9-Nights Wonders of the Western Cape from $2,595
CostSaver
OFFER ID 1493787
Wonders Of The Western Cape
No, you’re not dreaming, the incredible beauty of the Western Cape is part of its charm. From the eclectic streets of Cape Town to the wild nature of Cape Agulhas and the Garden Route Game Reserve, you’ll be living out your dream as you dive in to the culture, landscapes and lifestyle of this region.
Dining Summary
- 5 Dinner (D)
- 9 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Lunch (L)
- City orientation tour includes Bo-Kaap and the Castle of Good Hope. Visit Table Mountain via Aerial Cableway
- Visit the whale watching capital of South Africa
- Visit the southernmost tip of Africa where the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Oceans meet
- Explore the Knysna Quays area
- Three included safari vehicle game drives, in a reserve home to the 'Big 5'
Whats Included
- An expert Travel Director or Driver Guide
- Cherry picked hotels and lodges, all tried and trusted.
- Many meals and daily breakfasts included
- Luxury air-conditioned coach
- Airport transfers are provided on the first and last travel day. Conditions apply.
- Extensive variety of Choice Experiences
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.
9 nights from $2,595 per person
Itinerary Details
Costsaver: Wonders of the Western Cape
Day 1 - Arrive Cape Town
Aweh (hey), Cape Town! Before exploring all the magnificent sights, sounds and flavors of the city, you’ll meet up with your Costsaver representative at the airport and be transferred to your hotel in the heart of the city. You’re staying in the midst of the buzz, so make the most of your time exploring before joining your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a Welcome Dinner and trip briefing.
Accommodations: Protea Fire and Ice
Meals: Dinner
Day 2 - Cape Town Orientation and Free Time
Ready for an exhilarating day, Cape Town style? Kick things off by exploring the suburb of Bo-Kaap, where rainbow-hued houses and facades turn the streets into works of art. Get your first dose of nature during a visit to the Company Gardens, before taking a spin around the 17th-century Castle of Good Hope. Then, leave the city below to catch a ride up Table Mountain, where the local furry residents (hyraxes) are the only things that may steal your attention from the view. Later, check out the golden beaches of the area on an optional e-bike ride, followed by a sunset beach braai (barbecue). For the musically-inclined, consider jamming your way through a djembe drumming session, followed by a delicious and traditional African feast.
Accommodations: Protea Fire and Ice
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3 - Cape Town - Hermanus
Put away your camera and just enjoy the ride as you wind your way along one of South Africa’s most awe-inspiring drives from Cape Town to Hermanus. The Hottentots Holland mountains plunge dramatically into the Atlantic for most of the route, so you’ll want to simply stare out over the epic scenery. Arrive in Hermanus and enjoy lunch with stunning views of the ocean. Then, hit the water on a Choice Experience Walker Bay or unleash your inner wine connoisseur on a visit to a renowned vineyard in the aptly named Hemel-en-Aarde (Heaven-and-Earth) Valley.
Accommodations: Windsor
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4 - Hermanus - Garden Route Game Reserve
Before heading into the wild, expect to be wowed by the swirling waters of the southernmost tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas, where the Indian Ocean collides with the Atlantic. Then, get your game face on for your safari adventure at the Garden Route Game Reserve, keeping your eyes peeled for the wonders of the African bushveld—glimpses of impala, zebra and giraffe are highly likely.
Accommodations: Garden Route Game Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 - Garden Route Game Reserve Safari Drives
The one thought on everyone’s minds today: will you spot the Big 5? Rise with the Cape turtle doves and let their songs kickstart another magnificent day in South Africa. We’ll get out into the bush early to avoid the heat of the day, so after grabbing a cup of coffee, don your safari hat for a morning adventure through the fynbos-clad landscape in search of wildlife. You may be lucky enough to spot lions lazing in the shade of a tree, buffalo weavers stripping the trees to craft their nests or perhaps even a lonely dung beetle rolling his ‘treasure’ uphill. Return to camp for a hearty breakfast and afternoon siesta to recharge, before grabbing your binoculars for another safari late this afternoon.
Accommodations: Garden Route Game Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6 - Garden Route Game Reserve - Knysna
You don’t need green fingers to enjoy South Africa’s lush Garden Route. Take a quick side trip to Victoria Bay and stretch your legs or soak in its refreshing salty waters. Your next stop is a bit of a tongue-twister. Knysna, pronounced ‘Naaisnah’ (the ‘k’ is silent), sits sheltered on the edge of a lagoon, shielded from the Indian Ocean by two mountainous outcrops, referred to as the Knysna Heads. With the rest of the day to do as you choose, perhaps opt to join a guided walk through lush, flora dense forests where hundreds of elephants once roamed. Or, if you want to relax until the evening, why not join a sunset dinner cruise on board a traditional paddle steamer, that will sail you along the tranquil waters of the lagoon.
Accommodations: Protea Knysna Quays
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7 - Knysna Free Day
You’ll be grateful for an extra day to explore Knysna your way today. There’s plenty to do in this pretty town and its surrounds, but we’d recommend joining our boat ride across the Knysna Lagoon, to Featherbed Nature Reserve. Once here, buckle up and enjoy a 4x4 ride along the western headland, stopping along the way to appreciate the contrast of the bright blue sea, sandy beaches and lush green headlands. If a slower pace is more your vibe, take a stroll down Sedgefield beach with a Local Guide to learn about the Strandlopers, who once roamed these beaches to gather food.
Accommodations: Protea Knysna Quays
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 - Knysna - Cape Town
End your epic journey in South Africa’s Fairest Cape the same way you started it, in what locals call the “Mother City”. You’ll return to Cape Town this morning, stopping in Swellendam, the third-oldest town in South Africa. The center of a large farming community, Swellendam is particularly renowned for its Cape Dutch architecture – whitewashed walls, thatched roofs and the characteristic gable which makes them unmistakably Dutch in heritage.
Accommodations: Protea Fire and Ice
Meals: Breakfast
Day 9 - Cape Town Free Day
Get your final fix of Cape Town with a full day to spend your way. If you want to relax, consider kicking back at a craft beer tasting experience and tucking in to a beach braai (barbecue) at Blaauwberg Nature Reserve. Keen to fit in one last adventure? Why not explore the rugged Cape Peninsula coastline, passing the Twelve Apostles, Cape Point and Boulders Beach to check out the colony of African Jackass penguins. However you choose to enjoy the day, you’ll have plenty of stories to share over our final dinner.
Accommodations: Protea Fire and Ice
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10 - Depart Cape Town
The time has come to say totsiens (until we see each other again) as you prepare to return home after your soul-stirring visit to South Africa's fairest Cape. All that's left is to plan for your return as you transfer to Cape Town International Airport for your flight home. Your Airport Shuttles are due to depart your hotel at 11am and 3pm.
Meals: Breakfast
Technically, the scenic road known as the Garden Route, South Africa—famous for its beautiful wildflowers, forests and mountainous coastline—runs along the coast from Mossel Bay to the Storms River. However, the entire drive from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth is spectacular. It takes three days to drive, but five days or longer would be much better so you can stop and enjoy the sights.
Begin in Cape Town and overnight at Mossel Bay, where Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias landed in 1488 after he had completed the first recorded rounding of the Cape of Good Hope. Mossel Bay, despite being a rather unappealing town, has the famous Post Office Tree, where sailors left letters hanging in a boot to be picked up by those headed toward the country of the addressee.
The second day, drive to Oudtshoorn, overnight there and visit the intriguing Cango Caves and an informative ostrich farm in the morning.
Then drive to George for the next overnight. While in George, see the town museum.
Next drive to the quaint and artsy town of Knysna, and on the way stop at Wilderness National Park. This is part of the Garden Route National Park, which was established in 2009 by amalgamating the existing Wilderness and Tsitsikamma national parks and the Knysna National Lake Area. The Wilderness section is a 30-mi/50-km strip of glistening vlei (lake), river and marsh, sandwiched between the Indian Ocean and the Outeniqua Mountains. Once in Knysna, stop in at some of the craft shops and galleries, then spend at least an hour exploring in one of the nearby state forests. If you have time, take a boat ride around the Knysna Lagoon, also part of the Garden Route National Park, and to the Heads—the impressive rocky promontories that lead from the lagoon to the open sea.
Plan to overnight in Plettenberg Bay, which is one of the most appealing holiday resort towns along the Garden Route with wide sandy beaches and a good choice of accommodations and restaurants. If time permits, visit Robberg Nature Reserve (great bird-watching and a small seal colony). The following day visit the numerous wildlife attractions along the N2 (the coastal highway), such as Monkeyland and Birds of Eden, where a variety of species can be seen in natural forest environments, or the Plettenberg Bay Elephant Sanctuary where there is the unique opportunity to walk with or even ride an elephant.
Stop at the Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park for its giant trees, caves and several hiking paths that require from one to seven days. There's good diving, snorkeling and fishing in the area, as well as seal colonies along the coast. Adrenaline junkies can't miss the bungee jump at Bloukrans Bridge, located on the N2 in Tsitsikamma. At 710 ft/216 m, it is the highest commercial bungee jump in the world and maintains a 100% safety rating. Then head to Jeffery's Bay, which is not an attractive town but has one of the world's best surfing beaches—it was one of the locations for the '60s surf-film classic Endless Summer.
Excursions
Knysna Lagoon Oyster Tour
The coastal town of Knysna and Oysters go together like
champagne and caviar, sea and sky, summer breezes and cold beers. Enjoy the ultimate oyster experience on the spectacular Knysna Lagoon and learn all there is to know about one of the world's most loved delicacies.
Taste the difference between wild and cultivated oysters, all
whilst cruising the lagoon to the Heads and surrounds with a small group of guests. The cruise includes complimentary local white wine and oysters for tasting. Extra oysters are available on pre-order to enjoy on the boat.
Cruise includes an oyster educational experience, complimentary white wine, and half a dozen fresh oysters per person.
Excursions
Cape Town City Tour - Half Day
Cape Town City Tour - Half Day
Your guide will discuss the city's abundance of sightseeing possibilities and will tailor make your day's activities according to your individual interests and preferences. This affords you the advantage of total flexibility while still maintaining the expertise of a qualified guide. We first make our way to the to the lower cable car station on the slopes of Table Mountain, where (weather permitting) we make the short and comfortable ascent to the top of the mountain by cable car. The panoramic view of the sea and city from the summit is magnificent. Then begin the tour of historic Cape Town. Whether you are interested in visiting the traditional tourist attractions, indulging in a personal passion, or simply exploring the 'Mother City' as a local, Cape Town has more than enough diversity to cater to your personal preference.
Your half day tour includes two entrance fees as well as the return Table Mountain Aerial Cableway ticket. After your tour, you will be dropped off at your hotel.
Three Hour Cruise
The Inala Antares proudly awaits you in Cape Town, ready to take you first class on a journey of a lifetime. With its Italian styling, trendy interiors, quality construction techniques and performance it has been specially designed to meet your tastes and requirements.
Your day will start with a luxury transfer from your hotel providing you with a concierge service to help you orchestrate the perfect few hours on board the Inala.
Experience an exquisite Cape Town sunset with Table Mountain and the 12 Apostles as a backdrop as you cruise in pure luxury on board (weather depending on the day) otherwise in Table Bay towards the Bloubergstrand beaches.
The Inala is a 57ft Princess design, luxury motor yacht, moored in front of the Cape Grace Hotel V&A Waterfront. Your three hour cruise includes the famous Clifton beaches, with panoramic views of Table Mountain and the 12 Apostles in elegance and luxury. Clifton bay is on the way to Hout Bay and is the ideal place to spend a few hours at on board, enjoying the sun and a swim in the cool water.
Whale Watching Tour - Full Day
Whale Watching Tour - Full Day
Your Whale watching excursion will either be done in Hermanus or Gansbaai, based on the best sightings & weather conditions over your period of travel.
The whale watching trips can also afford you the possibility to see: Great white sharks, Bryde's whales, Humpback whales, Southern giant petrels, Cape gannets and Dolphins, making these whale watching trips not just magical but rewarding too, and are sure to capture everyone's imagination.
Your return to shore will depend on the sightings for the day, which may result in a late lunch. Your guide will discuss the best restaurant options with you based on your preference and logistics. An A la Carte lunch including soft drinks & non-premium brand drinks and house wines is included in your tour.
Time permitting you may have the opportunity to walk along the coastal paths in Herma-nus where during whale season (mid June to mid November) whales may be seen playing close to the shore. You will be dropped off at your hotel in the late afternoon.
Cape Point Sidecar Tour - Full Day
Cape Point Sidecar Tour - Full Day
Your guide will discuss your individual interests and preferences and tailor make the day's routing and sightings accordingly. All sidecars are decommissioned military bikes used during World War II, which has been restored and fully refurbished.
You will be supplied with retro leather jackets, helmets, goggles as well as a complimentary bandana. Depending on your interests you will be visiting all the iconic attractions such as Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Chapmans Peak Drive, Cape of Good Hope (including the Cape Point Funicular ticket) and the Boulders Penguin Colony.
Stop for lunch at a popular local restaurant including local wine and refreshments. Top off the day with a scenic coastal drive back to your hotel. After your day's touring, you will be dropped off at your hotel for your evening at leisure.
Vacation Details
* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.
All fares are quoted in US Dollars.
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