TREASURES OF SOUTHERN AFRICA ITINERARY
Day-by-Day Itinerary*
Day 1
Depart your gateway city for Cape Town, South Africa. (Flight provided for Air Package participants only.)
Day 2
Upon arrival, transfer to the Mount Nelson Hotel. (Transfer provided for Air Package participants only.)
The afternoon is at leisure.
Day 3
Excursion: Robben Island. For nearly 400 years, isolated Robben Island was a place of exile. Now it is a UNESCO World Heritage List site. Cruise to the island and tour the former prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated. Participate in a private discussion with a former Robben Island prisoner. Then, see the island’s lime quarry and local village.
Excursion: Highlights of Cape Town. Begin your exploration of Cape Town with a tour of the city’s highlights.
This evening, attend a Welcome Reception at the hotel.
Day 4
Optional Excursion: Wine Country. Journey to Franschhoek, the French Corner of the Cape area. Stroll through Stellenbosch, one of South Africa’s most attractive towns. Visit one of the area’s premier wine estates for a tasting and a delicious lunch.
Day 5
Excursion: Cape Peninsula National Park, Boulders Beach and Kirstenbosch Gardens. Travel by motorcoach to the Cape Point Nature Reserve. Ascend Cape Point by funicular and marvel at the panoramic views. Travel to Boulders Beach and see the African Penguin colony, then continue to the beautiful Kirstenbosch Gardens.
Day 6
This morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to Livingstone. Upon arrival, check into the Royal Livingstone Hotel.
Optional Excursion: Sunset Cruise on the Zambezi. Enjoy a catamaran cruise along the scenic river banks.
Day 7
Optional Excursion: Chobe National Park. Visit the second largest park in Botswana, and see its renowned African elephants. Chobe is home to one of the most diverse concentrations of game and birds found on the African continent.
Day 8
After a morning at leisure, transfer to the airport for the flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. Upon arrival, check into the Westcliff Hotel.
Day 9
Excursion: Soweto. Tour Soweto, where the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Nelson Mandela’s house commemorate two heroes of the struggle against apartheid. Visit the Apartheid Museum and the internationally acclaimed, award-winning exhibits on life in the townships during the 1970s and ‘80s.
Day 10
This morning, fly to Hoedspruit Airport near Kruger National Park. Upon arrival, transfer to the Shishangeni Private Lodge in Kruger National Park.
Excursion: Game Viewing. Set out on an afternoon game drive. Begin your quest for the Big Five: lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo.
Day 11
Excursion: Game Viewing. During today’s drives, try to spot giraffes, blue wildebeest and waterbuck.
Day 12
Excursion: Game Viewing. Search for spotted genets, impala, common duiker and more than 300 bird species during today’s drives.
This evening, join your fellow travelers at a festive Farewell Reception at the lodge.
Day 13
Excursion: Game Viewing. Look for zebras, eland, kudu and steenbok on your final drive.
At midday, transfer to the Hoedspruit Airport for the flight back to Johannesburg, South Africa. There, you’ll connect to the transatlantic return flight to your gateway city. (Transfer and flight provided for Air Package participants only.)
Day 14
Arrive at your gateway city.
* Itinerary is subject to change due to local conditions. Excursions in this program may involve an element of walking as some of the finest attractions are not always located in areas not closely accessible by motorcoach.
