Three-City Tour of South Africa with Cable-Car Ride, Wine Country Visit, and Game-Park Safaris

Big Five refers to the lion, the African elephant, the cape buffalo, the leopard, and the rhinoceros. Today, all members of the Big Five save the buffalo are classified as endangered, vulnerable, or near threatened. But it’s still possible to observe these majestic creatures up-close in a protected, natural environment at Pilanesburg National Park in South Africa’s Bojanala Region, where the animals roam more than 212 square miles (550 sq. km) of volcanic grasslands. Guests go on safari, visit a winemaking region, and scope out metropolitan Cape Town with this 11-day tour of South Africa from Africa Answers.

The tour includes round-trip airfare from New York (JFK) or Washington, DC (IAD), luxury hotel accommodations, some meals, and four excursions into Pilanesburg National Park. Click here for a complete itinerary.

Days 1–2: An overnight flight from New York or Washington, DC touches down in Johannesburg before continuing on to Cape Town. Once you arrive at the Cape Town airport, you’ll transfer to the Pepper Club Hotel & Spa, right in the heart of Cape Town.

Days 3–4: The morning of day 3, you’ll embark on a half-day tour of Cape Town. Weather permitting, the tour will begin with a cable-car ride to the summit of Table Mountain, a flat-topped mountain from which you can get gorgeous views of the city and South African coastline.

From here, the tour rumbles back into Cape Town, where you’ll visit the cobblestone streets of the Malay Quarter, the gumdrop sidewalks of City Hall, and the Castle of Good Hope, South Africa’s oldest surviving colonial building. The next day, you’re free to explore Cape Town on your own; Africa Answers offers discounted rates on sightseeing tours to Groupon customers.

Days 5–6: On day 5, the group will travel about an hour east to the Franschhoek Country House & Villas, a restored 19th-century manor in the Franschhoek valley. You can spend the rest of this day and the next day exploring the winemaking region at your leisure; make sure to visit some of the many award-winning restaurants and wineries.

Day 7: You’ll return to the Cape Town airport in the morning to catch a flight to Johannesburg. From here, you’ll transfer to the Ivory Tree Game Lodge. The hotel is situated inside the Pilanesburg National Park, a big-game reserve in northwestern South Africa.

Days 8–9: On both of these days, you'll take morning and afternoon safaris into Pilanesburg National Park, which is home to more than 50 species of large mammals including cheetahs, spotted hyenas, and retired parade floats. All meals are included during your stay at the lodge.

Days 10–11: Wave goodbye to the African plains as you drive to Johannesburg for your flight home.