Cape Town, the Blue Train & the Big Five

Make your own way to London Heathrow for the overnight flight to Cape Town.

We arrive into Cape Town this morning and transfer by coach to our hotel in the city centre for a 4-night stay. The rest of the day is free for you to relax and unwind before we enjoy dinner at the hotel this evening.

Included Highlights

Cape Town

Today we embark on a full-day tour exploring Cape Town in the company of a local guide. The day begins with an excursion to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment. This tour includes a half hour ferry trip across Table Bay to the Island, a bus tour around the island and a walking tour in the former maximum-security prison – the highlight being a viewing of Mandela's prison cell.

After returning to the mainland, we will enjoy lunch at the V&A Waterfront before heading to Table Mountain for a cableway trip to the top of one of the World’s Natural Wonders. Table Mountain is also the city’s most iconic and recognisable landmark. Explore the walking trails at the top and take in the many different views point across the City Bowl, Table Bay, Atlantic Seaboard and Peninsula. From Table Mountain, we head back down into the city to visit the colourful Bo Kaap, enjoying a walk through the Company Gardens and an orientation drive taking in some of the important historical buildings including the Castle of Good Hope – South Africa’s oldest building.

Tonight’s dinner is at Gold African Restaurant, an immersive experience that will take you on a 14-dish taste-safari paired with traditional Mali puppets and entertainment.

Included Highlights

Cape Town Guided Tour Table Mountain with Cableway Trip Robben Island

Today our local guide takes us on a full-day Cape Peninsula tour. Cape Town is frequently acknowledged and awarded as being one of the world’s most beautiful places! Experience the spectacular natural splendour and abundance of life of the Cape Peninsula. With scenic views to take your breath away and photo opportunities galore, this trip also journeys through a World Heritage Site – the Cape Floral Kingdom.

Travel along the Atlantic Seaboard to Hout Bay, passing magnificent beaches and the coastal suburbs of Clifton, Camps Bay and Llandudno. From the busy fishing harbour at Hout Bay, you have the option of a boat trip to see the thousands of Cape Fur Seals living on a rocky outcrop. Browse for souvenirs at the Hout Bay Craft Market or take a walk on the beach and paddle your feet in the sea.

The tour continues over Chapman’s Peak, known as one of the most spectacular scenic drives in the world, all the way along the Peninsula to the southern tip at Cape Point. An invigorating walk takes you to the two lighthouses at the top and bottom of the headland, from which you will enjoy extraordinary views of the cliffs and the ocean below.

Alternatively, you could take an optional short funicular ride to the top. Snap a photo down at the most south-western point of the African continent at the Cape of Good Hope beach. Lunch will be enjoyed at a seaside restaurant before we make our way along the False Bay coastline to the Naval village of Simon’s Town. We will visit the delightful African Penguins of Boulders Beach and then the drive takes us back via Cape Town’s coastal and southern suburbs.

Included Highlights

Cape Peninsula Guided Tour

The Cape Winelands are surrounded by majestic mountains, beautiful vineyards, and typical Cape Dutch-style architecture. The Cape Winelands include the towns of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl, and are home to more than 150 wine estates and wine farms producing top-quality, world-class wines. This region is also highly acclaimed for its many award-winning restaurants.

We begin at the heart of South Africa's wine industry in Stellenbosch, boasting 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 historical buildings. With the sheer vastness of wine estates on offer, we are truly spoilt for choice as we enjoy our first wine tasting of the day.

Travel over the spectacular Helshoogte Pass to the town of Franschhoek, historically dating back to the 17th century when the French Huguenots arrived. Billed as the Gourmet Capital of South Africa, this charming town, in a most picturesque valley, retains a French Huguenot style. Enjoy a wine tasting before taking time to enjoy the fabled culinary skills of the Franschhoek chefs at one of the many restaurants. Onward to Paarl, one of the Cape’s first farming districts, for a final wine tasting. The town is set at the foot of the cluster of remarkable granite domes from which it takes its name.

Return to the bustle of city life after an enthralling day in the countryside.

Included Highlights

Cape Winelands Tour

This morning, we transfer to the railway station to register and check in at the Blue Train Station lounge. Enjoy pre-departure snacks and drinks in the lounge prior to boarding. Your Butler will then usher you to your suite before the train departs. Canapes will be served before you sit down for lunch in the dining car.

You’ll have some free time to relax and watch the world go by and freshen up for tonight’s evening meal. Dinner is an elegant affair and men are requested to wear a jacket or waistcoat and ladies elegant evening wear. You can enjoy post-dinner drinks, Cognacs and Cuban cigars in the Club Car before retiring to bed.

Included Highlights

The Blue Train

Enjoy breakfast this morning and relax in the observation car or in the comfort of your suite. After lunch has been served, The Blue Train arrives at Kimberley, the capital of the Northern Cape. This town has a prosperous past due to the discovery of diamonds in the area. The renowned diamond merchants, DeBeers, made their fame and fortune here.

After disembarking, we take a short coach ride to the Kimberley Open Mine Museum. The hill where diamonds were first found quickly disappeared under the pressure of over-mining and the resulting space became known as the 'Big Hole'. This open basin is now so large that it can be seen from space and is 215 metres deep. Although the mine is no longer in use, there is a fascinating museum detailing the history of the site, which includes preserved and restored period buildings from the early years of the diamond rush.

We re-board the train before dinner is served and continue through South Africa's vast and open landscapes.

Included Highlights

The Kimberley Mine Museum The Blue Train

Enjoy breakfast and lunch on board The Blue Train this morning. Sit back and relax as the train travels towards Pretoria Station. On arrival, we are met and transferred to our hotel in Johannesburg for an overnight stay.

This morning, we transfer by coach to the 5-star Ivory Tree Game Lodge in the Pilanesberg National Park. The lodge lies in the heart of the Pilanesberg Game Reserve and is set within the crater of an ancient volcano – one of the largest of a very rare formation. This well-stocked reserve with its dramatic landscape supports a wide variety of plants, animals, and birds.

On arrival at the lodge, enjoy lunch followed your first afternoon game drive. Dinner will be served back at the lodge. Indulge in a fusion of African flavours and international cuisine, meticulously prepared by talented chefs using locally sourced ingredients. Whether dining indoors or under the starlit sky, the warm service and breathtaking surroundings create an unforgettable experience.

Included Highlights

Pilanesberg National Park

Your day starts with an early morning pre-dawn wake up for your morning game drive. Pilanesberg is known for its mammoth achievement of re-introducing numerous long-vanished species and is home to roughly 360 bird species. It is a beautiful place in which to catch sight of the ‘Big Five’ as well as cheetah, giraffe, hippo, zebra, crocodile, and many other animals.

Return to the lodge for breakfast followed by relaxation time, lunch and then later this afternoon, we head out for another game drive.

Included Highlights

Pilanesberg National Park

This morning, enjoy your last game drive at the Pilanesberg National Park followed by breakfast before your transfer back to Johannesburg for your evening flight home.

We will stop on the way to the airport for lunch and a visit to the Apartheid Museum. This is the first museum of its kind and illustrates the rise and fall of apartheid. The exhibits have been assembled and organised by a multidisciplinary team of curators, filmmakers, historians, and designers. They include provocative film footage, photographs, text panels and artefacts illustrating the events and human stories that are part of the horrific period in our history, known as apartheid.

We transfer to the airport for our overnight flight back to London Heathrow.

Included Highlights

Apartheid Museum Pilanesberg National Park

We arrive back into London Heathrow.