This South Africa self-drive adventure is for travellers who believe the journey matters as much as the destination. Let the road take you over mountain passes to private game reserves, vineyard valleys, and two very different coastlines. Begin along the Panorama Route, where waterfalls, canyons, and sweeping escarpments make the drive feel boldly cinematic before arriving for a Big 5 safari in Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, where leopard sightings have helped build the reserve’s near-mythic reputation.
Afterwards, travel south to Cape Town and encounter a completely different version of the country: Table Mountain, Atlantic cliffside roads, award-winning restaurants, wine estates, and neighbouring towns that deserve more than a quick stop. Wander the village streets of Franschhoek, follow the curves of the world’s number one Whale Route, linger among Knysna’s indigenous coastal forests, and end on the Sunshine Coast, where long beaches, adrenaline-rich activities, and warm Indian Ocean water bring the journey to a blissfully relaxed close.
Country: South Africa
Highlights: Panorama Route scenery, Sabi Sand’s private Big 5 safari, Cape Town, Franschhoek’s wine country, the Whale Route, Knysna’s lagoon, Sunshine Coast beaches
Best For: Curious road-trippers who want the freedom of a South African road trip, paired with a world-class safari and some of the country's finest food, wine, and coastal scenery
This tour is great for
Ideal duration: 17 Days
From $8,169 per person
Best time to go:
Your adventure begins
With views, waterfalls and endless skies, it’s no wonder they call it the Panorama Route. Pictures don’t do South Africa’s most beautiful road trip justice. And while many may choose to safari in the north, the Panorama Route, centred aroun...
Tanamera Lodge with its seven chalets is an excellent base from which guests can do sight-seeing in Mpumalanga – the Kruger National Park, Blyde River Canyon, God's Window and Bourke's Luck Potholes are all nearby. Sleeping only 14 guests at a...
Hardly in need of any introduction, Sabi Sand is the Rolls Royce of Game Reserves and, better yet, it forms part of and shares the Greater Kruger area's wildlife. Big 5 game viewing is second to none and the lodges here are some of the most...
The four-star Idube Game Lodge, found on a 10,000ha private concession in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, allows for excellent game-viewing worth every penny. Idube is an environmentally conscious lodge and is genuinely dedicated to giving guests ...
Cape Town balances wilderness with a cosmopolitan edge in a way that is difficult to understand until you experience it for yourself. Framed by Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean, the city packs an extraordinary amount into one corner of...
Beneath Signal Hill in Cape Town lies Blackheath Lodge. Just minutes from the V&A Waterfront, Table Mountain and the city’s best beaches, it’s ideally located for exploring our Mother City. Blackheath Lodge’s diverse rooms ar...
Hailed as the ‘gourmet capital’ of South Africa, the Franschhoek Wine Valley packs an oh-so-pleasant punch on the palate. With award-winning restaurants and over 50 wineries peppered throughout the village and its surrounds, Franschhoek has...
Set in the heart of Franschhoek, South Africa’s culinary capital, is Le Quartier Français. Named one of the best hotels in Africa by Condé Nast Traveller’s Readers’ Choice Awards, the luxurious boutique property...
The gentle giants of the ocean emerge from its depths along the Whale Route. Thunderous claps echo toward the shoreline as southern right whales and humpback whales carry out courtship rituals and bear calves in sheltered bays. Dolphin spec...
One Marine Drive is moments from mountain hikes and walks through the fynbos-covered nature reserves near Hermanus, with more than 1,600 different plant species to admire. Birding is equally impressive in the area, but if it's whales you’re lo...
Although there is some contestation about what the name ‘Knysna’ means, it is largely agreed to be a Khoi word referring to the rolling valleys and hills of the Knysna forest. And what a forest it is: Its abundance of ferns and winding stre...
Experience your very own holiday home in Knysna at Kanonkop House. With astounding views, easy-going service and a list of activities longer than your arm, you will undoubtedly find any stay too short....
The Sunshine Coast, much as its name implies, basks in the sun for most of the year and is drenched in seaside charm. The 500km long stretch between the forest-clad slopes of the Tsitsikamma and the river port city of East London boasts riv...
Diaz 15 House on the Bay provides beautiful accommodation right on the main beach in Jeffrey’s Bay. There are a few room categories to choose from, but ultimately the proximity to the beach and the facilities on offer allow you to fully immers...
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Ready to pack your bags for Africa? With just a few details from you, we'll put together your dream holiday!
2 Nights: Panorama Route
South Africa
3 Nights: Sabi Sand Game Reserve
South Africa
3 Nights: Cape Town
South Africa
2 Nights: Franschhoek Wine Valley
South Africa
2 Nights: Whale Route
South Africa
3 Nights: Knysna
South Africa
2 Nights: Sunshine Coast
South Africa
17 Nights in total
$8,169 per person
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