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12-Day Cape Town, Garden Route & Kruger on a Budget

Customisable Itinerary
4.7 • 9 travellers have booked with Stephanie L.

Trip Overview

This is the best way to experience a bit of everything that the Western Cape has to offer. You'll visit Cape Town during the first few days before going on a journey along the Garden Route.

You'll hang out with ostriches in Oudtshoorn, jump the highest bungee jump in the world, visit the elephants in Addo National Park, explore the waters of Wilderness in a canoe and much more!

Then, to finish the trip, you'll head to South Africa's well renowned Kruger National Park to spot the Big 5 on some wildlife viewing experiences.
Outdoors & Nature
Sightseeing
Food & Drink
Adventure
Culture & Arts

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Itinerary

Day 1

Welcome to Cape Town!

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Welcome to Cape Town!

You will be collected from the airport and transferred to your accommodation. Your shuttle driver will meet you and other fellow travellers at the arrivals hall after you have collected your baggage and will have your name on a signboard, so keep your eyes peeled. Cape Town offers a diversity of cultures, cuisines, activities and landscapes, you'll have the afternoon and evening free to explore the city and head out for dinner at one of the recommended restaurants.

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    Accommodation

    Saltycrax Backpackers and Adventures

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Cape TownOptional Activity

  • transportations icon
    Transportations

    Private Driver from Cape Town International Airport to Cape Town

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    Destinations

    Cape Town

Day 2

Visit Cape Town & African Dinner Experience

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Visit Cape Town & African Dinner Experience

Today, your local guide will meet you for a Historic Walking Tour which showcases the colonialism, drama and harmony of this city. In the afternoon, you'll board the distinctive red open-top hop-on hop-off bus. Then, you can either take the cable car up and explore Table Mountain. Alternatively, you can take the ferry to the famous Robben Island. In the evening, you cannot help but be swept up in the excitement of African stories told through live entertainment at the GOLD Restaurant.

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    Accommodation

    Saltycrax Backpackers and Adventures

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    Activities

    Cape Town City Tour & Table Mountain Excursion

    Robben IslandOptional Activity

    Table MountainOptional Activity

    African Dinner Experience at GOLD Restaurant

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast and dinner

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Cape Town

Day 3

Atlantic Seaboard & Cape Peninsula Tour

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Atlantic Seaboard & Cape Peninsula Tour

Today, you'll spend a day exploring the beautiful Cape Peninsula on this tour from Cape Town. With a professional local guide by your side, you’ll have the opportunity to get a true sense of the beauty and diversity of Cape Town as you meander along some of the city’s most precious gems. This tour combines the best experiences the Cape Peninsula has to offer, all in one actioned packed itinerary.

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    Accommodation

    Saltycrax Backpackers and Adventures

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    Activities

    Atlantic Seaboard & Cape Peninsula Tour

    Cape of Good Hope

    Boulders BeachOptional Activity

    Chapman's Peak

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    Restaurants

    The Bombay Bicycle ClubOptional Activity

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Cape Town

Day 4

Cape Winelands Tour

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Cape Winelands Tour

You'll start the morning with a pick up from a local guide for an elegant but relaxed tour through the Cape Winelands. The Western Cape of South Africa is home to more than 500 wineries. You'll visit any of the three regions of the Cape Winelands, either Stellenbosch, Franschhoek or Paarl. The day will be spent eating mouthwatering foods and treats and drinking some of the best bubbles and wines that South Africa has to offer.

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    Accommodation

    Saltycrax Backpackers and Adventures

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Cape Winelands Tour

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast and lunch

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Cape Town

    Western Cape

Day 5

Scenic Journey to Sedgefield via Wilderness for Canoeing

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Scenic Journey to Sedgefield via Wilderness for Canoeing

You will be picked up early in Cape Town for your journey to Sedgefield. You’ll wind your way through mountain passes where lazy baboons line the roadside; through fertile micro-climates with rows and rows of grapevines and rolling farmlands. The oasis-like town of Wilderness en route is surrounded by lush national parks and a canoe paddle provides the perfect setting to enjoy the clean wild air. For those that savour a relaxing evening, the coastal town of Sedgefield promises just that.

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    Accommodation

    Afrovibe Beach Lodge

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Cape Town to Sedgefield via Wilderness

    SedgefieldOptional Activity

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Cape Town

    Wilderness

    Sedgefield

Day 6

Adrenaline-Packed Journey to Jeffrey's Bay - The Surfer's Paradise!

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Adrenaline-Packed Journey to Jeffrey's Bay - The Surfer's Paradise!

Pristine wild and adventure go hand in hand on this adrenaline-packed day to Jeffrey's Bay. From a morning spent admiring the views from the Knysna Heads to the ocean and river views atop Bloukrans Bridge, the world’s highest commercial bridge bungee jump or ziplining over a gushing river gorge in the Tsitsikamma forest. You'll have plenty of free time at these stops to spend however you wish. The large white caps of Jeffreys Bay mark your arrival at South Africa’s quintessential ‘Surf City’.

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    Accommodation

    Island Vibe Jeffrey's Bay

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    Activities

    Adrenaline-Packed Journey to Jeffrey's Bay

    Knysna & Knysna Heads

    Zipling through the Tsitsikamma ForestOptional Activity

    Bloukrans Bridge BungeeOptional Activity

    Jeffreys BayOptional Activity

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    Meals

    Breakfast

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Sedgefield

    Eastern Cape

    Knysna

    South Africa

    Western District

    Jeffreys Bay

Day 7

Addo Elephant National Park Game Drive & Afternoon at Leisure in J-Bay

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Addo Elephant National Park Game Drive & Afternoon at Leisure in J-Bay

A pre-dawn wake-up call might seem hard to take at first, but trust me, it’s worth getting an early start for your Addo game drive to see even more wildlife as the bush awakes. Your guide will use their experience to pinpoint the whereabouts of the park’s big game animals while deftly navigating the maze of dusty dirt roads in search of most of the Big Five from the safety of the tour van. After an exciting early morning, you'll return to Jeffreys Bay for an active or relaxing afternoon.

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    Accommodation

    Island Vibe Jeffrey's Bay

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    Activities

    Addo Elephant National Park Game Drive Day Tour

    Leisure Time in Jeffreys BayOptional Activity

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    Meals

    Breakfast

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    Destinations

    Jeffreys Bay

    Addo

Day 8

Fun-Filled Journey to Oudtshoorn & Optional Game Drive in Buffelsdrift

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Fun-Filled Journey to Oudtshoorn & Optional Game Drive in Buffelsdrift

South Africa delivers on its contrasts with landscape and lifestyle as you leave the Indian Ocean shoreline behind and wind your way through the Langkloof Mountains to the arid lands of the Klein Karoo. En route to Oudtshoorn, you'll make stops at the Cango Ostrich Show Farm which gives you a glimpse into the farming industry, allowing you to observe the world’s biggest bird, and you'll also delve deep underground into the magical Cango Caves' limestone chambers.

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    Accommodation

    Uthando Backpackers Lodge

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Journey to Oudtdhoorn via Cango Ostrich Show Farm & Cango Caves

    Cango Ostrich Farm

    Cango Caves

    Buffelsdrift 4x4 Game DriveOptional Activity

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    Meals

    Breakfast

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    Destinations

    Jeffreys Bay

    Oudtshoorn

    Western Cape

Day 9

Educational Elephant Walk & Journey Back to Cape Town on Route 62

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Educational Elephant Walk & Journey Back to Cape Town on Route 62

As dawn breaks in Oudtshoorn, South Africa’s sunniest town, you'll join an optional stroll with rescued elephants along the dam wall at the Buffelsdrift Private Game Reserve. Gentle giants, Jabari, Malaika and Bulelo made this their home after their parents were poached in the north of South Africa. After your morning adventure, it’s time to head back to Cape Town along the famous Route 62. Oenophiles will be in their element with a wine pit stop to sample wines en route to Cape Town.

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    Accommodation

    Saltycrax Backpackers and Adventures

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Educational Elephant WalkOptional Activity

    Route 62 Journey from Oudtshoorn Back to Cape Town

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    Meals

    Breakfast

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    Destinations

    Oudtshoorn

    Western Cape

    Ashton

    Cape Town

Day 10

Fly to Hoedspruit, Transfer to Kruger National Park & Big 5 Sunset Game Drive

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Fly to Hoedspruit, Transfer to Kruger National Park & Big 5 Sunset Game Drive

This morning, you'll be collected from your accommodation and transferred to the airport for your flight to Hoedspruit. Upon arrival, you'll be transferred to your safari lodge in the park. After you have settled in, you can prepare for an exciting three-hour Big 5 Sunset Game Drive on an open land cruiser. After the sun sets, when darkness falls, spotlights are used to locate nocturnal species. Dinner will be a bush braai at the Marula Tree Boma, deep in the bush.

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    Accommodation

    Tremisana Safari Lodge

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Big 5 Sunset Game Drive

  • transportations icon
    Transportations

    Private Driver from Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport

    Private Driver from Cape Town International Airport to Hoedspruit AirportOptional Activity

    Private Driver from Hoedspruit Airport to Tremisana Safari Lodge

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    Meals

    Breakfast and dinner

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    Destinations

    Cape Town

    Hoedspruit

    Limpopo

Day 11

Full Day to Explore Kruger National Park

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Full Day to Explore Kruger National Park

After breakfast, you will have the chance to spend a full day exploring the park. Boarding the custom-built open-sided game drive vehicle, the absence of windows and elevated position allow for excellent photographic opportunities. The Orpen/Satara region has the greatest concentration of animals in the whole of Kruger Park, and this is where you are heading. In the evening, you'll head back to your lodge for a traditional African bush dinner.

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    Accommodation

    Tremisana Safari Lodge

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Full Day in Kruger National Park

    Kruger National Park

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast and dinner

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Hoedspruit

    Limpopo

Day 12

Journey to Johannesburg via Blyde River Canyon & The Three Rondawels

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Journey to Johannesburg via Blyde River Canyon & The Three Rondawels

Early in the morning, you'll have the option to head out on a sunrise drive. After a hearty breakfast, there is an opportunity to purchase some memorabilia from the shop and take your last photos of the lush luxuriant gardens at Tremisana. You'll then drive to the awesome Blyde River Canyon and view the Three Rondawels on the way to Johannesburg airport.

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    Activities

    Blyde River Canyon

    Three Rondavels

  • transportations icon
    Transportations

    Private Driver from Tremisana Safari Lodge to Johannesburg

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    Meals

    Breakfast

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Hoedspruit

    Mpumalanga

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What’s included?

  • 11 nights accommodation
  • 19 activities
  • 11 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 3 dinners
  • Airport transfer
  • Entrance fees
  • Ground transportation
  • Licensed English speaking guides

What’s not included?

  • Alcohol beverages
  • Domestic flights
  • Entry visas / airport departure tax
  • Gratuities
  • International flights
  • Laundry
  • Personal expenses
  • Travel insurance
  • Trekking permits
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