Cape Town, ostriches and caves and the Garden Route

Breakfast. Private tour: pick up from your hotel for a privately guided half-day city tour of Cape Town. Be captivated by the multiethnic character and historical wealth of the Mother City. Cape Town is a rare cultural gem, resulting from the amalgamation of different nationalities and indigenous tribes. Alongside high-rise office blocks, a harmonious blend of architectural styles has been meticulously preserved, including Edwardian, Victorian, and Cape Dutch. Narrow, cobblestone streets and the Islamic character of the Bo-Kaap enhance the cosmopolitan ambiance. The itinerary takes you to the City Hall, the Castle of Good Hope – this pentagon-shaped fort is the oldest surviving building in South Africa; the Company's Garden – a large public park, originally Jan van Riebeeck's vegetable garden, which he grew to feed the original colony as early as 1652; and Signal Hill with spectacular panoramas over the city, before returning to your hotel. Marvel at the views of Cape Town from the aerial cableway and plateau on Table Mountain. Mother City is synonymous with the striking mountain that is flanked by Devil’s Peak to the east and Lion’s Head to the west, providing a dramatic backdrop to the city. Table Mountain holds an unusually rich biodiversity and forms part of the Cape Floral Region, a protected area. Rock hyrax, or dassie as they are locally known, are often seen scampering through the scrub and the views from the summit over Table Bay, Robben Island, and the Atlantic seaboard are spectacular. The cable cars depart every 10 to 15 minutes and rotate 360 degrees as they travel up to 302 metres above sea level, giving passengers panoramic views over the city. Five minutes is all it takes to reach the summit and once there you can marvel at the views, have a bite to eat in the restaurant or do a bit of shopping at the extensive curio shop. The cableway only operates when weather permits.

Breakfast. Private tour: prepare for a glorious day out on the Cape Peninsula. You will be collected from your hotel for this full- day Cape Peninsula tour to discover both the Atlantic and Indian Ocean coastlines. The first stop is at the charming fishing village of Hout Bay, located in a beautiful valley on the Atlantic seaboard before continuing along the Atlantic coastline to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and Cape Point – the most south-westerly tip of Africa and the mythical meeting place of two great oceans, flanked by striking seaside cliffs and blanketed in rich indigenous plant life. On the return trip, pass through the naval base of Simon's Town, and then traverse the fishing port of Kalk Bay and the lush suburb of Constantia. The day will end with a visit to the renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens before returning to your hotel.

Breakfast. Private tour: pick up from your hotel for a full-day private Cape Winelands tour. Learn everything there is to know about wines, from the vineyard to the bottle. The Cape Wine Route is defined by the triangle that forms the towns of Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Franschhoek. Stellenbosch is a charming old town with oak-shaded avenues and historical buildings. Franschhoek owes its name to the French Huguenots, who came to settle there in 1685 and planted the first quality vineyards, while Paarl has been a centre for the Afrikaner culture since the 19th century. Along the Route, wine estates welcome you to taste wines and cheeses and learn how the wines are made before you are returned to your hotel at the end of the tour.

Breakfast. Embark on your guided tour aboard your minibus: He will accompany you all along your circuit from Cape Town to Cape Town. Travel to Oudtshoorn. Spend some time exploring Oudtshoorn, the ‘ostrich capital of the world’. Residential suburbs are flanked by acres of ostrich farms where these large flightless birds are bred and raised. A tour of an ostrich farm is naturally one of Oudtshoorn’s main attractions, where visitors can view the birds and browse boutiques full of exotic ostrich leather, and the brave can try to ride an ostrich. Another famous landmark in Oudtshoorn is the Cango Caves, an almost fantasy limestone cave formation that stretches on for several kilometres. A large variety of hiking and biking trails surround the town and there are also numerous rivers and waterfalls to be explored. Animal lovers can have close encounters with the world’s fastest land mammal at the cheetah breeding station or pop in to see prehistoric predators at the crocodile park. Test your ostrich riding skills at the Cango Ostrich Show Farm, located in Oudtshoorn, the ostrich capital of the world. These large flightless birds can run at speeds in excess of 70 kilometres an hour and can deliver a nasty kick to the unaware! Learn more interesting ostrich facts as you take a tour through the Cango Show Farm and move from the breeding incubators to the larger birds. Guests are permitted to hand feed the ostriches and even sit on them, while the more daring can try their skills at riding an ostrich. The enormous eggs, weighing over one kilogram each, have extremely hard shells and visitors are encouraged to stand on them to test their strength. Your tour will last 45 minutes as you walk through the farm accompanied by a professional guide.

Breakfast. Visit the Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn, a top tourist destination in South Africa and one of the world's greatest natural wonders, sculpted by nature over millions of years. The Cango Caves are located within the Swartberg Mountain range and form part of the Cape Floral Kingdom World Heritage site. These amazing caves are a must-see for locals and visitors alike, carved into the mountains, holding hidden treasures and astounding sights. They are the biggest show cave system in Africa and the oldest tourist attraction in the country. There are three main caves, connected by a series of chambers and tunnels and here you will find a collection of the oldest stalagmite formations on the planet, some dating back as far as 4 500 million years ago. Only the first cave is open to visitors; the other two are kept closed to preserve the pure, crystalline beauty of the dripstone formations. As you descend into the first chamber you will feel the warm humid air and be amazed at its enormity. Van Zyl's Hall is 98m long and filled with illuminated stalagmites, stalactites, and helictites. From there travel deeper into this ancient and mystical wonderland for more astoundingly beautiful subterranean sights. Travel to Knysna. Discover Wilderness. Lying at the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains in a region of incomparable beauty, Wilderness is an attractive holiday village with vast stretches of beautiful beaches and numerous vantage points from which to watch the whales and dolphins. The long stretch of beach embraces the mouths of the Touw and Kaaimans Rivers and is backed by northward cliffs over which the fringe of the forest reaches down to sea level.

Breakfast. Combine adventure and relaxation in Knysna. The picturesque town of Knysna along the Garden Route is surrounded by magnificent coastal forests and an extensive lagoon that boasts the town’s most famous landmark, the Knysna Heads. While the Heads provide a treacherous channel into the ocean, the lagoon itself is peaceful and ideal for boat cruises and water sports. The Featherbed Nature Reserve lies on the southern Head and the beautiful Garden Route National Park is only a short drive from the town. Discover the magnificent beaches of Plettenberg Bay, the Garden Route's "fashionable" seaside resort. Originally christened Bahia Formosa (beautiful bay) by early Portuguese explorers, Plettenberg Bay offers visitors miles of sweeping, unspoiled golden beaches, a dramatic rocky peninsula, intriguing lagoons and estuaries, towering indigenous forests, and unpolluted rivers and sea. With its exceptional climate and beautiful view sites over the Indian Ocean, Plettenberg Bay is perfect for tourists interested in exploring, watching, or just lazing.

Breakfast. Travel to Mossel Bay. Visit the Bartolomeu Diaz Museum Complex in Mossel Bay. Bartolomeu Diaz was the first explorer to sail around the southern tip of Africa, landing in Mossel Bay in the 14th century. The grounds of the museum complex are on the shores of the Indian Ocean, the very site that European explorers first came into contact with indigenous African people. There are many attractions at the centre but one of the most popular is the post office tree, the first official post office in the country. Other attractions include the Maritime Museum with a huge, life-size replica of the ship in which Diaz first sailed to southern Africa. Here you can also follow the fascinating maritime history of the early Dutch, Portuguese, and English navigators. The Shell Museum houses a collection of shells from around the world, a whale and dolphin exhibit, and a touch tank and aquarium where you can learn about sea life along the South African coastline. The Granary at the entrance of the museum displays a live specimen table with examples of plants and flowers found in and around the Mossel Bay area. Travel to Cape Town. Trace the beginnings of the South African postal system at the Post Office Tree, located within the Diaz Museum Complex in Mossel Bay. History documents that early Portuguese explorers hung an old boot in this large milkwood tree in order to leave letters for others who came ashore. Thus a tradition was born, where sailors bound for the East left messages and packets for others making their way back to Portugal. The Post Office Tree is still operational to this day and letters can be posted in the boot-shaped post box at the foot of the tree. Why not give a loved one back home a treat and send them a letter from the oldest existing postal tree in southern Africa. The tree is over 500 years old and has been declared a heritage site.

Breakfast. Private Transfer from Cape Town to Cape Town Airport. End of our services.