 star review. 4 1/2 stars all around.
Adam a
My wife and I took their Cape Town and Safari Express tour to South Africa for our honeymoon. It was a trip of a lifetime. I really enjoyed being able to choose the optional tours in Cape Town or just doing our own thing. The guides were very knowledgeable and helpful. The hotels were excellent. We saw the big 5 on the safari and more! I will definitely look into traveling with SmarTours again.
Marie T
What a trip! Cape Town and Safari express trip was incredible! Being a first timer with this tour group, I was skeptical, especially with their reasonable prices. I paid $1,799.00 for a 9 day trip to Africa, where other companies are charging between 3 or 4 thousand dollars for this trip. So, I decided to make sure they were a legitimate operation, so I went to their NYC office to check it out. It was a pretty large operation in a nice office, so I decided to book the trip. We went to Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Pretoria. The Safari was amazing, and the prices couldn't be beat. I learned so much about South Africa. I would like to return again, next time bring my daughter, and maybe take one of the longer trips in their brochure.
Drena
Just returned from Cape Town and my family and I had a great time! We signed up for all the optional tours and were on the go the first 3-4 days but it was well worth it. Dress warm for Table Top Mountain. If you want to enjoy a little night life go down to Long Street. The African Cafe is a must if you want to try true South African cuisine and African music. If you are willing to get up really early try and watch the sun rise on Signal Hill....its so beautiful. Once you leave Cape Town the remaining of the trip slows down. Day 6 is a full day of travel. It would have been nice to drive around or visit a monument/place in Johannesburg. If you luck up to get Rufas as your tour guide at Kruger Park you are in for a great time.
Luis C
An unforgettable trip. My famiiy had an excellent time in a wonderful country. The Smartours staff is trained and they let you know the history of each city. Very grateful to our guide Charlie Sayers. He was committed, knowledgeable and funny.
Mariano M
My daughter and I just completed what has been one of the most memorable and exciting trips we’ve ever had (and we have traveled a lot...). The entire package was top notch, we enjoyed fantastic hotels (Sabi River Sun Resort is out of this world!), superb tour guides (Desmond Clark in Cape Town, Charles Sayers in Johanesburg/Hazyview/Kruger, and Rufus in Kruger), an excellent quality of the motor coaches, and had the option to select a rich and diverse variety of tours, some included and some optional. You can’t miss the optional white shark cage diving experience – will generate memories to cherish for life! I’d rate this tour package 11 out of 10 points. In fact, it was recently recognized as a great value by the New York Times. Highly recommended!
Allie
South Africa has been on my bucket list for a long time, and Smartours did not disappoint with the Cape Town and Safari Express. It was well planned, and all the optional tours were well worth it and a great value. The Safari was EXCELLENT and the park ranger Elvis was great! We saw all of the big 5 in our March 2017 tour. An exceptional value and I highly recommended. Great job, Smartours!
