- 4.9/5 370 Latest reviews
- Destination: South Africa
- Duration: 12 Days
- Tour Type: Private & Bespoke
- Tour Style: Classic
About This Trip
South Africa safari tour — this 12-day private luxury journey is crafted for travelers who value exclusivity, comfort, and extraordinary wildlife experiences, blending the untamed wilderness of Sabi Sands with the refined elegance of the Cape.
Begin in Johannesburg before flying to Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve — one of Africa's most exclusive safari destinations, sharing an unfenced border with Kruger National Park and offering unrivalled Big Five encounters. Expert rangers and trackers guide you through morning and afternoon game drives, bush walks, and spotlight night safaris at intimate luxury lodges.
This South Africa safari tour then transitions to the Cape for wine tasting on the estates of Franschhoek, whale watching along the shores of Hermanus, and a grand finale in Cape Town — ascending Table Mountain, exploring the Cape Peninsula, and walking alongside African penguins at Boulders Beach. Ideal for honeymooners, families, and discerning travelers, this South Africa safari tour delivers a flawless blend of safari adventure, wine culture, coastal beauty, and urban sophistication.
Summary
DAY
PLACE
HIGHLIGHTS
1
Johannesburg
Arrival
2 - 4
Sabi Sands Game Reserve
Game Drive, African Big Five Safari, Optional Activities: Guided Bushwalks, Bird Watching
5 - 6
Cape Winelands
Franschhoek Local Wineries Visit with Wine Tasting
7 - 9
Hermanus
Leisure Days with Cape Whale Coast Exploration
10 - 12
Cape Town
Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, African Penguins on Boulders Beach, City Highlights Tour
Itinerary
- Day 1: Johannesburg – Luxury Arrival & Relaxation
Your South Africa safari tour begins in Johannesburg — South Africa’s dynamic economic capital and the gateway to one of the world’s greatest wildlife destinations. Arrive at OR Tambo International Airport where a private representative meets you with a name sign and escorts you to a premium chauffeured vehicle for a seamless transfer to your luxury hotel.
After check-in, the rest of the day is completely yours. Relax in refined surroundings, enjoy a swim, or take a gentle stroll through the hotel’s beautifully landscaped gardens. A calm, comfortable first evening sets the tone for an extraordinary journey defined by privacy, exclusivity, and world-class service.
Highlights: Private airport assistance, chauffeured transfer, luxury hotel check-in, leisure evening
- Johannesburg
- Day 2: Johannesburg — Fly to Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve
Board a scheduled flight to the legendary Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve — one of Africa’s most exclusive safari destinations, sharing an unfenced border with Kruger National Park and consistently rated among the finest wildlife experiences in the world. On arrival, a game vehicle transfers you directly to your intimate luxury lodge overlooking pristine African wilderness.
After settling in and enjoying a welcome lunch, embark on your first professionally guided afternoon game drive — the beginning of the wildlife chapter of your South Africa safari tour. As the sun dips toward the horizon, your expert ranger pauses the vehicle for sunset drinks in the bush — a quintessential African moment that will stay with you long after the journey ends.
Highlights: Private flight to Sabi Sands, exclusive safari lodge check-in, afternoon game drive, Big Five introduction, sunset bush drinks
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- Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve
- Day 3: Sabi Sands – Big Five Luxury Safari
Begin the most exciting mornings of your South Africa safari tour with an early pre-dawn wake-up call — the African bush is most alive at first light, when lions return from their nightly hunt, leopards drag kills into the trees, and elephants gather at the waterholes. Your expert ranger and tracker team lead you deep into the reserve on foot and by vehicle, sharing fascinating insights into animal behaviour, tracking techniques, and the complex ecology of this extraordinary ecosystem.
Return to the lodge for a gourmet breakfast and midday leisure — perhaps a spa treatment, a swim, or simply relaxing on your private deck as impala graze below. Head out again in the late afternoon for a second game drive as the heat of the day fades, ending around a campfire with a traditional bush dinner under a sky blazing with African stars.
Highlights: Big Five sightings, expert rangers and trackers, morning and afternoon game drives, gourmet lodge dining, bush campfire dinner
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- Gyeongju
- Day 4: Sabi Sands – Bespoke Safari & Leisure
Enjoy complete freedom today in Sabi Sands — the most flexible and personalized day of your South Africa safari tour. Choose additional luxury game drives, join a guided bush walk to discover the smaller wonders of the ecosystem — rare reptiles, medicinal plants, ancient termite mounds, and extraordinary birdlife — or simply relax in total seclusion at your private lodge.
Indulge in spa treatments, float in an infinity pool overlooking an active waterhole, or sit quietly on your deck as elephants, zebras, and giraffes wander freely just metres away. Every moment in Sabi Sands is extraordinary — and this unhurried day gives you the freedom to experience it entirely on your own terms.
Highlights: Optional game drives, guided bush walk, birdwatching, spa treatments, panoramic wildlife views from private deck
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- Seoul
- Day 5: Sabi Sands – Cape Town – Cape Winelands (Franschhoek)
Fly from the African bush to cosmopolitan Cape Town this morning — and feel the remarkable shift from wild savanna to urban sophistication that makes this South Africa safari tour so uniquely varied. After landing at Cape Town International Airport, a private vehicle transfers you northeast toward the Cape Winelands.
Arrive in Franschhoek — a refined village nestled between dramatic mountain passes and world-class wine estates, widely regarded as the gourmet capital of South Africa. Spend the evening soaking in vineyard views, savoring exceptional Cape cuisine at a farm restaurant, or simply relaxing in elegant surroundings as the mountains turn gold at sunset.
Highlights: Scenic flight from Sabi Sands, Cape Town arrival, private transfer to Franschhoek, vineyard retreat, gourmet dinner
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- Franschhoek
- Day 6: Cape Winelands — Luxury Wine & Leisure Day
Spend a full, unhurried day exploring the magnificent wine estates of Franschhoek — one of the most beautiful valleys in the world and a highlight of any South Africa safari tour. Join guided cellar tours and private tastings at award-winning estates, sampling world-class Chardonnay, Pinotage, and Méthode Cap Classique sparkling wines crafted from vines planted by French Huguenot settlers over 300 years ago.
Enjoy a long, leisurely gourmet lunch at a vineyard restaurant overlooking vine-covered slopes and mountain peaks. The afternoon is free to browse Franschhoek’s art galleries, visit artisan chocolate and cheese producers, cycle between wine estates on the famous Franschhoek Wine Tram, or simply relax in the peaceful valley atmosphere.
Highlights: Franschhoek wine estates, cellar tours, private wine tastings, gourmet vineyard lunch, art galleries, Wine Tram
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- Franschhoek
- Day 7: Cape Winelands – Hermanus, Cape Whale Coast
The coastal chapter of your South Africa safari tour begins with a scenic drive along breathtaking mountain passes and coastal roads toward Hermanus — one of the world’s finest land-based whale watching destinations, set on a dramatic rocky coastline overlooking Walker Bay. The drive itself is extraordinary, winding through the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley past boutique wineries and fynbos-covered hills.
Check into your luxury coastal hotel and spend the afternoon exploring the Hermanus cliff paths — a spectacular 12-kilometre walking trail along the rocky shoreline with sweeping views over the bay. Fresh seafood restaurants, local art galleries, and the tranquil rhythm of coastal life make this one of the most relaxing stops of the entire journey.
Highlights: Scenic coastal drive, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Hermanus cliff paths, luxury coastal hotel, fresh seafood dining
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- Hermanus
- Day 8: Hermanus – Luxury Coastal Adventures
Discover the Cape Whale Coast with a full day of curated luxury experiences on your South Africa safari tour. Between June and November, southern right whales breach and calve just metres from the shore — join a whale watching excursion by boat for extraordinary close-up encounters, or watch from the famous cliff path as the Hermanus whale crier alerts visitors with a kelp horn. Helicopter flights over the coastline offer a breathtaking aerial perspective of whales, dolphins, and the rugged Walker Bay landscape.
For those seeking gentler experiences, ocean safaris reveal great white sharks, seals, and penguins, while horseback rides along pristine coastal beaches at sunrise are among the most memorable activities of the entire trip. Alternatively, indulge in spa treatments at your resort or simply relax with a book on your private terrace above the ocean.
Highlights: Whale watching excursion, helicopter coastal flight, ocean safari, horseback beach ride, optional spa treatments
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- Hermanus
- Day 9: Hermanus – Coastal Leisure & Relaxation
Enjoy another completely unhurried day in Hermanus — designed purely for rest, reflection, and the simple pleasure of being beside the ocean. Stroll the dramatic cliff paths at your own pace, pausing at viewpoints where whales surface in the bay below, or take a gentle walk into the town center to browse local craft markets and galleries.
Return to your luxury resort for an afternoon by the pool, indulge in further spa treatments, or join an optional wine tasting at one of the celebrated Hemel-en-Aarde Valley estates just minutes from the hotel. This peaceful day is a perfect counterbalance to the extraordinary wildlife intensity of the Sabi Sands days earlier on your South Africa safari tour.
Highlights: Cliff path walks, optional whale watching, Hemel-en-Aarde wine tasting, resort pool and spa, coastal relaxation
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- Hermanus
- Day 10: Hermanus – Cape Peninsula – Cape Town
The Cape Peninsula day is the most scenically dramatic drive of your South Africa safari tour — a spectacular coastal journey from Hermanus to Cape Town via the wild southern tip of Africa. Travel through the rugged Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, where zebras, bontebok, and baboons roam freely across fynbos-covered hillsides above the crashing Atlantic.
Ascend to the Cape Point Lighthouse via the Flying Dutchman Funicular for panoramic views over two oceans, then descend to Boulders Beach for a memorable walk alongside a colony of African penguins — one of the most charming wildlife encounters of the entire trip. Continue along the False Bay coastline through the charming fishing village of Kalk Bay before arriving in Cape Town for your final two nights.
Highlights: Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, Cape Point Lighthouse, Boulders Beach penguins, False Bay coastal drive, Cape Town arrival
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- Cape Town
- Day 11: Cape Town – Table Mountain & Luxury City Tour
Ascend Table Mountain by cable car for panoramic views stretching from Robben Island to the Cape Peninsula — one of the most iconic experiences of any South Africa safari tour and a fitting final full day in this extraordinary country. On clear days, the view extends over 200 kilometres across the Western Cape, with the Atlantic and Indian Oceans both visible on the horizon.
Explore Cape Town’s most celebrated cultural landmarks — the vibrant Bo-Kaap neighborhood with its brightly painted Cape Malay houses, the historic Company’s Garden, and the V&A Waterfront with its world-class restaurants and luxury boutiques. The afternoon and evening are free for luxury shopping, private dining at one of Cape Town’s celebrated restaurants, or a sunset cruise on the Atlantic.
Highlights: Table Mountain cable car, Bo-Kaap neighborhood, Company’s Garden, V&A Waterfront, luxury dining, optional sunset cruise
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- Cape Town
- Day 12: Cape Town – Departure
Your South Africa safari tour draws to a close this morning after a final breakfast overlooking the Cape Town skyline. A private chauffeured vehicle transfers you to Cape Town International Airport at the scheduled time, with luggage assistance and a seamless departure experience befitting the luxury standard of this extraordinary 12-day journey.
Depart South Africa carrying memories of golden Sabi Sands sunrises, Franschhoek vineyard lunches, Hermanus whale encounters, and Table Mountain’s infinite views — a journey that combined the very best of African wildlife, wine culture, coastal beauty, and urban sophistication into one perfectly balanced private adventure.
Highlights: Final breakfast, private chauffeured airport transfer, Cape Town International departure
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