CAPE TOWN & THE WINELANDS

Itinerary

• Flight Inclusive itinerary
• Land Only itinerary

Day 1

Depart London.

Day 2

Arrive Cape Town in the morning. We take a city tour. With its unique position and the impressive backdrop of Table Mountain, Cape Town truly is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Following our visits to the bustling Victoria and Alfred waterfront, with its restaurants, shops and the largest aquarium in Africa, we go to our comfortable guesthouse where we have time to relax.

Day 3

After breakfast we depart for the beautiful forests of Newlands, which are on the southerly slopes of Table Mountain. Our first stop is Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, one of the 7 finest botanical gardens in the world. Here we commence our hike with a walk through the gardens before following the Skeleton Gorge route up Table Mountain, which ascends the forested slopes, before reaching the "Back Table" and then passing the Woodhead and Hely Hutchinson dams, en route to the Cable station. Weather permitting, we set our sights on the cable car, which will take us down Table Mountain (one way ticket included). A shuttle will then collect us and transfer us back to our hotel. However, if the wind is howling, although it may be clear blue skies, the cable car does not operate. We will then take a slow walk down the gentle gradient through Cecilia Forest, ending back at Kirstenbosch. Please be aware that you do need to have a good level of fitness to complete this hike.

Day 4

In the morning we have an optional half-day township tour. This tour is mostly on foot and will take us through the Langa Township, where we visit the Guga S'Tebe Community Arts Centre, the Tsoga Environmental Resources Centre, the Joe Slovo Informal Settlement, and the Victoria Mxenge Peace Lilly Project- self-help housing initiative and then a local tavern - 'shebeen' - Tygers Place. There is an optional lunch opportunity with this community. In the afternoon we take a short drive to Hout Bay, a pleasant place to relax. The area supports a wide range of marine life and there is the chance for an optional seal island cruise. The rest of the afternoon is free to relax at either Hout Bay or Camps Bay. In the late afternoon we transfer to our guest house on the Cape Peninsula. There are a number of excellent restaurants in the vicinity and we will enjoy dinner (not included) at one of them. For those who do not want to take the township tour we will facilitate the many optional extras that Cape Town has to offer or a beach shuttle will be provided. We can also help arrange a Robben Island tour for this day.

Day 5

This morning it is just a short transfer to the Cape of Good Hope. We stop at the former Royal Navy base town of Simonstown and take time to visit the resident Penguin Colony at Boulders Bay. The highlight of the day is our visit to the famous Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, which covers an area of 7680 hectares. The reserve is home to eland, bontebok, grysbok, springbok, wildebeest, baboon and ostrich. Rugged cliffs, unspoilt beaches, shipwrecks and beautiful flora are the main features of the reserve.
While in the reserve we hike the three-hour shipwreck trail on the Atlantic coast, exploring various wrecks and the pristine coastline. After this we proceed by vehicle and visit the famous Cape Point lighthouse. In the afternoon we take a shorter (1 hour) walk that is almost entirely downhill. Our destination is the Cape of Good, at the south-west of Cape Peninsula, with a detour to Diaz beach.

Day 6

Leaving the Cape Peninsula, we travel along the coastal road to Hermanus, where we enjoy a two-hour walk in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve along the nature trail with impressive views of mountains, Hermanus and the sweep of Walkers Bay. The lovely floral composition of the reserve attracts many endemic bird species such as the orange breasted sunbird, Cape sugarbird and rock thrush. After lunch in Hermanus, we walk along the coastal path, which stretches the length of the town (12km) and offers whale watchers unlimited opportunities to study and get within 20 metres of these wonderful giants (in season Aug – Nov). Telescopes situated at the old harbour museum make it possible to view the whole of Walkers Bay and see the whales at an even closer range. In the afternoon we head to Stellenbosch and our base for the rest of the trip.

Day 7

After a leisurely breakfast we travel along the National Road to Somerset West where we reach the Helderberg wine area. From here we visit the enchanting historic Vergelegen Estate, one of the most beautiful wine estates in South Africa. After an informal wine tasting and stroll through the herb garden, we visit the historic Manor house with its beautiful rose-garden and the camphor trees, which are over 300 years old. Then we head into Jonkershoek Valley for our final tasting at Lanzerac Estate: dating back to 1692, it is one of the finest Cape Dutch estates, and is also home to the famous Lanzerac luxury hotel. Lunch can be enjoyed on the estate (not included).

Day 8

Today we explore the mountains of the Du Toit range. The towering peaks reach up to 2000 metres above sea level, and the region is renowned for its trout fishing and beautiful rambles amongst protea-covered slopes, with views extending far into the hinterland. The options for 4 to 6 hour hikes are entirely subject to weather conditions (summer heat may mean we take a route with more water and shade, and in winter the snow-fed streams may be in flood, and therefore a safer contour route is more advisable). With any luck we will see Baboon, Klipspringer, Black Eagle and even the spoor of the elusive leopards. One thing is for sure; this mountain wilderness is unrivalled in its diverse array of fauna and flora. We visit Franschoek Valley for lunch (not included) and enjoy a wine tasting session on one of the smallest wine estates in the country – Dieu Donne.

Day 9

In the morning we travel to the town of Paarl, which was founded around 1717 and received its name from a massive rock which, when in direct sunlight, resembles a huge pearl. Here we will enter the Paarl Rock Reserve and take a 45 minute walk on these imposing rock formations. They are the second largest granite domes in the world. We also visit the Afrikaans Language Monument on the southern slopes of the Paarl Mountain range, Afrikaans being one of the eleven official languages in South Africa. We head back into Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa. We have lunch here (not included) and then take a guided walk through the heart of this historic town to get an idea of the life of the pioneers who settled in this valley. A popular attraction is Oom Samie se Winkel, an old pioneer trading store with all wares from sweets to hunting books. In the late afternoon we transfer to the Cape Town international airport to catch the flight home.

Day 10

Arrive London.