Luxury South Africa
11 Days - Selected Departures
Cape Town’s most distinctive feature is its stunning setting: it lies on a dramatic coastline of pristine white beaches and ice waters, overlooked by the iconic flat-topped Table Mountain. Cape Town’s attractions cover the natural world and the country’s fascinating history in equal measure. Enjoy a journey on one of the "most luxurious trains" in the World, The Blue Train. Enjoy the beautiful sights on offer and enjoy a non forgettable experience in pure luxury before you experience the renowned game viewing and unspoiled bush of the Kruger National Park.
Home » Luxury South Africa: Cape Town, Blue Train & Kruger
Itinerary Highlights
- Visiting the Cape Point and undertake the Peninsular Tour
- Take part in the Cape Town City Tour, including visit to Table Mountain
- Experiencing a 1600km Blue Train journey and sight for spectacular sceneries as you travel
- Visiting the Kruger National Park Safari and meet some extraordinary native species.
- Enjoy the Winelands tour in Cape Town and experience some amazing wine tasting opportunities
Arrive in Cape Town
On arrival into Cape Town Airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.
Cape Town's most distinctive feature is its stunning setting: it lies on a dramatic coastline of pristine white beaches and ice waters, overlooked by the iconic flat-topped Table Mountain. Its attractions cover the natural world and the country's fascinating history in equal measure.
City Tour
The tour commences with a pick up at your hotel at approximately 08:30. Few places in the world possess the beauty and style of the historic and culturally vibrant city of Cape Town and today you will explore its historical beginnings to the colourful and vibrant melting pot it is today. The city shelters beneath the majestic backdrop of Table Mountain, which is flanked by the landmarks of Devils Peak, Lions Head and Signal Hill.
Every visit to Cape Town should commence with a journey to Table Mountain as the breathtaking views across the region are a superb way to familiarise yourself with your new surroundings. You will have the opportunity to take an optional cable car to the summit (cable car fee not included) before we return to the city and explore sights such as the impressive Company Gardens, the S. A. Museum, the Castle of Good Hope, Greenmarket Square and the picturesque Bo-Kaap district. Return to the hotel in the early afternoon and the remainder of the day is at your leisure.
* Please note that the Table Mountain Cableway tends to close for annual maintenance usually from mid July until the beginning of September. If this happens again in 2025, during the closure, we can include a drive to Signal Hill to take in the amazing views of Table mountain from there. Table Mountain has not released their 2025 Maintenance dates yet.
Breakfast included.
Cape Point & Peninsula Tour
Today, you will embark on a spectacular journey to the towering headland known as Cape Point, taking in all the highlights and breath-taking beauty of this scenic peninsula. Travel along the Atlantic Seaboard via Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay, stopping at a Llandudno look-out point before continuing to Hout Bay, a quaint village and fishing harbour with magnificent mountain views and beach. On through Chapman's Peak, one of the world's most breathtaking coastal drives, to Cape Point and the Good Hope Nature Reserve, which has magnificent fynbos vegetation, birdlife, endemic antelope species and zebra, historic lighthouses and shipwrecks. Cape Point is perceived to be the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
After lunch at a nearby restaurant (not included in cost), go on to historic Simon's Town, a village with charming Victorian architecture, a naval base and a large penguin colony at the beautiful Boulders Beach. Boulders Penguin Colony is home to a growing colony of the vulnerable African Penguin. Wooden walkways allow visitors to view the penguins in their natural habitat and there is also a new information centre.
You then make your way to visit the well-known Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. The Garden is one of eight National Botanical Gardens covering five of South Africa's six different biomes. When Kirstenbosch, the most famous of the gardens, was founded in 1913 to preserve the country's unique flora, it was the first botanical garden in the world with this ethos. The garden is world-renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape Flora it displays and for the magnificence of its setting against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. You will be returned to your hotel at approximately 17:30.
Breakfast included.
Winelands Day Tour
Whether you're a wine connoisseur or a lover of natural beauty you'll be sure to enjoy today's tour into the heart of the Cape Winelands. This delightful drive takes you through superb mountain ranges, vineyards and Cape Dutch homesteads and of course allows time to try the local produce.
The tour commences with a pick up at your hotel at approximately 08:30. Our first stop is the town of Stellenbosch, the centre of the South Africa's wine industry. The city boasts great beauty and culture that is steeped in South African history. Walk down the canal-lined avenues, in the shade of giant oak trees and beautifully preserved historic buildings. With the sheer vastness of wine estates on offer, we are truly spoilt for choice when we enjoy our first wine tasting of the day at the Waterford Estate or similar.
Travel over the Helshoogte Pass to the picturesque town of Franschhoek, historically dating back to the 17th century when the French Huguenots arrived. We enjoy a wine tasting before taking time to enjoy the fabled culinary skills of the Franschhoek chefs at one of its many award winning restaurants (lunch not included). After lunch we continue onward to Paarl, one of the Cape's first farming districts. The town is set at the foot of the cluster of remarkable granite domes from which it takes its name. Time permitting we enjoy another wine tasting before returning to Cape Town in the late afternoon.
Breakfast included.
Blue Train Journey: Cape Town to Pretoria
The Blue Train route between Cape Town and Pretoria is a 31-hour journey of 1600 kilometres (994 miles), through some of the most diverse and spectacular scenery offered by the African sub-continent. On the Northbound journey, the train leaves Cape Town at 14h00 and arrives in Pretoria at 12h00 two days later, stopping for an off-the-train excursion at the Kimberley Open Mine Museum on the second day.
Day 1: Depart Cape Town Station
12:30 Register and check-in at The Blue Train Lounge, Cape Town Station. - Guests enjoy pre-departure snacks and drinks.
13:15 Boarding commences. Butlers usher guests to their suites. - Suite orientation done by butlers. Boarding concludes at 13:45
14:00 The Blue Train departs from Cape Town Station - might depart earlier once all guests have checked-in
16:00 High Tea is served in the Non-Smoking Lounge Car
18:30 – 20:00 First sitting for Dinner
20:15 – 22:00 Second sitting for Dinner
* Remember, dinner is an elegant affair and men are requested to wear a jacket and tie and ladies elegant evening wear.
Dinner included.
Day 2: Off-train excursion in Kimberley
06:00 – 09:00 Breakfast is served on a first-come-first-served basis.
11:30 – 13:00 First sitting for Lunch
13:15 – 14:00 Second sitting for Lunch
OFF-THE-TRAIN EXCURSION
(Weather & time-permitting)
14:00 The Blue Train arrives at Kimberley Station. - Guests disembark and gather at the railway museum, from where they will be ushered to a bus, which transfers them to the Kimberley Open Mine Museum.
15:00 Guests arrive at the Open Mine Museum - For a tour of the mine. Guests are first taken to view interesting and historical sites. Guests are also taken onto an enclosed ramp on the edge of the Big Hole.
17:00 Guests depart from the Open Mine Museum for Kimberley Station. - At Kimberley Station guests are greeted with a glass of sherry. The sherry glass engraved with The Blue Train logo is a memento for guests to keep. After this exciting tour, guests are welcome to refresh themselves and enjoy aperitifs before dinner
18:30 The Blue Train departs Kimberley Station for the journey Northbound to Pretoria.
18:30 – 20:00 First sitting for Dinner
20:30 – 22:00 Second sitting for Dinner
* Remember, dinner is an elegant affair and men are requested to wear a jacket and tie and ladies elegant evening wear.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.
Day 3: Arrive in Pretoria
06:30 – 10:30 Breakfast is served on a first-come-first-served basis.
12:00 The Blue Train arrives at Pretoria Station - Butlers usher guests to the Arrival Lounge.
Breakfast included.
Train Station to Johannesburg Hotel
Upon arrival at Pretoria train station you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel in Johannesburg.
Half Day Johannesburg City tour - Private
South Africa's economic hub, the New York of Africa, bursts at the seams with a wealth of art, history and culture. Johannesburg is a fusion of chic sophistication and rustic, inner-city vibe born of Africa's finest creative minds. Modern African art meets designer trend and the results are striking. From the inner city walking tours' street art and graffiti, to the re-invented university suburbs, the rejuvenation exposes a vibrant urban life. Braamfontein's Constitution Hill, art galleries and restaurants are an example of this regeneration. It is here the continent can express itself and the results are funky, a little off beat and totally captivating.
Upmarket Sandton, Rosebank and Melrose are shopping meccas, with restaurants, and activities easily located beside leafy suburbs. Soweto, once home to South Africa's most well-loved legend, is an essential part of any visit to Johannesburg. Nelson Mandela's house, the Hector Pieterson Museum and Regina Mundi Cathedral are part of the historical appeal of any Soweto visit, and the importance of South Africa's turbulent past and hard won democracy is evident.
Breakfast included.
4 Day Little Garonga Safari
Located within the spectacular Makalali Game Reserve, Little Garonga is a small, luxurious camp that provides an intimate and personal safari experience. Guests can expect impeccable levels of service with a dedicated host, chef, waiter and housekeeper to ensure total comfort. The camp offers just three thatched suites situated around a centralised indoor and outdoor lounge area, and a sparkling swimming pool with a built in barbeque area. With a strong focus on delectable cuisine, Little Garonga serves gourmet meals in a variety of wonderful locations including dinners in the boma, bush picnics and private dining under the stars. The camp also has an exceptional wine cellar specialising in outstanding South African wines. When not indulging in the many delights the camp has to offer, guests can enjoy a true Big Five safari experience, with unforgettable game drives, guided walks and sleep-out excursions, all with expert guides and trackers who are very knowledgeable about the incredible variety of animals in the reserve.
Your stay includes: all meals, local brand drinks, 2 game drives per day, bush walks, "Sleep Out" excursion, Bush Bath & Star Bath experiences, laundry, and conservancy fees.
Arrival Day
On arrival into Hoedspruit Airport you will be met and transferred approximately 75 minutes to the camp to get settled in your room and (time permitting) enjoy lunch. Depending on your arrival time, you should have the opportunity to head out on your first afternoon game drive before returning to the lodge for a delicious dinner.
Lunch and Dinner included.
Game Viewing Activites
Enjoy two full days on safari on the Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve. Little Garonga offers a true Big Five safari experience, with expert guides and trackers who are knowledgeable about the wide variety of animals in our nature reserve. Track wildlife in the pre-dawn or enjoy traditional early morning and late afternoon game drives.
Game Drives are at the heart of the Garonga experience, allowing our visitors to encounter the Big Five up close. Your stay will typically include a morning and afternoon game drive on our open-air Landrovers. Enjoy tea, coffee and snacks in the bush as the animals are waking up on our morning game drives, and cocktails or a glass of wine as the sun dips below the horizon on our evening game drives. In addition to the Big Five (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, white and black rhino), we also have cheetah, hippo, crocodiles, spotted hyenas, wild dog, and plains animals like zebras, giraffes, and several species of buck.
Safari walks with a game ranger are another highlight, bringing our guests up close to the flora and fauna of the nature reserve. The Little Garonga guides will also point out the varied birdlife, and explain how they track animals by their prints.
Other special experiences included in you stay are the 'Sleep Out' Experience, Bush Bath, and Star Bath. The 'Sleep Out' is a viewing deck with a four-poster bed where guests can enjoy dinner under the stars, and spend the night alone in the bush. The Bush Bath and Star Bath are outdoor bath sets overlooking the surrounding landscape. Enjoy a glass of wine and the sounds of the bush from the comfort of a warm bubble bath - bubbles and stars make a great combination for ultimate relaxation.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.
Departure Day
Enjoy your final early morning game drive and breakfast at the lodge before you say goodbye to the camp staff and are transferred back to Hoedspruit Airport for your onward flight.
Breakfast included.
Luxury
Cape Town, South Africa - Cape Grace Hotel
Cape Town, South Africa - The Blue Train - Cape Town to Pretoria
Johannesburg, South Africa - The Peech Hotel
Kruger, South Africa - Little Garonga Safari Lodge
Whats included?
- Internal airfares
- Accommodation with private facilities
- Blue train journey
- Hotel taxes
- English-speaking guided tours
- Entrance fees
- Meals as specified
What’s not included?
- International airfares
- Arrival/departure taxes or reciprocity fees, visa fees where applicable
- Travel insurance
- Gratuities
- Any items not mentioned as included
Notes
- Rates are based on twin share lead-in rooms for Hotels and Blue Train
- Other room types and hotels are available.
- Rates are subject to change and different rates may apply during holiday seasons and special events