9-day Cape Town to Johannesburg via Wild Coast Adventure

Itinerary

Day 1: Cape Town's best and most famous attractions.

Stop At: Table Mountain National Park 8001 South Africa
Meet us at your centrally located hotel to start this tour for Cape Town's most famous icon: Table Mountain by the Aerial Cableway to take in the natural beauty and stunning views. The first botanical garden in the world to be established (in 1913) to protect local flora, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in the UNESCO-listed Cape Floral Kingdom follows. Lunch is at the African cuisine restaurant. Visiting Groot Constantia, we taste their export quality wines. We journey along the False Bay coastline to Kalk Bay harbour and stroll along the quaint cobbled streets. From here we pass Fish Hoek and Boulders Beach near Simon’s Town, home to one of the few land-based penguin colonies in the world. Choose one of the popular restaurants in the area for dinner. We overnight at Simonstown Quayside Hotel (or similar).
Duration: 10 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Simonstown Quayside Hotel

Day 2: Wine route, Cape Point.

Stop At: Cape Point Nature Reserve, Cape Town Central South Africa
First visit is Cape Point, part of the Table Mountain National Park and home to an abundance of flora and fauna, and ascend the viewpoint with the Flying Dutchman Funicular. We visit Hout Bay harbour and Camps Bay African Craft Market on our way along the scenic Chapman’s Peak drive. Driving in the direction of Stellenbosch, we visit the Vergenoegd wine farm for some wine tasting. We go to the Spier Wine Farm for chocolate and wine tasting on the banks of the Spier dam. We overnight at Simonstown Quayside Hotel. (or similar).
Duration: 10 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Simonstown Quayside Hotel

Day 3: Cango Caves, Garden Route

Stop At: Garden Route, South Africa
Starting our journey to the Garden Route, we visit some of the numerous farm stalls at Grabouw, and then pushes on to the town of Oudtshoorn with Route 62. This route delivers an unforgettable South African travelling experience, making of life-long memories. (Lunch en-route) After visiting the Cango Caves for a Heritage Tour, we head down the scenic Outeniqua Pass and onto the green forests and beaches of the Garden Route. Overnight is at the Acorn Guest House George (or similar).
Duration: 10 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Acorn Guest House

Day 4: Dolphin Encounters, Bloukrans Bridge Bungee Jump, Addo Elephant National Park

Stop At: Garden Route, South Africa
A short drive brings us to Knysna where you can choose one of the following activities to do: a boat ride for a “Dolphin Encounters” excursion of 1,5 to 2 hours at Ocean Blue Adventures, jump from the ‘highest recognized bungee from a bridge’ in the world, the Bloukrans Bridge Bungee Jump, or do a Tsitsikama Canopy Tour at Stormsriver Adventures.
You can also choose to walk through the "Garden of Eden" and the "Big Tree" as another option.
From here we go to the Addo Elephant National Park while being on the look out for Humpback Whales at Nelson Mandela Bay. A night game drive follows dinner at their restaurant: "Cattle Baron is famous for its steaks, having won several awards for the Best Steakhouse in South Africa. The signature dish is chateaubriand, a fillet flambéed with brandy and served with mushroom sauce and béarnaise sauce. In recognition of its game-park location, Addo Cattle Baron also serves venison dishes like slow-cooked springbok shank." Overnight is here in a cottage.
Duration: 10 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Addo Elephant National Park

Day 5: Nelson Mandela Museum at Qunu, “The Hole in the Wall”

Stop At: Hole in the Wall, Transkei, Coffee Bay South Africa
Leaving the Addo National Park (while viewing game), we head North to the spectacular Wild Coast along the roads of the Transkei, and see how the Xhosa people still live in their traditional rondawel huts, with farm animals grazing by the side of the road against the backdrop of the Drakensberg in the distance! Then veer off the N2 to “The Hole in the Wall”, one of South Africa's most famous tourist attractions. The locals call this "izi Khaleni" which means place of thunder. During certain seasons and water conditions, the waves clap in such a way that the concussion can be heard throughout the valley. If you want to have a real authentic traditional experience, sleep in a rural rondawel (hut) of a traditional Xhosa village if available at the time. You also have the choice to stay at the 3 star Hole-in-the-Wall Hotel.
Duration: 10 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Traditional Xhosa village if available or the 3 star Hole-in-the-Wall Hotel.

Day 6: Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, Longest Zip Line Tour in Africa!

Stop At: Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, N2 Paddock South Africa
After visiting some of the most beautiful and unspoiled beaches in the world, we drive to the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, which lies snugly at the head of a spectacular river gorge lined with dense coastal bush and forests. The breath-taking scenery along the Umzimkulwana river gorge makes this a photographer’s and nature lover’s paradise. Wildlife in the Oribi Gorge consists of many antelope, although the graceful oribi (after which the gorge is named) is rarely seen. You can do an optional activity here: the Lake Eland Zip Lines, the Longest Zip Line Tour in Africa! This tour consists of 14 zip line slides starting at the top of the Oribi Gorge. We stay here for the night. We stay at the 4 star Oribi Gorge Hotel.(or similar)
Duration: 10 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Oribi Gorge Hotel

Day 7: Select either to Scuba dive at Aliwal Shoal from Umkomaas, or uShaka Marine World in Durban

Stop At: uShaka Marine World, 1 King Shaka Avenue Point, Durban 4001 South Africa
The Hibiscus coast with its inviting stretch of Indian Ocean which sometimes presents the year-round delights of frolicking dolphins and majestic, cruising whales, provide the spectacular scenery for the drive to Durban. Your tour group now has the opportunity to do optional scuba diving at Aliwal Shoal from Umkomaas, a rocky reef which is the remains of an ancient sand dune approximately 5 kms off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal. The reef is inhabited by many kinds of hard and soft corals and a variety of tropical and subtropical fish species. If you do not scuba dive, you visit uShaka Marine World in Durban, the largest aquarium in Africa, and then overnight at the Gooderson Tropicana Hotel in Durban.
Duration: 10 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Gooderson Tropicana Hotel

Day 8: Midlands Meander and Drakensberg activities.

Stop At: Drakensberg Mountains, Drakensberg Region South Africa
Leaving Durban, we head to Howick to visit the Mandela Monument. From here we take the road North on the Midlands Meander and visit Tsonga shoes and bags, the Wine Cellar and Chocolate Heaven. The Dragon Rock Reptile Centre can be visited, and you can do the Drakensberg Canopy Tour. Savor lunch at one of the delightful restaurants on the way. You get the option to do a helicopter flight over the main Drakensberg escarpment, or attend a Drakensberg Boys Choir concert if we are here on a Wednesday. Spend the night at the Monks Cowl Resort (or similar).
Duration: 10 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Monks Cowl Resort

Day 9: Battlefields and historical tours Dundee.

Stop At: O.R. Tambo International Airport, 1 Jones Rd, Kempton Park, Johannesburg, 1632, South Africa
You head to Dundee to have a tour of the battlefields and historical sites of Blood River/Ncome/Talana. “By 1836 relations between the British rulers in the Cape and the Dutch settlers had reached an all- time low. They decided to pack-up their worldly goods load them onto covered wagons and head into the largely unknown interior of South Africa. Thus began in 1836 the exodus that would be recorded by history as ‘The Great Trek’! The north, west and eastward movement of this exodus of Trekkers, who became known as Voortrekkers inevitably led to conflict with the indigenous peoples who inhabited the hinterland. Trek leader Piet Retief and his party were killed at King Dingane’s capital of Mgungundlovu in February 1838…”, and see where brutal battles took place. This excursion follows the drive back to Johannesburg where you will be dropped.
Duration: 10 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.