Cape Town + Kruger

Five days in Cape Town, with Table Mountain, the Cape Peninsula and the Winelands, followed by four nights of game drives in a private reserve in Greater Kruger. A balanced first trip to South Africa that we shape around you.

Every journey is customizable. Use our featured journeys as inspiration. We'll tailor the dates, hotels, activities, pace and budget around you.

Highlights

• Table Mountain and the City Bowl

  Ride the cableway for views over the city and Atlantic coast, then explore the Bo-Kaap and the District Six Museum.

• Cape Point and the penguins

  A coastal day to the Cape of Good Hope with a stop at the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach.

• A day in the Winelands

  Tastings at hand-picked estates around Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, with lunch among the vineyards.

• Big Five country in Greater Kruger

  Game drives in open vehicles with a ranger and tracker, in a private reserve with unfenced borders to the national park.

• After-dark drives and bush walks

  Private reserves allow spotlight drives after sunset and, at many lodges, guided walks with an armed ranger.

Suggested day-by-day

A starting point, not a fixed schedule — we adjust every day to suit you.

1. 1
   Day 1Arrive in Cape TownCape Town, South Africa+

   Your driver meets you at Cape Town International Airport for the drive of roughly 20 to 40 minutes, depending on traffic, to your hotel. If you arrive in time, take a gentle first walk along the Sea Point promenade or the V&A Waterfront at sunset.

   • Private airport transfer
   • Welcome briefing and local tips
   • Optional sunset walk

   Boutique four-star hotel in the City Bowl or on the Atlantic Seaboard, or similar · Cape Town
2. 2
   Day 2Table Mountain and the City BowlCape Town+

   With a private guide, ride the cableway up Table Mountain early, when the air is often clearest. Afterwards, explore the Bo-Kaap and its Cape Malay heritage, the Company's Garden, and the District Six Museum, which tells the story of forced removals under apartheid.

   • Table Mountain cableway (weather permitting)
   • Guided walk through the Bo-Kaap
   • District Six Museum
   • Afternoon at leisure

   Boutique four-star hotel or similar · Cape TownBreakfast
3. 3
   Day 3The Cape PeninsulaCape Peninsula+

   Follow the coast road over Chapman's Peak (when open) to the Cape of Good Hope section of Table Mountain National Park, where a short walk or funicular ride leads up to the old lighthouse at Cape Point. On the way back, visit the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach and have lunch in a harbor village such as Kalk Bay.

   • Scenic drive over Chapman's Peak
   • Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope
   • Boulders Beach penguin colony
   • Seafood lunch in a fishing village

   Boutique four-star hotel or similar · Cape TownBreakfast
4. 4
   Day 4A day in the Cape WinelandsStellenbosch and Franschhoek+

   Drive about an hour inland to the mountain-ringed valleys of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Your guide chooses estates to match your taste, from historic Cape Dutch homesteads to modern wineries, with an unhurried lunch between tastings.

   • Private guided Winelands day
   • Tastings at two or three estates
   • Lunch at a winery restaurant
   • Stroll through Stellenbosch's oak-lined streets

   Boutique four-star hotel or similar · Cape TownBreakfast, Lunch
5. 5
   Day 5A flexible day in Cape TownCape Town+

   This free day is your backup if wind closed the cableway earlier in the week, and a chance to follow your own interests. Take the ferry to Robben Island, join a Cape Malay cooking class, hike Lion's Head, or browse the galleries and design shops of Woodstock.

   • Optional Robben Island tour (book ahead)
   • Optional Cape Malay cooking class
   • Optional guided hike up Lion's Head
   • Free time in the city

   Boutique four-star hotel or similar · Cape TownBreakfast
6. 6
   Day 6Fly to the Kruger areaGreater Kruger+

   Fly to Skukuza, Hoedspruit or Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, depending on your lodge, either directly or via Johannesburg according to the day's schedules. Transfer to your lodge in a private reserve that shares unfenced borders with Kruger National Park, in time for your first afternoon game drive.

   • Domestic flight to the Kruger area
   • Transfer to your lodge
   • Afternoon game drive with a ranger and tracker
   • Dinner under the stars

   Upscale safari lodge in a private reserve, or similar · Private reserve, Greater KrugerDinner
7. 7–9
   Days 7–9Big Five game drivesGreater Kruger+

   Days follow the rhythm of the bush: an early drive with a coffee stop, brunch at the lodge, a quiet midday, then an afternoon drive that ends with sundowners and a spotlight drive back after dark. Your ranger and tracker work together to find leopard, lion, elephant, buffalo and rhino, though no sighting is ever guaranteed.

   • Morning and afternoon game drives in an open 4x4
   • Guided bush walk with an armed ranger (where offered)
   • Sundowners in the bush
   • Optional Panorama Route day trip (extra cost)

   Upscale safari lodge in a private reserve, or similar · Private reserve, Greater KrugerBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
8. 10
   Day 10Depart via JohannesburgGreater Kruger to Johannesburg+

   Head out on a final morning game drive, then transfer to the airstrip or airport for your flight to Johannesburg, where you connect to your international flight home. We plan this day around your departure time so you are never rushed.

   • Final morning game drive
   • Transfer to the airport
   • Flight to Johannesburg to connect

   Breakfast

Make it yours

A few of the ways travelers tailor this journey:

• Stay in the Winelands

  Swap the day trip for two or three nights in Franschhoek or Stellenbosch, with time for cycling, food and wine.

• Add the Garden Route

  Take three or four extra days to drive the coast toward Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, with forest walks and ocean views.

• Book a private vehicle on safari

  An exclusive vehicle lets families and photographers set their own pace at every sighting (extra cost).

• Time it for whale season

  Southern right whales typically visit the coast from about July to November. Add a night in Hermanus to watch from the cliffs.

• Add Victoria Falls

  A short flight from Johannesburg reaches Victoria Falls for two or three nights at the end of your trip.

Best months

1. Jan
2. Feb
3. ✓ Mar
4. ✓ Apr
5. ✓ May
6. Jun
7. Jul
8. Aug
9. ✓ Sep
10. ✓ Oct
11. ✓ Nov
12. Dec