South Africa Panorama
Duration: 12 days and
10 nights
Package Price: $3400.00
Departure from US: Saturdays from JFK International Airport, New York
Departure from South Africa: Tuesdays from Johannesburg International Airport
Airline: South Africa Airways
Destination: South Africa
Day 1: Saturday
Depart JFK International Airport, New York on South Africa Airways flight number SA 202 at 5.55 p.m. to Johannesburg, South Africa.
Day 2: Sunday
Arrival at Johannesburg International Airport at 3.20 p.m. Upon completion of immigration and customs formalities, you will be met by our tour guide and transferred to your hotel. A brief orientation meeting will take place and refreshments will be served.
Evening Welcome Dinner with cultural performance. After dinner, the evening will be spent at leisure.
Welcome Dinner included
Overnight: Holiday Inn, Sandton City
Day 3: Monday
The first day of our tour will be spent on a city tour of Johannesburg and Soweto. After breakfast we will drive through the metropolitan areas of Johannesburg with views of gold mines and stop at the Africa Museum to learn about the history of the city. We depart for Soweto, a township that contributed immensely to the political discourse of South Africa. A unique feature of Soweto is the dualism of upscale residential homes and shanties situated next to each other.
After a traditional South African lunch in a Soweto restaurant, we will begin our tour of Soweto by visiting the original home of Nelson Mandela now a museum, the Hector Petersen Memorial erected to commemorate the 1976 student riots, Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu's House and Regina Mundi Cathedral, a rallying point for the struggle against Apartheid. The rest of the afternoon will be spent shopping for arts, crafts, fashion and jewelry at the Bruma Lake Flea Market.
After dinner, the evening will be spent at leisure.
Lunch included
Dinner on own account
Overnight: Holiday Inn, Sandton City
Day 4: Tuesday
The day will be spent visiting Kwandebele Cultural Village and Pretoria gaining exposure to the culture of the people who live in this part of South Africa. Depart by road to Kwandebele and upon arrival go on a Walking Tour of the village to see how the Matabele people go about their daily lives. We will also pay a visit to King Mahlangu's Traditional Council to learn about the Matabele people and their renowned traditional artist, Madame Mahlangu and Madame Nzimande. We will have an opportunity to see Ndebele artisans and craftsmen at work, and to purchase arts, crafts and jewelry.
After lunch at Safika Restaurant we will go on a city tour of Pretoria and stop at various landmarks. Upon completion of the city tour we will return to Johannesburg.
After dinner, the evening will be spent at leisure.
Lunch included
Dinner on own account
Overnight: Holiday Inn, Sandton City
Day 5: Wednesday
After an early breakfast and check out, we will embark on a picturesque drive through the Drakensburg Mountains, the highest mountain range in South Africa, to Durban. Upon arrival in Durban, we will check into the Holiday Inn Hotel, South Beach and have lunch.
The afternoon will be spent going on a city tour of Durban. Venues of interest include the Kwamuhle Museum to learn about the history of the area, and the Umuti Market, an African herbal medicine market to meet an Inyanga, traditional doctor
The rest of the afternoon will be spent touring Umlazi Township, where we will see the Glebe Male Hostel, and Lamontville Township, created for the settlement of non-whites who served in World War II
After dinner, the evening will be spent at leisure.
Lunch included
Dinner on own account
Overnight: Holiday Inn, South Beach
Day 6: Thursday
Today we embark on an expedition to Kwabhekithunga Cultural Village. Early breakfast and check out of hotel. We will embark on an overland excursion to Showe, a historical city on a hill situated around a tropical rainforest. From the hilltop there is a great aerial view of Durban City, ideal for picture taking. Showe derives its historical importance as the home of great AmaZulu kings, Shaka, Mpande, Cetshayo and Dinizulu. The city also served as the first British capital of Zululand during 1887 to 1897 when it was a separate British colony and also as a military headquarters.
Cultural village tour includes lectures on the way of life of the Zulu people. You will be treated to a traditional Zulu meal and interact with the indigenous inhabitants of the village. Upon completion of the tour we will check in to the Kwabhekithunga Lodge, with architecture fashioned like a traditional Zulu beehive with modern amenities and bathroom en-suite.
Welcome dinner with traditional musical performance.
Lunch on own account
Dinner included
Overnight: Kwabhekithunga Lodge
Day 7: Friday
Early breakfast and check out of lodge. Overland transfers to Kwandonga — Zimbomvu (Red Walls), and on arrival begin our cultural tour. We will visit the Umgababa Cultural Market to shop for arts and crafts. From there we will head to CrocWorld to view crocodiles, deadly snakes and a variety of bird life species. We proceed on a drive to Etsheni, a village and receive a warm welcome by Chief Duma. A unique feature of Etsheni is the presence of Rock Art with images of various animals believed to have been important in the daily lives of the San people. Some of these rock art formations are believed to possess spiritual powers.
Upon completion of our tour of Etsheni, we transfer to the airport to catch a flight to Cape Town. Upon arrival in Cape Town, transfer to our hotel and check in.
The evening will be spent at leisure.
Lunch included
Dinner on own account
Overnight: Holiday Inn, Water Front.
Day 8: Saturday
The morning will be spent on an orientation tour of the city. Venues of interest include the District 6 Museum to learn about the history of the city and the surrounding areas, especially about communities, which were displaced due to South Africa’s Apartheid regime.
After lunch, we will embark on a short drive to Table Mountain on the outskirts of the city. Upon arrival, we take a cable car ride to the top of the mountain for breathtaking views of landscapes filled with a variety of flowers. Later on in the afternoon we will visit the Kistern Bosch Gardens to learn more about the varied species of flora and fauna in the Cape Town area.
After checking into the hotel, the evening will be spent at leisure.
Lunch on own account
Dinner included
Overnight: Holiday Inn, Water Front
Day 9: Sunday
This day will be spent viewing the scenic wonders of South Africa. In the morning we will go on a picturesque drive along the Atlantic seaboard as we take in the breath taking views of the Cape Peninsula, Clifton and Camps Bay beaches. After making a brief stopover at Hout Bay for a cruise to the Seal Colony, we continue to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Lunch will be at the Two Oceans restaurant, Cape Point.
After Lunch we ascend by funicular to the hillcrest for spectacular views of Cape Point, the southern most tip of the African continent where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. Our last activity for the day will be a visit to Jack Ass Penguin Island Reserve. On our return journey to Cape Town, we will utilize an alternative route and drive through Simonstown, Constantia Kloof and Signal Hill.
Enjoy a live jazz performance while you have dinner at the Green Dolphin restaurant.
Lunch on own account
Dinner included
Overnight: Holiday Inn, Water Front
Day 10: Monday
After breakfast, we go on a cruise to Robben Island to see the prison cell where Nelson Mandela lived for twenty years out of his twenty-seven year prison term under the Apartheid regime. Upon our arrival, former prison inmates will share the history of the Island and the role it played in the persecution of indigenous South Africans
After the tour of the Island, we will return to the mainland and have lunch at Victoria Waterfront. The afternoon will be spent touring Khayelisha and Langa townships. We will visit projects such as the Women’s Carpet Weaving Entrepreneurial Project, which are helping previously disadvantaged communities develop and build a better life for themselves. This highly enlightening experience will broaden your understanding of the cultural diversity that exists in South Africa.
For dinner, we will have sumptuous South African cuisine at Café Afrika.
Lunch on own account
Dinner included
Overnight: Holiday Inn, Water Front
Day 11: Tuesday
Our final day of the tour begins with a tour of the Wine Lands to gain insight into South African wines, which are increasingly becoming favorites of wine connoisseurs worldwide. We will have an introduction to South African wines through a Wine Tasting at a local wine estate.
After lunch, the afternoon will be spent packing for our return flight to Johannesburg. Early afternoon check out of hotel and transfer to airport. Upon arrival at Johannesburg International Airport, transfer to South African Airways flight number SA 201 for 8.50 p.m. flight to the United States.
Day 12: Wednesday
One hour transit at Ilha do Sal. Flight arrives at JFK International Airport in New York City at 7.20 a.m. Transfer to connecting flights or rides home.