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Spectacular South Africa Tour

Home Icon 18-day Spectacular South Africa from £4,365pp

It’s not surprising South Africa has become one of the world’s most popular touring destinations. The country offers vibrant and colourful cities, stunning and diverse landscapes, interesting heritage, an unparalleled abundance of wildlife and a sunny climate. What’s more, with no jet-lag, the holiday begins as soon as you land.

This leisurely 18-day tour covers all the country’s major attractions with a perfect blend of included sightseeing tours and Freedom Days to spend as you please. An undoubted highlight is a two-night safari in a Big Five private conservancy situated in the heart of Zululand.

With superb accommodation, all breakfasts and many other meals included, the Spectacular South Africa tour really does offer exceptional value for money and with the option to encounter stunning wildlife with two nights at the Bayala Private Game Reserve or two wonderful all-inclusive nights aboard Rovos Rail on a ‘Durban Safari’, you can safari as you please.

Take the opportunity to explore Africa further by extending your holiday with a three-night stay at Victoria Falls, with a guided walking tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Victoria Falls and a cruise on the Zambezi included; or add a stay amid Botswana’s abundant wildlife and make it a fabulous six-night extension to Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park.

SAVE £200 per person! on departures from September 2025 when you book by 28th February 2025.

Day 1

Depart UK

Cape Town beach at daytime, with wispy clouds interrupting the clear blue skies, and the Table mountains in the background

Depart from the UK airport most convenient for you with British Airways at no extra cost. Your flight will depart from London Heathrow, with complimentary regional connections from Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen or Belfast.

Included meals:

In-flight meals and drinks

Day 2

Cape Town, 5 nights

We land in magnificent Cape Town, where our waiting coach will take us to the President Hotel. The rest of our day is at leisure until the early evening when we shall gather for drinks so we may all become acquainted for our forthcoming travels together.

Included meals:

In-flight meals and drinks

Day 3

Cape Town and Kirstenbosch

Couple sitting together at the end of a pier in Cape Town Bay, with docked boats and waterfront restaurants in the distance

A tour of South Africa’s Mother City takes us around Cape Town’s most important buildings and monuments. Experience first-hand the vibrant cultures and history and enjoy the city’s wonderful scenery. Weather conditions permitting, we shall take a cable car ride to enjoy spectacular views from the top of Table Mountain, followed by a walk through the colourful Malay Quarter of Bo Kaap. We drive through Green Market Square and District Six before continuing via Company Gardens and the Houses of Parliament, City Hall, the Castle of Good Hope and Slave Lodge. This afternoon we visit the superb Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. These gardens were founded in 1913 to preserve the country’s unique flora, and they are world-renowned not only for their beauty and diversity, but also for their magnificent setting against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain.

Included meals:

Breakfast

Day 4

Cape Point

two penguins sat together at Boulders Beach in Cape Town, with more penguins in the background next to large boulders and clear sea

Today, we venture out of the city to explore the spectacular landscapes surrounding Cape Town. Our day begins with a scenic drive through the pretty seaside suburbs of Sea Point and Camps Bay. We continue via Hout Bay, a charming fishing harbour with magnificent mountain views, before driving along Chapman’s Peak, one of the world’s most breath-taking coastal drives. We reach the Good Hope Nature Reserve and Cape Point, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans’ currents meet. We continue to Boulders Beach, home to a colony of the endangered African Penguin. Enjoy a visit to Simon’s Town prior to our return to Cape Town later in the afternoon.

Included meals:

Breakfast and lunch

Day 5

Cape Town Freedom Day

outstretching vineyard with towering rocky mountains in background. Clear blue skies

This is our first Freedom Day, where we can choose to relax or explore as we please. Our Distant Journeys Tour Manager will be on hand to help with advice on things to do, where to eat, make any arrangements and book excursions for you to further explore the area. Perhaps take a journey to discover the winelands of the Western Cape. The tour will take us through the valleys and vineyards of the Cape Winelands and includes a cellar tour and wine-tasting in one of the region’s fabulous wineries. The scenery as we drive across the Helshoogte Pass to Stellenbosch is spectacular, and upon arrival we will have plenty of time to discover the second oldest settlement in South Africa. The town’s oak tree-lined streets and white-washed Cape Dutch-style buildings make this a delight for exploration on foot. Enjoy a stroll as well as a spot of lunch whilst watching the world go by. We also have time to visit Franschhoek before returning to the hotel later in the afternoon.

Included meals:

Breakfast

Day 6

Cape Town Freedom Day

Aerial view of Robben Island, surrounded by deep blue ocean, and Cape Point far away in the background.

A further Freedom Day where you may choose to relax by the pool or possibly take an optional trip to Robben Island. Once reserved for high profile prisoners of the apartheid regime, today Robben Island is a monument recognising the iconic struggle of heroes including Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu. The island was brought to the world’s attention when Nelson Mandela was released from prison in the early 1990s after serving more than two decades for the crime of speaking out against the apartheid government. Today, Robben Island is a World Heritage Site – acting as a museum as well as a reminder of the price Nelson Mandela and so many others paid for the freedom of democracy

Included meals:

Breakfast

Day 7

The Garden Route & Knysna, 3 nights

Stark white and red lighthouse at Mossell Bay, overlooking ocean

We say goodbye to Cape Town today, as we begin our Garden Route tour. Our journey takes us to Swellendam, a one-time rebel republic’s capital. We continue eastward through undulating countryside and peaceful villages to Mossel Bay, where we visit the Post Office Tree – a place 16th and 17th-century sailors left their letters for returning ships to carry to Europe. From Mossel Bay we continue to Knysna and our next three nights will be spent at the Protea Knysna Quays.

Included meals:

Breakfast

Day 8

Featherbed Nature Reserve

Jagged Rocks of Knysna in the white water, with green hills protecting the coast

This morning, we have included an excursion to The Featherbed Nature Reserve, a unique 150-hectare private nature reserve, which encompasses the whole of the Western Head of Knysna, and is one of South Africa’s Natural Heritage Sites. We cruise across Knysna Lagoon before spending time enjoying the spectacular coastal scenery. The reserve is home to many native flowers and trees, as well as the endangered Blue Duiker (the smallest known antelope species in Africa), Cape Mountain Tortoises, Blue Cranes (South Africa’s national bird) and rare Black African Oyster Catchers. Your afternoon is free to relax or stroll around Knysna’s pretty waterfront.

Included meals:

Breakfast

Day 9

Knysna Freedom Day

Stalagmites and Stalactites lit up within the Cango Caves

On our Freedom Day, we will have the opportunity to join an optional tour to the Cango Caves and Oudtshoorn, South Africa’s ostrich capital. The day begins with a drive over the visually stunning Outeniqua Pass as we make our way to the beauty of the semi-arid Klein Karoo. Enjoy a tour of the Cango Caves, a vast series of magnificently colourful limestone caverns which to this day have only been partially explored. This is followed by a guided tour of an ostrich farm, tracing the ostrich from egg to adulthood. Finally, drive via the laid-back country town of Oudtshoorn, with its pretty Victorian buildings. Later in the day we return to Knysna.

Included meals:

Breakfast

Day 10

Umhlanga Rocks, 3 nights

Aerial view of Durban coast, with large buildings neighbouring the golden coast

This morning, our journey continues along the Garden Route, via Plettenberg Bay, stopping en-route to enjoy some fantastic photographic opportunities. After lunch, we continue to Port Elizabeth in time for our flight to Durban. Upon arrival we transfer to the luxurious Beverly Hills Hotel, ideally situated overlooking the Indian Ocean, in the upmarket resort of Umhlanga Rocks.

Included meals:

Breakfast and lunch

Day 11

Umhlanga Rocks

Coastal view of Durban beach, with swarm of birds flying low

After breakfast, we enjoy a half-day sightseeing tour of nearby Durban. Visits include Victoria Embankment and City Hall. We also explore the impressive Durban Botanical Gardens, founded in 1849 and home to a fine array of African, Asian and American trees and shrubs. With a prime beachfront location and unobstructed sea views, relaxing by the hotel’s huge pool is a wonderful way to unwind in the afternoon.

Included meals:

Breakfast

 

Day 12

Umhlanga Rocks Freedom Day

Jagged landscape of Lesotho, green hills with rocks penetrating the surface

A day at leisure to spend as you please on South Africa’s beautiful Dolphin Coast. Why not take a full-day optional excursion to explore the 19th-century Anglo-Zulu battlefields of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift? Learn about the fascinating history of the battles that took place in January 1879 and witness the landscape on which the fighting occurred. Alternatively, embark on an immersive day trip to the tiny country of Lesotho. Travel in a 4×4 vehicle in order to cross Africa’s highest pass: the 9,435-foot-high (2,876 metres) Sani Pass, to enter this intriguing land-locked kingdom. Once inside, pay a visit to a Sotho village to experience how the locals live.

Included meals:

Breakfast

Day 13

Bayala Private Safari Lodge and Camp, 2 nights

three giraffes looking out over Ubizane Nature Reserve

This morning we travel along South Africa’s Elephant Coast to the magnificent Bayala Private Game Reserve situated in the heart of Zululand. Nestled within a non-malaria, ‘Big Five’ private conservancy of close to 30,000 hectares of unspoiled wilderness, Bayala Private Safari Lodge and Camp provides the perfect venue for your safari experience. Upon arrival we will enjoy lunch prior to checking in; each of our thatch-roofed en-suite rooms are tastefully decorated with neutral bushveld colours. Later in the afternoon we take to our open jeeps for our first game drive around the reserve. Bayala is teeming with wildlife including giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, hyena and white rhino, as well as over 450 different bird species.  After a thrilling afternoon we return to our lodge in time for dinner.

Included meals:

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 14

Bayala Private Game Reserve

Lion at Hluhluwe Game Reserve

Tour Highlight

This morning we wake early for another exciting game drive. Bayala is home to ‘The Big Five’, so keep a look out for elephant and lions as well as the more usual game species. We return to our lodge in time for a relaxed breakfast where you are free to relax until the heat of the day subsides later in the afternoon.  Perhaps read a book or take a swim in the pool enjoying the sights and sounds of the African bush.  Later in the day we return to our jeeps for another game drive prior to dinner.

Included meals:

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 15

Pretoria, 2 nights

Pretoria Union Buildings at sunset

All good things must come to an end and, following a leisurely breakfast, we leave Bayala and make our way back to the coast. We stop for lunch at a seafront restaurant before driving to Durban where we board our flight to Johannesburg. Upon arrival we make our way to the beautiful Irene Country Lodge, where we stay for two nights.

Included meals:

Breakfast and lunch

Day 16

Pretoria

Cheetah staring at camera, with arid background blending with the colours of the cheetah

This morning, enjoy a tour around the city of Pretoria. Included is the Union Building, Voortrekkers Monument and Smuts House Museum. Our afternoon is at leisure. There is the option of a visit to the Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Breeding Centre. Established in 1971, as the De Wildt Cheetah Research Centre, the centre has performed an important role in the preservation and protection of cheetahs.

Included meals:

Breakfast

Day 17

Depart Johannesburg

Famous Soweto towers covered in graffiti, with bungee jumper between the two towers

The day is yours to spend as you please prior to our departure to the airport later in the day. Perhaps use the opportunity to visit the region’s liveliest township, Soweto, home to over 3.5 million people and steeped in history. This evening we board our chosen for our home bound journey to the UK.

See more of Africa

If you prefer, you have the perfect opportunity to extend your stay and visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Victoria Falls with our 3-night Victoria Falls holiday extension, or take in Chobe National Park as well with our 6-night Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park extension.

Included meals:

Breakfast, in-flight meals and drinks

Day 18

Arrive UK

We arrive at our chosen airport. After 18 fabulous days, our Spectacular South African adventure comes to an end.

Included meals:

In-flight meals and drinks

Departure dates & prices

 Departure date Price (pp) Availability Offer
 2025
 15 January£4,3651 ROOM
 05 FebruarySOLD OUTSOLD OUT
 02 April£4,3654 ROOMS
 06 August£4,565JUST LAUNCHED
 10 September*£4,695 £4,495HALF FULLSAVE £200 per person
 08 October*£4,695 £4,495JUST LAUNCHEDSAVE £200 per person
 2026
 21 January£4,895 £4,695JUST LAUNCHEDSAVE £200 per person
 25 February£4,895 £4,695JUST LAUNCHEDSAVE £200 per person
 01 April£4,895 £4,695JUST LAUNCHEDSAVE £200 per person
 09 September£4,895 £4,695JUST LAUNCHEDSAVE £200 per person

Prices
Prices are per person based on two people sharing a twin or double room.
*This date stays at Zulu Nyala Heritage Lodge rather than Bayala Game reserve

Single occupancy supplement
1 September 2024 – 31 August 2025, £1,145. 10 September – 08 October 2025, £1,195. 21 January – 09 September 2026, £1,395.

Deposit:
£1,000 per person if travelling in economy class, £1,950 if travelling in World Traveller Plus, £3,750 per person for Club World.

Flight upgrades:
British Airways upgrade to World Traveller Plus from £1,395 per person, or Club World from £3,895 per person.

Visa information
A visa is not required for travel to South Africa. However, if you are planning to Victoria Falls or Chobe National Park, visa’s for Zimbabwe will be required. For more information on applying for your visa and the associated costs, please refer to our FAQ’s page.

Important information
Our holiday prices are subject to fuel surcharges and the availability of flights in the lowest fare booking class. The correct price will always be confirmed to you before you book, and once you have booked, our Price Promise will guarantee there will be no further increases. For full terms and conditions see our Booking Conditions page.

So much included

At Distant Journeys, we offer a leisurely and flexible tour of South Africa with so much included in the price. Your scheduled international flights, overseas transfers, expertly chosen hotels, daily breakfast, experienced local tour managers and knowledgeable guides, and many amazing excursions are all included.

Flights with Award-winning scheduled airlines

  • Return economy class flights with British Airways from London Heathrow with regional connecting flights available at no extra cost from Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen or Belfast City Airport.
  • All domestic flights within South Africa
  • All airport charges, security charges and any applicable fuel surcharges
  • UK Air Passenger Duty

Carefully selected hotels

  • First class and deluxe hotels in great locations
  • All hotel porterage
  • Applicable hotel taxes

Many meals

  • Daily breakfast
  • Five lunches
  • Two dinners

Unforgettable experiences

  • Sightseeing tours in Cape Town, Knysna, Durban and Pretoria
  • Visit Cape Point and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
  • Tour along South Africa’s world renowned Garden Route

While at Bayala Private Game Reserve

  • Three safaris in Bayala’s Private Game Reserve
  • All meals

When choosing Rovos Rail ‘Durban Safari’

  • Choice of a safari in Spioenkop Game Reserve or tour of the Spioenkop battlefields
  • Safari experience in Nambiti Private Reserve
  • All meals on board
  • Selected alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, on board

On the ground

  • Services of an experienced Tour Manager and driver
  • All overseas transfers
  • Modern, air-conditioned coaches throughout

100% confidence

  • Your holiday is covered by our Price Promise
  • Your holiday is fully ATOL protected
  • Your holiday is covered by our Covid Guarantee

President Hotel, Cape Town

Located in Bantry Bay between the city centre of Cape Town and the Atlantic Ocean, the President Hotel is a sophisticated yet relaxed place to stay. The hotel is just a 3-minute walk from Queens Beach, and a short taxi… Find out more >
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Protea Hotel Knysna Quays, Knysna

With Knysna Lagoon on your doorstep, the Protea Hotel by Marriott Knysna Quays offers waterside accommodation in Knysna, at the heart of South Africa’s famous Garden Route, a highlight of our guided tours to South Africa from the UK. Step… Find out more >
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Beverly Hills Hotel, Umhlanga

At Beverly Hills Hotel Umhlanga, you’re right on the beach itself, and the beautiful Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve is just a short walk to the north.  The hotel is twenty minutes away from central Durban, where you can discover more… Find out more >
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Bayala Private Safari Lodge and Camp, Bayala

Bayala Private Safari Lodge and Camp is a welcoming and stylish retreat, set in a vast area of wilderness in the ancient kingdom of Zululand. Safaris operate twice each day, with excellent opportunities to sight lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and… Find out more >
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Irene Country Lodge Hotel, Pretoria

For your visit to Gauteng, known as South Africa’s economic capital, you’ll be staying in the historical village of Irene. Here, your accommodation will be the enchanting African Pride Irene Country Lodge. As you approach the lodge, you’ll travel down… Find out more >
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Knysna: Oudtshoorn and the Cango Caves

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Umhlanga: Isandlwana & Rorke’s Drift Battlefields Tour

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Umhlanga: Kingdom of Lesotho Mountain Splendour

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Umhlanga: Zulu Shakaland Tour

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Pretoria: Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Breeding Centre

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Soweto Tour

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Holiday Extensions

To make the most of your time in Africa, why not extend your stay after your Spectacular South Africa tour, with one of our holiday extensions? Discover the world Heritage site of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, or combine a tour of Victoria Falls with the delights of Chobe National Park, Botswana.


Victoria Falls Tour

3 night Victoria Falls tour from £1,595pp

Victoria Falls is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of awe-inspiring beauty, described by the Kololo tribe living in the area in the 19th century as Mosi-oa-Tunya: ‘The Smoke that Thunders’. As Victoria Falls is only a short flight from Johannesburg,…

Find out more >


Hippo' eyes and ears poking out of the water in a river in Africa

Victoria Falls & Chobe National Park Tour

6 nights from £2,855pp

Victoria Falls is one of our planet’s greatest natural wonders. Just a short flight from Johannesburg, it is the world’s largest waterfall and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In neighbouring Botswana, Chobe National Park is a true wildlife paradise and…

Find out more >


Customer reviews  feefo logo

Discover what some of our past customers have to say about our Spectacular South Africa tour.  The reviews below have been independently verified by Feefo, who are a leading independent reviews company.

YOUR HOLIDAYS OF A LIFETIME

Excellent travel arrangements throughout the three weeks in South Africa and Victoria Falls, brilliant well chosen hotels, fantastic excursions and a tour manager who certainly knew his stuff. We really did have the trip of a lifetime and could do that all over again!

Spectacular South Africa 2024_25

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