7 Days Johannesburg, Pilanesburg, Cape Town- Luxury

Day 1:Johannesburg

Our representative will welcome you on arrival at OR Tambo International Airport Johannesburg and transport you to The DaVinci Hotel in the heart of Sandton, where you will spend one night. (Please ensure for international flights into Johannesburg that arrival is in the morning so you are able to join the afternoon tour of Apartheid Museum and Soweto. We can arrange an additional night in Johannesburg for you if you arrive too late to enjoy this private tour).

Depart from the hotel around 13h30 and the tour will start at the Apartheids Museum, a beacon of South African hope that shows the world how South Africa is coming to terms with its oppressive past and how we are working towards a future that all South Africans can call their own. After the museum the tour continues through the South of Soweto were you will see iconic places like the FNB Stadium which was built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Diepkloof area with its famous “Matchbox” houses and the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (the 3rd largest hospital in the world with 3200 beds and over 6700 staff members). Next is the colorful Soweto Cooling Towers, a prominent landmark in Soweto. The tour of Soweto South ends at Walter Sisulu Square aka Freedom Square in Kliptown where 3000 people gathered in 1955 to adopt the Freedom Charter, which is now the basis of our Constitution. From here we continue to the Hector Pieterson Museum in Orlando West with our last stop being the vibrant Vilakazi Street. This is the most famous street in Soweto and is the only street in the world to have had two Nobel Peace Prize winners as residents – Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. We will end the tour with a visit to two of the local watering holes before returning to Sandton.

You have the evening at leisure and there are numerous exceptional restaurants in the area. The hotel’s concierge will gladly make recommendations and arrange for transfers, should they be required.

(No meals included)

Day 2:Johannesburg – Shepherd’s Tree Game Lodge, Pilanesberg, North West Province.

Today we depart around 10h00 to Pilanesberg on a luxury shared shuttle, an approximate drive of 2 – 3 hours, arriving at Shepherd’s Tree Game Lodge in time for lunch. (Private transfers are more flexible with the departure times and can be pre-arranged at an additional charge.)

After lunch you can check into your room to freshen up before your afternoon game drive through the spectacular landscape of the Pilanesberg National Park, its unique location is within a 1,300 million year old extinct volcanic crater. The landscape is as much a feature as the wildlife, spanning over 55,000 hectares of rolling plains. See the enthralling Africa’s famous Big Five in their natural habitat, in addition to cheetah, giraffe, antelope, and hyena – to name but a few.

Dinner is served on your return from the game drive.

(Breakfast, lunch & dinner included)

Day 3:Full day Pilanesberg

Shepherd’s Tree Game Lodge is located in a private concession within the Pilanesberg. The featured architecture and interior design are the hallmark of the whole lodge, and flawless finishes leave no detail overlooked. The lodge offers commanding views of the distant bushveld amphitheatre and is superbly positioned adjacent to the Pilanesberg Game Reserve’s Wilderness Area, thus offering the opportunity of walking trails in this untouched environment. Guests can enjoy 2 game drives daily which are conducted in the Pilanesberg during the morning and evening when you are guided by your game ranger in an open 10 seater game viewing vehicle. The game drives will take between three and four hours, with a sundowners stop at sunset and a coffee stop in the morning. There is a health & beaty spa should you feel like a bit of pampering and the lodge has Wi-Fi for those who can’t go without.

(Breakfast, lunch & dinner included)

Day 4:Pilanesberg to Cape Town

After the morning game drive and breakfast, you will be transferred by shuttle to OR Tambo International airport from where you fly to Cape Town. On arrival at Cape Town airport our representatives will be there to welcome you, then transfer you to the Clarendon, Bantry Bay.

Nestled peacefully along the peninsula of one of the world’s most spectacular settings, The Clarendon Bantry Bay is a 5 Star fusion of pure sophistication and beachside charm, located in Bantry Bay, one of the most exclusive suburbs of Cape Town. Afternoon tea is included in the price at this unimpeachable enclave of tranquility, privacy and beauty.

Afternoon at leisure.

(Breakfast included)

Day 5:Cape Town City & the Wine Region

A Cape Town city tour is not to be missed, get a taste of the City Bowl, the thriving centre of the Mother City, at the foot of Table Mountain. On this private tour, you will find a number of the Cape’s top attractions, from the bustling Green Market Square, the South African Museum, the Castle of Good Hope to the colourful cottages of the Bo Kaap, and the beautiful Company Gardens. You will be able to learn more about the Cape Town CBD and its surrounds, in a city tour that is sure to leave you spellbound especially the highlight of going up Table Mountain in the cable car! It is well worth the effort, although waiting for a clear day with no sign of the tablecloth is a safer option. Since we cannot guarantee that you will be able to go up, cable car tickets are not included in the price. Tickets can be bought at the ticketing office at the mountain and the hotel concierge can arrange a cab to take you there. The cable way return ticket price is currently R225 – R250 per adult.

We depart the city for a scenic drive towards the Boland Mountains and the Cape winelands (lunch stop own account)to the historic town of Stellenbosch, South Africa’s second-oldest town, with its picturesque white gabled Cape Dutch architecture, acres of vineyards, pretty streets and quaint lanes lined with old oak trees. The town is a small but a very vibrant town with a famous university and numerous activities such a wine cellar tours and tastings. We make our way back to Cape Town via a wine estate in the town of Paarl.

(Breakfast included)

Day 6:Cape Peninsula

Today presents a private full day where you explore one of the most beautiful places in the world, the Cape Peninsula! This is a magnificent private tour where we visit the towering headland known as Cape Point where the Indian and Atlantic currents meet. The tour takes you along the Atlantic Seaboard to Hout Bay (weather permitting optional seal island boat trip; not included), via Chapman’s Peak to Cape Point, Simon’s Town & the Boulders Beach Penguin Colony and ends with a visit to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. You will see magnificent beaches, breath-taking views, and picturesque coastal villages. Should you be more interested in wine and wine making, we can substitute the botanical garden visit with a visit to one of the wine farms in the Constantia area, South Africa’s oldest wine farming area located on the peninsula.

Note: The tour via Chapman’s Peak is subject to the road being open, it is closed occasionally due to bad weather when there may be rock falls from the mountain. Ou Kaapse Weg will be used as an alternative route when necessary.

After a fantastic day of exploring one of the world famous places that has captured the imagination of all nationalities worldwide, your guide will take you to your hotel.

You have the evening at leisure, visit the Waterfront to browse around the shops or time to explore the nightlife of the city. The hotel will assist with transfer arrangements, which will be for your own account.

(Breakfast included)

Day 7:Cape Town

Depending on the time of your onward flight, you may have time to explore some of Cape Town this morning and should you not have been able to do so before, visit Table Mountain, or visit Robben Island. No activity is however included in the price, allowing you the freedom to choose what you would like to do.

One of our representatives will meet you at the hotel 2 ½ hours before your flight to take you to the Cape Town international airport for your onward flight. Return flight to Johannesburg is excluded. Many of our guests’ book their international flight out of Cape Town or some also like to spend some time exploring the Garden Route. Should you however like us to book a return flight to Johannesburg or add a Garden Route tour or add-on to Victoria Falls or Botswana, we will gladly assist.

(Breakfast included)