South Africa’s Garden Route & Kruger

Explore South Africa’s contrasts on this escorted 13-night tour with Explore Worldwide, travelling from the savannahs of Kruger National Park to the southern coastline. After an early morning safari spotting some of the Big 5, you’ll cross the lush hills of Mpumalanga and the dramatic Blyde River Canyon before moving on to the coastal stretch of the Garden Route.

Along the way, the itinerary includes a Soweto tuk-tuk tour in Johannesburg, walks in Tsitsikamma National Park beneath cliffs and over forest canopy, an evening lagoon cruise at Knysna complete with oyster tasting, and time in Hermanus, where the southern right whales pass close by during season. Final days take you into the Cape Winelands at Stellenbosch for penguin colonies at Stony Point and wine tasting, rounded off by a visit to Table Mountain and Cape Town’s varied neighbourhoods.

This tour takes a steady pace, balancing early starts in the bush with relaxed afternoons by the sea. While you’ll tick off the key highlights, there’s enough free time for personal exploration — whether that means a second look at the elusive honey badger or a quiet moment watching a Tsitsikamma sunset over Storms River.

Hermanus

These are the places the trip visits, in order. Explore Worldwide publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.