South Africa Highlights & Safari

14 days
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4.9/5 Excellent
100+ reviews  
99%
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USTOA

Cancellation Policy
Group Tour
Experience South Africa like never before on this comprehensive journey! Arrive in Cape Town to your elegant hotel and spend four nights exploring the highlights of this spectacular city. On the next leg of your trip, traverse the gorgeous coastlines of the Indian Ocean and enjoy a game drive in the fascinating Hluhluwe Game Reserve. Then, visit the most famo...

Overview

Trip type
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Full schedule

Highlights

    • Explore Table Mountain (Cape Town)
    • See the Cape Peninsula (Cape Town)
    • Explore amazing Hluhluwe Game Reserve
    • Visit to Kruger National Park
    • Vist Apartheid Museum (Johannesburg)

What's this trip about?

    Experience South Africa like never before on this comprehensive journey! Arrive in Cape Town to your elegant hotel and spend four nights exploring the highlights of this spectacular city. On the next leg of your trip, traverse the gorgeous coastlines of the Indian Ocean and enjoy a game drive in the fascinating Hluhluwe Game Reserve. Then, visit the most famous of all the game reserves in South Africa, Kruger National Park. Your unforgettable odyssey comes to an end in the gorgeous metropolis of Johannesburg.

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityCape Town
End CityJohannesburg

Travel Themes

  • 50 plus
  • Cultural
  • National Parks
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • Safari

Destinations

Activities

  • Culture
  • Game drive
  • Historic sightseeing
  • Nature
  • Safari
  • Wildlife viewing
  • Wine Tasting

Trip includes

    • Round-trip airfare from New York (JFK) via South African Airways
    • Airfare taxes, fees & fuel surcharges
    • Intra-South Africa flight and ground transportation
    • Accommodations at superior first class hotels
    • 18 meals: 11 buffet breakfasts (B), 2 lunches (L), 5 dinners (D)
    • Comprehensive touring and safaris incl. admission fees
    • Experienced, English speaking Tour Director throughout

Itinerary

Day 1: Depart USA.
Your fascinating sojourn to South Africa begins as you depart New York today.

Day 2: Arrive Cape Town.
Meals: Dinner Accommodation: Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel Arrive in Cape Town, South Africa’s oldest and most spectacular city, where you’ll be met and escorted to your hotel, ideally located near the vibrant V&A Waterfront. This evening, your Tour Director hosts a welcome dinner and briefing. Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel.

Day 3:
Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel Sheltered beneath the dramatic shape of Table Mountain, Cape Town is indeed one of the world’s most unique cities. This morning, a local expert leads you on a sightseeing tour to explore the charms of the ci...
Day 4:
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch Accommodation: Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel A memorable full day excursion to Cape Peninsula begins with a scenic drive passing steep mountains, secluded coves, and sweeping beaches en route to Cape Point at the southern tip of the Peninsula...
Day 5:
Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel Today is at leisure for independent exploration, shopping or relaxing! An optional excursion to the charming winelands region just outside Cape Town is available. You may also use your free time to visit Robben Island and see where Nelson Mandela spent nearly two decades in captivity.

Day 6: Cape Town/ Zululand/ Hluhluwe.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner Accommodation: Emdoneni Lodge Board a morning flight to King Shaka International Airport on the Kwazulu Natal North Coast, just outside the bustling port city of Durban. Journey to the charming resort village of Westbrooke, where you may e...
Day 7: Hluhluwe Game Reserve/Zululand.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch Accommodation: Emdoneni Lodge An exciting day begins with a morning game drive in open safari vehicles to explore the magnificent animals and species in the fascinating Hluhluwe Game Reserve. Later, visit Dumazulu Village and experience the...
Day 8: Hluhluwe/Swaziland.
Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Lugogo Sun Hotel Today, continue your scenic drive north and cross the border into the tiny Kingdom of Swaziland. Shop for unique African souvenirs at the colorful markets and see basket weavers at work. Lugogo Sun Hotel.

Day 9: Swaziland/Kruger National Park.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner Accommodation: Kruger Gate Lodge Drive through the beautiful countryside of the province of Transvaal to the world famous Kruger National Park. Encompassing some of the most stunning and diverse terrain, the park is South Africa’s premier ...
Day 10:
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner Accommodation: Kruger Gate Lodge Your safari today includes a morning game drive, in open vehicles, in search of the parks many residents including the “Big Five”: Lion, elephant, buffalo and rhino and hopefully the more elusive leopard. Y...
Day 11: Kruger Park/ Mpumalanga/ Sandton (Johannesburg).
Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Garden Court Sandton City Drive through Mpumalanga (formerly Eastern Transvaal) panoramic wild countryside and enjoy unparalleled views of densely forested mountains, valleys, rivers and waterfalls. Arrive in the magnificent Blyde Rive...
Day 12: Soweto Excursion/Apartheid Museum.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner Accommodation: Garden Court Sandton City This morning learn more about South Africa’s turbulent past and its hope for the future on a fascinating tour to Soweto, a sprawling metropolis on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Peek into the past –...
Day 13: Depart South Africa.
Meals: Breakfast Today is at leisure for last minute shopping or independent pursuits before transferring to the airport for your return flight.

Day 14: Arrive USA.
Your memorable journey comes to an end as you touch down in New York this morning.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $2,999
Price per day$214
Single supplement (single occupancy)$449
Last Updated: 2/16/2023

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with SmarTours.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

SmarTours Reviews & Ratings

4.9/5  Excellent
Excellent
996
Great
111
Average
1
Disappointing
2
Terrible
5
G

Gail

Mar 2020

Written on

Loved our trip

Loved our trip to South Africa. We very much loved Sean our guide as he went over and above on keeping all safe, informed, happy and laughing with his wonderful humo...

G

Gail

Mar 2020

Written on

wonderful vacation

Just back from a wonderful vacation to South Africa and Safari. First I want to compliment our wonderful guide who went over and above to tell us about Africa, keep ...

A

Alice

Mar 2020

Written on

experience of a lifetime

What an experience walking with the lions? Up close and personal with the beastly lions was an experience of a lifetime. A trip I would definitely want to retake Bes...

L

Linda

Mar 2020

Written on

we have been so very happy with EVERYTHING

We have done 4 Smartours over the years. South Africa, Macchu Piccu, Galapagos, India and Nepal. Each and every time we have been so very happy with EVERYTHING. The ...

R

Richard

Mar 2020

Written on

exceeded our expectations

This was our seventh tour with smarTours and it did not disappoint. The hotels, included meals, safaris, and guide exceeded our expectations. We saw the big five and...

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Amy G

Jun 2024

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T

Tour Guide Spoke Unintelligible English

Jun 2024

Written on

Company Failed to provide value and service

traveled with Smartours to Japan on a 12 day trip in May 2 024. This was the tour guide’s first trip working for Smartours. She spoke unintelligible English. Smartou...

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Feb 2024

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BUYER BEWARE

BUYER BEWARE. We were to leave on a tour of Egypt/Jordan 5 days after the Hamas attacks on Israel. This outfit took about 5 minutes consideration to decide that it...

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Tour Operator

SmarTours

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smarTours was founded in 1996 with one goal in mind: to provide high quality, exciting group tour packages to some of the most fascinating countries in the world at the lowest possible price.  The team at smarTours believes deeply that high quality international travel should be affordable, and we work tirelessly to deliver affordability.

At smarTours, most of our travelers in any given year are repeat customers – they had such great experiences with us before that they decided to travel with us again.  And many of our customers are so happy with smarTours that they have made traveling with us an annual tradition, reaching 5, 10, even 15 trips with smarTours!  In other words, we must be doing at least a few things right.

Unbeatable Value: We provide exceptional value for your money, and it does not take that much time visiting our website to figure that out.  However, it can be difficult to compare the value provided by different tour operators because the tours are so intricate and multifaceted.  If you take the time to really peel back onion and evaluate the tours offered by smarTours, we are confident that you would come to the conclusion that our loyal customers have – that smarTours provides unbeatable value.

Phenomenal Tour Guides: If you ask anyone who has been on an escorted tour, they will tell you that the tour guides are an essential ingredient to making the trip a success.  The importance of tour guides is not lost on us at smarTours, which is why we are relentless in our pursuit and retention of the very best tour guides.  We are proud to say with confidence that our tour guides are phenomenal, and many of them have become celebrity-like figures within the smarTours community.

smarTours Price Protection: We have had a price protection policy since we started in 1996, and we thought it was time to share it with you.  If you reserve a spot on a tour and we later lower the price, we will make up the difference for you!  We do not penalize you for booking early, so you can reserve your spot with confidence that the price will not get any better (lower) for that particular date.  Also, to be clear, if you reserve a spot on a tour and we later increase the price, we will not raise your price to match the new price!

Focus: Unlike most of our competitors, we focus exclusively on providing affordable group tours to foreign, largely exotic destinations.  In the travel business, it is particularly easy to get distracted by new trends and themes, but we have chosen to focus on what we do best.  We are extremely deliberate in introducing new tours because we have set a standard that our loyal customers have come to rely on, and we are committed to meeting and exceeding your expectations.

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • Baggage and personal insurance
    • Passport and visa fees
    • Gratuities and optional tours
    • Expenses of personal nature
    • Any items not specifically mentioned in the itinerary
    • Beverages
    • Meals other than specified in the trip itinerary
    • Items of a personal nature.

Accommodation

Night 1: International Flight: South African Airways Nights 2-5: Cape Town: Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel OR Cape Town: President Hotel Nights 6-7: Hluhluwe: Emdoneni Lodge Night 8: Swaziland: Avani Ezulwini Valley Hotel Nights 9-10: Kruger National Park: Kruger Gate Lodge OR Sabi River Sun Resort Nights 11-12:  Johannesburg: Garden Court Sandton City Night 13 Main: International Flight: South African Airways Nights 13-15 Extension: Victoria Falls: Victoria Falls Safari Lodge Night 16 Extension: International Flight: South African Airways
Cancellation policy
Full Payment due 75 days before departure. Failure to make final payment on time may result in automatic cancellation of reservation and loss of deposit. Changes to the original reservation will result in a $150 change fee per person per change. No changes allowed within 75 days of departure. Cancellation charges per person are: Up to 75 days before departure: $300 74-45 days before departure: $600 44-30 days before departure: $1000 29-10 days before departure: $1500 9 days or less before departure: No refund. All cancellations must be received in writing
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included
18 meals: 11 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches and 5 Dinners
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Optional Activities
Victoria Falls extension: from approx. $1,289 per person Half-Day Cultural Heritage & Township Tour (Approx. $40 per person) Winelands Tour (Approx. $48 per person) Full Day Great White Shark Cage Diving*** (Approx. $148 per person, including breakfast, packed lunch, hot soup and transfers) Full-Day Chobe National Park (Botswana) Safari & Tour (Approx. $175 per person)
Additional Information
Trip ID
smartours-smartours-SSA

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