Culture and Wildlife of South Africa

Upon arrival in Johannesburg, you will meet one of our representatives who will assist you in being transferred to your hotel. Check into your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Johannesburg
Meals: None

Following breakfast, visit the Apartheid Museum. The museum opened in 2001 and is acknowledged as the pre-eminent museum in the world dealing with 20th-century South Africa, at the heart of which is the apartheid story. A series of 22 individual exhibition areas takes the visitor on a dramatic emotional journey that tells a story of a state-sanctioned system based on racial discrimination and the struggle of the majority to overthrow this tyranny. The museum is a beacon of hope, showing the world how South Africa is coming to terms with its oppressive past and working towards a future that all South Africans can call their own.

Afterward, you will depart for Pretoria.

City orientation tour of Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa. Affectionately known as the Jacaranda city, it is one of the oldest cities in South Africa.  The city is rich with many fine heritage sites, museums, and art galleries. These include the Union Buildings and their spectacular gardens, the Voortrekker Monument, and Freedom Park.

Opportunity for a photo stop in front of the Nelson Mandela statue at the Union Buildings

Finally, we will continue to Johannesburg to enjoy dinner at Carnivore Restaurant. The Carnivore’s unique ‘all you can eat’ dining concept offers delectable game dishes (zebra, crocodile, kudu, etc.) to choose from and an extensive wine cellar (which features a superb selection of well-known wines to complement your meal). You’ll enjoy an unforgettable dining experience.
Return to the hotel.

Overnight in Johannesburg
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast at the hotel.
Depart this morning towards Kruger (5 hours by road).
Lunch at leisure (not included).
Early afternoon arrival and check-in at Hazyview hotel.
Leisure time in the afternoon to enjoy the facilities of the hotel.
Enjoy dinner at your hotel in the evening.

Overnight in Hazyview
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner.

An early wake-up call for a full-day game drive in the Kruger National Park. Gate opening time is 6 A.M. and return at around 4:00 P.M. Packed breakfasts will be arranged with the lodge.
Enter the Kruger National Park at the Numbi Gate; ride on open vehicle 4 x 4 safari vehicles and enjoy a game drive with a professional ranger. This reserve was created by former President Paul Kruger in 1898 as a sanctuary for animals, which currently comprises about 450 different birds, 106 different types of mammals, i.e., elephant, rhino, giraffe, zebra, hippo, kudu, impala, and lion. The park is about 220 miles long and 37 miles wide, but there is every chance of seeing the Big 5 (lions, leopards, buffalo, rhinos, and elephants). Enjoy lunch at one of the picnic spots in the park at your own expense. Afterward, continue the safari game drive in an open vehicle. At the end of the afternoon, exit the park and return to the lodge. Enjoy a delicious buffet dinner at the lodge.
Enjoy a buffet dinner at the hotel upon your return.

Overnight in Hazyview
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner.

Breakfast at the lodge.

Continue by road, entering the Kingdom of Eswatini, an independent country, ruled by H.M. KING MSWATI III, crowned in April 1986. Eswatini has maintained its cultural traditions, and although English is widely spoken, the dominant language is Siswati.
Many of its local inhabitants still consult with an “Inyanga”, a witch doctor, to ward away evil spirits, or with a “Sangoma”, who is mostly consulted for health reasons.
Once passing through customs control at the border of Eswatini, a local guide will meet you to share about the rich Swazi culture, language, beliefs, etc.
Continue the journey with a visit to a local village to meet with the villagers and interact. Traditional lunch will be served to the group, cooked traditionally by the women of the village.
Afterward, we will head to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Overnight in Eswatini
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Breakfast at the hotel.
Depart for Hlane Royal National Park to experience a unique rhino drive on the reserve for 1 hour and 30 minutes. The highlight of this drive is the opportunity to step out of the vehicle and approach the rhino on foot. Not all rhinos are approachable and will be at the discretion of the guide. Please note the minimum age for this activity is 13 years or older.
Enjoy lunch at your own expense.
We will return to South Africa and head towards Witbank for the night.
Enjoy dinner at your hotel.

Overnight in Witbank
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner.

Breakfast at the hotel

Continue to Johannesburg  (2.5 hours by road)

Lunch at leisure (not included)

Visit to CONSTITUTION HILL

Please note: Opening times [Monday to Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and weekends & public holidays: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.]

Duration: 2 hours

This national heritage site is the seat of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. It was the place where Mahatma Gandhi, Robert Sobukwe, and Nelson Mandela, among others, were imprisoned, as well as other students from the 1976 uprising. It houses the "Number Four":

• the Old Fort (one of Johannesburg's oldest monuments),
• the former white men's prison (Nelson Mandela was the only black man to be incarcerated there),
• the former women's prison (where Winnie Mandela, Albertina Sisulu, and Fatima Meer were detained),
• the new Constitutional Court

Continue to Johannesburg. Check in at the hotel.

Dinner at leisure (not included)

Overnight in Johannesburg
Meals Included: Breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel

When arriving in Johannesburg, depart for Soweto.

South of Johannesburg is Soweto, a city developed as a township for black people under the apartheid system. Soweto is inhabited by over two million people, with homes ranging from extravagant mansions to makeshift shacks. It boasts one of the largest hospitals on the continent and the only African-owned private clinic. Soweto was created in the 1930s, with Orlando being the first township established.

Orientation tour will include a visit to;

• And Mandela House; This is the house in which former President Nelson Mandela lived with his first two wives from 1946 to 1961, i.e., before his arrest. The house, which is now a museum, still has many of Mr Mandela’s personal photographs and possessions.

Visit a local bakery born out of necessity during COVID and now thriving as a community support initiative.

Meet with a local NGO working on urban gardening, education, and sustainable food production.

Lunch at Chez Alina:

• Chez Alina is a multi-award-winning restaurant based in Dobsonville, Soweto, boasting its unique, authentic, and homely environment in which guests enjoy their meals. Chez Alina is still a home, turned into a Restaurant, and there is still a family living there, consisting of 4 generations.

A special African Naming Ceremony will be arranged, where guests will receive their African name in a celebratory ritual.

Continue the journey to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport, arriving on time for the international flight home. Note: Ensure to book your flight for a departure of 6 PM or later to avoid disruption with today’s planned activity.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch