South Africa Highlights & Safari with Victoria Falls

This morning, we'll drive past sweeping landscapes to stop at Hout Bay fishing village before we continue on to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, home to baboons, rheboks, and more. At Cape Point, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet, we'll soak up majestic views. After lunch, we'll visit Boulders Beach, home to one of the most remarkable mainland African Penguin colonies. Next, we'll visit UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, one of the world's great botanic gardens with 7,000+ indigenous plants.

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. Tonight, we'll enjoy a home-cooked meal with a local family in their home. We'll have the opportunity to talk about the way of life in South Africa, and exchange views and experiences with our host family.

We'll say farewell to Cape Town and board a morning flight to King Shaka International Airport on the Kwazulu-Natal North Coast, just outside the bustling port city of Durban. Our first stop is Westbrooke, a pretty beachside village where you can stroll golden sands along the Indian Ocean. We’ll continue north through cane fields and timber plantations to Zululand, home to one of the most famous of African tribal peoples. Our hotel tonight is set near the Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park, the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa and best known for saving the white rhinoceros from extinction.

We’ll fall under the spell of the Zulu people as we visit the Dumazulu Cultural Village. Here, the ancient arts are kept alive, and we’ll learn about traditional dress and the construction of “beehive” huts, as well as meet a Zulu healer and watch tribal dancing. Our visit includes a special lunch with both Zulu and Western dishes. The enchantment continues as we climb aboard open safari vehicles to explore Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park, a haven for the second largest land mammal—the white rhino.

This morning, we cross the border into the independent Kingdom of Eswatini. Here, we'll have the chance to shop for unique African souvenirs. Today we'll also see glass blowing and have the chance to see basket weavers in action at the colorful local markets.

Our journey takes us through Eswatini’s beautiful countryside to the world-famous Kruger National Park, South Africa’s premier wildlife sanctuary. Enjoy views of the wild from the comfort of our own motor coach as we wind our way to our safari home base, an upscale lodge located near the park. In Kruger, there is an another opportunity to travel in an open-vehicle game drive (booked and paid locally).

Our chances of seeing lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo (the “Big 5”) are very good on today’s safari, as Kruger National Park boasts an estimated 1,500 lions, 17,000 elephants, 48,000 buffalo and even 1,000 of the elusive leopard. We may also spot hippos, crocodiles, zebras and giraffes as we navigate the park in open vehicles. Time to have our cameras ready!

Scenic vistas abound as we traverse the wild countryside of Mpumalanga along parts of the Panorama Route. We’ll be wowed by mountains, rivers, waterfalls and more in what is called “Paradise Country.” Highlights include the magnificent Blyde River Canyon, divine views from God’s Window and the bizarre and legend-inspiring Bourke’s Luck Potholes. Our final destination is Sandton, a flourishing suburb of Johannesburg, the commerce and diamond mining center.

Today, we’ll delve into South Africa’s turbulent past on a fascinating tour of Soweto, an urban settlement or “township” outside Johannesburg. Our tour takes us to Freedom Square, the home of Nelson Mandela, and the Apartheid Museum, which documents the rise and fall of apartheid and offers a beacon of hope for a future all South Africans can call their own. Tonight, we'll enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant.

Today we'll transfer to the airport for our flight to Victoria Falls. Upon arrival, we'll be met and escorted to our deluxe hotel. Later, we'll join a Sundowner cruise on the mighty Zambezi River. We can marvel at the vegetation on the river's banks and the spectacular sunset.

We'll begin the day with The Life of David Livingston, an inspirational story that offers insights into Africa’s tumultuous past. We'll have time to see the traditional way of life before returning to the Zambezi River and the magnificent Victoria Falls, the largest curtain of water in the world. Twice as wide and deep as Niagara Falls, it looks much the same as it did to David Livingston in the 1860s. In the afternoon, we'll have the opportunity to return for more mesmerizing views of the 355-foot-high falls. This evening, consider an optional tour.

Enjoy a day at leisure or join an optional tour across the border to Botswana. Here we'll visit Chobe National Park, which boasts one of the largest populations of elephants in the world.

After breakfast this morning, we'll transfer to the airport for our flight to South Africa. Our tour comes to an end as we touch down in Johannesburg. For more information about booking your flights, please visit our Before You Depart page.