21 Day Highlights of Southern Africa

We are pleased to welcome you to Cape Town. The guide will assist you in completing the itinerary, booking optional activities, and serving as your point of contact over the next few days.   

Take a stroll through the multicultural Bo-Kaap neighborhood to begin your day in vibrant Cape Town. Following this, you will enjoy a private tour of Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, named by National Geographic Travel as one of the world’s ten most magnificent gardens. Then, proceed to Cape Point lighthouse and Cape of Good Hope, the southernmost point of Africa, to see the resident population of African penguins.  

Choose from a variety of optional activities during your leisure time in Cape Town. Enjoy spectacular views of the city and the Atlantic coastline from the summit of the mountain by taking a cable car. Explore the Cape Winelands, including Stellenbosch, the historic city, and wine estates as you tour them with expert guides and indulge in a variety of tastings and pairings. Cape Town has something for everyone. Take a walk on the V&A Waterfront, visit Table Mountain. You can go abseiling if you’re adventurous. Explore the city’s old buildings and gardens, which include some of the oldest structures in South Africa. Among the museums and theatres in the city are the Cultural Historical Museum, Planetarium, and many others.

Take a guided tour of Soweto township after flying to Johannesburg. The anti-apartheid movement in South Africa was centered in Soweto, the home of its guide, Nelson Mandela. Learn about this painful chapter in the history of the country at the Mandela House Museum. 

Take a scenic drive along the Panorama Route, one of the world’s most picturesque drives, towards Kruger National Park. From God’s Window viewpoint, you can see panoramic views of the forest-covered valley throughout the day. Stop at Blyde River Canyon and Bourke’s Luck Potholes. 

Upon arriving in Kruger National Park, climb aboard an open jeep for a full-day safari of the park, which is home to an abundance of large mammals. Get yourself one step closer to the surrounding nature as we journey through this breathtaking wilderness of savannah and scrubland. This will provide us with the opportunity to see elephants, lions, giraffes, and perhaps even elusive leopards. We invite you to return to our lodge in the evening, where you can relax and listen to the sounds of the bush at night.  With an area of more than 19,000 square kilometers (7,500 square miles), South Africa’s Kruger National Park is one of the world’s largest and most impressive animal reserves. The Kruger National Park has more large mammal species than any other park on the continent, with 147 species.    

Experience the pristine wildlife sanctuary of the Karongwe Private Game Reserve located in the Greater Kruger National Park. Learn about efforts to protect the region’s cheetahs and other carnivores with a researcher from the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Cheetah Metapopulation Project. A wildlife-viewing excursion through the reserve is then conducted with the researcher. Over the next two days, you will enjoy ranger-led wildlife safari drives in an open safari vehicle at Karongwe Nature Reserve in search of Africa’s renowned Big Five. Our safari drives provide several opportunities for wildlife viewing within Karongwe Private Game Reserve, which consists of over 9,000 hectares (22,240 acres) of superior African bushveld. Accommodations are provided in various locations within the reserve (depending on availability). During your time here, you will either stay in lodge rooms or very comfortable permanent tents (both of equal quality and with similar amenities).   

Enjoy a morning and afternoon safari with our local guides in Karongwe. Drive through the shrublands of the bushveld in search of Africa’s renowned “big five”. Take a stroll around the grounds or relax on the deck after returning to camp. Enjoy a morning wildlife safari drive by waking up early (around 5am) and drinking your morning coffee. After brunch, return to the lodge for some leisure time. We invite you to converse on the deck, walk the grounds and gardens, and enjoy high tea. After tea, we will take a safari drive in the late afternoon. As soon as we have seen a great deal of wildlife, it is time to return to camp and freshen up before heading to dinner for an exquisite traditional South African braai serving bbq’d meats and traditional “potjiekos” (cast iron pots) stews cooked over the fire.    

This morning, embark on one final safari, keeping an eye out for Karongwe’s iconic inhabitants. In the evening, you will enjoy dinner in our family-run lodge before returning to the city. Take a safari 4×4 and keep your eyes open for wonderful wildlife encounters. In addition to qualified wildlife rangers and expert trackers, the safari drives are conducted by qualified wildlife rangers and local safari guides who are both highly experienced in the African bush.   

Take a flight to Windhoek and get a hotel transfer. Spend the afternoon exploring Namibia’s capital.

The Namib-Naukluft National Park is just a short drive away from the Namibian capital, Sesriem. While driving past red-hued desert landscapes, stark camel thorn trees, and dramatic curved dunes, watch out for the creatures that call these arid lands home, including oryx, springbok, jackal, and hyena. Watch a fiery crimson sunset over the desert from our lodge as you relax poolside. Sesriem and Sossusvlei offer postcard-perfect desert scenery – vast expanses of reds and oranges, solitary camel thorn trees and towering dunes with dramatic curves. There is also a surprising amount of wildlife that can be found in this area.

Discover one of Africa’s largest national parks on a thrilling excursion. Take a trip to the Namib desert, the oldest desert on earth, and explore sand dunes at Sossusvlei and white clay pans at Deadvlei. With a crisp blue sky and orange dunes as a backdrop, capture dramatic images of dead camel thorn trees. A natural gorge carved out over millions of years by the Tsauchab River awaits you in Sesriem Canyon.

Travel along the coastal road to Swakopmund as the desert landscape changes. Take a break in Solitaire before heading into the countryside, and see roaming zebra, kudu, springbok, and oryx along the way. On a 4×4 drive through the desert, we meet a local and learn how bushmen survived in this inhospitable region thousands of years ago. Snakes, geckos, spiders, and a variety of insects are also found here, as well as smaller wildlife that has survived.

Embark on a thrilling day of exploration! Begin your morning with a hearty breakfast at the hotel before embarking on a scenic drive towards Sandwich Harbour and the legendary Skeleton Coast. Your knowledgeable local guide will provide fascinating insights into the Namib Desert’s unique ecology and diverse wildlife throughout the journey. Experience the awe-inspiring beauty of the Namib Naukluft Park, including a thrilling 4×4 excursion across the towering dunes, depending on the tide. Enjoy a delicious lunch at a secluded location within the park, savoring the breathtaking panorama of the desert meeting the vast ocean. In the afternoon, delve deeper into the local culture with a guided tour of Mondesa township. Learn about its rich history and vibrant community, and immerse yourself in the local market, sampling traditional delicacies like wild spinach, mopane worms, and dried sardines (kapenta). Connect with the locals at an authentic arts and crafts shop before concluding your day with a delightful dinner and a captivating performance at a charming, family-run establishment.

Immerse yourself in the unique Afro-German charm of Swakopmund! Enjoy a leisurely morning exploring the town at your own pace, browsing through local curio shops, visiting the fascinating Swakopmund Museum, and indulging in a delicious meal at a charming local restaurant. For the adventurous, opt for thrilling activities like exhilarating sandboarding in the towering dunes of the Namib Desert, a serene sea kayaking excursion, or an exciting fat tire bike tour through the historic streets of Old City Swakopmund. Later in the evening, gather with your fellow travelers for a delightful group dinner at the hotel, sharing stories and memories of your Swakopmund adventures.

Embark on a scenic drive towards Etosha National Park, one of Namibia’s most renowned wildlife sanctuaries, after enjoying a hearty breakfast in Swakopmund. Stop in the charming town of Outjo for a refreshing break, enjoying a delicious lunch at a local cafe or restaurant and savoring the warm Namibian hospitality. Continue your journey towards your comfortable lodge, situated just outside the park’s boundaries. Spend the remainder of the day at leisure, relaxing by the pool or embarking on an optional wildlife drive in the surrounding area to encounter the wonders of the African bush.

Explore Etosha National Park, where vast grasslands converge on a gigantic salt pan. In your open vehicle, explore Etosha in search of endangered wildlife such as lions, elephants, and rhinos. Sit back and watch all manner of wildlife flock to a nearby watering hole as you enjoy lunch at one of the park’s rest areas. You can also swim there and take a dip. Its vast open grasslands, massive salt pans that cover 4731km2 and huge camel thorn trees juxtaposed with Mopani trees provide a contrast after the vast desert of Etosha National Park. There are many natural waterholes in the park, along with diverse vegetation, which attract wildlife. Elephants and leopards thrive in thicker vegetation, as do some of the largest elephants in Africa. While birders can enjoy the salt pans that attract flamingos in the rainy season, lions, giraffes, ostriches, and many antelope species can be found in the grasslands. Many migratory birds and more than 340 bird species have been recorded in Etosha National Park, including the European bee-eater and the kori bustard.

Dr Laurie Marker, a National Geographic Grantee, founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund after breakfast. Take a tour of the facility and hear a talk by one of the researchers to learn more about the company’s conservation and community outreach efforts. You can then drive through the center’s grounds and meet some of the cheetahs that have been rescued and rehabilitated. Our final evening will be spent in Windhoek.

You may want to consider taking a flight to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, which is named in honor of one of the most powerful waterfalls on the planet. Shop for groceries in the bustling market of a nearby village. You will then have the opportunity to participate in a traditional Zimbabwean meal with a local family, where you will help your hosts prepare the meal using the ingredients you selected, as well as hear stories about the local culture and lifestyle. Victoria Falls can generate mist as high as 400 meters (1312 feet). After seeing the falls for the first time in 1855, the explorer and missionary David Livingstone renamed them after Queen Victoria.

Discover the magnificent Victoria Falls on a tour. There are two different names for these waterfalls: one is Mosi-oa-Tunya, which means “the smoke that thunders,” while the other is Mosi-oa-Tunya, which means “the smoke that thunders.” Take a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River; or visit the Chobe National Park for a day trip filled with wildlife.

Enjoy the flexibility of departing at your own pace! Whether you’re eager to embark on your next adventure or want to savor a few more moments in this vibrant city, the choice is yours.