Ultimate Journey Through Southern Africa

(21 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Cape Winelands, Cape Town, Greater Kruger NP, Windhoek, Sossusvlei, Skeleton Coast, Johannesburg, Moremi Game Reserve

This incredible private tour explores the very best of Southern Africa, including cultural touring in Cape Town and the Cape Winelands and luxury safaris in the top scenic and game-viewing destinations in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.

Begin in the beautiful Cape Winelands. Spend two nights at a luxurious retreat in Franschhoek with private touring in the region, including personalized wine tastings at some of South Africa's premier vineyards and a visit to the charming and historic town of Stellenbosch. There will be ample time to explore the town, browse high-end artisan boutiques and indulge in some of the country's most acclaimed gourmet restaurants.

Transfer over the beautiful Franschhoek Pass to Gansbaai to enjoy an early morning whale watching (in season) or shark diving cruise. Afterwards, enjoy some free time in Hermanus before continuing to Cape Town, one of Africa's premier cultural destinations, for three nights at one of our favorite luxury properties. Enjoy comprehensive private touring with one of Cape Town's most knowledgeable guides. Learn about the city's fascinating history and architecture; take a cable car to the top of the iconic Table Mountain; experience local markets, boutiques, museums, and noted African art galleries; and enjoy Cape Town's incredible food and wine scene, including reservations at top restaurants. Depending on your interests, enjoy other highlights, such as Bo Kaap (the Cape Malay Quarter), and the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. One day, take a private excursion along the scenic coastal road to the Cape Peninsula and visit the Cape of Good Hope, Boulders Beach and quaint seaside towns. Private yacht cruises, an excursion to Robben Island, scenic helicopter flights, adventure activities and philanthropic touring of nearby townships can also be arranged, upon request.

Conclude your tour with a three-night luxury safari in Greater Kruger National Park (Sabi Sand Reserve or Thornybush Reserve). This area is renowned for its diverse wildlife—including the Big Five—and is particularly known for leopard sightings. Stay at an ultra-luxurious safari lodge and enjoy morning and afternoon game drives and guided bush walks during your stay. If desired, a visit to a local community can be arranged. There will also be time to indulge in spa treatments and enjoy elaborate gourmet meals paired with South Africa's best wines. Fly to Johannesburg, where you will be assisted to your international flight to Windhoek, the modern capital of Namibia, for a night.

Continue to Sossusvlei, a desert region of dramatic red sand dunes in the middle of Namib-Naukluft Park, one of the largest national parks in Africa. Stay at a top desert lodge, and tour highlights such as Deadvlei, a dried lake bed with an eerie grove of dead trees surrounded by enormous sand dunes. If desired, hike up Big Daddy, the highest dune in the world, for breathtaking views over the ridges and valleys of the sprawling sand landscape. Other activities include looking for wildlife such as brown hyenas, springboks and gemsboks (oryx); walking nature trails to see interesting birds, reptiles and insects; quad biking; night walks; seeing ancient rock art; and stargazing.

Fly to the Skeleton Coast, a remote wilderness where towering sand dunes meet the pounding surf of the Atlantic Ocean. Stay at a contemporary lodge among the sand dunes of Skeleton Coast Park, and enjoy activities in the area such as visiting the Mowe Bay seal colony, seeing shipwrecks and an abandoned diamond mine, going quad biking, and taking a 4WD tour to the Hoarusib River to see the Clay Castles geological formations and look for hyenas, lions and elephants. Other options include surf fishing, lunch on the beach and sundowner cocktails in the sand dunes.

Spend a night in Johannesburg before flying to the Makgadikgadi Pans in the eastern Kalahari Desert—one of the most dramatic landscapes in Botswana—for a stay at Jack's Camp, a 1920's-style desert camp. If your timing is right, you can witness Southern Africa's largest wildebeest and zebra migration. Enjoy outings with expert guides to view desert wildlife, including a chance to get up close to a habituated family of meerkats and brown hyena. Also take a walking safari with local Zu Hoasi Bushmen trackers, explore remote archaeological sites in the salt pans, ride quad bikes across the pans, and take in the incredible silence while star-gazing.

Conclude your tour with a stay at Mombo Camp, a renowned "land camp" on Chief's Island in the delta's Moremi Game Reserve, an area of pristine wilderness and one of the world's top wildlife viewing regions. Spot the Big Five during daily game drives with an expert ranger. A highlight of this area is the high concentration of plains game that come to graze on the sweet grasses of the island and the large number predators they attract, giving this area the name, "the predator capital of the world." Return to Johannesburg, where you will be assisted to your international flight.

Booking Information >

All Artisans of Leisure tours are private and depart daily.

Please Contact Us for more information regarding the above tour, or to begin customizing your own itinerary.

The Artisans of Leisure Style of Travel:

• Private touring with your own personal guides and drivers
• Preferred rooms in the very best luxury hotels
• Firsthand, sophisticated destination knowledge and recommendations from our travel specialists
• Itineraries that are customized according to your interests and schedule
• Artisans of Leisure upgrades and amenities
• A seamless travel experience, including all logistics, skipping lines during touring whenever possible, restaurant and spa reservations, performance tickets, private airport transfers, internal transportation, VIP and fast-track airport assistance in many destinations
• Around-the-clock support in each destination during your trip
• Unique, insider travel experiences and access to the Artisans of Leisure network of experts around the world