South Africa Wine Adventure Itinerary

Day 1: Flights to Cape Town airport arrive at all times of the day. You can fly in at any time and will be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel. If you arrive early enough, spend some time walking around Cape Town or schedule a tour to visit a nearby "shanty town" township. We will meet as a group in the evening for dinner and introductions.

Day 2: Today is our first hike, designed to get the kinks out of your travel-weary legs. We will hike up impressive Table Mountain, the looming hill above the city, and spend some time on top with the amazing views of the area. We'll take the cable car down (you can also choose to take it up if you wish) and then have dinner in the new Waterfront area of the city.

Day 3: Today we visit the Cape Peninsula. We'll take a hike on the peninsula and visit the lighthouse on the point, possibly seeing baboons on the trail. On the way back, we'll visit a penguin colony and stop at a winery in the Constantia area to get a taste of this wine area's flavors. We shuttle directly to our hotel in Stellenbosch, a university town and the center of South Africa's wine region, where we enjoy a dinner in the town center this evening, only steps from our hotel.

Day 4: Our first stop today is the Vineyard Hiking Trail, a very cool signposted route on private vineyards near Stellenbosch. We'll have two route options from which you can choose, both of which offer stunning views of the wine lands. After hiking, lunch, and two winery visits we head back to town for a shower and dinner.

Day 5: Today we select another local hiking route that runs on and near vineyards. These hikes are practically unknown, even among the locals, and so we have the area to ourselves. We will have tours, tastings, and intimate conversations with winemakers at two local wineries. That evening, we enjoy a South Africa cultural show and ethnic foods buffet dinner - a little touristy but a fun time.

Day 6: We return to the airport for our morning flight to Huidspruit airport near Kruger National Park and a transfer to the Chapungu Bush Lodge. This afternoon we'll experience our first bush walk under the care of our professional (and armed) ranger. You'll be thrilled by the experience. (Note everything is optional and you can relax in the lodge if you wish to skip the bush walk.) Later in the afternoon, we'll take our first driving safari with a stop for "sundowners" (cocktails) as the sun sets over the bush. For dinner we have the first of the delicious meals cooked by the lodge's staff.

Day 7: In the morning we again do a safari drive, which is scheduled at first light for maximum animal activity. The drives are absolutely phenomenol and we see an incredible array of animals at what seems an amazingly close distance. After lunch and a rest, we repeat thecycle with an optional bush walk, late afternoon safari drive, and dinner.

Day 8: We have our final attempt to see all of the Big Five animals (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and Cape buffalo) before transferring back to the airport for our flight to Johannesburg. Our tour ends at the airport in Johannesburg and you can choose to either fly home or spend time in this city.  (We'll give you hotel and event information if you do.)