South Africa's
History & Heritage
Follow historical and cultural attractions along Mandela's journey and discover Cape Town's beautiful scenery.
Trip Details
Cape Town | Johannesburg


- Summary
- Itinerary
- Pricing
- Options & Add-ons
Explore
- Areas of historical relevance to Mandela's struggle
- Cape Town's bustling Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
Learn
- About the struggle to end Apartheid
- About South Africa's turbulent socio-political history
Taste
- Flavoursome Cape Malay cuisine
Experience
- The energy of the "Rainbow Nation" with a full day Philanthropic Cultural Tour (including a visit to Robben Island) in Cape Town
- A full day Journey to Freedom Tour in Johannesburg including visits to the Hector Pieterson Museum, Regina Mundi Church, Apartheid Museum and the option to visit Mandela House
Choice
Additional cost:
- No trip to South Africa is complete without a safari
- Breathtaking scenery and lovable penguins on a Cape Peninsula Tour
- World-class wines and picturesque towns on a Winelands tour
Day 1 - Cape Town
On arrival in Cape Town, you will be met by a Lion World Travel Representative at the Cape Town Airport and transferred to the 4 star Commodore Hotel just a short walk from the vibrant Waterfront.
Accommodation: Commodore Hotel - Standard Room
Day 2 - Cape Town
After breakfast, you will depart on your Philanthropic Cultural Tour Operated by Uthando Tours.
The Philanthropic Educational Excursions take place in the expansive townships or informal settlements like the Cape Flats in the eastern part of the city. Expert guides provide an in-depth overview of the history of South Africa and particularly the role that apartheid played in creating these communities. The guide will discuss the challenges confronting the local’s concerning healthcare, education, social, political, and economic challenges.
Later you will board the ferry to Robben Island, home to Nelson Mandela for so many years, it is a highly charged and emotional moment when you visit the site and realize how far South Africa has come from those days.
Accommodation: Commodore Hotel - Standard Room (B)
Day 3 - Cape Town
Today is at leisure for independent exploration or our Africa Specialists will assist in planning and arranging sightseeing tours to suit your interests.
Accommodation: Commodore Hotel - Standard Room (B)
Day 4 - Cape Town
Your final day in Cape Town to explore historic and cultural sites, world-class museums and bustling markets, inviting beaches and lush gardens.
Accommodation: Commodore Hotel - Standard Room (B)
Day 5 - Cape Town/Johannesburg
Transfer to Cape Town Airport for your flight to Johannesburg. You will be met and transferred to the 4 star Da Vinci Hotel and Suites on Nelson Mandela Square.
The Da Vinci Hotel & Suites on Nelson Mandela Square is centrally located. The convenience of luxurious shopping at the Legacy Corner Mall and Sandton City is just an elevator trip away.
Accommodation: DaVinci on Nelson Mandela Square - Standard Room (B)
Day 6 - Johannesburg
Today is a day of leisure to do some shopping or visit a few places of interest.
Accommodation: DaVinci on Nelson Mandela Square - Standard Room (B)
Day 7 - Johannesburg
Depart on a full day Journey to Freedom Tour which shares some of the journey, pain and stuggle of those heroes; witness the places, experience the diverse museums where these momentous, tumultuous years have been so well documented.
Visit the Hector Pieterson Museum, before travelling past Mandela House, where you have the option of visiting this small museum (own account). The next stop is Regina Mundi Church, site of so many underground meetings of the then banned political parties.
Have lunch in Soweto at a local restaurant (own account), before visiting the Apartheid Museum for a multimedia experience, with documentary film snippets, texts and sound clips of life in the darks days of apartheid.
Accommodation: DaVinci on Nelson Mandela Square - Standard Room (B)
Day 8 - Depart Johannesburg
Transfer to Johannesburg Airport to connect with your departure flight. (B)
Return home with a lifetime of memories to share with your family and friends!
Add-Ons
Safari Extension at Pilanesberg National Park - From USD $895
Day 8 - Johannesburg / Pilanesberg
Transfer by road from your hotel to Bakubung Bush Lodge in the malaria-free Pilanesberg National Park. This region is home to a diversity of wildlife.
Nestled in the Pilanesberg National Park, Bakubung Bush Lodge offers a peaceful retreat. On-site features include a swimming pool, tennis courts, and easy access to game drives into the reserve. Dine in style at the on-site restaurant, enjoy the bush barbecues offered at the outdoor boma and relax at the bar.
ACCOMMODATION: BAKUBUNG BUSH LODGE - STANDARD ROOM (B, D)
Day 9 - Pilanesberg National Park
Depart on exciting game drives in an open safari vehicle with your experienced rangers who will share their extensive knowledge of the bush with you.
The remainder of your afternoon is at leisure until the afternoon game drive departs. In between game drives you could relax, relishing the tranquility of the bush before or take the shuttle over to Sun City.
ACCOMMODATION: BAKUBUNG BUSH LODGE - STANDARD ROOM (B, D)
Day 10 - Pilanesberg National Park
Make the most of your last day game viewing. The Pilanesberg National Park is the fourth largest national park in the country and home to a large selection of animal and bird life including Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo and Leopard.
ACCOMMODATION: BAKUBUNG BUSH LODGE - STANDARD ROOM (B, D)
Day 11 - Pilanesberg National Park / Depart
After breakfast, transfer by road to Johannesburg’s O R Tambo International Airport for your departure flight. (B)
Victoria Falls in Style - From USD $1,999
Experience a fabulous blend of luxury tented accommodations, game drives, river cruises and the impressive Victoria Falls for an exciting add-on! Victoria Falls in Style is a 3-night package. Spend one night in Johannesburg and enjoy two nights in Victoria Falls staying in a stunning tented lodge on the Zambezi River.
Cape Town Tours
Pricing Valid until October 31, 2022
Cape Town, the Mother City, is a historically, culturally and breathtakingly vibrant city that has been named the best city in Africa and the second best city in the world by Condé Nast Traveller.
Please note the scheduled tours below have additional drop off and pick up points and will have other guests on board. If available, private tour pricing is listed below and offers a vehicle and driver just for your use and allows more flexibility (please note that the venues visited will have other guests).
Cape Town City Tour - Half Day
Departs: Daily between 7:35am and 8:30am. Returns: Approximately 12:30pm.
Pricing: Scheduled Tour US$45 | Private Tour US$130 (both tours based on a minimum of two people, prices are per person.)
This tour is designed to orientate and give you a full-color insight into the extraordinary magic of Cape Town. Enjoy a cable car ride to the summit of the legendary Table Mountain (weather permitting) for panoramic views, including the city and surrounding layout of this southernmost tip of Africa (tickets are for your own account). Next up is a visit to The Cape Castle and the Company Gardens, then you’ll be driven past Parliament Buildings, City Hall which is where Nelson Mandela made his first public speech after his release from prison and the Slave Lodge. Next, it’s up the cobblestoned hills to the beautifully colorful homes of the Bo-Kaap in the Malay Quarter. The tour ends with a visit to a diamond works.
Cape Point Tour - Half Day
Departs: Daily between 7:40am and 8:45am. Returns: Approximately 12:30pm.
Pricing: Scheduled Tour US$80 | Private Tour US$205 (both tours based on a minimum of two people, prices are per person.)
The Cape Peninsula and Cape Point provide wild and breathtaking views. Drive along Millionaires Paradise, eyeing the glamorous homes of Clifton Beach and Camps Bay, then on towards the charming coastal town and working harbor of Hout Bay. Next, driving over the legendary Chapman’s Peak Drive you’ll arrive at the Cape of Good Hope Section of the Table Mountain National Park. Continue on with a visit to the African penguin colony at Boulders beach (on your own account, approximately USD $5 per person), before moving on to Simon’s Town.
Stellenbosch Winelands Tour - Half Day
Departs: Mon-Sat between 12:45pm and 1:45pm. Returns: Approximately 5:30pm.
Pricing: Scheduled Tour US$65 (based on a minimum of two people, price is per person.)
Stellenbosch, with its Cape Dutch architecture, is the warm and wonderful heart of the Cape Winelands and is surrounded by stunning wine estates. You’ll love exploring the fine art galleries, the history, and the curious and quaint shops here. You’ll be taken on a leisurely drive to become acquainted with the area, before being introduced to the wine-making process in a fascinating cellar tour. Of course, you‘ll have a chance to taste the wine for which this area is renowned.
Robben Island Tour - Half Day
Departs: Daily, weather permitting. Ferries depart at 9:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm and 3:00pm. Tour lasts approximately 3½ hours.
Pricing: Scheduled Tour US$65 | Private Tour - Rates Available On Request (based on a minimum of two people, price is per person.)
Board the Robben Island Ferry at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and take part in a half day Robben Island tour.
For nearly 400 years, Robben Island was a place of banishment, exile, isolation and imprisonment for political prisoners and social outcasts. During the apartheid years Robben Island became internationally known for its institutional brutality. Some freedom fighters spent more than a quarter of a century in prison for their beliefs. Nelson Mandela was one of them. You will be escorted around the island by an ex-political prisoner, and given insight into the past and how the human spirit triumphs.
Cape Malay Cooking Experience with Fayruza Abrahams - Half Day
Departs: Timing may vary. Departs around 10:30am, lasting approximately 3 hours. (Subject to chef's availability).
Pricing: Private Tour US$100 (based on a minimum of two people, price is per person.)
“Food is not a thing. It’s a feeling,” – says the poised and refined Fayruza Abrahams.
Fayruza was born in the Bo-Kaap and still lives in the same house you will visit to cook with her. For many years Abrahams has been introducing visitors to her kitchen, to the delicious world of Cape Malay cooking. She grew up eating meals prepared from extremely humble ingredients. It was her grandmother who taught her to prepare simple delicious food, and this is when she discovered she was a “foodie”.
The whole experience is colorful, fun and delicious. Choose between a hands-on Samosa Folding Class where you will have a tutorial and learn how to mix spices, and fold and fill samosas, or a Cape Malay Dessert Cooking Experience.
Sea Kayaking - Half Day
Departs: Daily, subject to weather.
Pricing: Scheduled Tour US$185 (based on a minimum of two people, price is per person. Please note the tour excludes transport to and from Simon's Town — transport prices available upon request.)
Visit one of the most unique places in the world — a penguin colony in suburban Cape Town. And the best way to see it is from the water. Leave from Simon's Town Waterfront and paddle past the civilian and Naval Harbor and out to Boulders Beach. After visiting the penguins, stop on a lovely semi-private beach for refreshments, swimming and snorkeling (snorkels and bottled drinking water are provided). Your double kayak is very stable and perfect even if you have no paddling experience.
Cape Town Tours - Full Day
Cape Winelands Tour
Departs: Mon-Sat between 8:00am and 9:00am. Returns: Approximately 5:30pm.
Pricing: Scheduled Tour US$85 | Private Tour US$240 (both tours based on a minimum of two people, prices are per person.)
This is a superb day exploring the exceptional Winelands region with its heavenly scenery. The area is rich with history, and you can’t help but feel it as you visit this region. Experience a wine cellar tour, where you’ll learn all about the process of winemaking, and have the chance to savor the wines. Visit the charming little town of Franschhoek, pass by the impressive Huguenot Monument, and enjoy lunch (your own account) – the town is known as the gourmet capital of South Africa. After lunch, the tour takes you over the Helshoogte Mountain Pass to the pretty university town of Stellenbosch. You will have time to stroll through this little town, absorbing the quaintness, and enjoying the shops!
Cape Peninsula Tour
Departs: Daily between 7:45am and 8:45am. Returns: Approximately 6:00pm.
Pricing: Scheduled Tour US$105 | Private Tour US$265 (both tours based on a minimum of two people, prices are per person.)
On this tour you will see why the area earned the name of The Fairest Cape. Sit back and relax, as you’re driven along the exquisite stretch of coastline known as Millionaire’s Paradise – from Clifton to Camps Bay, to the exclusive beach hamlet of Llandudno – towards the charming working harbor of Hout Bay. You then wind your way along the legendary Chapman’s Peak Drive, hugging the cliffs and relishing the breathtaking ocean views. After a stop for lunch (your own account), visit the wild and beautiful Cape of Good Hope section of the Table Mountain National Park, an integral part of the world-renowned Cape Floral Kingdom.
After, you'll head back along the coast towards the City, visiting the historic naval port of Simon’s Town and the endearing African penguin colony at Boulders Beach (own account – approximately USD $5 per person). Next, you’ll head inland to the last stop of the day. In the summer months this will be at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. With the sun setting over the tall peaks of Table Mountain, the last rays sparkle on the trees and flowers. In the winter months (May 1st to Aug 31st), the last stop is at Groot Constantia where you’ll stop for a wine tasting and cellar tour of South Africa’s oldest wine estate.
Cape Town Tours - Evening Options
Sunset and Beach Dinner
Departs: Tuesdays and Thursdays, September - May only. Between 5:30pm and 6:00pm. Returns: Approximately 10:00pm.
Pricing: Scheduled Tour US$100 | Private Tour US$210 (both tours based on a minimum of two people, prices are per person.)
Join your host and head out of the city before sunset. Savor a chilled glass of sparkling wine while overlooking one of Cape Town’s most beautiful beaches and taking in the sunset. You’ll be shown how to find the Southern Cross in the night sky (if the moon isn’t too bright!), before enjoying dinner at a sensational restaurant offering seafood and South African specialties.
Custom Cape Town Day Tours
We can tailor make tours to match your interests or simply arrange for you to have a vehicle and driver available with no plan in mind to take you wherever you feel like going. In addition to the beautiful Winelands, Cape Point and City tours, consider a family day out, to see seals, penguins, monkeys and butterflies; plan a big shopping extravaganza; or indulge in a grand gourmet food and wine tour.
Half Day Private Tours
Departs: Daily, on request. Trip can run from either 8:30am to 12:30pm or 1:30pm to 5:30pm and covers up to 150km (93 miles) of driving.
Pricing: Private Tour US$240 (based on a minimum of two people, prices are per person.)
Half day custom trip with private vehicle and driver.
Full Day Private Tours
Departs: Daily, on request. pickup time of 9:00am, drop-off time of 5:30pm and covers up to 250km (150 miles) of driving.
Pricing: Private Tour US$425 (based on a minimum of two people, prices are per person.)
Full day custom trip with private vehicle and driver.
Both half and full day options exclude all entrances, parking fees, toll fees and any other costs which you would need to settle directly at the venues visited and in the case of parking, with the driver. Touring is done in an air-conditioned 7-seater vehicle with a tour guide.
Prices are per person in US Dollars, for land arrangements only, based on double occupancy accommodations. Based on a minimum of 2 passengers to operate. Single supplement available on request.
Interested in group travel in 2023 for this itinerary? Travel with a group of 10 or more and two people will travel free - total group size must be at least 12 passengers. For more info, click here.
Contact us for 2023 rates.
Inclusions:
- All services as specified
- Meals as specified
- Accommodation in standard rooms
- Transportation in luxury air-conditioned vehicles
- Sight-seeing as per itinerary led by qualified English speaking guide
- Entrance fees for sight-seeing as indicated
- Lion World Travel Representative meet and greet upon arrival
Exclusions:
- International and regional flights
- Airport taxes
- Items of a personal nature such as laundry, telephone calls, drinks etc.
- All other services not mentioned above
- Gratuities/tips for game rangers, tour guides, and drivers
- Costs of obtaining passports and/or visas
- Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption and Medical Insurance are required for the duration of your travels – please note that insurance for this trip is a mandatory requirement from suppliers in Africa – proof of insurance must be provided before bookings are confirmed. It is your personal responsibility to ensure you have enough travel insurance coverage from the provider of your choice. Please let your Africa Specialist know if you would like information on this.
Baggage
Staff Favorite
"This trip is so moving and will give traveler's an understanding of South Africa’s struggle for freedom under the oppressive apartheid rule and the legacy of Tata Madiba."
- Laurandie Du Preez, Africa Specialist
Safaris & Experiences
To excite the senses
