Garden Route Safari Holidays Garden Route South Africa Holidays Tours

Kruger Park + Cape Town + Garden Route (self drive)
KCC14M

14 NIGHTS
FROM $1,050
International flights and car hire quoted separately
This classic self drive holiday of South Africa covers the highlights of the Kruger National Park, one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries on earth, and the beautiful city of Cape Town - before heading off along the scenic Garden Route, via the Stellenbosch Winelands. You can tailor make your hotels, and add or deduct days to meet your requirements  budget.
HIGHLIGHTS
South Africa Self Drive Holiday Kruger Park Cape Town Garden Route South Africa Car Hire
• Mpumalanga • Blyde River • Kruger Park • Game Viewing
• Cape Town • Table Mountain • Camps Bay • Winelands
• Oudtshoorn • Knysna
Day 1
Arrive Mpumalanga Airport, collect your hire car and drive to your hotel on the scenic Panorama Route.
  
Check into your hotel in this beautiful region.
Day 2
Today explore the splendour of the Drakensberg Panorama Route as you drive through the green Blyde River Canyon, the third largest in the world and enjoy the panoramic views from God’s Window.
 
Other places of interest along the route include Mac Mac Falls, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and the historic mining village of Pilgrim’s Rest, before returning to your hotel.
Day 3
Today enter the world famous Kruger National Park (gate fees for own account). Game viewing opportunities should present themselves almost immediately in this vast 2-million hectare game sanctuary the size of Wales. Hopefully see several species of antelope, zebra, wildebeest and maybe even giraffe before you reach your rest camp.
 
The Kruger National Park has seven rest camps, each situated in a different section of the park with its own unique flora and fauna - Skukuza, Letaba, Olifants, Lower Sabie, Pretoriuskop, Satara and Berg-en-Dal. Accommodation is in simple but comfortable thatched game park bungalows on a bed only basis, with each camp having a restaurant and a small shop. Check in, settle in and relax in the atmosphere that only the African bushveld can provide!
 
Days 4 To 5
Today is devoted to self drive game viewing in the Kruger National Park. We recommend setting off early each morning as the camp gates open (05h30 to 06h00 depending on the season), to take advantage of the best game viewing conditions of the day.
   
Explore the famous Kruger National Park, which offer magnificent game viewing opportunities and the highest concentration of lion in the whole of Africa. Hope to see several of the Big Five today - Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard and Rhino - as well as many other species before returning to camp for breakfast (or buy provisions at camp and cook breakfast at a picnic spot such as Tshokwane).
 
The rest of the morning is free to relax by the swimming pool or enjoy bird watching at camp, before setting out again at the time of your choice (usually the late afternoon) for another game drive. With nearly 150 different species of mammals and over 100 species of reptiles in the Kruger National Park, you can hope to see cheetah, giraffe, hippo, kudu, crocodiles, sable antelope, waterbuck, warthogs, baboons, wild dogs and many other interesting animals. With over 500 different bird species including eagles, kingfishers, vultures and storks, outstanding bird watching is also guaranteed.
  
After a beautiful African sunset, enjoy the balmy evening and pristine stars of the Milky Way as you have never seen them before – as well as the spectacular Southern Cross.
Day 6
Time permitting enjoy some final early morning game viewing, before driving 2.5-hours to Mpumalanga Airport to drop-off your hire car and connect with your onward flight.

Arrive Cape Town Airport, collect your hire car and drive to your hotel in this beautiful city, within sight of Table Mountain.
 
Check in and relax in your magnificent surroundings.
Day 7
Today we recommend ascending Table Mountain by cable car (weather permitting)  to enjoy one of the world’s most famous views.
 
Continue to Camps Bay beach, before visiting the shops and many other attractions of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, which is also the departure point for the Robben Island ferry (advance bookings essential in season to avoid disappointment).
Day 8
Today we recommend a full day exploring the beautiful Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, where two oceans meet.
 
Start with an optional short boat trip from Hout Bay to view Cape Fur seals at Seal Island and continue via Chapman’s Peak Drive, when open, to spectacular Cape Point where you may see see baboons, ostrich and perhaps even dolphins or whales in season (July/November).
 
On the return journey we recommend driving through naval Simons Town and visit the resident penguin colony at Boulders Beach. You can also make a short stop at the world famous Kirstenbosch Gardens, before returning to your hotel in the late afternoon.
Day 9
At leisure to explore the beautiful city of Cape Town.
 
Choose one of the many local activities such as a visit to Robben Island, the infamous prison home of Nelson Mandela (advance booking essential in season); explore the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront or simply relax on golden Camps Bay beach – the choice is yours!
Day 10
Today we recommend a full day exploring the renowned Stellenbosch Winelands, travelling through the scenic Franschhoek Valley where a handful of French Huguenot refugees started South Africa’s now famous wine industry.
 
Visit the historic university town of Stellenbosch and several different Wine Estates of your choice. In the afternoon we recommend lunch at a good restaurant or wine estate, and a visit to the Cheetah Outreach project in Somerset West on the way home.
Day 11
Drive for 5-hours today along the scenic Route 62 through the arid Little Karoo to Oudtshoorn.
 
We recommend visiting an Ostrich Farm to see these huge flightless birds in their natural surroundings, before checking into your hotel for overnight.
Day 12
We suggest that today you visit the famous Cango Caves – a vast series of underground halls and caverns formed over 20 million years ago in the foothills of the Swartberg Mountains. The caves, which extend for over 3 miles, contain spectacular stalagmites and stalactites and offer relatively easy access.
 
You can also enjoy an optional visit to Cango Wildlife Ranch to see cheetah and crocodiles, before driving 2-hours through the spectacular Outeniqua Pass to the beautiful Garden Route.
 
Check into your Knysna hotel and relax in this area of outstanding natural beauty.
Day 13
Today we recommend taking the ferry to Featherbed Nature Reserve situated on Knysna's Western Head, one of two magnificent sandstone cliffs guarding the entrance to the vast Knysna Lagoon.
 
This spectacular nature reserve is only accessible by ferry, followed by a short trailer ride to the top of the reserve which offers panoramic views. Most visitors choose to return on foot along a 1-mile Guided Nature Walk through natural coastal forest onto the cliffs, through caves and along a scenic coastal path, followed by a seafood buffet lunch served under the old Milkwood trees.
  
In the afternoon we recommend a visit to Knysna Elephant Park where you will have the opportunity to feed one of these gentle giants. The remainder of the afternoon is free to explore Knysna. This lively town is famous for its oysters, which are grown in the lagoon. It offers good shopping opportunities and many interesting craft shops.
Day 14
Today is free to explore the small town of Knysna and its beaches.
 
Many optional activities are available in the area, including an Ocean Safari to search for dolphins and whales in season (July to November); Knysna Elephant Sanctuary; deep sea fishing; horse riding; mountain biking and championship golf. If you wish to explore further afield, you can visit Monkeyland & Birds of Eden near Plettenberg Bay or the Storms River Mouth in the Tsitsikamma Forest.
Day 15
Drive 1-hour along the Garden Route to drop off your hire car at George Airport for your flight home.