Cape Town, the Garden Route & Safari incl. Dubai extension

Depart for Cape Town to enjoy the beauty of South Africa's Garden Route and one of the many highlights of the trip, a Big Five game safari ! At the end, discover Dubai in the United Arab Emirates at your leisure for three nights.

We have arrived! On arrival in Cape Town, we meet our local representative in the airport. Let's kick start our holiday off with a trip to Table Mountain, (weather permitting) for a cable car ride taking in the spectacular views of the city, stretching to False Bay, including Robben Island and the Devil’s Peak on a clear day. After our exhilarating excursion to Table Mountain, we continue to our hotel, taking a short orientation tour en-route.

Let's unpack and relax more after our flight, and excursion up Table Mountain.  We spend the next three nights in Cape Town.

We depart Cape Town and make our way towards Stellenbosch the picturesque Winelands countryside. Soak up the incredible scenery of rolling vineyards while sampling some of South Africa’s tasty wines and enjoy a game of wine blending. After our wine blending experience we savour a some lunch (included).  After we will take a very short walking tour of Stellenbosch town before making our way back to Cape Town.

Arrive back and enjoy the evening at leisure.

On today’s guided Cape Peninsula excursion, we will be treated to some of the most breath-taking scenery in the world! Taking in a drive along the coastal route, overlooking the rocky peninsula with stunning views of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans along the way. Also included is Cape Point, Boulders Beach for an up close and personal encounter with African Penguins and the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, where the Portuguese explorer Bartholomeu Dias first established trading routes between Africa and Asia in the fifteenth century. En- route to our hotel we take the opportunity to visit the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

Lunch is included today.

After, we make our way back to our hotel and relax. Tomorrow is another day of exploring.

This morning we depart for Robben Island, weather permitting. All aboard! We catch the boat from the Victoria & Alfred waterfront out to Robben Island, located almost 7km off the coast in Table Bay. The notorious island is internationally known as the location where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Today the island is a UNESCO world heritage site and a living museum, welcoming thousands of visitors every year. See more on your guided tour of the island and museum. Afterwards we catch the boat back and transfer onwards to our next destination.

Please note: Your next destination can vary according to your chosen date of departure, to Arniston or Hermanus.

We say farewell to Cape Town and transfer onwards to the tranquil and small fishing village of Arniston for the next two nights of our stay, depending on your chosen date of travel.

This quaint village is an attraction for artists and photographers, known for its prettiness, rolling sand dunes, blue sea and rugged cliffs. The transfer will take approximately three hours (210km).

We have arrived in Arniston, let's settle in and relax for the rest of our evening.

Depending on which date you booked your itinerary will include two nights in Hermanus (instead of Arniston). Please enquire with your sales agent for available dates and more details.

We have arrived in Hermanus, settle in and relax for the evening.

2025 Arniston

This morning let's discover Arniston together on an orientation walk. The rest of your day is a free day to embrace the essence of this enchanting seaside destination. Take a leisurely stroll and fully enjoy the refreshing sea breeze. Ask your guide to tell you more insider tips on must-see attractions for you to discover.

2025 Arniston optional excursion:

Discover Arniston with a local guide on a history and cultural walking tour. Visit the fishing village of Kassiebaai, a heritage site; weather and tide permitting, we  will climb into the Waenhhuiskrans (via the cliffs) to see where endangered cormorants' nest. Uncover more on a walking tour of Arniston.

Sturdy, non slip shoes are recommended. This tour will involve walking for approximately 2.5 hours at a leisurely pace.

Please note this may not be a private Travel Department tour and subject to minimum numbers.

Hermanus

This morning let's discover Hermanus together on an orientation walk. The rest of your day is a free day to embrace the essence of this enchanting seaside destination. Take a leisurely stroll and fully enjoy the refreshing sea breeze, coastal walks, and small shops. Ask your guide to tell you more insider tips on must-see attractions for you to discover.

After breakfast transfer from Hermanus or Arniston (depending on your chosen date) along the N2 via Mossel Bay to Knysna, enjoying some of the most scenic landscape in the world along the Garden Route, the journey will take approximately four and a half hours drive to the coastal town of Knysna (364km). The town lies on the Knysna lagoon, the mouth of which is guarded by two promontories known as ‘The Heads’ and is famed, due to the number of sailors who lost their lives sailing through this dangerous stretch.

We spend the next two nights of our holiday in Knysna.

Dinner is included tonight.

Today we visit the Featherbed Nature Reserve. We travel by ferry across the Knysna Lagoon. The reserve lies on the unspoilt western head of Knysna, where we will be driven in a 4x4 to see stunning views and beautiful flora and fauna.

We savour a buffet lunch (included) sitting underneath a canopy of Milkwood trees. Also included is the option to take a guided walk through coastal forest and fynbos into ancient sea caves. Please ensure to wear good sturdy shoes for this walking excursion.

Note: Please note your visit to the Featherbed Nature Reserve is subject to weather conditions.  If possible, another attempt will be made and/or an alternative excursion organised.  Our guide will reconfirm the arrangements locally.

After our nature reserve excursion we return to our hotel and enjoy the afternoon at leisure to further explore Knysna.

Today, we travel by coach to Tsitsikamma, where we experience the dramatic coastal areas of the Garden Route and where the forest meets ocean. Discover the beauty of Tsitsikama National Park! A glorious 10km stretch of wild and rocky coastline characterised by massive cliffs, narrow isolated beaches and shady indigenous forest, composed of Stink Woods and Yellow Woods along the river valleys.

After our morning of discovery we make our way onwards to our hotel in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) for the night.

The journey today will take approximately three and a half hours (261km). Check into our hotel, and take the opportunity to relax for the evening. Charge up your cameras, polish up your binoculars for tomorrow, as we are going on safari!

Let's see more! We transfer by coach on to Kariega Game Reserve approximately two hours journey (144km), where we  spend the next three nights.

Kariega is a family-owned and operated private safari reserve located in South Africa's Eastern Cape and is situated along the Garden Route.

Make sure to have your camera ready, as animals can appear at any time, not just while on a safari drive!

We have arrived. We enjoy a spot of lunch at the lodge before we set off on our first game drive in the Kariega Game Reserve! The experienced game rangers will try to bring you as close to the Big 5 - lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard as well as a multitude of other African wild game, and bird species. Now is the moment to have the camera ready in anticipation for your game drive, one of the highlights of this tour!

After our exhilarating game drive experience we return to the lodge. Dinner will be served at the lodge. Savour the evening at leisure, and enjoy the beautiful calm surroundings of your lodge. 

It’s time for safari! We set off early in the morning while it’s still cool and the animals are most active, in an open top four-wheel drive vehicle to explore some of the magnificent 10,000 hectares of Kariega Game Reserve. If you are lucky today, you might witness a lion hunting, or the heart-warming social interactions of an elephant herd keep your eyes peeled!

We return to the lodge for lunch and depart in the afternoon for a second game drive in the reserve today. You might be able to see other species such as hippo, hyena, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, eland, kudu, waterbuck and a variety of other antelope, as well as a myriad of bird species including the nesting crowned eagle, martial and fish eagles.

We return and enjoy the rest of our evening at leisure.

Another very early morning start, this time we drive through a different area of the park in search of some new species of birds and animals to add to what we experienced yesterday.

After enjoying lunch at the lodge, we savour our last game drive in the reserve. This is your last chance to see the big 5 so keep your eyes peeled!

Today we say farewell and transfer to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) Airport for our flight to Dubai, the journey will take approximately two hours (144km). Check in for your flight to Dubai after enjoying the many memorable highlights South Africa has to offer.

On arrival in Dubai you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

Spend three nights in Dubai on a bed and breakfast basis.

*Please note: Your extension in Dubai will be on an individual basis rather than as part of a group and that guide services are not included for this part of the tour.

Early check in is guaranteed for early AM arrivals in 2024.

For the following arrivals, due to early flights departing 7am from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg a city tour is now included for the following dates below:

Johannesburg City Tour

We have arrived in Johannesburg airport. Let's collect our bags on arrival in Johannesburg airport and meet our guide in arrivals.

Let’s experience more as we embark on a tour of Johannesburg including Soweto. Discover constitution Hill and the Apartheid Museum or Nelson Mandela's house (depending on your date of travel).

We discover more with a panoramic tour passing Soccer City and enjoy some free time for lunch (included).

Return to the airport in the afternoon for our return flights home.

These dates will include the Apartheid Museum (unless closed and will be replaced with Nelson Mandela's House).

• 12th May 2025
• 13th June 2025 

These dates will include Nelson Mandela's House unless closed (replaced with Apartheid Museum).

• 03 September 2025 & 29th September 2025
• 17th October 2025

Discover Dubai at your leisure for the next two full days. Enjoy an independent stay in Dubai, a cosmopolitan city where the traditional and contemporary meet. You could visit Jumeirah Mosque, Dubai’s largest mosque, or Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and enjoy a bird’s eye view of the city. Or you could relax on the beach, or shop till you drop in one of the many Dubai Shopping Malls!

Transfer to Dubai Airport for your flight home.