On arrival at Cape Town International Airport, after clearing immigration and collecting your luggage, your private representative meets you in the arrivals hall and escorts you to your waiting vehicle for the transfer through to Franschhoek. The route runs east on the N1 through the northern winelands toward Paarl, before turning onto the R45 and into the Franschhoek Valley, with the mountains closing in as you near the village. The drive takes around an hour to an hour and a quarter, traffic depending.

Your home for the next two nights is La Fontaine Boutique Hotel, a short block off the main road in the centre of Franschhoek. The property is part of The Oyster Collection and is spread across two heritage buildings dating to 1895 and 1926, the second of which (Campbell House) is a restored late nineteenth-century home that adjoins the main house. Together the two properties hold seventeen individually styled rooms and suites, with the décor leaning into colour, character, and the architectural detail of the original buildings rather than a single house aesthetic. The property was once a girls’ boarding school, and that history is still visible in the bones of the place.

The grounds between the two buildings are quiet and shaded, with two swimming pools, wisteria pergolas, and planted gardens that catch the late afternoon light. Breakfast is served each morning in the dining room or out on the verandah under the vines, with locally roasted coffee, home-baked breads, fresh fruit, and an à la carte hot menu. The lounge has deep seating, art on the walls, and a fireplace for cooler evenings, with a small library off it for quiet reading. Kim and her team look after the day-to-day operations and will help with restaurant bookings, wine estate visits, and anything else you need across your stay.

The location is a short walk from the village centre. The main street, with its galleries, shops, cafés, and restaurants, is three minutes from the front door, several of the country’s best-known restaurants are within walking distance, and the in-town tasting rooms of a number of Franschhoek estates are also close by. For trips out, the wine estates of the surrounding valley and the start of the Franschhoek Pass are all within ten minutes of the property.

Today is yours to spend at your own pace in Franschhoek. The day is built to be flexible: rest at the property, see a few sights in the village, or get out into the vineyards on the Wine Tram if you have the appetite for it.

The simplest version is to stay on at La Fontaine. The property has two pools, shaded gardens, and a lounge with deep seating and a fireplace, and the team can arrange a treatment from the visiting spa therapists or set up an afternoon tea on the verandah. Breakfast runs through to late morning if you want a slow start.

The village is a three-minute walk from the front door, and an unhurried circuit of the main street covers the galleries, boutiques, and lifestyle shops, with several good coffee stops along the way. The Huguenot Memorial Museum sits at the head of the street and gives the historical context for the village and the French refugees who settled the valley from 1688. The Huguenot Monument next door is worth a brief stop, and the Franschhoek Motor Museum at L’Ormarins (a short drive out of the village) is a fuller half-day visit if cars are of interest.

If you would rather get out into the vineyards, the Franschhoek Wine Tram is the easy way to do it. The hop-on, hop-off route runs as several colour-coded lines that each take in six to eight estates over the course of a day, with a mix of vintage open tram and tractor sections between stops. Tastings are at your own cost at each estate, and the structure means you can ride the whole loop or jump off for a longer lunch at an estate that catches your eye. Tickets need to be booked in advance and the lines do sell out, so the front desk will help with the booking and recommend the line that best fits your interests, whether you are leaning toward Cap Classique, big reds, or estates with strong restaurants.

In the late afternoon, the village restaurants come alive, and the team will help with a dinner booking nearby if you would like one.

This morning at 09:45, your private guide collects you from La Fontaine for a full day exploring the Cape Winelands as you transfer from Franschhoek back to Cape Town, with stops at three different estates and time on foot in Stellenbosch along the way.

The day begins close to home at Haute Cabrière, on the slopes of the Franschhoek Pass a short drive above the village. The estate was founded in 1985 by Achim von Arnim and the cellar is built directly into the mountainside, with the tasting room and restaurant looking out across the valley. Haute Cabrière is best known for its Pierre Jourdan range of Cap Classique sparkling wines, made in the traditional Champagne method, alongside the still Chardonnay and Pinot Noir the property has built its reputation on. A relaxed tasting introduces both sides of the range.

From Franschhoek, the route climbs over the Helshoogte Pass, one of the more scenic links between the two valleys, with vineyards giving way to mountain fynbos as you cross the ridge and drop down toward Stellenbosch. On the Stellenbosch side, the road leads to Simonsig in the Koelenhof area north of the town. Simonsig has been in the Malan family for several generations and holds a particular place in South African wine history: Frans Malan made the country’s first Cap Classique here in 1971, the Kaapse Vonkel, and the estate has continued as one of the country’s leading sparkling wine producers since. The tasting takes in the Kaapse Vonkel range alongside the still wines, with the Cape Dutch buildings and vineyard views as the setting.

The next stop is Stellenbosch itself, one of the oldest towns in South Africa and the historical centre of the country’s wine industry. Your guide leads a walk through the oak-lined streets of the old town, where Cape Dutch, Georgian, and Victorian buildings sit alongside the boutiques, galleries, cafés, and university buildings that give the town its lived-in feel.

Lunch is booked at the Postcard Café at Stark-Condé in the Jonkershoek Valley, a short drive east of the town. The café sits at the edge of a dam, with the tasting room on a small island in the middle of the water and the Jonkershoek mountains rising behind. The kitchen serves a seasonal menu of soups, salads, small plates, and a few mains.

In the afternoon, you continue to Babylonstoren in the Simondium area between Paarl and Franschhoek. The eight-acre formal garden at the centre of the farm is what draws most visitors. It is inspired by the historic Company’s Garden in Cape Town and laid out with fruits, vegetables, herbs, citrus, and indigenous plants, all grown for the kitchens and farm shops on the property. A walk through the garden takes about an hour, with the surrounding vineyards and the Drakenstein mountains in view throughout.

From Babylonstoren, the drive back to Cape Town takes around an hour, and you arrive at Blackheath Lodge in Sea Point around 17:00 for the next three nights. The lodge is a restored Victorian villa dating to 1898, set on a quiet residential street a short walk from the Sea Point Promenade and the Atlantic. The renovation has brought the interiors into a contemporary register without losing the warmth of the original building, with its high ceilings, sash windows, and wrought-iron detailing. The lodge has a small number of individually styled rooms and suites with en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning, and complimentary wifi, several with private balconies or terraces, and a garden courtyard with a small pool at the centre of the property. Breakfast is served on the verandah overlooking the garden, with a buffet alongside an à la carte menu cooked to order. The team is hands-on and well-informed, and the Sea Point Promenade is a short walk from the door, with the V&A Waterfront, the city centre, the Table Mountain cable car, and Camps Bay all short drives away.

Your private guide meets you at Blackheath Lodge after breakfast for a full day exploring Cape Town, weaving the city’s geography, history, and present-day character through a single route on foot and by vehicle.

The first stop is the foot of Table Mountain, the city’s defining landmark and one of the oldest mountains on the planet. With cable car tickets booked in advance, you board the rotating car for the five-minute ride to the summit, the floor turning a full 360 degrees during the ascent so the panorama opens out from every angle. From the upper station the views run across the city bowl, the Atlantic Seaboard, Robben Island, and the mountain ranges leading north toward the Winelands. Short paved paths lead to several viewpoints around the summit plateau, and your guide will share context on the geology, the fynbos vegetation that grows only in this part of the world, and the role the mountain has played in the life of the city below.

Back at the base, the day continues into the city centre. You follow Adderley Street past a mix of colonial-era buildings and later architecture, with the Slave Lodge Museum near the top of the street. Built in 1679, the Slave Lodge is one of the oldest buildings in Cape Town and now houses a museum covering slavery at the Cape and its legacy. From here, your guide leads you through St George’s Mall, the pedestrianised spine of the city, to Grand Parade. It was from the balcony of the adjoining City Hall that Nelson Mandela delivered his first public address after his release from Victor Verster Prison in February 1990, and the square in front still hosts markets and gatherings as it has done for centuries.

From the city centre, the route climbs the lower slopes of Signal Hill to the Bo-Kaap, the historic neighbourhood known for its brightly painted houses, cobbled streets, and deep Cape Malay heritage. The community traces its roots to the Malay slaves and political exiles brought to the Cape by the Dutch East India Company in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and the area remains an important cultural and religious centre today. A stop at Atlas Trading, the neighbourhood’s long-standing spice shop, is part of the visit. The shelves run floor to ceiling with spices and blends drawn from Africa, India, and the Middle East, and the smell of the place is half the experience.

The day finishes at the V&A Waterfront, the working harbour that has been redeveloped over the past few decades into one of the city’s main gathering places. The Watershed is worth a stop on the way in. The market sits in a converted warehouse on the harbour edge, with stalls focused on South African design, art, and craft, and jewellery, textiles, ceramics, and homeware from producers across the country. From there, the rest of the afternoon is free to explore the Waterfront at your own pace, whether that means lunch at one of the restaurants along the harbour, a drink with Table Mountain in the background, or simply wandering through the shops and galleries.

Your guide returns you to Blackheath Lodge in the late afternoon, or, if you would rather extend the day on your own, the walk back along the Sea Point Promenade takes around forty minutes.

This morning, your private guide collects you from Blackheath Lodge after breakfast for a full day exploring the Cape Peninsula, often cited as one of the most scenic coastal drives in the world. The route from Sea Point cuts south across the city and over to the False Bay coastline in roughly thirty to forty minutes, where the day begins in earnest.

Your first stop is Muizenberg, with its row of colourful beach huts and long sandy shoreline often dotted with surfers in the morning light. From here, the road follows the False Bay coast through Kalk Bay, a characterful fishing village with a working harbour, independent shops, and a handful of seaside cafés, before arriving at Boulders Beach near Simon’s Town. Boulders is home to a protected colony of African penguins, and elevated boardwalks allow close but respectful viewing of the birds as they nest among sheltered coves and granite boulders. The area is managed by SANParks and an entry fee applies.

From Boulders, the road continues south into the Cape of Good Hope section of Table Mountain National Park. The landscape grows wilder as you move into the reserve, with fynbos-covered hills rolling toward the sea cliffs at the southern tip of the Peninsula. At Cape Point itself, you can walk up to the historic lighthouse for panoramic views, or take the Flying Dutchman funicular for most of the climb. A short drive away, the viewpoint at the Cape of Good Hope marks the south-western-most point of the African continent.

Leaving the reserve, you head north through Scarborough and Kommetjie before joining Chapman’s Peak Drive, the cliff-hugging toll road carved into the mountainside between Noordhoek and Hout Bay. The route runs nine kilometres with 114 curves, rising high above the Atlantic with several pullouts for photographs along the way. The afternoon light along this stretch is some of the best of the day.

From Hout Bay, the road continues along the Atlantic Seaboard, passing the sheltered coves and granite outcrops of Clifton and the beachfront suburb of Camps Bay, framed by the long ridgeline of the Twelve Apostles. This is a good section for a late-afternoon stop with a drink looking out over the ocean before the short drive back into Sea Point.

Your guide returns you to Blackheath Lodge in the early evening.

Today is yours to spend as you please in Cape Town, at whatever pace suits you after the safari.

An easy place to start is the V&A Waterfront, set around the old working harbour with Table Mountain rising behind it. You can wander the quays and watch the boats come and go, browse the shops and local craft markets, and stop for lunch at one of the many restaurants along the water, with everything from fresh seafood to a quiet coffee close at hand. The Waterfront also gathers a good deal in one place, the Two Oceans Aquarium, the Zeitz MOCAA contemporary art museum in the old grain silo, and harbour cruises out into the bay, so it is simple to fill a relaxed day here without straying far.

For something with more weight to it, a trip to Robben Island gives the other side of the city. The ferry runs from the Waterfront out to the island where Nelson Mandela was held, and the tour is led in part by former political prisoners, which makes for a moving few hours and a real sense of the country’s recent history. It is one of the most popular things to do in Cape Town, so it should be booked well in advance, as the sailings sell out and weather can affect the schedule.

Beyond that, the day is open.

Your guide collects you early at your Cape Town accommodation for the start of your small group Garden Route tour.  It’s a long day covering the western section of the route east to Oudtshoorn. The road heads over Sir Lowry’s Pass with broad views back toward Cape Town and False Bay, before dropping into the valleys of Grabouw and Elgin, a fruit-growing region surrounded by mountains. A stop at a farmstall along the way offers locally produced preserves, dried fruit, and baked goods.

From there the route continues south to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of the African continent, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans officially meet. The lighthouse, built in 1848, is one of the oldest in South Africa and marks the symbolic end of the continent. The coastline here is rocky and exposed, with a long history of shipwrecks in the waters offshore.

The return north passes through historic Swellendam, one of South Africa’s oldest towns, before the road climbs through the Tradouw Pass into the Klein Karoo. A stop in Barrydale on Route 62 allows for a taste of roosterkoek, a traditional South African bread cooked over an open fire. The drive continues through the Karoo landscape to Oudtshoorn, the centre of the country’s ostrich farming industry. Dinner is at a working ostrich farm, where the menu draws on local produce and regional specialities including ostrich steak.

After a relaxed breakfast, your day begins with a visit to the world-famous Cango Caves, a series of spectacular limestone caverns that rank among the great natural wonders of South Africa. Sculpted over millions of years, the caves feature vast chambers filled with dramatic stalactites and stalagmites, illuminated to reveal their otherworldly beauty. Expert guides share fascinating insights into the geology and legends of this underground marvel, making it an unforgettable highlight of your Garden Route journey.

From here, you’ll continue to a working Ostrich Farm for an engaging and interactive tractor tour. Learn about the history of ostrich farming in the Little Karoo, get up close to these remarkable birds, and discover how their feathers, eggs, and leather have shaped the culture and economy of Oudtshoorn, known as the ostrich capital of the world. The experience is both educational and entertaining, offering a unique glimpse into this distinctive industry.

Your adventure concludes with a wine tasting at a local estate, where you’ll sample some of the region’s top vintages. Surrounded by beautiful landscapes, you’ll savour the flavours of the Klein Karoo, a region increasingly celebrated for its innovative winemaking. The combination of caves, culture, and cuisine makes for a day that is as diverse as it is rewarding, showcasing the rich heritage and natural wonders of this corner of South Africa.

After breakfast, the route crosses the Outeniqua Pass into George, the sixth oldest town in South Africa and the main gateway to the Garden Route. A stop at the Outeniqua Transport Museum covers the region’s railway heritage through a collection of vintage locomotives, carriages, and road vehicles that trace the development of transport in the Western Cape.

From George, the road continues through Wilderness, a small town set between forested hills and the Indian Ocean with a series of lagoons and estuaries running behind the beach, before reaching Knysna. Lunch is taken en route, drawing on local produce and regional dishes.

Knysna sits on a tidal lagoon connected to the Indian Ocean by a narrow channel flanked by two sandstone cliffs known as the Heads. The town is well known for its oyster farming and its position at the heart of the Garden Route. The afternoon concludes with a sunset cruise on the Knysna Lagoon, passing through the channel toward the open sea as the light fades over the water.

After breakfast, the route heads east toward Plettenberg Bay with a stop at Mungo, a family-owned textile mill that produces woven fabrics using a combination of antique looms and contemporary weaving technology. The mill is open for visits and offers a look at the production process alongside a range of finished textiles.

From there, the day continues to two wildlife sanctuaries set in the indigenous forest above Plettenberg Bay. Monkeyland is a free-roaming primate sanctuary that rehabilitates previously caged primates and releases them into a large area of forest. Species from several continents live here, and guided walks allow for close observation of the animals in a natural setting. A portion of the visit fee supports the sanctuary’s conservation and breeding programmes. Birds of Eden operates alongside Monkeyland and encloses a section of indigenous forest under a single large mesh dome, creating one of the world’s most expansive free-flight aviaries. The focus is on the long-term protection and care of bird species that would otherwise remain in captivity. A portion of proceeds supports ongoing species preservation work.

The day ends with a drive east to the Tsitsikamma area for overnight.

After breakfast, the morning is spent at Tsitsikamma National Park with a visit to Storms River Mouth, where the river cuts through a deep gorge before meeting the Indian Ocean. The park protects approximately 80 kilometres of rocky coastline along with mountainous interior terrain covered in fynbos and ancient temperate forest. Suspension bridges cross the river mouth and short trails follow the cliffs above the water, providing a good sense of the scale of the landscape. The visit is weather dependent.

The afternoon is at leisure, and the day ends with dinner in Storms River Village, a small settlement set within the Tsitsikamma forest a short distance from the park entrance.

Today your journey carries you east through the Tsitsikamma Forest, a landscape of towering yellowwoods and deep coastal valleys that forms one of the more striking sections of the Garden Route. The road opens onto sweeping ocean views and quiet river gorges as you make your way toward Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth and long known as South Africa’s “friendly city.”

On arrival you set out on a short orientation tour of this historic port. Founded in 1820, Gqeberha wears its maritime past openly, in well-preserved colonial architecture, broad town squares, and a working seafront. You move between Victorian landmarks and older monuments and the newer character of the city, its public art and beachfront promenades.

The tour ends along the coast, where you check in to No. 5 Boutique Hotel for an overnight rest. The hotel sits close to the seafront and makes a quiet, comfortable base after a full day on the road, with time to settle in before the next leg of your travels.

After breakfast at No. 5, a driver collects you for the transfer northeast to Kariega Game Reserve. The route runs out of Port Elizabeth on the N2 before turning inland toward Kenton-on-Sea, where the country opens into the river valleys and coastal bush of the Eastern Cape. The drive takes around an hour and a half. You reach Kariega Ukhozi Lodge for your four night stay in time for lunch and your first afternoon game drive.

Ukhozi Lodge sits on a ridge within the privately owned Kariega Game Reserve, a malaria-free wilderness of roughly 10,000 hectares spanning the valleys of the Kariega and Bushman’s Rivers. The lodge is built from stone, wood, and glass, and sits low in the surrounding bush. Ten air-conditioned suites are linked by paths winding through the vegetation, each with a private plunge pool and a viewing deck looking out across the valley. The main lodge holds a lounge with a stone fireplace, a boma, and a rim-flow pool set on the edge of the valley with views over the plains below.

Kariega is Big Five country. Lion, elephant, white and black rhino, leopard, and buffalo all move through the reserve, alongside hippo, hyena, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, eland, kudu, waterbuck, and a range of smaller antelope and mammals. The two river systems draw steady wildlife activity and support more than 280 recorded bird species, including fish eagle, martial eagle, and crowned eagle. Leopard sightings happen but are uncommon, as is typical across Eastern Cape reserves. Five distinct ecosystems run through the reserve, covering valley bushveld, savannah grassland, fynbos, riverine forest, and acacia woodland, and the mix of habitat keeps the game viewing rewarding through the year.

Game Drives
Twice-daily game drives in open 4×4 vehicles are led by qualified rangers. Morning drives begin at first light when wildlife is most active. Afternoon drives run into the evening, often with good light for photography and the chance to watch predator behaviour as darkness falls. The reserve is private, so there are no other vehicles in the traversing area.

River Cruises
One of the features that sets Kariega apart is access to the water by boat. A river cruise gives you a quieter and different read on the reserve, with hippo, waterbirds, and other wildlife along the banks. A morning coffee cruise and a sunset gin-and-tonic cruise are both available, each suited to the pace of the time of day.

Guided Bush Walks
Guided walks go out with an armed ranger for those who want to experience the bush on foot. The focus shifts to tracks, insects, plants, and the finer detail of the ecosystem that passes unnoticed from a vehicle. The Blue Duiker Trail, a circular walk of forty-five minutes to an hour from the lodge, follows a ridge through indigenous forest with interpretive signs along the route.

Between activities, the private deck and plunge pool of your suite give you a quiet place to sit and watch the valley below. Meals are taken in the main lodge or at the outdoor boma, and all food, local drinks, and activities are included in your rate.

This morning you have time for one last game drive before you leave. You head out at first light with your ranger for a final run through the reserve, with the chance to catch up on anything you have not yet seen and to be out while the bush is at its most active. You return to the lodge for breakfast, then settle your account and gather your luggage.

A driver collects you for the transfer back to Port Elizabeth, retracing the route through Kenton-on-Sea and onto the N2 into the city. The drive takes around an hour and a half, and you are dropped at the airport for your flight to Johannesburg (cost of flight not included). On arrival you walk through to the City Lodge connected to the airport for your overnight rest, an easy transfer that lets you settle in without leaving the terminal.

Return to the terminal for your flight to Victoria Falls (cost of flight not included). 

On arrival at Victoria Falls, you will be met after clearing customs and collecting luggage for your transfer to Waterfalls Lodge, where you stay for two nights.

Waterfalls Lodge sits in a quiet, leafy residential area a short distance from Victoria Falls National Park. It is contemporary and low-key, with an emphasis on space, light, and calm, which makes it an easy place to settle into after travel. The design pairs clean modern lines with natural textures. It is smaller and quieter than the larger hotels, while still well placed for the Falls and the town’s activities. The service is personal and unobtrusive.

The rooms are spacious and well suited to the Victoria Falls climate, with air-conditioning, ceiling fans, mosquito nets, in-room safes, tea and coffee facilities, and reliable Wi-Fi. Each room opens onto the gardens or pool area and features an en-suite bathroom with a walk-in shower and contemporary fittings. Family and twin room configurations are available on request. The main lodge areas include a comfortable lounge, an inviting dining space, and a swimming pool set among mature trees, offering a pleasant place to relax between excursions. Meals are fresh and straightforward, with breakfasts served daily and dinners offering a simple but well-prepared menu, rounding out an easy, comfortable stay close to one of Africa’s great natural landmarks.

This afternoon, you will be collected from reception for your scheduled Zambezi Royal Sundowner Cruise. After a short transfer to the jetty, you’ll board a small, premium vessel designed for comfort and unobstructed viewing, with lounge-style seating, attentive hosts, and a well-stocked bar. The cruise drifts along the upper Zambezi above the Falls, where broad channels and reed-fringed islands create a tranquil setting for late-day wildlife viewing. It’s common to see hippo surfacing in the shallows, crocodiles warming on the banks, and elephants coming to drink, along with excellent birdlife. Canapés and a selection of beverages are served on board, and the timing aligns with golden-hour photography and often spectacular sunsets.

At the end of the cruise, you will be transferred back to Waterfalls Lodge. The evening is at leisure to dine at the lodge,

You will be met this morning for your guided tour of Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean side. After a short transfer to the park entrance, your qualified guide will lead you along the paved rainforest pathways that wind for roughly three kilometres to a series of sixteen viewpoints. The route begins near the Livingstone statue and Devil’s Cataract before opening to the Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls, and Rainbow Falls, finishing at the dramatic vantage near Danger Point. Along the way, your guide will interpret the geology of the basalt gorge, the seasonal flow of the Zambezi, and the rich birdlife that thrives in the spray forest, adjusting the pace for photographs and quieter moments to listen to the thunder of the water. In high-water months the spray can create a cool mist and occasional white-out conditions—ponchos are provided and the paths can be slippery—while in lower water you gain clearer sightlines to the rock face and the sculpted channels that feed the falls. Expect fleeting rainbows in the sun and an ever-present roar that builds as you approach each lookout.

After the tour, you will continue to the Lookout Café for lunch. Perched on the rim of the Batoka Gorge above the Zambezi, the café pairs contemporary, unfussy dishes with sweeping views of the Victoria Falls Bridge and the river far below. It is an easy-going, open-air setting where you can watch the changing light on the cliff walls and, on clear days, the plume of spray rising from the cataracts. The menu typically features fresh salads, grilled fish, burgers—including game options—vegetarian plates, and satisfying desserts, with efficient service and a relaxed tempo that makes it an ideal interlude between activities. It is also a superb spot for photography, with vantage points that take in both the bridge and the gorge.

Return to the lodge with the afternoon free.

On landing, you will be returned to your hotel with the remainder of the afternoon at leisure to rest, swim, or explore town.

After breakfast you have a little time to enjoy the lodge before you depart. You settle your account and gather your luggage, then a driver collects you for the short transfer to Victoria Falls Airport. The drive takes around twenty-five minutes, running south out of town through open bush, and you are dropped at the terminal in good time for your flight onward home.

This brings your time in Victoria Falls, and your journey through southern Africa, to a close.