THE WONDERS OF SOUTH AFRICA

THE WONDERS OF SOUTH AFRICA

Cape Town to Johannesburg

Over the 18 nights on this luxury tour, we will visit the beautiful scenery of Franschhoek, Plettenberg Bay, and the Eastern Free State. Cape Town has much to offer the eager visitor including pristine beaches, world-class vineyards, whale watching, hiking, mountain biking, an assortment of cultural experiences and plenty of good food. Depart by ferry from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront at Nelson Mandela Gateway for an unforgettable visit to the World Heritage site of Robben Island, a historical prison which housed slaves and political prisoners for 450 years and is now a museum.

 

Johannesburg is one of Africa’s biggest and most vibrant cities; here, you’ll learn about South Africa’s political history at the Apartheid Museum.

 

In Soweto, visit the Mandela House, Nelson Mandela’s family home, and follow the story of the legendary leader to get an understanding of where he started his fight against Apartheid.

 

The Kapama Private Game Reserve will be our next stop; an African Eden, sweeping across the Savannah and riverine forest, Kapama represents
a piece of Africa as it used to be. The iconic Big Five are at home on Kapama, but so too are over 40 other mammal species and 350 different types of birds. Game drives and bush walks offer fascinating encounters with wildlife as well as a unique African wildlife experience.

 

Single supplements available!
Call your local Merit Travel expert.

https://dev.merittravel.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2017-The-Wonders-of-South-Africa-Hosted-Tour-En-FA-LR.pdf” style=”text-decoration: none; float: left;”> VIEW PDF

Highlights:

Cape Town | Robben Island | Franschhoek | Plettenberg Bay | Durban | Johannesburg | Apartheid Museum | Mandela House | Kapama Private Game Reserve

Includes:

• Round-trip airfare
• Plaza Premium airport lounge pass
• Domestic flights
• Cape Town: four nights 5-star hotel accommodation at the Radisson Red V & A Waterfront Hotel (studio room)
• Franschhoek: two nights 5-star hotel accommodation Le Quartier Francais (luxury room)
• Plettenberg Bay: two night 5-star hotel accommodation Robberg Beach Lodge (luxury room)
• Eastern Free State: two nights 4-star hotel accommodation Protea Hotel Marriott The Clarens (standard room)
• Johannesburg: three nights 5-star hotel accommodation at the Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton (standard room)
• Kapama Game Reserve: five nights 5-star accommodation Kapama River Lodge on a fully inclusive basis (standard suite)
• 18 breakfasts, 12 lunches, 14 dinners
• Sightseeing and entrance fees as per the itinerary
• Private motor coach transportation
• Safari: 6-8 passengers per vehicle
• Local English speaking tour guide
• Services of local English speaking guides
• South Africa destination guidebook
• Merit Travel tour host**
• All taxes and gratuities

Level of support:

Merit Travel Hosted

Related Services Available to Add:

18 nights

$14,995* p.p.


Activity Level:
Sight-seeing

Group size: 24 maximum

Departs Toronto:
Feb. 28, 2019

Need more Options?

Find a travel expert

We can customize the perfect trip for your budget and interests.

View Itinerary +

Breakfast Incl. (B), Lunch Incl. (L), Dinner Incl.(D)

DAY 1 | Feb. 28, 2019 | Toronto - Cape Town
Board overnight flight to Cape Town, South Africa.

DAY 2 | Mar. 1, 2019 | Cape Town
Upon arrival at Cape Town Airport, meet your local representative and transfer to hotel for check in.

Enjoy a welcome reception at the hotel with your group.

Cape Town has much to offer the eager visitor including pristine beaches, world-class vineyards, whale watching, hiking, mountain biking, an assortment of cultural experiences and plenty of good food.

Overnight at the Radisson Red V&A Waterfront Hotel (4 nights)

DAY 3 | Mar. 2, 2019 | Cape Town (B, L, D)
Following breakfast at the hotel, we'll explore the beauty of Cape Town and enjoy breathtaking panoramic views from the top of Table Mountain. Then we'll explore the city center on a drive around the Malay Quarter, Company Gardens, Castle of Good Hope, Diamond Works, and Milnerton.

Tonight, we'll enjoy an African wine and dinner experience at the Gold Restaurant.

DAY 4 | Mar. 3, 2019 | Cape Town (B, L)
After breakfast, we'll start a full day of touring exploring the Cape Peninsula. We'll travel along the Atlantic Seaboard, passing the beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay – which have been awarded Blue Flag status. These beaches offer pristine white sand and beautiful clear water (if slightly cold), that have made them very popular with locals and visitors alike.

The tour continues, passed the Twelve Apostle Mountains on it’s way to Hout Bay, along Chapman’s Peak Drive. Chapman's Peak Drive with its tight turns and steep cliffs is breathtaking and offers many photo opportunities. Boulders Beach Penguin Colony on the shores of False Bay allows us to get close to some of the best loved inhabitants of the Cape Peninsula before we start our journey back to Cape Town over the Steenberg on Ou Kaapseweg.

DAY 5 | Mar. 4, 2019 | Cape Town (B, D)
After breakfast, we board a boat to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Robben Island. Robben Island is infamous for being used as a prison for nearly 400 years as well as where former President Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.

This evening we transfer to Camps Bay and enjoy dinner at Umi Restaurant.

DAY 6 | Mar. 5, 2019 | Cape Town - Franschhoek (B, L, D)
After breakfast we check out and commence our private half day winelands tours, including lunch and wine tastings at Delaire Graff estate.

Enjoy Africa’s finest wines, from illustrious reds and whites to sparkling wine and delightful rosé, crafted from vine to bottle with the expert hands of their our winemaker, Morné Vrey.

We then check in to our hotel in time for dinner.

Overnight at Le Quartier Français (2 nights)

DAY 7 | Mar. 6, 2019 | Franschhoek (B, L)
Today after breakfast we enjoy a full day of wine activities and breathtaking scenery of the Cape Winelands. Become acquainted with Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Paarl while you ride through beautiful countryside with picturesque vineyards with over 300 years of history.

DAY 8 | Mar. 7, 2019 | Franschhoek - Plettenberg Bay (B, D)
After breakfast and check out, we transfer from Franschoek to Plettenberg Bay, making a stop en route for lunch and then continuing on to our hotel.

This evening we will enjoy a group dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Overnight at The Robberg Beach Lodge (2 nights)

DAY 9 | Mar. 8, 2019 | Plettenberg Bay (B, D)
After breakfast we have a full day at leisure to enjoy Plettenberg Bay. Plettenberg Bay is a picturesque, charming town with miles of pristine beaches, tranquil lagoons, clean rivers, indigenous forests and a dramatic rocky peninsula. Playground to the wealthy, beach mansions overlook the Indian Ocean, often dotted with luxury yachts, while leisure time is given over to polo and golf, among other things.

Dinner at the hotel in the evening.

DAY 10 | Mar. 9, 2019 | Plettenberg Bay - Eastern Free State (B, D)
After breakfast today, we transfer to Port Elizabeth airport for our flight to Durban. Upon arrival in Durban, we transfer to Clarens to check in to our hotel and enjoy dinner.

The Eastern Free State is situated in the eastern quadrant of the South African province of the Free State. Featuring sprawling grass plains fringed by majestic mountains, this area possesses an alluring beauty. The spectacularly scenic landscape provides visitors with a plethora of historical, cultural, and natural destinations to explore.

Overnight at Protea Hotel Marriot The Clarens (2 nights)

DAY 11 | Mar. 10, 2019 | Eastern Free State (B, D)
After breakfast we depart for a dinosaur tour at Clarens where we'll see many examples of fossils from the area and get a very informative talk on the geological history.

We'll then be shown an ancient river/lake bed where the trackways of multiple species of dinosaurs and mammal-like reptiles can be seen.

Return to the hotel for dinner.

DAY 12 | Mar. 11, 2019 | Eastern Free State - Johannesburg (B, L)
After breakfast and check out, we join a cultural village tour of Basotho and Lesedi and stop for lunch en route to Johannesburg. Johannesburg is one of Africa’s biggest and most vibrant cities. There are excellent museums, art galleries, restaurants to cater to all tastes, and the shopping is Southern Africa’s best .

Overnight at The Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton (3 nights)

DAY 13 | Mar. 12, 2019 | Johannesburg (B, L, D)
Following breakfast at the hotel, we proceed on a private Apartheid Museum and Soweto tour including lunch and a visit to former President, Nelson Mandela's house. Follow the story of the legendary leader to get an understanding of where he started his fight against Apartheid.

DAY 14 | Mar. 13, 2019 | Johannesburg (B, L, D)
After breakfast at the hotel, we start our day with a private UNESCO Cradle of Humanity Tour and dine at a local restaurant for lunch.

This designated UNESCO world Heritage site is home to some of the world's oldest hominid fossils. Delve into paleontological mysteries at the world-famous Sterkfontein caves, and then spot wildlife as you cruise around the Lion and Safari Park.

Later we'll enjoy a tapas-style dinner at Sun Deck at Sandton Sun with some champagne upon arrival.

DAY 15 | Mar. 14, 2019 | Johannesburg - Kapama Private Game Reserve (B, L, D)
After breakfast at the hotel and check out, we'll transfer to the airport for our flight to Hoedspruit. Upon arrival we transfer to the allinclusive Kapama Private Game Reserve. We will spend the next five nights enjoying this wonderful place.

The Kapama Private Game Reserve is an African Eden, sweeping across the Savannah and riverine forest. The iconic Big Five are at home on Kapama, but so too are over 40 other mammal species and 350 different types of birds. We'll enjoy game drive, bush walks and fascinating encounters with wildlife.

Overnight at The Kapama River Lodge (5 nights)

DAY 16 | Mar. 15, 2019 | Kapama Private Game Reserve (B, L, D)
Today is day one of our Safari adventures in Kapama. Today includes a full day of game drives, meals and drinks.

DAY 17 | Mar. 16, 2019 | Kapama Private Game Reserve (B, L, D)
Day two of Safari adventures in Kapama. Today includes a full day of game drives, meals and drinks.

DAY 18 | Mar. 17, 2019 | Kapama Private Game Reserve (B, L, D)
Day three of Safari adventures in Kapama. Today includes a full day of game drives, meals and drinks.

DAY 19 | Mar. 18, 2019 | Kapama Private Game Reserve (B, L, D)
Day four of Safari adventures in Kapama. Today includes a full day of game drives, meals and drinks.

We finish the day with a farewell dinner.

DAY 20 | Mar. 19, 2019 | Kapama Private Game Reserve - Johannesburg - Toronto (B)
After breakfast at the Kapama, we transfer to Hoedspruit for our flight to Johannesburg and then our international flights home.

Location Map:


Operated by Merit Travel.
Not included: any personal expenses, such as insurance, passport fees, any meals, or items not mentioned.
*Prices are in CDN$ per person, double occupancy. Taxes included. Single supplement add $3,900. Airfare available from most Canadian airports, please enquire.
**Minimum 10 passengers required for a Merit Travel tour host.

® Merit Travel trademark owned by, and use is granted by, Merit Travel Group Inc. Offers are based on availability and may be subject to change. Certain exclusions, limitations and restrictions may apply. For full terms and conditions visit, https://dev.merittravel.com/terms-and-conditions/.

Fill out my online form.

Why Us

Travel Experts bring you top value, first-hand knowledge and unique travel experiences.



PERSONAL SERVICE
and value-add inclusions and travel savings exclusively for students, teachers or if you're under 30.
BEST VALUE
guarantee on thousands of cruise vacations with the worlds best cruise lines.
HOTEL DEALS
and special amenities at the world's highest-rated hotels.
EXCLUSIVE PRIVILEGES
like private shore excursions with your own private car and driver.
Travel insurance Compare Plans
Hotel privileges Browse
Travel blog Must Read
Travel news Sign Up