South Africa for Families: A Tailor-Made Journey

Arrive at Cape Town International Airport and meet your driver for the private transfer to your hotel. Depending on when you arrive, you may wish to start exploring Cape Town. You might head to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens to experience the “Boomslang” tree canopy walk or go on a hike among proteas and other unusual flora of the Western Cape. 

Start the day with a hike up iconic Table Mountain. There are several trails of varying difficulty, and your private guide will choose the route best suited to your family’s pace and ability. At the top, take in panoramic views of Cape Town and its spectacular setting between sea and mountains. This afternoon, set out with your private guide on a walking tour of the historic heart of the city. Learn about South Africa’s apartheid era and find out how Nelson Mandela and other activists helped bring the oppressive policy to an end. (B)

Experience the breathtaking Cape Peninsula on a full-day excursion with your private guide. Follow a scenic route to Cape Point, winding along the dramatic Chapman's Peak Drive and passing lovely coastal villages and sheltered beaches. We recommend a stop at Boulders Beach to see the resident colony of African penguins waddling among the rocks and gliding in the surf. Continue to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, where wildlife such as antelope, baboon, and ostriches make their home amid the fascinating flora of the Cape Floral Kingdom. If you wish, take a family photo at the southwestern-most point of Africa, or hike up to the lighthouse at Cape Point. (B)

Enjoy a full free day to pursue your family’s interests in Cape Town and its surroundings. Consider a boat ride to Robben Island, where you can tour the notorious prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 years. You might also visit the city’s aquarium or tour the awe-inspiring Zeitz MOCAA art museum, housed in an immense grain silo and full of amazing, art-filled corners to explore, including a rooftop sculpture garden. Or set off on a bike ride through the vineyards of the Cape Winelands. (B)

Journey east by private car to the town of Hermanus, set on the shores of Walker Bay, and check in to your hotel. This afternoon, head to the Fernkloof Nature Reserve for a guided hike among the fynbos, a unique family of native vegetation that exist naturally nowhere else in the world. Later, enjoy time to go for a walk on the beach or explore the charming town, once a simple fishing village and now full of inviting shops and restaurants. (B)

Walker Bay is home to the “marine Big Five”:  southern right whales, dolphins, great white sharks, African penguins, and Cape fur seals. On a wildlife cruise today, you’ll have a chance to spot some of these creatures—especially southern right whales, which come to these waters to breed from June to December. Watch for mothers with their calves and about these fascinating mammals, which can weigh up to 40 tons and live up to 100 years!  If you prefer to stay on solid ground, a number of land-based whale-watching tours are also available. (B)

Return to Cape Town and take a short flight to Port Elizabeth on the southern coast. Transfer to your safari lodge in the malaria-free Amakhala Private Game Reserve. The 35,000 acre reserve was established in 1999 by the direct descendants of the original settlers to increase conversation efforts in the Eastern Cape. This afternoon, head out on your first safari, seeking out elephants, Cape buffalo, black rhinos, lions, and more with an experienced guide. (B,L,D) 

*Please note: This sample itinerary features only destinations that are malaria-free all year around. Should you or your family be interested in altering or extending your journey to Kruger National Park, the Okavango Delta, or Victoria Falls one of our southern Africa specialists will be happy to discuss these options with you.  

Enjoy two full days to explore the reserve on wildlife drives. Alongside your guide, go in search of the Big Five as well as hippos, giraffes, zebra, hyena, and a number of buck species. Depending on water levels, boat cruises and walking safaris may also be on offer. In between drives you can enjoy the pool—where elephants may stop for a drink—or relax on your private verandah, taking in wide open views of the grasslands. (B,L,D)

Return by private car to the airport in Port Elizabeth and fly to Johannesburg, where you’ll connect to your flight home. (B)