Ultimate Journey Through Southern Africa

(21 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Cape Town & environs, Sabi Sand Reserve, Windhoek, Sossusvlei, Skeleton Coast, Johannesburg, Okavango Delta with Chief’s Island (Moremi Game Reserve)

This incredible private tour explores the very best of Southern Africa, including cultural touring in Cape Town and the surrounding region and luxury safaris in the top scenic and game-viewing destinations in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.

Begin in Cape Town , one of the world’s most beautiful cities. During private touring, explore the city’s stunning landscapes, vibrant neighborhoods, fascinating history, and excellent food and wine scene. Enjoy fast-track access for the cable car up iconic Table Mountain, and walk among native fynbos plants in beautiful Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. Learn about Cape Town history in evocative places such as Bo-Kaap (the Cape Malay Quarter), the Company’s Garden and the Castle of Good Hope. Browse for locally made clothing, jewelry and other treasures in top handicrafts markets. Enjoy reservations at Cape Town’s best restaurants, find a snack in the Time Out Market food hall, stop at a farmers market or have afternoon tea at the atmospheric Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel.

One day, enjoy a private excursion to the spectacular Cape Peninsula to see penguins at Boulders Beach, dramatic landscapes at Cape Point and along Chapman’s Peak Drive, and the area’s unique vegetation, which is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Depending on your interests, Artisans of Leisure can arrange additional options, such as an excursion to Robben Island, scenic helicopter flights, Jewish touring, a visit to a township, visits to the District Six Museum or the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, touring in the Constantia wine region or an excursion to the seaside town of Hermanus.

Another day, enjoy a private excursion to the Cape Winelands , a region of vineyards, small towns and dramatic mountains. During private touring, enjoy personalized wine tastings at some of South Africa's premier vineyards and stop at Babylonstoren, a farming and culinary complex with whitewashed Cape Dutch buildings and lush gardens. Also see charming historic towns and browse boutiques.

Next, fly to Sabi Sand Reserve , a private concession that borders Kruger National Park and is renowned for its diverse wildlife, and stay at one of the top luxury lodges in the region. During morning and afternoon game drives, look for the Big Five (elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and Cape buffaloes), as well as hippos, giraffes and other animals and birds. During leisure time, perhaps indulge in spa treatments, lounge by the pool or browse the boutique for locally made crafts and artworks. Also enjoy three gourmet meals per day, accompanied by top South African wines. Walking safaris, a visit to a local community and other activities can also be arranged.

Fly to Johannesburg, where you will be assisted to your international flight to Windhoek , the modern capital of Namibia, for a night.

Continue to Sossusvlei , a desert region of dramatic red sand dunes in the middle of Namib-Naukluft Park, one of the largest national parks in Africa. Stay at a top desert lodge, and tour highlights such as Deadvlei, a dried lake bed with an eerie grove of dead trees surrounded by enormous sand dunes. If desired, hike up Big Daddy, the highest dune in the world, for breathtaking views over the ridges and valleys of the sprawling sand landscape. Other activities include looking for wildlife such as brown hyenas, springboks and gemsboks (oryx); walking nature trails to see interesting birds, reptiles and insects; quad biking; night walks; seeing ancient rock art; and stargazing.

Fly to the Skeleton Coast , a remote wilderness where towering sand dunes meet the pounding surf of the Atlantic Ocean. Stay at a contemporary lodge among the sand dunes of Skeleton Coast Park, and enjoy activities in the area such as visiting the Mowe Bay seal colony, seeing shipwrecks and an abandoned diamond mine, going quad biking, and taking a 4WD tour to the Hoarusib River to see the Clay Castles geological formations and look for hyenas, lions and elephants. Other options include surf fishing, lunch on the beach and sundowner cocktails in the sand dunes.

Next, fly to Johannesburg  (Joburg), South Africa’s financial center and most populous city. During private touring, visit boutiques and art galleries in upscale neighborhoods, and learn more about South African history at the Apartheid Museum and in Soweto, one of the country’s largest townships. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can also arrange a private excursion to the Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of limestone caves that contain the fossilized bones of ancient hominids.

Continue to a luxury safari camp in the Okavango Delta , a vast wetlands system that supports a wide range of animals, including the Big Five. Embark on exciting game drives in an open vehicle or motorboat at dawn and dusk, the prime feeding times for many animals. Look for charismatic animals and birds, such as elephants, crocodiles, hippos, warthogs, bee-eaters and rollers. Enjoy unique sundowner drinks in the middle of the bush, as well as seasonal journeys along the waterways bymokoro, the traditional flat-bottom boat of the region. When not enjoying a game drive or walking safari, relax on your private veranda with unforgettable views of the winding waterways and grasslands of the region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Conclude with a luxurious stay at Mombo Camp, a legendary land camp on exclusive Chief’s Island  in the Okavango Delta’s  Moremi Game Reserve . An area of pristine wilderness and one of the world’s top safari destinations, Chief’s Island has a high concentration of plains animals, attracting a large number of predators—especially wild dogs and big cats like lions, leopards and cheetahs—that feed on them. Experience the thrilling interplay between predators and prey during daily game drives. Between safari excursions, book treatments in the spa or relax on the terrace of your luxury safari camp.

Return to Maun, where you will be assisted to your flight to Johannesburg or Cape Town, where you will be met with connection assistance to your onward flight.

Itinerary Overview

Day 1 Arrive Cape Town, South Africa Airport assistance through immigration. Private arrival transfer to hotel for 4 nights Day 2 Cape Town Full-day private city tour, including fast-track tickets for Table Mountain Day 3 Cape Town & Cape Peninsula Full-day private excursion: Boulders Beach penguin colony, Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope, Chapmans Peak Drive Day 4 Cape Town & Cape Winelands Full-day private excursion with flexible wine tasting and cultural touring in Franschhoek and/or Stellenbosch, including Babylonstoren Day 5 Cape Town – Mbombela (Nelspruit) – Sabi Sand Reserve Private airport transfer for commercial flight to KMI Airport (Nelspruit), connecting to light-aircraft flight to Sabi Sand Reserve airstrip. Transfer to luxury safari lodge for 3 nights Day 6 Sabi Sand Reserve Morning and afternoon wildlife safaris Day 7 Sabi Sand Reserve Morning and afternoon wildlife safaris Day 8 Sabi Sand Reserve – Johannesburg – Windhoek, Namibia Morning transfer to airstrip for light-aircraft flight to Johannesburg to connect with commercial flight to Windhoek. Airport assistance through immigration and private arrival transfer to hotel for 1 night Day 9 Windhoek – Sossusvlei Private transfer to airport for scheduled light aircraft flight to Soussusvlei. Arrival transfer to lodge for 3 nights. Afternoon lodge-based activity Day 10 Sossusvlei Morning and afternoon lodge activities and excursions Day 11 Sossusvlei Morning and afternoon lodge activities and excursions Day 12 Sossusvlei – Skeleton Coast Transfer to airstrip for scheduled light aircraft flight to Skeleton Coast. Arrival transfer to lodge for 2 nights Day 13 Skeleton Coast Morning and afternoon lodge activities and excursions Day 14 Skeleton Coast – Windhoek – Johannesburg, South Africa Transfer to airstrip for scheduled light aircraft flight to Windhoek to connect with flight to Johannesburg. Private arrival transfer to hotel for 1 night. Private city touring as time permits Day 15 Johannesburg – Maun, Botswana – Okavango Delta Connection assistance to scheduled light-aircraft flight to local airstrip. Arrival transfer to luxury safari lodge or camp for 3 nights. Afternoon game-viewing activity Day 16 Okavango Delta Morning and afternoon land- and water-based safaris Day 17 Okavango Delta Continue twice-daily game-viewing activities, with option for walking safari, mokoro ride or night safari Day 18 Okavango Delta – Chief’s Island (Moremi Game Reserve) Morning lodge-based activities. Transfer to airstrip for scheduled light-aircraft flight to Moremi Game Reserve. Arrival transfer to luxury safari camp for 3 nights. Afternoon game-viewing activity Day 19 Chief’s Island Morning and afternoon wildlife safaris Day 20 Chief’s Island Continue twice-daily game-viewing activities Day 21 Chief’s Island – Maun – Depart Johannesburg or Cape Town, South Africa Transfer to airstrip for scheduled light aircraft flight to Maun. Connection assistance to flight to Johannesburg or Cape Town. VIP connection assistance to onward flight

Hotels

Cape Town: One&Only Cape Town, The Silo or Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel Sabi Sand Reserve : Singita Boulders or Singita Ebony Windhoek : Omaanda Sossusvlei: &Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge or Little Kulala Lodge Skeleton Coast: Shipwreck Lodge Johannesburg : Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa Okavango Delta : Vumbura Plains North or Duba Plains Chief’s Island (Moremi Game Reserve) : Mombo Camp

Cost

Upon request