Southern Africa Signature: Cape Town to Chobe

Highlights

• Discover Cape Town with a National Geographic Expedition Leader, from Table Mountain and Bo-Kaap to the Cape Peninsula and Boulders Beach.

• Taste wines privately at Groote Post Wine Estate and join an interactive Cape Malay cooking experience.

• Spend four days exploring Greater Kruger, with morning and afternoon safari drives through private reserves and Kruger National Park.

• Stay aboard Kruger Shalati, The Train on the Bridge, suspended above the Sabie River inside Kruger National Park.

• Feel the spray of Victoria Falls on a private guided visit before dinner on the Zambezi River.

• Cross into Botswana for Chobe National Park, combining land safaris with wildlife viewing from the river.

• Join expert talks and conservation experiences throughout, including insights from the Endangered Wildlife Trust and Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust.

Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula

The journey begins beneath Table Mountain, with several days to see Cape Town from very different angles. Take the cable car to the summit for views across Table Bay, then head into Bo-Kaap for a hands-on Cape Malay cooking class followed by a walk through its brightly painted streets.

Another day follows the coastline around the Cape Peninsula, stopping at the Cape of Good Hope before taking the Flying Dutchman Funicular above the cliffs at Cape Point. Continue to Boulders Beach, where African penguins nest among the granite coves, before returning to Cape Town for the evening.

There is food and wine woven into these first few days too. Travel north of the city for a private tasting at Groote Post Wine Estate, where the vineyards sit among the rolling Darling Hills, and spend an evening over an African dinner with live music and drumming.

Greater Kruger

From Johannesburg, fly towards the Greater Kruger region and move into the wildlife chapter of the trip. An afternoon drive with an Endangered Wildlife Trust conservationist introduces the reserve and the work being done to protect its animals before the first full safari day begins.

Head out at first light, when lions, elephants and other wildlife are most active, then return to the lodge for breakfast before another drive later in the day. The journey continues into Kruger National Park, where the search widens to leopard, buffalo, rhino, giraffe and the many antelope species that move through the bush.

One of the most memorable nights is spent at Kruger Shalati, The Train on the Bridge, built above the Sabie River on the historic Selati railway line. From here, morning and afternoon drives take you straight back into Kruger, with time between safaris to watch for wildlife moving along the river below.

Victoria Falls and the Zambezi

Fly north to Zimbabwe and the Zambezi River, where Victoria Falls becomes the next focus. Walk beside the falls with a private guide and feel the mist rise from the gorge as millions of litres of water pour over the edge.

Later, meet a member of the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust to hear about conservation and rehabilitation work in the region. The day ends on the Zambezi with a private dinner cruise, watching the river change in the evening light while hearing stories from a guest speaker about explorer David Livingstone.

Chobe National Park

Cross into Botswana for the final safari chapter in Chobe National Park, home to one of Africa’s largest elephant populations. The river gives wildlife viewing here a completely different perspective, with elephants coming down to drink, hippos gathering in the water and giraffe and antelope appearing along the banks.

Spend one morning on safari by road before heading onto the Chobe River with a professional photo host, helping you capture wildlife from the water with specialist camera equipment provided. A final afternoon drive gives you one last chance to look for lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo before the journey back to Johannesburg.

Terms and Conditions

Economy flights from Dublin to Cape Town via Munich, departing 12-03-2027, and return flights from Johannesburg to Dublin via Munich. The 13-night National Geographic Signature journey includes five nights in hotels and eight nights in lodges, 13 breakfasts, nine lunches and 11 dinners, an Expedition Leader, expert talks, private and safari transport and the included internal flights. Experiences include a private Groote Post wine tasting, Table Mountain cable car, Cape Malay cooking class and Bo-Kaap walk, District Six Museum, Cape Peninsula touring, Boulders Beach, private Apartheid Museum and Nelson Mandela Foundation visits, multiple Greater Kruger and Kruger National Park safari drives, a private guided Victoria Falls experience, Zambezi dinner cruise and safari drives and river experiences in Chobe National Park. Tips for included activities, meals and porterage are also included, excluding the Expedition Leader.

13 nights from €16,780 per person