Be prepared for some truly magical sights of soaring mountains, blue waters and amazing sunsets when you tour South Africa. If you’ve always dreamed of seeing magnificent creatures up close or you’re after a drastic change of scenery, this tour is just what you need.
Fly into South Africa at your leisure dressed for warm, arid weather. You’re now in the land of jungle and desert so pack accordingly! You’ll land in Johannesburg or Cape Town, one of the most beautiful cities in the world with its seaside views and the iconic Table Mountain looming behind. No matter where your first stop is, take the day to acclimatise to the new weather and time zone – you’re going to need to rest up for the excitement that awaits.
An amazing tour needs to be paired with amazing accommodation, so we’ve booked you in for stays at the best hotels we could find. They’re centrally located so you never have to travel far to the city centre or to your tour, and they’re filled with all the amenities you could ask for. Keep an eye out for the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge in Zimbabwe, decorated with African fabrics and furnishings, or the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice Melrose in Johannesburg, an opulent hotel located in the Melrose Arch Shopping Centre!
There’s lots to see and do in South Africa, but if you don’t go on a game drive or safari then it’s a trip wasted. Every opportunity to see any of the Big 5 animals – lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards and rhinos – is taken on your tour! You’ll go to amazing places like Kruger National Park and the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve accompanied by a game ranger, who will drive you through their natural habitats and tell you all about these magnificent creatures.
South Africa is filled with wonders, and you can see them all with an experienced Gate 1 tour guide by your side every step of the way. Your tour guide will take care of all gratuities on the trip and make it easy for you to be whisked away on holiday. They will ensure you arrive on time to every destination and show you everything you came to see, with lots of knowledge to offer that only the locals would know. You’ll see all the essentials like Table Mountain in Cape Town, Nelson Mandela’s former home and the Apartheid Museum, plus you might even create, blend and bottle your own wine to take home!
Gate 1 has had decades of experience operating tours in South Africa so every tour is filled with excitement but allows plenty of time to rest or explore on your own. We don’t like to rush our travellers, so we make sure to give a few extra nights in key destinations to give you a chance to relax and take in the city sights. Plus, we know that the excitement of seeing animals up close can be exhausting and we want you to enjoy your tour, not feel like it’s a chore to get out of bed at your hotel!
Travel down Route 62, the longest wine route in the world and have the opportunity to blend, bottle and label your own bottle of wine! Experience local cuisine with plenty of optional dinner events, particularly at Cape Malay where you will learn to cook samosas and curry. In Cape Town you can meet a lovely local family who will take you into their home, share a three-course home cooked meal with you and talk about their life in South Africa. It doesn’t get any better than this!
South Africa is famous for its wine regions, where many Cabernet Sauvignons and Pinot Noirs are produced with high quality ingredients. Head on a wine tour for a day of tasting the best the region has to offer. You could also spend the day at Shark Alley for a Great White Shark Cage Diving experience if you’d prefer a thrill! Alternatively, spend some time at Robben Island, Nelson Mandela’s prison for 18 years. The guides conducting the tours are former political prisoners who speak openly about their experiences making this a unique cultural event unlike any other.
No other country in the world offers the same wildlife viewing experience as South Africa. However, you’ll be wanting to come back to this incredible place for more than just the Big Five. The thundering waterfalls and astonishing natural sights will be remembered for life and leave you with lasting memories that you’ll be talking about for the rest of your life!
