11-Day South Africa Safari: Cape Town & Kruger

Cape, Vines & Leopard Country, South Africa

An 11-day South Africa itinerary: Cape Town, the Winelands and Kruger’s private reserves.

The route Cape Town → Cape Peninsula → Winelands → Sabi Sand Reserve

The South Africa safari itinerary, day by day

An 11-day South Africa safari itinerary: Cape Town and the Winelands at a wanderer’s pace, then a light flight north to leopard-rich private reserves on Kruger’s western edge. It is one shape of everything a South Africa safari can include.

Still, nothing here is fixed. In fact, this is the route we plan most often. So tell us what to keep, lengthen or swap, and we’ll send you your own version, fully priced.

Best time to go

September–November and March–May balance Cape weather with good bush viewing; May–October is peak safari.

US travelers: check current entry requirements for each country on travel.state.gov (we also walk you through visas at booking).

Days 1–3

Cape Town

Table Mountain, the V&A waterfront and Bo-Kaap with a private guide; dinner at the Cape’s best tables.

Day 4

Cape Peninsula

Chapman’s Peak, the penguins of Boulders Beach and the Cape of Good Hope.

Days 5–6

Winelands

Franschhoek and Stellenbosch, with cellar tastings, mountain views and long lunches.

Days 7–10

Sabi Sand

Fly to the Sabi Sand (direct into the reserve’s own airstrip or connecting through Johannesburg, depending on your lodge and current schedules); we confirm the routing with your proposal. These are the private reserves that made leopard viewing famous: open-vehicle drives with a dedicated tracker, bush walks and star-lit dinners.

Day 11

Home

Fly out via Johannesburg.

Where you’ll stay in South Africa

We select your accommodation privately after we understand your dates, pace and priorities. Then we recommend each camp, lodge or villa for its location, guiding, privacy, room configuration and seasonal suitability. Finally, you’ll see the places we suggest, and why, in your proposal.

Plan your private safari

All lodging & meals

Every camp night, all meals and house drinks on safari.

Private guide & vehicle

A private expert guide and 4x4 where specified; at fly-in camps, game drives may be shared unless a private vehicle is reserved.

Fees & flights within Africa

Park fees, light-aircraft hops and meet-and-greet on every leg.

One transparent quote

Priced to your budget, your camps and the season. No set packages.

This journey at a glance

Duration & route

11 days · 11-Day Cape Town & Sabi Sand

Best months

May – October for Kruger · November – March for Cape Town

Best suited to

First-timers and wine lovers

The heart of it

Cape Town and Sabi Sand leopard country

Typical private investment

Every itinerary is priced individually, to your budget.

Based on two guests sharing. Final pricing depends on season, camps, private guiding, internal flights and itinerary length. However, this price excludes international flights.

Generally included

Every camp named night by night · internal flights and transfers · park and conservancy fees · meals and game activities per each lodge’s terms · airport meet & greet · a founder’s direct line while you travel.

In short, this itinerary is a starting shape, not a package: every journey is fully tailor-made around your dates, pace and interests. Design this journey privately →

Questions about this South Africa safari itinerary

Cape Town first: city energy, then the bush’s deep exhale, flying home rested. Flight schedules occasionally argue for the reverse; we’ll sequence it around them.

No. The Greater Kruger is a malaria area (low risk in winter). However, families who want zero risk swap in Kwandwe or the Waterberg; the itinerary shape survives the swap.

Six nights Cape side (city, peninsula, Winelands) and four in the Sabi Sand is the tested ratio, since wine country deserves the unhurried middle.

The practical detail

Who this South Africa safari itinerary suits

Travelers who want a city, a coastline and the Big Five in one trip, with short flights and no long road days. It is also a strong first Africa journey for those who like good food and wine alongside the wildlife.

Guiding on a South Africa safari

Guided game drives in the reserve’s open vehicles, shared with a few other guests unless a private vehicle is reserved; private guiding and transfers in Cape Town.

Journey investment

Private, tailor-made journeys on this route are priced individually, to your budget. Of course, the final figure depends on the season, the camps chosen and the flights involved; we quote one clear price in writing, with no hidden extras.

Typically included

Accommodation throughout on a full-board basis; guiding as described above; park, conservancy and concession fees; internal flights and road transfers along the route; airport meet-and-greet; and direct access to the founders before and during travel.

Typically not included

International flights; visas and travel insurance; gorilla or chimpanzee permits unless stated; premium wines and spirits; spa treatments; gratuities; and personal items such as shopping and laundry where charged.

We confirm every inclusion and exclusion in writing in your proposal before you pay anything. You will also find payment and cancellation terms in our terms and conditions.

Make this South Africa journey yours.

Tell us when you’d like to go and what you’d change. After that, we’ll send back your own fully priced version within a few days.

This South Africa safari itinerary is a proven shape rather than a fixed package.

Plan your safari Request a private call