Cape, Rails & Kruger Quest
From Cape Town to Johannesburg
Tour Operator: G Adventures
Physical rating: 2 - Light
Special diets catered: Vegetarians, Vegans
Group size: 1 - 16
Age range: You must be 18 to travel unaccompanied on a G Adventures tour. For minors travelling with a guardian over 21 years old, the minimum age is 12.
Tour operated in: English
Prices From:
Tour Overview
Stretched across nearly 2.5 million hectares of wild South African frontier and home to over 600 species of mammals and birds, Kruger National Park is massive by any measure. Designed for travellers who don’t have a ton of time, this 7-day trip devotes the, ahem, lion’s share of its length to exploring South Africa’s most treasured wildlife reserve with a few bonus experiences mixed in along the way. Get treated to a traditional family meal in Cape Town, take the train to Johannesburg with the locals, track the Big Five on a wildlife safari drive in Kruger, and visit Soweto and a G Adventures-supported project, too. One week now, memories forever.
Highlights
Manyeleti
Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group. Cape Town orientation walk. Shosholoza Meyl train experience. Traditional meal in a local home. Panorama Route drive. Kruger National Park wildlife safari drive (full-day). Traditional dance experience. G Adventures-supported G Hope Africa preschool visit. All transport between destinations and to/from included activities.
- search for the Big Five in Kruger National Park
- Take the train across the country like a local
- explore coastal Cape Town
- visit the kids at the G Adventures-supported G Hope Africa preschool
- savour a local meal with a family
- Take the train across the country like a local, explore coastal Cape Town, walk around Soweto township, search for the Big Five in Kruger National Park, savour a local meal with a family, visit the kids at the G Adventures-supported G Hope Africa preschool
- walk around Soweto township
Itinerary
Day 1: Cape Town
Location: Cape Town
Arrive at any time.
There are no planned activities until an evening welcome meeting.
ACTIVITY: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Day 2: Cape Town
Location: Cape Town
Meals: BREAKFAST, DINNER
Enjoy a full day in Cape Town with options to visit Robben Island or Table Mountain. Choose to explore Cape Point or embark on a wine tour around Stellenbosch. In the evening, experience an authentic meal in a local home in a nearby township.
FREE TIME: FULL DAY There's so much to see and do in cosmopolitan Cape Town; don't waste a minute.
Day 3: Cape Town/Johannesburg
Location: Cape Town
Meals: BREAKFAST
Board the Shosholoza Meyl train at Cape Town station. Enjoy the day with your travel companions playing cards, meeting the locals, and checking out the dining car. Drift to sleep to the rhythm of the train. Wake up and opt for a tasty breakfast on board.
Additional Information: Please note that bedding can be rented for a small fee (ZAR60 per person, approximately USD5) in the 4-bed sleeper compartments and may be mixed gender.
TRANSPORT: This train is often delayed arriving to Johannesburg.
Day 4: Johannesburg
Location: Johannesburg
Meals: LUNCH
Scheduled arrival into Johannesburg is noon (this train is often late however). Enjoy a tour of the surrounding area.
TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Day 5: Johannesburg/Manyeleti
Location: Johannesburg
Meals: BREAKFAST, DINNER
Take the Panorama Route into the Kruger National Park area. In the evening, enjoy a traditional dance experience in Shalati.
Take the scenic route between Johannesburg and Shalati, in the Greater Kruger Area. Later, enjoy a traditional dance on the lodge grounds, learning more about the local culture. Opt to go for a swim or sit by a fire in the evening.
TRANSPORT: FULL DAY Enjoy sights along the Panorama Route en route to the Greater Kruger Area.
ACTIVITY: Enjoy a performance by the locals in the Shalati area and learn more about their traditional dance and culture.
Day 6: Manyeleti
Location: Manyeleti
Meals: BREAKFAST, DINNER
Visit the G Adventures-supported G Hope Africa preschool before an afternoon wildlife safari drive in Kruger NP (own vehicle). Keep an eye out for elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards, and buffalo—Africa's famed Big Five.
Enjoy visiting the G Adventures-supported preschool in Shalati. Meet the kids and learn more about how the project is contributing positively to this small community. With free time, opt for a wildlife safari drive in Manyeleti Reserve in an open safari vehicle. In the afternoon, head out in our touring vehicle to Kruger NP to try to spot Africa's famous animals in the wild.
ACTIVITY: Learn how G Adventures supports accessible early childhood education in South Africa through the Hope Africa Children’s Day School. This school provides education for over 80 children under the age of five. The parents of the children are mostly rangers and lodge staff in the Kruger area. This school provides families with access to safe childcare during the day, so they can rest assured while being employed in the tourism industry. The preschool also provides two meals a day for each student. A past G Adventures’ traveller who visited the school helped raise much needed funds to have a water line, borehole, and tank installed. Thanks to her efforts, the school and community have access to water.
FREE TIME: MORNING Don't waste a minute— get exploring.
ACTIVITY: Jump into our touring vehicle and get ready to spot elephants, hippos, giraffes, zebras, lions, and many other species in one of Africa's greatest wildlife areas.
Day 7: Manyeleti/Johannesburg
Location: Manyeleti
Meals: BREAKFAST
Drive back to Johannesburg. Tour ends on arrival at the airport.
Travel to Johannesburg where the tour ends on arrival at the airport. All onward travel can be booked after 5pm.
TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Hotels (2 nts), Guest House (1 nt) sleeper train (1 nt, multi-share mixed gender), lodges (2 nts).
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Meals
5 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners
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All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
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Traditional dance experience
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Panorama Route drive
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Your G for Good Moment: Hope Africa Children's Day School, Manyeleti Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group
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Kruger National Park wildlife safari drive (full-day)
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Shosholoza Meyl train experience
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Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group. Cape Town orientation walk. Shosholoza Meyl train experience. Traditional meal in a local home. Panorama Route drive. Kruger National Park wildlife safari drive (full-day). Traditional dance experience. G Adventures-supported G Hope Africa preschool visit. All transport between destinations and to/from included activities.
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G Adventures-supported G Hope Africa preschool visit
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Cape Town orientation walk
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Traditional meal in a local home
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Your G for Good Moment: Hope Africa Children's Day School, Manyeleti
