South Africa Safari Tour

Arriving in Cape Town

We meet in the international terminal of Istanbul Airport, 3 hours before the flight. After check-in and passport control we board Turkish Airlines flight TK44, departing at 01.55 for Cape Town. We land at 11.50 local time and start our city tour in our waiting vehicle.

Set at the foot of the iconic Table Mountain, Cape Town is one of South Africa's most striking cities for its nature and cultural heritage. Our city tour covers the Houses of Parliament, the Company's Garden, Long Street, the Castle of Good Hope, the Van Riebeeck Statue and Adderley Street. After the tour we transfer to our hotel for free time. Overnight at the hotel.

An optional day on the peninsula

After breakfast at the hotel, guests who wish can join the optional extra Hout Bay and Cape of Good Hope tour with lunch (170 USD).

From Hout Bay we take a boat to Duiker Island to see the seals. Near Simon's Town we watch African penguins at Boulders Beach, then stop at a local restaurant for lunch. Afterwards we visit the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, the southwestern tip of Africa, where a funicular takes us up to the highest lighthouse in the world. After the tour we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Wine country and Table Mountain

After breakfast at the hotel, guests who wish can join the optional extra Table Mountain and Stellenbosch tour with lunch (165 USD).

Stellenbosch is one of South Africa's best known wine regions. Around 50 kilometres southeast of Cape Town, the town feels like an open-air museum, with its vineyards, 17th century buildings and broad tree-lined streets. As Cape Town is the oldest settlement in the region, African and local cultures still mix colourfully here. We taste wines made from grapes native to South Africa and try the region's traditional dishes at lunch on a local farm.

We then head for Table Mountain, the symbol of Cape Town. Its flat summit, about 1.086 metres high, also offers panoramic views over the city. We ride the cable car to the top to see the plants and animals found only here and the Cape Town coastline from above. After the tour we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Langa and the botanical garden

After breakfast at the hotel, guests who wish can join the optional extra Langa and Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden tour (105 USD).

Langa is one of Cape Town's oldest settlements and the first official black township established under Apartheid. Known for its culture and social history, it gives us a close look at local life, seen first hand.

We continue to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, run by South Africa's National Biodiversity Institute. Founded in 1913 on the slopes above Cape Town, it is one of the world's most important botanical gardens, created to protect and present the country's rich plant life. On a walking tour we discover five of South Africa's six biomes. After the tour we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Flying to Sun City

After breakfast we transfer to Cape Town Airport. After check-in we fly to Sun City with a local airline, and our waiting vehicle takes us towards our hotel in Sun City.

On the way, guests who wish can join the optional extra Lion Park tour (90 USD). From our safari vehicle we watch lions in the wild and capture the moment on camera, and in the last part of the tour we see the rare white lions. We then transfer to our hotel in Sun City. Overnight at the hotel.

Safari in Pilanesberg

Before breakfast, guests who wish can join the optional extra safari drives (sunrise safari 175 USD, sunset safari 175 USD).

To give the best chance of seeing all of the Big 5, the lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and African buffalo, the safari is split into 2 parts. The animals are easiest to spot in the morning when they come to drink and in the evening when they hunt, so the drives run at sunrise and at sunset.

In Pilanesberg National Park we follow the daily life of wild animals among mountains of volcanic origin from our safari vehicles. After the tour we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

On to Johannesburg

After breakfast we set off for Johannesburg. On the way, guests who wish can join the optional extra Lesedi Cultural Village tour with lunch (95 USD). In Lesedi, in the Gauteng region, we learn about the cultures of the Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi and Ndebele peoples, watch traditional African dances and have lunch at a local restaurant.

We then continue to Johannesburg, where our city tour begins on arrival. South Africa's largest city and economic centre, also known simply as "Jozi", played a key role during Apartheid and carries the traces of figures such as Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Our tour includes Nelson Mandela's house and the Rosebank and Sandton districts. After the tour we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Free time and the flight home

After breakfast at the hotel, free time. At the time set by our guide we transfer to the airport. After check-in we board Turkish Airlines flight TK39, departing at 19.10 for Istanbul.

Back in Istanbul

We arrive in Istanbul the next day at 06.05 local time, and our tour ends.