Days 1-3: Cape Town & Cape Peninsula
Day 1: Arrive Cape Town. Afternoon orientation tour of the Mother City: Company’s Garden, Bo-Kaap’s colorful houses, Greenmarket Square. Sunset from Signal Hill with Table Mountain views. Welcome dinner at the V&A Waterfront.
Day 2: Full-day Cape Peninsula tour. Drive Chapman’s Peak — one of the world’s most scenic coastal roads. Visit Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope in Table Mountain National Park. Afternoon with the African penguins at Boulders Beach. Return via Simon’s Town and Kalk Bay. Overnight Cape Town.
Day 3: Morning cable car up Table Mountain (weather permitting) or alternative hike up Lion’s Head. Afternoon in the Cape Winelands: Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl. Wine tasting at two historic estates. Evening exploring Stellenbosch’s oak-lined streets and Cape Dutch architecture. Overnight Cape Town.
Day 4: Route 62 to Oudtshoorn
Depart Cape Town along Route 62 — the longest wine route in the world. Stop at Ronnie’s Sex Shop for a cold drink and photos. Visit Calitzdorp’s port wine cellars. Arrive in Oudtshoorn for an ostrich farm tour. Overnight Oudtshoorn.
Day 5: Cango Caves & Karoo Landscapes
Explore the magnificent Cango Caves with their vast halls of stalactites and stalagmites. Afternoon drive the Swartberg Pass to Prince Albert — a perfectly preserved Karoo dorpie. Return through Meiringspoort’s dramatic gorge. Overnight Oudtshoorn.
Day 6: Knysna — Lagoon Paradise
Cross the Outeniqua Mountains to the Garden Route proper. Arrive in Knysna — explore the Heads, the Waterfront, and the lagoon. Afternoon ferry to Featherbed Nature Reserve. Evening fresh oysters at a waterfront restaurant. Overnight Knysna.
Day 7: Tsitsikamma National Park
Full day in Tsitsikamma — the garden of the Garden Route. Walk the suspension bridges over Storms River Mouth. Hike through 800-year-old yellowwood forests. Optional activities: bungee jumping, canopy tours, kayaking. Overnight Tsitsikamma.
Day 8: Tsitsikamma to Addo
Morning nature walk in the indigenous forest searching for Knysna loeries and vervet monkeys. Continue east through the Langkloof fruit-growing region. Arrive near Addo Elephant National Park. Afternoon community visit at a local Xhosa village for cultural immersion. Overnight near Addo.
Day 9: Addo Elephant National Park
Full-day safari in Addo Elephant National Park. Two game drives (morning and afternoon) maximize wildlife viewing — over 600 elephants, plus Cape buffalo, endangered black rhino, lions, spotted hyenas, and over 400 bird species. Learn about the park’s remarkable elephant conservation history. Farewell dinner under African stars.
Day 10: Port Elizabeth & Departure
Final morning in Addo with a short nature walk. Transfer to Port Elizabeth Airport. Flight home or onward journey.
