South Africa Safari Tour

Your journey begins on an overnight flight.

Welcome to South Africa! If you purchased airline tickets from YMT Vacations, you will be transferred from the airport to your hotel to enjoy the afternoon at your leisure. This evening, meet your fellow travelers and Tour Director at an informative welcome briefing and included welcome dinner at the hotel. (D)

Your first full day in South Africa is packed with excitement. After breakfast, take a guided city tour of Cape Town, South Africa’s second largest city. Bordered by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, Cape Town’s scenery places it in one of the most breathtaking settings in the world. Ride a cable car to the flat top of Table Mountain. Drive through Bo-Kaap, the “Malay Quarter” of Cape Town, a historic home for the local Muslim community. Finally, head to Gold Restaurant for an authentic pan-African dinner and a djembe drum lesson. A vital part of African culture, the djembe has been used in ceremonies and celebrations since the 12th century. (B, D)

Rich with diverse plant and animal life, your day at Cape Point Nature Reserve promises to be memorable. Ride the Flying Dutchman Funicular to the top of Cape Point’s lighthouse for panoramic views of the rocky landscape and pounding waves, as well as wildlife and rare plants. Spend time at the Boulders Beach Penguin Colony, where you can see endangered African Penguins teetering across the white sand. (B, L)

En route to Oudtshoorn, enjoy a stop in Swellendam for lunch on your own in this Dutch town overlooking the Breede River. Visit an aloe factory, then take a stroll through the Bartolomeu Dias Museum in Mossel Bay. (B, D)

Full of prehistoric cave paintings and artifacts, the Cango Caves are a must-see for visitors to the Western Cape. You’ll also learn all about the world’s largest bird today, with a tour around an ostrich farm! Lunch is included. (B, L)

Today is yours to enjoy as you wish. Join an optional tour or spend the day in Knysna, the jewel of South Africa’s Garden Route. (B)

Start the day at Tsitsikamma National Park, famous for its rocky coastline, and forests with deep river gorges that lead down to the sea. Walk across the Storms River Suspension Bridge, and watch out for bungee jumpers when your coach drives over Bloukrans Bridge. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot leopards, lions and tigers at the Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary. You might also see jaguars, honey badgers, and zorillas (African skunks), plus many more on a guided tour. Finally, travel through a five-acre dome of pristine indigenous forest occupied by thousands of bright, loud, and fascinating birds at Birds of Eden Free Flight Aviary. (B)

After a short flight to Johannesburg, you’ll enjoy a panoramic tour of the city, with a stop at the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum in Soweto. Hector Pieterson was a 12-year-old schoolchild who was shot during the Soweto uprising. Continue on to Mandela House, a museum found in the home where Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid revolutionary, president and national hero lived before his arrest in 1962. (B, D)

Today drive through Blyde River Canyon. Look out for God’s Window, Three Rondavels, and Bourke’s Luck Potholes. (B,D)

Spend the whole day on safari in Kruger National Park. During your full-day game drive, you will have ample opportunity to see the wildlife that makes South Africa a dream destination for animal lovers. Enjoy talking about your adventures with your fellow travelers at dinner this evening (included). (B, D)

Greet the sun and the animals on an early morning game drive at Kruger. Then, enjoy a drive through the farmlands, forests, and scenery of South Africa en route to Hazyview. This farming town is just outside of Kruger National Park, and one of the best places to see South Africa’s Big Five: lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos. Next, it’s on to Johannesburg where you’ll enjoy a farewell dinner this evening (included). (B, D)