Ultimate Insider Tour of South Africa

Today we’ll get to know each other and start to learn about South African wines at our base in the Camp Bay area. Those who arrive a little early at the hotel will have time to enjoy a stroll on the beach at Camps Bay..

This evening, you will enjoy the sunset while dining on the chic lawn and get to know each other while feasting our eyes on the night sky, which looks different in the Southern Hemisphere. We’ll get to know the Southern Cross and a new perspective on the Milky Way.

During dinner, you will get a broad overview of wines in South Africa.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will visit Signal Hill and get oriented to glorious Cape Town. Then it’s off to the most iconic feature of Cape Town–Table Mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll take a cable car since the climb can be difficult, and then take in the view from the top. .

Following a light lunch, we’ll head to the oldest wine estate in South Africa, Groot Constantia, for a walkabout (and some sips of course)..

We’ll toast the end of the day with “sundowners,” (local lingo for drinks at sunset) and next head to a local favorite, The Codfather, for a sumptuous seafood feast.

Featured wine for the day: Constantia region

We’ll start the day with a visit to a dazzling apartment the looks out on the city harbor (we know how much NextTribers love to see inside the homes of other women when they travel).

Then we jump on a ferry to Robben Island, a must-see part of South African and world history. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is where Nelson Mandela spent five of his 27 years in prison. .

We’ll continue the day in the Bokaap neighborhood, which is situated on the slopes bove the city center. It’s a former racially segregated area, characterized by brightly painted houses and cobblestone streets that date back to the 18th century. We’ll get to meet women from the neighborhood and hear about their lives over a festive dinner..

Featured wine for the day: A mystery. Got to have some surprises!

In the morning, we’ll take a hike along the 12 Apostles Mountain Range, followed by an “aquasize” class with local women our age that is conducted in a tidal pool. .

We’ll have High Tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel, a handsome pink structure that dates back to 1899. With its large selection of teas from around the world and a lavish array of sweet and savory delicacies, “tea at the Nellie” is a much-loved Cape Town tradition. .

Before dinner at one of the city’s finest restaurants, we’ll get a private tour of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art, which recognizes the diverse and complicated cultural heritage here and also the resilience of the people.

Featured wine for the day: Elgin region

We’ll spend the morning exploring some of Cape Town’s extraordinary beaches, then head to the nearby community market, which is a sight to behold, according to our guides. The location overlooks Granger Bay, with dolphins playing down below. We’ll get to stroll on our own through the many vendors to experience the best of South African food and produce–from fresh crushed juices to chakalaka, a spicy vegetable relish. There are also continental dishes, such as Belgian waffles, dim sum and bao. .

We’ll have plenty of time to explore the waterfront before making our way to another market, called the Watershed, which is a vibrant craft and design space bursting with fresh fashion, art and flavor.

Dinner is in the Old Biscuit Mill complex, the home of some of South Africa’s finest and most celebrated dining establishments.

Featured wine for the day: Swartland region

We’ll have a lot of free time today, when you’ll be able to rest on the sundeck or swim in a nearby tidal pool or explore the local beaches.

Later in the day, we’ll follow many locals to a favorite spot–the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site–for a picnic and al fresco concert.

Featured wine activity for the day–a blind tasting!

We’ll move from our Camp Bay home to Cape Point and we’ll get there in style. We’ll be riding in sidecars along one of the most breathtaking roads in the country–Chapman’s Peak Drive. The ride allows passengers to enjoy panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and the dramatic cliffs while feeling the fresh sea breeze.

After a traditional fish and chips lunch along the way, we’ll go to a viewing spot on the Cape of Good Hope that is known as the “southern-most tip of Africa.” Cape Point is a stunning natural reserve and we’ll take a funicular ride to the top of Cape Point to get breathtaking views of the ocean and surrounding landscapes.

This Cape Point area is home to endangered African penguins, but we’ll avoid the penguin beach crowded with tourists. Instead our guides will give us the opportunity for a more low-key encounter with a colony.

Featured wine for the day: Cape Point region

Today we’ll have the chance to explore other famous Cape Town beaches, these bordering the bay rather than the Atlantic beaches we saw at Camps Bay. We can also have a wander around the charming community of Simonstown.

Those who want a little extra excitement can book a horseback ride on Noordhoek Beach (not included). Dinner is at a gorgeous waterfront restaurant.

Featured wine for the day: Hemel en Aarde region

We’ll leave our Cape Point base to make our way to the rolling hills covered in vineyards of South Africa’s famous Cape Winelands. This is a lush green land of rivers and forests and, of course, meticulous rows of grapes.

Our first stop is Stellenbosch, where Stellenbosch mountain dominates the landscape. We’ll visit a 300-year-old camphor forest for a picnic lunch, then we’ll head to the spectacular Rupert Museum, a family-owned gallery that showcases a collection of exquisit portraits and wall-sized murals depicting scenes from every region of South Africa.

We’ll have a wine tasting overlooking the wonderful landscape at Delaire Graff, considered the most prestigious wineries in Africa. One of our guide’s friends will set us up with an exclusive experience in this drool-worthy setting.

Then it’s over Helshgoote Pass and on to the town of Boschendal, where we’ll have time for horse riding or relaxing under the oaks.

Featured wine for the day: Stellenbosch region

The day begins with a visit to Babylonstoren, one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms, set at the foot of Simonsberg in the Franschhoek wine valley. The fruit and vegetable garden is a thing of beauty, right out of Versailles.

After a bountiful lunch, we’ll take the wine tram through the vineyards and the Grand Provence lavender fields. Again, expect scenery as verdant and stunning as anything found in France.

We’ll end the day with a traditional “braai,” a South African barbecue. First we’ll pick our cut of meet from a local butcher shop, and then after the meat is marinaded South African style, we’ll pop the cuts on a grill. (For those who aren’t meat eaters, we’ll have other options.) It will be a relaxed and authentic way to spend our last night in the Cape Town region.

Featured wine for the day: Franschhoek region

Those of us who have chosen to extend our trip with a safari in Kruger National Park will leave early for the airport.

Those staying on will have the chance to see a fascinating sculpture garden. Then, you’ll be taken to the airport for your international flight, which usually leaves in the evening.

Bon Voyage!!

Please note that this is a sample itinerary. Accommodations and activities may change but we will always replace them with something of equal or better value.