What are the highlights of this 12 day adventure:
- Kirstenbosch guided walk
- Kruger National Park open vehicle wildlife safari drive - full day
- Carnivore conservation experience
- Karongwe private reserve open vehicle wildlife safari drive
- Zimbabwean family dinner
- Victoria Falls guided tour
Itinerary
DAY 1: CAPE TOWN Arrive at any time.
ACCOMMODATION: The Portswood Hotel (or similar) - Hotel
TODAY'S ACTIVITIES:
- Transport: Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport (1h) - You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.
- Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting (1h) - Meet your tour representative at the hotel - please have a look at the information board in the hotel for the meeting time. Your rep will go through your tour details, help you with booking optional activities, and be your contact person for the next few days.
DAY 2: CAPE TOWN
Begin the day with an exploration of vibrant Cape Town, wandering through the multicultural Bo-Kaap neighborhood. Then enjoy an exclusive guided tour of Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, named by National Geographic Travel as one of the world's 10 most magnificent gardens. Later, stop by Boulders Beach to see the resident population of African penguins, and continue to the Cape Point lighthouse and the Cape of Good Hope, the southwesternmost point in Africa.
Meals included: Breakfast
ACCOMMODATION: The Portswood Hotel (or similar) - Hotel
TODAY'S ACTIVITIES:
- Private Vehicle: Cape Town - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
- Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Tour (7h): Stop and smell the flowers on a tour specially designed for National Geographic travellers. Visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, led by an expert who will talk about the history of the gardens, its exhibits and a behind the scenes look at the mother beds. The garden is administered by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) who have received funding from National Geographic and the site has been named one of the Top 10 gardens in the world by National Geographic Traveler.
- Guided Cape Town Orientation Tour and Excursion to Cape Point: Enjoy a guided orientation tour of vibrant Cape Town. Continue on to Cape Point to enjoy a stunning vista and visit the penguins at Boulders Beach.
DAY 3: CAPE TOWN
Enjoy a day of leisure in Cape Town, choosing from a variety of optional activities. Hop on a cable car to the summit, taking in extraordinary views of the city and the Atlantic seaboard. Or explore the Cape Winelands, visiting the historical city of Stellenbosch, touring wine estates with expert guides, and indulging in a variety of tastings and pairings.
There is something for everyone in Cape Town. Visit Table Mountain, walk the V&A Waterfront or embark on a wine tour in and around Stellenbosch. For the adventurous, opt to go abseiling. Wander through the city centre, which has some of the oldest buildings and gardens in South Africa. Check out the Cultural Historical Museum, Planetarium, and many other museums and theatres.
If you are interested in visiting Robben Island - you must book it directly with the museum on their website prior to travel. Due to high demand, it is common that this tour can be sold out over one month in advance.
Meals included: Breakfast
ACCOMMODATION: The Portswood Hotel (or similar) - Hotel
TODAY'S ACTIVITIES:
- Free Time: Enjoy a day of your leisure in this cosmopolitan and charming city.
Optional Activities available to purchase - Day 3:
- Whale and Bird Watching at Dyer Island (Dyer Island)
- Two Oceans Aquarium (Cape Town)
- Table Mountain Cable Car (Table Mountain)
South African Wine Tour and Tasting (Cape Town)
DAY 4: CAPE TOWN / JOHANNESBURG
Fly to Johannesburg, then take a guided tour of Soweto township. Soweto was an important center of South Africa's anti-apartheid movement and home to its leader, Nelson Mandela. Visit the Mandela House Museum and learn about this painful chapter in the country's history.
Meals included: Breakfast | Dinner
ACCOMMODATION: Southern Sun Rosebank (or similar) - Hotel
TODAY'S ACTIVITIES:
- Plane: Cape Town to Johannesburg (2h)
- Soweto Tour (Soweto) (1h-2h): Take a guided tour of bustling Soweto and learn more about its important history. The residential area was created under apartheid and played a significant role in bringing the issues of segregation to the forefront. The anti-apartheid movement was launched here by its most famous resident, Nelson Mandela.
DAY 5: JOHANNESBURG / GREATER KRUGER AREA
Set out towards Kruger National Park via the magnificent Panorama Route, one of the world's most picturesque drives. Make stops at the dramatic Blyde River Canyon and Bourke's Luck Potholes, and take in panoramic views of the forest-covered valley from the God's Window viewpoint. Continue to our lodge near Kruger National park, savour a delicious South African Dinner in this picturesque location.
Today is a very long driving day; however, we will make many stops along the way at sites along the Panorama Route.
Meals included: Breakfast | Dinner
ACCOMMODATION: Umbhaba Eco Lodge (or similar) - Lodge
TODAY'S ACTIVITIES:
- Private Vehicle: Johannesburg to Nelspruit (10h-10h30m, 500km)
- Panorama Route Scenic Drive: Enjoy a scenic drive along the famed Panorama Route. You'll see magnificent mountains, panoramic passes, valleys, and waterfalls. There will also be stops at Blyde River Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes, and God's Window.
DAY 6: KRUGER NATIONAL PARK Rise early and climb aboard an open jeep for a full-day safari in Kruger National Park - home to an extraordinary array of large mammals. Spot elephants, lions, giraffes, and perhaps elusive leopards as we explore this breathtaking wilderness of savanna and scrubland. Return to our lodge in the evening, where you can take some time to relax and enjoy the nocturnal sounds of the bush.
At over 19,000 sq km (7,500 sq mi), South Africa's Kruger National Park is one of the largest and most impressive animal reserves in the world. With 147 species, Kruger has more species of large mammals than any other park on the continent.
Meals included: Breakfast | Dinner
ACCOMMODATION: Umbhaba Eco Lodge (or similar) - Lodge
TODAY'S ACTIVITIES:
- Kruger National Park Open Vehicle Wildlife Safari Drive - Full day (Kruger National Park) (6h-7h): Hop in a 4x4 safari vehicle and get yourself one step closer to the surrounding nature. Be ready to spot elephants, giraffes, hippos, lions, zebras, and many other species in this impressive South African national park.
DAY 7: GREATER KRUGER AREA / KARONGWE PRIVATE GAME RESERVE
Travel to the Karongwe Private Game Reserve, a pristine wildlife sanctuary located in the Greater Kruger area. Meet with a researcher from the Endangered Wildlife Trust's Cheetah Range Expansion Project - a program funded in part by National Geographic's Big Cats Initiative. Sit back for a lecture and learn about efforts to protect the region's cheetahs and other carnivores. After, the researcher then joins us for a wildlife-viewing excursion through the reserve.
For the next two days, enjoy ranger-led morning and evening wildlife safari drives in an open safari vehicle in Karongwe Nature Reserve, searching for Africa's famed Big Five. With over 9,000 hectares (22,240 acres) of supreme African bushveld, Karongwe Private Game Reserve is home to many creatures, and our safari drives provide several opportunities for wildlife viewing.
We use various accommodations within the reserve (the location is based on availability). During your time here, you will either stay in lodge rooms or very comfortable permanent tents (both of equal quality and with similar amenities).
Wildlife safari drives are conducted with qualified wildlife rangers and local expert trackers who will share their vast experience of the African bush.
On some occasions, if space is unavailable, we may need to change accommodations or even use a different private reserve. In such a case, be assured we will choose other lodges or comfort camps (of equal quality) within the Greater Kruger area.
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
ACCOMMODATION: Karongwe Portfolio - Chisomo Safari Camp (or similar) - Lodge
TODAY'S ACTIVITIES:
- Private Vehicle: Nelspruit to Karongwe Private Game Reserve (2h30m-3h, 150km)
- Carnivore Conservation Experience: Meet with a researcher from the Endangered Wildlife Trust's Cheetah Range Expansion Project. Listen to a talk about cheetahs here and the important research this project is doing. We will also discuss conservation within parks and reserves in South Africa and National Geographic's Big Cats Initiative. You will then be accompanied by the researcher on a wildlife safari drive to give you more insight into cheetahs and other carnivores.
DAY 8: KARONGWE PRIVATE GAME RESERVE
Spend the day exploring Karongwe on morning and afternoon safaris with our local guides. Search for Africa's famed "big five" as we drive through the shrublands of the bushveld. Back at camp, relax on deck or take a walk around the grounds before enjoying a traditional South African dinner with your fellow travellers.
Wake up before the sun (around 5am) and sip your morning coffee before heading out on a morning wildlife safari drive. Return to the lodge for brunch and some leisure time. Converse on the deck, walk the grounds and gardens, and enjoy high tea. Following tea, it's time for a late afternoon safari drive. After spotting tons of wildlife, it's time to return to camp and freshen up before dinner, a traditional braai.
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
ACCOMMODATION: Karongwe Portfolio - Chisomo Safari Camp (or similar) - Lodge
TODAY'S ACTIVITIES:
- Karongwe Private Reserve Open Vehicle Wildlife Safari Drive (Karongwe Private Game Reserve) (3h): Jump into a safari 4x4 and keep your eyes open for fantastic wildlife encounters. Wildlife safari drives are conducted with qualified wildlife rangers and local expert trackers.
- Free Time: Relax and enjoy some down time between wildlife safari drives.
- Boma Braai (Karongwe Private Game Reserve): At Karongwe, the Boma dinner will indulge your taste buds with South African cuisine, while you enjoy the African wilderness. Take part in a culinary journey that reflects South Africa's rich cultural and culinary heritage, all from an enclosed outdoor area, lit by lanterns and a warming fire. You'll taste your way through traditional dishes including braaied meats (Barbeque), potjiekos (traditional pot stew), and a malva pudding (traditional dessert); all made from local ingredients.
DAY 9: KARONGWE PRIVATE GAME RESERVE / JOHANNESBURG
Embark on one last safari this morning, keeping a lookout for Karongwe's iconic inhabitants. Then head back to the city, where you'll enjoy dinner in our lodge.
Meals included: Breakfast | Dinner
ACCOMMODATION: Southern Sun Rosebank (or similar) - Hotel
TODAY'S ACTIVITIES:
- Karongwe Private Reserve Open Vehicle Wildlife Safari Drive (Karongwe Private Game Reserve) (3h)
- Private Vehicle: Karongwe Private Game Reserve to Johannesburg (7h, 500km)
DAY 10: JOHANNESBURG / VICTORIA FALLS
Catch a flight to the town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, named after one of the most powerful waterfalls on Earth. Visit a nearby village and go grocery shopping in the bustling market. Then sit down with a local family for dinner, helping your hosts prepare a traditional Zimbabwean meal using the ingredients you picked out, and hear stories about local life and culture.
The mist off Victoria Falls can rise to a height of more than 400m (1312 ft). Local tribes used to call the falls Mosi-oa-Tunya or "the smoke that thunders." Explorer and missionary David Livingstone renamed the falls after Queen Victoria when he first saw them in 1855.
Meals included: Breakfast | Dinner
ACCOMMODATION: Explorers Village Lodge (or similar) - Lodge
TODAY'S ACTIVITIES:
- Plane: Oliver Reginald Tambo International to Victoria Falls (2h)
- Zimbabwean Family Dinner: Flatter Ncube is the head of her family which includes two sisters and numerous children. She's the youngest of a family of 10 and, now in her early 40s, lives in the village she was raised in near Victoria Falls. There she takes care of her extended family on their homestead, which she and they have been proudly building by hand, brick by brick, for years.
- Visit Flatter's homestead in her rural village; meet her and some of her family, and walk with some of them throughout the property, among the fruit and vegetable plants the family grows for consumption. Then help the family prepare a traditional Zimbabwean dinner, which we'll all eat together outside on the property, weather permitting. Ingredients for the meal will have been hand-selected earlier in the day, at the bustling and friendly local village market.
DAY 11: VICTORIA FALLS
Set out for a tour of magnificent Victoria Falls. Scottish explorer David Livingstone named them after Britain's Queen Victoria, while their older, indigenous name is Mosi-oa-Tunya "the smoke that thunders."
If you have an activity planned for this morning, we will reschedule your Falls tour for this afternoon, or tomorrow morning before departure.
Meals included: Breakfast
ACCOMMODATION: Explorers Village Lodge (or similar) - Lodge
TODAY'S ACTIVITIES:
- Victoria Falls Guided Tour (Victoria Falls): Head out for an unforgettable experience at Victoria Falls. Explore the rainforest and learn about the geology, history, and local legends of this world wonder. Be sure to have your camera ready!
Optional Activities to purchase - Day 11:
- Full Day Excursion to Chobe National Park (Victoria Falls): (9h-10h) Depart Victoria Falls in the morning for a full-day guided tour of Chobe National Park in Botswana - a wildlife-abundant region covering about 11,700km² of the Northern Kalahari. Begin your adventure with a cruise down the Chobe River, taking in the sweeping views and witnessing the wildlife grazing along the riverbank. Enjoy an included lunch on land before boarding 4x4 safari vehicles for an afternoon wildlife safari drive with an expert guide. Keep an eye out for lions, elephants, and buffalos. Transfer back to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, arriving in the early evening. Please note that this activity includes two border crossings between Zimbabwe and Botswana. Please note that you need to get a double-entry visa or a Univisa when arriving in Zimbabwe to ensure you can return again without needing to pay an extra visa fee.
DAY 12: VICTORIA FALLS Depart at any time.
Next Steps
Ready to go? Simply request a spot via your MyIVHQ profile, and our team will reach out with availability and seasonal pricing details.
We'll also help you bridge any gaps between your volunteer program, these arrangements are your responsibility and we can provide you with personalized transit and accommodation advice to make your travel straightforward.
Best of all, you’ll be in great hands with our trusted partners who have led sustainable, community-first travel for 30 years. Your adventure makes a real, positive difference every step of the way.
Please note that exact activities and timing can vary depending on the season and availability. Don't worry, your tour provider will share your final, confirmed itinerary once your dates are set!
Let’s get your journey started!
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