ADVENTURE-TOURS · SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa Safari Tour — 19 Days
South Africa safari tour over 19 days connects Johannesburg to Cape Town through some of southern Africa's most rewarding terrain. The route opens with a full kruger national park safari — two days of game drives in open 4x4 vehicles among the Big Five.
The Journey
Kruger to Cape Town over 19 Days
Key Highlights of the Trip
Key Highlights of the Trip
South Africa
This south africa safari tour begins in the northeast and builds a wide arc across the country, covering national parks, coastlines, mountain ranges, and the Karoo before reaching the Cape.
Johannesburg – Kruger National Park
The south africa safari tour departs Johannesburg eastward through Mpumalanga into the Lowveld. The group reaches Kruger National Park in the afternoon, settling in before a first game drive at sunset across open savanna. Kruger covers nearly 20,000 sq km and is home to some of Africa's highest wildlife densities. Meals: Dinner.
Kruger National Park Safari
A full day on open 4x4 vehicles for this kruger national park safari — the park holds 147 mammal species, 507 bird species, and all five of the Big Five. Morning drives target lion and leopard activity; afternoon drives follow elephant herds to water sources. Two dedicated game drives give the best odds for sightings. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Kruger – Panorama Route South Africa
An optional early bush walk precedes the drive to the panorama route south africa section above the Blyde River Canyon. The group visits Bourke’s Luck Potholes, the Three Rondavels and God’s Window before returning to the Kruger camp for the evening. This leg covers some of the finest canyon viewpoints in the country. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Eswatini
The route crosses into the landlocked Kingdom of Eswatini, a compact country of mountain ranges, forests, and wildlife sanctuaries set apart from the main south africa safari package circuits.
Kruger to Eswatini Kingdom
The group leaves Kruger early with coffee and traditional rusks, driving south through the park’s wildlife corridors before crossing into Eswatini. The road winds through mountains and forests to the Ezulwini Valley south of the capital Mbabane. This lesotho eswatini tour section begins here, giving a first introduction to one of Africa’s two remaining monarchies. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary Walk
Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary covers 4,560 hectares of savanna, rivers, forests and rock formations. Because few dangerous animals are present, the area suits self-guided walking. The morning nature trail covers historical and ecological context about the Swazi landscape, making this one of the calmer stops on the africa overland tours itinerary. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
South Africa
Returning to South Africa, the route enters Zululand, the Drakensberg, and the Eastern Cape — a sequence of game reserves, mountain parks and coastal estuaries covering a vast stretch of the south africa wildlife tour circuit.
Eswatini to St Lucia Coast
The group crosses back into South Africa and enters the Zululand region, once the domain of King Shaka. The coastal town of St Lucia sits beside the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This section of the south africa overland tour connects a landlocked kingdom to a tropical estuary in a single day’s drive. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Hluhluwe Reserve & St Lucia Cruise
An early kruger park safari tour-style game drive through Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, established in 1895 and covering 960 sq km. The reserve holds the highest concentration of endangered white rhino in South Africa. In the afternoon a boat cruise on the St Lucia Estuary passes hippos and crocodiles along the banks. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Wild Coast – Drakensberg Mountains
The route moves inland along the KwaZulu-Natal coast past Durban toward the Drakensberg, a UNESCO World Heritage mountain range rising over 3,000 metres. The group stops at Howick Falls and the Mandela Capture Site, two significant stops on the johannesburg to cape town tour arc. Two nights in the Drakensberg follow. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Drakensberg Hiking Day
A full day on the Drakensberg plateau with graded trails available at all levels. The drakensberg hiking tour section crosses green valleys and rocky ridges with wide views across the Dragon Mountains. Trails range from flat river walks to full-day ridge routes, giving every traveler a route that fits their pace. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Lesotho
The lesotho tours section spends two nights at altitude inside the Kingdom of the Sky, where mountain passes, ancient rock art, and Basotho villages sit beyond reach of the main safari circuits.
Into the Kingdom of Lesotho
The route climbs through the cliffs of Golden Gate National Park before crossing into Lesotho, passing the capital Maseru and continuing to a base camp set high among mountain peaks. This lesotho tours section delivers clean mountain air and a landscape that contrasts sharply with the savanna and coast of the preceding days. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Questions about the tour itinerary?
Our tour guide is happy to answer any questions about the day-by-day route, stops, and details.
Lesotho Mountain Exploration
A morning walk through the Lesotho highlands explores surrounding peaks and valleys on foot. The route passes ancient San rock paintings and open viewpoints over deep gorges. Optional pony trekking is available for those seeking the traditional way of moving through this lesotho eswatini tour landscape. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
South Africa
The final leg of this johannesburg to cape town tour descends through the Karoo to the Eastern Cape and Garden Route, connecting Addo Elephant Park, Tsitsikamma, Oudtshoorn and the Cape Whale Coast before ending in Cape Town.
Lesotho – Graaff-Reinet Karoo
Descending from Lesotho, the group crosses the Orange River and enters the Great Karoo, the vast semi-arid heartland of South Africa. The day ends in Graaff-Reinet, the country’s fourth-oldest town. An optional evening excursion into the Valley of Desolation closes the day on the south africa garden route tour approach through the interior. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Addo Elephant National Park
The route descends to the Eastern Cape and reaches Addo Elephant National Park, covering 1,640 sq km of acacia terrain. An afternoon game drive in this addo elephant park tour targets the park’s elephant herds alongside lion, Cape buffalo and black rhino. Addo holds one of South Africa’s highest wildlife concentrations in a compact, accessible setting. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Second Addo Game Drive
A second morning inside Addo Elephant National Park gives more time with the wildlife and the park’s unusual vegetation. The addo elephant park tour continues with a morning game drive before the group heads west toward the coast. Addo is also the only park in the world protecting the Big Seven — adding great white shark and southern right whale to the Big Five. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Jeffreys Bay – Tsitsikamma Park
A brief stop in Jeffreys Bay, known for its consistent surf breaks, precedes the drive into Tsitsikamma National Park. The park sits along the Garden Route, covering steep coastal ridges, dense yellowwood forest and rocky shore platforms. This is where the south africa garden route tour section of the trip begins in earnest. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Tsitsikamma Otter Trail Hike
The group hikes the Tsitsikamma coast along the opening section of the Otter Trail, crossing river mouths above the Indian Ocean through indigenous forest. Those who prefer easier terrain can use the Storms River Mouth boardwalk. An optional Woodcutters Journey explores local flora and history on this family safari south africa coastal day. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Knysna – Oudtshoorn Cango Caves
After a stop in the coastal town of Knysna, the route crosses the Outeniqua Mountains to Oudtshoorn for a guided tour of the Cango Caves. The limestone passages hold some of the largest cave formations in the southern hemisphere. This inland detour on the south africa safari package route gives a contrasting perspective on the country’s geology. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Route 62 – Cape Agulhas
The group drives through the Little Karoo along Route 62, passing farm stalls and a memorable roadside inn, before reaching Cape Agulhas — the southernmost point of the African continent where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans converge. The route then follows the Cape Whale Coast to Hermanus, where southern right whales are frequently sighted from shore between July and November. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Stony Point – Cape Town Arrival
The final morning visits Stony Point Nature Reserve, home to one of the largest African penguin breeding colonies on the Cape. After the penguin colony the group drives into Cape Town, completing this 19-day south africa safari tour from Johannesburg to the Mother City. Meals: Breakfast.
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Trip includes
- Overnight stays according to the itinerary – 18 breakfasts, 0 lunches, 14 dinners – accommodation
- Provided vehicles: 12-seater minibus 4×4 safari vehicle
- Qualified staff
- Transport in a 12-seater minibus or bus
- Including highlights according to the itinerary
- Entrance fees for national parks.
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The meals are prepared and served by experienced cooks at the Overland Truck.
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