The Blyde River Canyon on the Panorama Route, its dam winding between flat-topped sandstone peaks

South Africa · 14 days

A World in One Country

Thirteen nights from Johannesburg to Cape Town. The Panorama Route, Kruger, eSwatini, Zululand, the Garden Route and Hermanus, finishing under Table Mountain.

Duration: 14 days, 13 nights · 1 flight
Pace: Full
Where: South Africa
Experiences: Game Drives in the Kruger Durban City and Markets The Garden Route The Whale Coast at Hermanus
Board: Board varies by stay
Price: On request

Overview

The shape of the journey

Thirteen nights across South Africa, with a detour into eSwatini. Johannesburg and Pretoria for the history, Mpumalanga's Panorama Route for the views, Kruger for the Big Five, and the Kingdom of eSwatini for its traditions. Then Zululand, Durban, the Garden Route and Hermanus.

JohannesburgPanorama RouteKrugerEzulwini ValleyZululandDurbanGqeberhaTsitsikammaKnysnaOudtshoornHermanusCape Town

You finish in Cape Town, between Table Mountain and the Atlantic.

Day by day

How the days run

A proposal, not a timetable. The routing, timings and inclusions are confirmed in writing before you pay anything.

Day 1
Arrive in Johannesburg
Arrive in Johannesburg, a city where history, culture and modern energy meet.
Day 2
Johannesburg and Pretoria
Johannesburg's museums and arts districts, then Pretoria: the Union Buildings, the Voortrekker Monument and the jacaranda-lined streets.
Day 3
The Panorama Route
Into Mpumalanga for the Panorama Route: Blyde River Canyon, God's Window and Bourke's Luck Potholes.
Day 4
Into Kruger
Into Kruger National Park, from savannah to riverine forest, and a first game drive.
Day 5
Kruger National Park
A day of game drives in Kruger, home to the Big Five.
Day 6
The Kingdom of eSwatini
Across the border into eSwatini: a cultural village for Swazi dance and crafts, gentle game viewing at Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, and the markets of the Ezulwini Valley.
Day 7
Zululand
On into Zululand and its wild landscapes.
Day 8
Durban
Down to Durban on the coast: the Golden Mile, the Victoria Street Market, and a city where Zulu, Indian and colonial influences share the table, bunny chow included.
Day 9Flight
To Gqeberha, and the Garden Route begins
On to Port Elizabeth, now officially Gqeberha, on the Sunshine Coast: beaches, the Donkin Heritage Trail and the start of the Garden Route.
Day 10
Tsitsikamma
Ancient forest meets the Indian Ocean: the Storms River Suspension Bridge, kayaking through the gorges, and the Bloukrans Bridge bungee for those who want it.
Day 11
Knysna
The lagoon, the indigenous forests and the Featherbed Nature Reserve, with fresh oysters and the galleries in town.
Day 12
Oudtshoorn and the Klein Karoo
Inland to ostrich country: the Cango Caves, a working ostrich farm and the Swartberg Pass.
Day 13
Hermanus
West to the whale coast. Between June and November southern right whales can come close to shore; the rest of the year there are the cliff paths and the wines of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley.
Day 14
Cape Town, and home
The last run into Cape Town, for Table Mountain or the V&A Waterfront before your departure.

Price & terms

What it costs

Priced on request. This itinerary is quoted for your dates, your party and the grade of camp you choose, which is why there is no single number on this page.

What this price covers

Rates are per person sharing unless the line above says otherwise.
Prices move with the season and with availability, and are held only once your quote is confirmed in writing.
The day-by-day above is a draft. Final routing, timings, inclusions and any park or permit fees are confirmed with your quote.

Before you go

Worth reading before this trip

The best time to visit South Africa, month by monthKruger is best in the dry months, May to September.
Practical facts by countryPlugs, currency, time zone, driving side, SIM, tipping and tap water.