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GT 17 - The Best of the Cape and the Big Six Gems (5 Days)
Day 1 - Cape Town City under the Table Cloth
Discover our historic Mother City from the bustling V.A. Waterfront (Big Six no.1) to the inner city. Take an early cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain (weather permitting – Big Six no.2), for a 360 degree panorama of the Cape Peninsula, The Atlantic Ocean and False Bay.
Take a leisurely walk in the Bo-Kaap (Malay Quarters) with her colourful houses and cobbled-stone roads. Opportunities for shopping at craft markets at Green Market Square in front of the Old Town Hall and St.George’s Mall in the heart of Cape Town. Visit the Castle of Good Hope in time for the 'handing over of the key ceremony' at noon. Walk in the Company Gardens, established by Jan van Riebeeck in the 1650’s. An afternoon visit to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (Big Six no.3), flagship of the National Botanical Institute of South Africa. Walk in the landscaped gardens, the braille trail for the blind, the visitors center, the indoor planetarium and many secret nooks in the gardens.
Highlights: City tour, The Castle of Good Hope, South African Museum, The Company Gardens, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Green Market Square, St.George's Mall, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and Table Mountain.
Overnight Cape Town (DBB)
Day 2 - Tuesday – The Cape Peninsula
The Cape Peninsula Tour (Big Six no 4) takes you on an unforgettable journey through our floral kingdom, panoramic drives along the Atlantic Ocean and False Bay. Drive through the rich coastal suburbs of Clifton and Camp’s Bay. Stop at Maidens Cove for views of Lions Head, Table Mountain and The Twelve Apostles. Continue To Hout Bay Harbour for an optional boat ride to Seal Island. Shop at the interesting craft markets. Drive along the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive for stunning views of Hout Bay harbour, nestled amongst the mountains. Drive along the mystique Misty Cliffs with the mist hanging along the cliffs with it’s pure white beaches and crystal blue waters. Enter The Cape Peninsula National Park and cruise to the tip of the Cape Peninsula. Walk to the Cape Point Lighthouse for spectacular views of The Atlantic Ocean and False Bay.
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Photo-stop at The Cape of Good Hope, South Westernmost tip of Africa (most photographed spot in the Peninsula). Enjoy the frolicking of our endangered African Jackass Penguins in the tranquil waters of Boulders Beach. Watch our whales from the many vantage points (in season June - Nov). Visit Simon’s Town with its historical buildings and Naval Base. Stop at the monument of the famous World War Two naval dog, Able Seaman Just Nuisance at Jubilee Square. Cruise through Fishhoek and Boyes Drive for aerial views of False Bay and Muizenberg, Riviera of The South. Arrive Cape Town late afternoon.
Highlights:
Whale watching along the Indian Ocean and Atlantic seaboard Camps Bay and Maidens Cove Hout Bay and Seal Island boat trip(optional extra) Cape Peninsula National Park game and floral drive Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point Lighthouse(excluding funicular ride) Boulders Penguin Colony in Simon’s Town
Overnight Cape Town (DBB)
Day 3 - Robben Island, The people of The Cape Flats
Start our tour at the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront. Take a ferry ride 10km across Table Bay to Robben Island (Big Six no.5). Meet our prison guide for a tour of the prison cells. Hear the stories of hardship, struggle and perseverance from ex-inmates of the prison (shared with Ex- President Nelson Mandela). Do a tour of the village and the rest of the infamous Robben Island, a place of hardship and suffering for three and a half centuries. Return to the V&A.
Meet the people who once lived in the heart of the city, now widespread across the Cape Flats. Visit the District Six Museum and District Six,heart-throbbing in the sixties, now desolate and barren. In total contrast is the Bo-Kaap Malay Area, alive with colourful houses, cheerful people and rich Malay traditions. Experience the lifestyles of our people in markets, craft and art centres in Langa, Bonteheuwel, Belhar and Khayelitsha.
Highlights:
District Six Museum Craft markets on the Cape Flats Various projects e.g. Tsoga Environmental Project ; Gugu S’tebe, Philani Weaving Project Mitchell’s Plain Khayelitsha Robben Island
Overnight Cape Town (DBB)
Day - 4 The Winelands of the Boland
Leave our hotel for a full-day tour of the wine lands of the Boland (Big Six no.6). Wine tasting and cellar tours at some of the most renowned estates in the country. The vibrant Stellenbosch is the second oldest town in SA and boast with several historical buildings and the first Rugby Academy in the world. Stellenbosch, also known as the Oak City, is known for one of the best universities in the country.
Visit Oom Samie se Winkel, a century old trading store. Take a leisurely stroll in the oak-lined trees of Stellenbosch. Continue over the Hell's Hoogte Mountain Pass through the little Mission Station with the biblical name of Pniel. Wine-tasting at Boschendal under the old oak tree. Continue to Franschhoek and stop at the French Huguenot Memorial. Wine and cheese-tasting at Fairview Goat farm on the slopes of Agter-Paarl Mountain. Return to CapeTown late afternoon.
Highlights:
Tour of historical Stellenbosch One cellar tour and two wine tastings at renowned wine estates and wineries e.g. Neethlingshof, Bergkelder, Blaauwklippen, Morgenhof, Boschendal, Chamonix, Fairview Goat and Wine Estate, KWV, New Beginnings and Nelson’s Creek, etc.; Oom Samie se Winkel; Franschhoek Huguenot Memorial.
Overnight Cape Town (DBB)
Day 5 – Hermanus and The Overberg (Option 1- Whales from August to November)
Depart Cape Town along the N2 to Hermanus and the Overberg. Drive through
Strand and Gordon's Bay along Clarence Drive and the panoramic False Bay coastline. Enjoy the scenic pure-white beaches and blue mountains of Kogelberg. On a clear day the Table Mountain chain from Cape Town to Cape Point can be seen. The Southern
Right Whale can be spotted all along the coast from June to November. These are the most common whales that come to our shores annually to mate and breed. Enjoy tea at the Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens and take an easy walk in the gardens. The Fynbos (proteas, ericas, pincushions and bulbous plants) flower in June-August in the Cape winter months. Arrive in Hermanus and explore the coast from the Hermanus New Harbour to Klein River Lagoon in search of the Mammoth giants of the deep oceans. Hermanus is known for the best land-based whale watching in the world. Optional extra boat ride to get closer to the whales. Meet the only whale crier in the world. Explore the many curio shops in town. Visit the Old Harbour Museum in town. Take a leisurely walk along Grotto Beach, Fernkloof Nature Reserve or Piet-se-Bos. Return via Grabouw and Elgin known for their apple orchards and forests. Continue over Sir Lowry's Pass back to Cape Town. Stop at the viewpoint for panoramic views of the Helderberg Mountains, False Bay, The Cape Flats and Table Mountain.
Highlights:
The Southern Right Whales in season Harold Porter Botanical Gardens Hermanus Old Harbour Museum Scenic drives Walks in Piet-se-Bos Grotto Beach Fernkloof Nature Reserve
Overnight Cape Town (B)
Day 5 – West Coast (Option 2- Spring flowers from August-September)
Depart Cape Town along the West Coast Road. Visit the historical Mamre Mission Station for a walk on the Oue Werf with her beautifully restored buildings. Cruise through Darling, flower gem of the West Coast set amongst fine vineyards .Optional visit to Evita se Perron, a disused railway station converted into a theatre, with Pieter Dirk Uys, one of our most hilarious entertainers and personalities. Enter the West Coast National Park on the crystal clear Langebaan Lagoon. In season drive through the Post berg Private Nature Reserve. This reserve boasts with spectacular flowers and great flocks of migrant waders and other waterfowl, including gannets, cormorants and pelicans. Continue through the Park to Langebaan a popular coastal town. Drive through Saldanha Bay with one of the largest natural bays from where iron ore and coal is exported and Vredenburg to Paternoster, a quaint little fishing town. Take a walk on the pure-white beach and we may see fishermen hauling out their catch of the day. Continue to Velddrif and Laaiplek on the Berg River mouth. The estuary attracts large numbers of flamingos, spoonbills, Egyptian geese and avocets. Visit the fishermen drying their bokkoms (salted herrings) on the banks of the Berg River. Optional visit to the Fossil Park in Langebaan. Return back to Cape Town via Blaauberg. Stop for the best views of Cape Town and Robben Island.
Highlights:
Overnight Cape Town (B)
Please note that this tour can be done throughout the year and is flexible depending on the flower season.
END OF TOUR
Totsiens
Hamba Kahle
Goodbye
This tour includes the following:
Accommodation in 2-3 star hotels, Guest Houses or Bed and Breakfasts on availability Breakfasts and dinners where stipulated Transport in air-conditioned vehicles Tours conducted by professional guides All entries as clearly stipulated Tours are done according to the seasons and availability and opening times of venues
This tour excludes the following:
All optional extra entries or tours All lunches Drinks and beverages Anything of a personal nature Airport taxes Porterage at hotels or airports
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