Cape Town and Safari

We know that everyone is different and therefore, no two itineraries will be exactly the same. But there are certain ‘must dos’ when you’re in Cape Town and as a result, we have created an outline of a seven day, ten day and a two week plus trip, packed full of ideas to give you the best representation of how to maximise your time in South Africa. 

A common question we’re faced with is; is a week long enough to see Cape Town and do a safari? In short, yes! But like any trip, it all boils down to planning and being organised prior to arrival. Somebody could arrive in Cape Town without booking anything, have a wonderful time on the beach and head to a few restaurants- they’d still leave happy and in love with Cape Town. However, during the very same time frame guests can not only enjoy the beach, but explore the highlights of Cape Town, spend the day in the winelands and also go on a safari adventure, how? Planning! 

If you were to compare the two peoples holidays- which one would you prefer? We agree. 

• Day 1- Cape Town: After landing in Cape Town you will have the day to familiarise yourself with your surroundings and spend the day as you wish.. the beach sounds good! 
• Day 2- Cape Town: Time to hit the highlights of Cape Town, exploring Table Mountain, Chapmans Peak, Boulders Beach & the penguins, Seal Island and Cape Point. 
• Day 3- Winelands: You can’t come to South Africa without checking out the endless number of world leading wines and vineyards! A day out to Stellenbosch and Franschhoek is the perfect way to see it all. 
• Day 4- Safari: Departing Cape Town in the morning, arrival at Hoedspruit airport comes only two hours later. Following check in and chance to explore your surroundings, you will end the afternoon on an evening game drive.
• Day 5- Safari: A sunrise game drive, the remainder of the day to yourself, where you can swim, relax or partake in your lodges specific activities. With the end of day two mirroring the previous evening; with another game drive.
• Day 6- Safari/Cape Town: Your final sunrise game drive, followed by breakfast brings an end to your safari adventure. A lunch time flight back to Cape Town gives you the remainder of the day and evening to tick off anything you may have missed, or bring the curtain down on your holiday with one final meal. 
• Day 7- Cape Town: Free time to enjoy Cape Town prior to departure.

The itinerary is full on, but for those wanting to maximise their time in Cape Town and see it all; it’s certainly the best blueprint to follow. 

You can do as little or as much as you like when you’re in Cape Town and we’ll help facilitate those plans in every way. Although you can tick all the boxes in a week, we personally recommend ten days as the trip planning sweet spot- which gives you more than enough time and flexibility to see it all, whilst also providing the freedom of down days. 

A ten day itinerary would follow a very similar outline to the week long layout, but with more time afforded in both Cape Town and the winelands. As oppose to a day trip, one night or even two nights in Stellenbosch/Franschhoek will be incorporated- with a whole host of additional vineyards and activities to see and do. 

• Day 1- Cape Town: After landing in Cape Town you will have the day to familiarise yourself with your surroundings and spend the day as you wish.. the beach sounds good! 
• Day 2- Cape Town: Time to hit the highlights of Cape Town, exploring Table Mountain, Chapmans Peak, Boulders Beach & the penguins, Seal Island and Cape Point. 
• Day 3- Winelands: A trip on the famed Franschhoek wine tram isn’t to be missed! A great way to explore the wine valley and visit some unforgettable wine estates. With an evening stay, the charming French town offers up plenty of wonderful restaurants and cafes too.
• Day 4- Winelands: A short drive brings you to Stellenbosch, where Delaire Graff and Babylonstoren steal the show- the perfect place to spend the day, indulging in fine wine and cuisines. 
• Day 5- Winelands/Cape Town: Still with plenty of eateries and sights to explore, the morning spent in Stellenbosch is never wasted. Before heading back to Cape Town for the remainder of your day and evening. 
• Day 6- Cape Town: With an endless list of things to see and do, there’s plenty of time to tick off your Cape Town bucket list, or just head to the beach.. both work! 
• Day 7- Safari: Departing Cape Town in the morning, arrival at Hoedspruit airport comes only two hours later. Following check in and chance to explore your surroundings, you will end the afternoon on an evening game drive.
• Day 8- Safari: A sunrise game drive, the remainder of the day to yourself, where you can swim, relax or partake in your lodges specific activities. With the end of day two mirroring the previous evening; with another game drive.
• Day 9- Safari/Cape Town: Your final sunrise game drive, followed by breakfast brings an end to your safari adventure. A lunch time flight back to Cape Town gives you the remainder of the day and evening to tick off anything you may have missed, or bring the curtain down on your holiday with one final meal. 
• Day 10- Cape Town: Free time to enjoy Cape Town prior to departure.

The beauty of having a ten day or perhaps even longer itinerary is the flexibility from day to day. External factors can often dictate holiday plans, so the more time you have in the bank- the easier things are when it comes to last minute changes. 

Ten days is the optimum, but if you have even more time? Happy days!! There’s no such thing as ‘too long’ in South Africa. 

For any time frame beyond ten days, there really are a multitude of options to fill your days! Again, the aforementioned seven and ten day itineraries are a fantastic outline- which we’d add to with trips along The Garden Route or even more time spent on safari. 

The Garden Route has some highlights including:

• Hermanus 
• Mossel Bay 
• Oudtshoorn
• George
• Wilderness
• Knysna
• Plettenberg Bay 
• Stormsriver
• Tsitsikamma

Although all attractive and worth visiting in their own right, it really does hinge on what you want to see. As a result, we will always put together a custom trip based on your interests- to maximise time spent sight seeing and enjoying yourself, as opposed to sat in a vehicle for 6 hours a day! 

So seven days, ten days or even longer- can you do Cape Town and safari in that time? The answer is a definite yes. 

All of our trips are fully customisable, so we will work alongside you to plan as little or as much as is required in order to make the most of your trip to South Africa.