13 Day South African Explorer
Experience a superior level of comfort. Our Small Group tours have been crafted for Inspiring Vacations travellers exclusively, with personal and unique experiences in mind. Travel with no more than 26 people, allowing for a more personalised and immersive experience. Please see the Important Information on your selected tour for the exact group size.
This tour is fully escorted by a dedicated tour leader who will accompany you throughout the tour. If your tour includes multiple countries, you will be met by a new tour leader in each country and any internal flights included will be unescorted.
This tour is categorised as 3 out of 5
Balanced exploration with walking tours: Our most popular style, this tour offers a good mix of planned activities and free time. Expect moderate daily walking tours, so pack comfortable shoes.
As a general requirement across all of our trips, you may be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off transportation, handle your own luggage, and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability and where required, supporting documentation may be requested to ensure that we are comfortable that you will enjoy your trip.
✓ Add return international airfares from $999 per person
✓ Small group tour, up to 18 guests only
✓ Incredible sightseeing including two unforgettable game drives through Kruger National Park for your chance to spot the "Big Five" and touring along the spectacular Garden Route, stopping at some of South Africa's most beautiful natural wonders
✓ 12 nights in boutique hotel and lodge accommodation
✓ Breakfast daily, 1 lunch and 4 dinners
✓ Fully escorted by a professional English-speaking tour guide
✓ Internal domestic flight from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg
✓ Comfortable, dedicated transportation throughout
✓ In-depth sightseeing and entrance fees as per the itinerary
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
Upon arrival into Cape Town, enjoy a private transfer to your hotel located within easy reach to all the eateries, entertainment and shopping that the V&A Waterfront has to offer.
Take the evening to relax after your flight and prepare for your first full day of touring tomorrow.
Arrival airport transfers are included as part of your package. You will be met upon arrival at the airport and transferred to your hotel.
If Inspiring Vacations has not provided your international airfares, please ensure you provide your flight details via your Traveller Hub portal no later than 90 days prior to travel so that your transfers can be confirmed.
Please note: if you are arriving early and have made your own arrangements prior to your tour commencing, airport transfers will not be included. However, if you are purchasing pre-nights accommodation as part of your Inspiring Vacations package, airport transfers will still be provided to the starting hotel.
This morning you will be met by your local tour guide and depart for the scenic Garden Route. Travel along Sir Lowry’s Pass, with its magnificent views, to Grabouw and Elgin, a lush landscape surrounded by majestic mountains. Stop en route at a farmstall packed with locally produced products from the area.
Our journey continues to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. The area has largely been untouched and unexplored with its rugged coastline being the graveyard for many a ship.
The historic Cape Agulhas Lighthouse is considered the icon that signifies the tip of Africa. After this thrilling experience, we continue via historic Swellendam and the Tradouw Pass to Barrydale and the famous Route 62. Sample top quality port style wines in Calitzdorp, before continuing to Oudtshoorn, the ‘ostrich feather capital’ and centre of the world’s Ostrich farming industry. Enjoy dinner at an Ostrich Farm, dining on local specialities such as Ostrich Steak.
Please note: For all 2023 departures, you will overnight in Mossel Bay staying at the 3 star Diaz Hotel & Resort (or similar). Dinner is not included on this day and instead will be taken on Day 3.
After a leisurely breakfast take a tour of the spectacular limestone caverns of the Cango Caves, one of the world’s great natural wonders, sculpted by nature through the ages. Afterwards enjoy a wine tasting at a local wine estate in the scenic Schoemanshoek Valley. Return to Oudtshoorn for a fun filled interactive guided tour at a working Ostrich Farm then enjoy the rest of your day at leisure.
After breakfast, travel over the Outeniqua Pass to George, the sixth oldest town in South Africa and home to many historical landmarks including the Slave Tree and King Edward VII Library building, said to be the best example of Edwardian architecture in the town.
Our tour continues via Wilderness, an attractive holiday resort, to Knysna, known as the oyster box of South Africa, nestling on the banks of a beautiful lagoon in the heart of the Garden Route. Journey into the magical Knysna Forests, the stamping ground of the elusive Knysna elephants. Discover the stories of the woodcutters who worked the forests, the elephants that were hunted to extinction and the discovery of gold. While there, be sure to also visit the Dalene Matthee Big Tree Memorial. This enormous Yellowwood tree has been growing for over 880 years and was named after Matthee, the best known author of four books on the Knysna Forest. Enjoy a delicious lunch, in the forest, of traditional cuisine and local treats at Totties Farm Kitchen.
Today you’ll have the opportunity to further explore the natural beauty of the Knysna area. Visit the Forest Legends Museum, the colourful Old Suzie steam engine and the stately Old Forester’s House, home of forester David Ernest Hutchins, who was the first person to manage the indigenous forest in a sustainable manner.
Afterwards you’ll have the opportunity to visit Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary, where you will be able to see a variety of primates, roaming free in the forest. This award-winning sanctuary is well known for its efforts to rehabilitate and free previously caged primates. Our visit here ensures that these already endangered species can survive and reproduce for a future reintroduction into the wild.
Our tour continues to the famous Eastern Head for spectacular views of the Knysna Heads (weather permitting). Afterwards we’ll travel to Brenton on Sea, a breath-taking holiday location and a nature lover’s paradise with its unspoilt beaches and peaceful surroundings. Enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at your leisure to explore.
Today we travel to Plettenberg Bay, considered the jewel of the Garden Route, for a visit to the Birds of Eden sanctuary, the biggest single free flight aviary in the world. Developed to create a safe environment for free-flight African bird, our visit here today goes towards protecting these species into the future.
We’ll then continue to Bloukrans Bridge, the highest single span arch bridge in the world. For the more adventurous, the Bloukrans Bridge is also home to the highest commercially operated bungy jump in the world!
Our day ends with a visit to Tsitsikamma National Park and, should weather be permitting, Storms River Mouth. The Tsitsikamma National Park encompasses 80km of rocky coastline and is filled with spectacular landscapes including Fynbos-covered mountains and deep river gorges leading down to the sea.
Head eastwards along the Tsitsikamma Forest to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), affectionately known as the “friendly city”. Travel to Chief Dawid Stuurman Airport for an onward flight to Johannesburg, where you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is yours to relax.
Spend a full day exploring Soweto and its surrounds, where some of the watershed events in the struggle against apartheid occurred. The tour starts with a drive past the FNB Stadium, also known as Soccer City and the venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final. It was also the site of Nelson Mandela’s first speech in Johannesburg after his release from prison in 1990.
We’ll continue through Diepkloof, home to Soweto’s richest and then to Kliptown, where the Freedom Charter was officially adopted in 1955. Drive past the Regina Mundi Church that played a pivotal role in the township’s history of resistance against apartheid and then onto Vilakazi Street, the most famous street in Soweto, where two Nobel Prize winners once lived; Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.
The afternoon will conclude with visits to the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum that commemorate the role of the country’s students in the struggle against apartheid and the prestigious Apartheid Museum, that covers the full history of the Apartheid era in South Africa.
Today is yours to enjoy at leisure. Continue to explore the sights of Johannesburg independently or join one of the available optional tours.
Experience the birthplace of human life at the Cradle of Humankind, visit the Maropeng Museum and explore the Sterkfontein Caves, discovery site of Mrs Ples, the first complete Australopithecus skull.
Explore the highlights of Pretoria, including Paul Kruger House, Church Square, the Voortrekker Monument, Union Buildings and City Hall.
This morning you will be collected from your hotel, heading east to the Mpumalanga region. After freshening up at your lodge enter the world-famous Kruger National Park and spend the afternoon game viewing in your closed touring vehicle.
Kruger National Park offers some of the best game viewing and wildlife opportunities in the world – and you’ll soon appreciate the challenges of managing this unique reserve. After an action-packed afternoon in the Kruger Park, enjoy authentic cuisine from the region at your hotel.
The day begins with early morning coffee or tea, followed by a thrilling open vehicle game safari through the Kruger National Park with pre-packed breakfast. Your guide will endeavour to spoil you with sightings of the “Big Five”, general game and prolific bird life. After your game drive, return to the lodge and take some time to relax and enjoy the resort facilities.
This afternoon enjoy another thrilling game drive in your closed touring vehicle to pursue the Big Five and other rare and endangered species. Return to the lodge for another delicious dinner at your hotel.
Enjoy breakfast before setting out to explore the magnificent Panorama Route, one of the most scenic routes in the region, offering glorious views, spectacular landscapes, and exquisite waterfalls. Visit majestic sights including God’s Window, the Three Rondavels and Blyde River Canyon – the third largest canyon of its kind in the world. We’ll also visit Bourke’s Luck Potholes and the charming village of Graskop, one of the first gold mining camps in the country.
For those who’d prefer to not join the Panorama Route tour, you’re welcome to take additional open vehicle game drives through Kruger National Park at your own expense.
This evening, return to your lodge for a delectable delectable dinner at your hotel.
Enjoy breakfast before starting the return journey to Johannesburg. Our tour ends upon arrival into Johannesburg at OR Tambo International Airport (at approximately 2.30pm).
Departure transfers are included as part of your package. You will be collected from your hotel at the appropriate time and transferred to the airport to meet your flight.
If Inspiring Vacations has not provided your international airfares, please ensure you provide your flight details via your Traveller Hub portal no later than 90 days prior to travel so that your transfers can be confirmed.
We offer two payment options – the choice is yours. Our advertised price is based on our 'Pay in Full' option, which includes a discount by making full payment at the time of booking. Alternatively, choose our 'Installment Payment Plan' option for the flexibility of incremental payments, beginning with a low deposit.
Please click 'Book Now' and proceed to the payment page to select your preferred option under the heading ‘Choose how to pay’. The total due will be reflected accordingly.
Pay In Full Option:
Installment Payment Plan Option:
Booking Process
Please refer to conditions below, which are agreed to at time of purchase.
Can I extend my stay pre- and/or post-tour?
This depends on the package you are booking.
Where available, extensions must be added at time of purchase and cannot be added post-purchase unless inside the 7-day cooling off period.
We can assist in arranging your airfares to accommodate an extension; however, you must also book the additional nights’ accommodation through us at time of booking (where available as an add-on):
When adding additional nights to your booking, the cost of the extra nights’ accommodation will be reflected on your invoice and payable with the final balance.
Airfare surcharges may apply if extending due to airfare seasonal changes and possible fare differences. These are payable at the time of selecting your desired airfare.
The second installment of your booking must be made before airfares can be booked.
Outside of extending your stay you must select Land Only if:
If you are interested in one of the above options, please select LAND ONLY at time of check-out and you will need to arrange your own airfares. Inspiring Vacations will not be accountable for flight delays or missed tour components due to late arrival or airline changes.
How to book my flights through the flight portal:
As the travel industry moves towards providing customers with more self-service options, we are excited that our customers will have the opportunity to book their flights through our flight portal. If this option is available to you, you will be notified once flights are available to book for your selected departure date. Flights may be booked by Inspiring Vacations at any time.
Please visit our FAQ for more information.
Conditions of flights for this package bookable by Inspiring Vacations:
Seat Selection & Frequent Flyer Points
Inspiring Vacations do not arrange seat selection. It is important to highlight that some airlines do not allow pre-selected seats or they may charge a fee to do so. We strongly suggest you contact the airline directly with seating allocation requirements and or arrive at the airport earlier to arrange your seating. While we do not add frequent flyer member details to bookings, you can do this directly with the airline once you have your flight information.
Online check-in
Some airlines may not permit online check-in where flights have been booked by a travel company. Where unavailable to do so online, you will be required to check-in at the airport. Inspiring Vacations cannot check-in online on behalf of our customers.
COVID-19
Due to COVID there maybe disruptions to standard operating schedules of particular components of this itinerary. Should a component be effected a substitute will be confirmed prior to departure.
Fitness Requirements
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
This particular tour is categorised as a”3”
3 – Moderate Tour: A good level of fitness and mobility is required, as this tour includes a moderate level of physical activity and is considered a medium-fast paced tour. You should be able to walk up and down stairs, get on and off the coach and able to walk reasonable distances of approximately 2 kilometres per day or more with ease. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability. If you have any form of walking aids, other than a walking stick or hiking poles, then this tour is not suitable.
Tipping
A friendly reminder that tipping is not included in your package. While tipping is not customary, it's of great significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels, inspires excellent service, and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry across many destinations.
You may also consider tipping your tour leader and driver for outstanding service throughout your trip. Remember, a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard. Bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only. All efforts will be made to meet your preferences, however, any changes are beyond our control.
Single Supplement
Single supplement is $978.00 per person, in addition to the twin-share price.
Triple Share
Not available.
Tour Length
The total length of the tour in days includes time spent in flight and is subject to change depending on the flight schedule, please refer to the day by day itinerary for the time spent on land.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is recommended to protect yourself against the unexpected. In addition to the support that a policy may provide, you may be asked to present a copy of your travel insurance documentation while traveling.
We have partnered with nib to offer our customers competitive rates for their travel insurance. You can book Comprehensive or Essentials cover for your domestic, international or multi-trip journeys simply by clicking HERE.
Note that Inspiring Vacations cannot provide advice with regards to any insurance product.
Visa & Passport Information
It is the traveller's responsibility to ensure they have a valid passport. The passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from the intended date of return.
Visa's may be required.
Please note that these details are subject to change without notice. We recommend visiting https://smartraveller.gov.au for up to date information in terms of entry requirements.
Tour Documentation
Final documentation including e-tickets and hotel details will be provided approximately 30 days prior to travel.
Group Size
2-18 people for 2023 departures
2-10 people for 2024 departures
Children
Children must be 5 years old or above and share a room with parents at all times. Children are charged the same price as adults.
Tour Style
To meet the needs of various types of travelers, we choose to operate various types of tours, and depending on your selected package will mean different services are provided throughout your trip. The following descriptions of each tour style we hope will ensure that each traveller has appropriate expectations before they start their travels:
To enhance your journey, we are offering guests a choice of the following optional activities (prices are per person):
Optional tours can be selected once you have finalised your tour purchase and paid your deposit. When completing your Passenger Booking Form, you will be asked if you would like to add Optional Tours, where any applicable cost will be added to your final balance. If you choose not to select them at this time, you can choose to add them later by logging in to your Account online.
Please note that you must select your Optional Tours no later than 70 days before departure, after which you will be required to purchase them on tour. Please keep in mind that anything purchased on-tour is subject to availability and prices may vary as you will be paying in local currency. We appreciate your understanding.
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