Day 1 - Arrive Cape Town, South Africa
| Check-in to the deluxe Portswood Hotel, ideally located near the historic city docks - an area now abuzz with restaurants, theaters, and shops. |
Day 2 - Cape Peninsula Excursion
Leaving the city, you’ll journey along the Atlantic seaboard, passing the charming seaside towns of Bantry Bay and Clifton. A stop along the rugged coast offers breathtaking views of the mountain peaks known as the Twelve Apostles. Continue to the fishing village of Hout Bay for a boat excursion to Duiker Island, home to an enormous colony of Cape Fur seals.
The road from Hout Bay along Chapmans Peak, 2,000 feet above the ocean, is considered one of the most spectacular coastal drives in the world. Your destination is the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve where you’ll dine in an inviting restaurant along the seacoast. Your afternoon drive takes you to the tip of the Cape Peninsula, home to the iconic Cape Point Lighthouse, with spectacular views overlooking False Bay. The rocky coastline is a birder’s paradise, with African Black Oystercatchers, Avocets, and Protea Canaries.
Continue to the Cape of Good Hope, the southwestern-most point of the Continent, and then drive along False Bay to Boulders Beach, home to African Penguins. Return to Cape Town and freshen up at the hotel before dining this evening at GOLD, an eclectic restaurant with a respected Cape Malay and African kitchen. Meals B,L,D |
Day 3 - Discover Cape Town
Today’s sightseeing begins with a cable car ascent up Table Mountain for stunning views over Cape Town and the sea. Back in the city, continue your touring through Bo-Kaap, one of the city’s most historic and culturally interesting neighborhoods, and the Malay Quarter, a district of cobbled streets with brightly colored, centuries-old homes.
Browse the shops and vendors of lively Greenmarket Square and visit the moving District Six Museum. Continue on to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, set along the slopes of Table Mountain. You’ll have lunch at the Silvertree Restaurant, located here in one of the world’s greatest botanical gardens. After dining, there’s time to stroll in this magnificent garden before returning to your hotel in the late afternoon. This evening is at leisure to enjoy at your own pace. Meals B,L |
Day 4 - Cape Town / Cape Wine Route / Spier Estate - Winelands
Today promises a leisurely experience as you explore three charming villages of the Cape Winelands. The town of Franschhoek is encircled by spectacular mountains and was the historic home of the Cape’s French Huguenots. Picturesque Paarl sits along the Berg River in the shadow of gigantic granite domes. Stellenbosch, founded in 1685, is also a vibrant university town and its charming oak-shaded streets are home to restaurants, galleries and shops situated in historic, architecturally significant buildings. Stellenbosch is the second-oldest city in the country and one of the most delightful historic towns in all South Africa with marvelous examples of Cape Dutch, Georgian, Victorian and Regency architecture.
This memorable day includes also lunch and a visit to the historic Boschendal estate, with its beautifully preserved Cape Dutch buildings and a breathtaking collection of period furniture that offers insight into the lives of early settlers in the Cape. Of course, we’ve also arranged for wine tastings at some of the best vineyard estates in the area.
Your day ends at the Village at Spier Hotel located on the historic Spier Wine Estate, founded in 1692. Charming guestrooms are clustered around six secluded courtyards and connected by gardens, paths, and waterways. Meals B,L |
Day 5 - Winelands / Cape Town / Kapama Private Game Reserve
| After breakfast, travel back to Cape Town for a short flight north into the heart of South Africa’s best wildlife area. You’ll be met at the regional airport and escorted to the Kapama Private Game Reserve, one of the country’s largest privately-owned reserves and renowned for its high density of big game animals. Settle-in to your inviting guestroom at the Kapama River Lodge and then join your safari guide for a thrilling late afternoon game drive. Tonight, enjoy dinner at the Lodge. Meals B,L,D |
Day 6 - The Thrill of Safari
| Your early morning game drive is an excellent time to sight wildlife, including the Big Five. Return to the Lodge for breakfast and enjoy the morning at leisure. Your spacious, log-beamed guestroom has a private terrace overlooking the bush, a great place to enjoy this quintessential African landscape. Later after lunch, take a dip in the rim-flow pool overlooking a near-by watering hole or relax in the cozy lounge. In the late afternoon, join your expert tracker for another thrilling safari drive. Meals B,L,D |
Day 7 - More Thrills on General Tours Private Reserve
| A second unforgettable day unfolds here at the Kapama Private Game Reserve where we’ve arranged morning and afternoon safari drives. Because you’re on privately-owned land and not a government-run park, your game drives promise greater flexibility, even going off-road if that’s where the animals are! The reserve is rich with big game, and you’re likely to have amazing encounters with giraffes, hippos, zebras, antelopes, and – with a bit of luck – all of the Big Five! You’ll also have down time to enjoy the fabulous amenities of your Lodge. Meals B,L,D |
Day 8 - Kapama Private Game Reserve Departure
| Your program with us finishes this morning. Or, discover more of Africa and the world with General Tours flexible and affordable FreeStyle Add-ons. Escorted transfers to the regional airport are also available for purchase along with General Tours attractively-priced international and intra-Africa airfares. Meals B |
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