Affordable South Africa - 9 Days

Board your overnight flight to Johannesburg, South Africa.

Arrive in Johannesburg, where you are met and transferred to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at your leisure exploring the city and its diverse and vibrant neighborhoods. Tuck into the vibrant food scene and pop-up eateries. The city is a real cultural hub and it is a great place to catch live music performances and indulge in trendy bars and restaurants.

After breakfast, your tour sets off for Constitution Hill, home of South Africa's architectural marvel, the Constitutional Court, and the site of Johannesburg Old Fort Prison (closed on Sundays). Here you will explore the inner city of Johannesburg and the influence the discovery of gold brought to this city and indeed South Africa. Next, proceed for a visit to the Top of Africa, at the 223-meter-high Carlton Centre, Africa's tallest building with magnificent views, particularly on a clear day when guests can see as far as the capital city of Pretoria and will be amazed at the number of trees that can be seen, easily one of the largest urban forests in the world!. Continue to explore the city with a visit to the Maboneng district, an innovative urban neighborhood filled with urban art galleries, chic restaurants, and unique office spaces for creative, like-minded people. Later, return to the hotel via the flipside of the coin, the lush, up-market suburb of lower Houghton.    

Breakfast at the hotel.  Then, embark on a fascinating tour to Soweto (short for Southwestern Township), a sprawling metropolis on the outskirts of Johannesburg, for a close-up look at daily life in this bustling neighborhood, the most prominent black urban settlement in Africa and the center of political campaigns aimed at the overthrow of the apartheid state. On the way, drive through the residential suburb of Rivonia, continue past the Hector Pieterson Memorial, Regina Mundi Church, where many secret underground meetings took place, and the former residence of Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Nelson Mandela. Later, visit the Apartheid Museum for an in-depth historical look at the system of extreme racial segregation that plagued South Africa from 1948 until 1994, when it was finally dismantled. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon.    

Breakfast at your hotel.   At the appointed time, transfer to the airport for your flight to Cape Town. Arrive in Cape Town, known as the 'Mother City', and transfer to the hotel. The balance of your day is at leisure to venture on your own.    

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel. This morning, enjoy a panoramic tour of Cape Town showcasing this vibrant city's scenic and historical highlights. Weather permitting, travel by cable car to the top of Table Mountain, Cape Town's most striking landmark and recently announced as one of the world's New Seven Wonders of Nature. Enjoy the architecture of The Castle and other historic buildings. Continue to the Malay Quarter, and marvel at the ice-cream colors of the quaint Bo-Kaap homes before visiting the shop of a professional diamond cutter. In the afternoon, continue to the Cape Winelands. Explore this world-renowned region and learn about the wine-making process in a fascinating cellar tour and wine tasting.  Next, continue to the beautiful town of Stellenbosch, home to one of the country’s prestigious universities, as well as fine art galleries and historic architecture.  Return to your hotel for overnight.    

Breakfast at your hotel. Today, enjoy a full day of sightseeing on the Cape Peninsula as you cruise along Millionaire’s Paradise from Clifton to Camps Bay and on to Llandudno before an up-close and personal Seal Island cruise (optional). Wind along Chapman’s Peak Drive and visit the Cape of Good Hope Section of the Table Mountain National Park before meandering back along the coast, visiting Simon’s Town and the penguin colony at Boulder’s Beach. Return to your hotel for overnight.

Breakfast at your hotel.  Then transfer to the ferry port for a ferry** across the Bay to visit Robben Island, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is where the South African father of the nation spent 18 years, the legend of a man, Nelson Mandela. Guests will disembark at Murrays Harbor on the east coast of the island and take a short walk to buses that will transport them to all of the historically significant sites. The tour guides inside the prison today, are former political prisoners and their knowledge of this island is unparalleled and adds a unique cultural layer to this experience. This tour culminates with a viewing of Nelson Mandela's cell. Return to Cape Town and transfer to your hotel.    

**The operation of the Robben Island ferry is dependent on weather and sea conditions. If the ferry is canceled, the visit to Robben Island will be replaced with alternate sightseeing.

**Departure time: 09h00, 11h00 & 13h00 ferry. Operating every day except the 1st of May and 25th of December. In summer we run 09h00, 11h00, 13h00, and 15h00 and in winter that starts from May to August, we run 09h00, 11h00, and 13h00. If Robben Island cancels the tour, they will not charge an administration fee. However, if we cancel or ask for a rescheduling they will charge R75.00 per ticket unless it's a same-day request or 14 days before the tour then they will waive the fees. Robben Island requires guests to produce a form of identification when they purchase a ticket and board a ferry when visiting the island. All visitors are required to provide either an identification document, passport, birth certificate, or driver's license. Copies of these documents will be accepted.

Breakfast at your hotel.  At the appointed time transfer to the airport for your return flight home.