13-Day Pretoria to Battlefields Itinerary

OVERVIEW

A 13 Days / 12 Nights guide tour including Pretoria & Johannesburg, Pilgrim’s Rest, Hazyview, Kruger National Park, White River, eSwatini, St Lucia and KwaZulu Natal Battlefields.

INCLUSIONS

• Accommodation
• Meet & Assist on arrival at OR Tambo
• International Airport
• All transport in a private vehicle with Aircon and English-speaking guide
• Meals: 12x Breakfast, 2x Lunch, 10x Dinner
• Johannesburg City Tour (incl Museum Africa, Carlton Centre & Constitution Hill) & Soweto (incl Hector Peterson Museum and Mandela Family Museum)
• Lesedi Cultural Show & dinner
• Pretoria City Tour
• Pilgrims Rest & Blyde River Canyon
• Game Drive in the Kruger
• Jane Goodall Chimpanzee Tour
• Ngwenya Glass Factory, The Mantenga Cultural Village, King Sobhuza II Memorial Park and Swazi Candles
• St Lucia Boat Cruises Cape Vidal
• Battle of Isandlwana
• Rorke’s Drift Museum & the Battle of Rorke’s Drift (1879)

THE FULL DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY

Day 1
This morning you will be met by your guide and assisted to your touring vehicle. Depart on a Johannesburg and Soweto Orientation Tour. We enjoy lunch at one of the well known local restaurants. Then we drive out to a nearby cultural village. Here we partake in a tour of the 5 dominant cultures in South Africa, and learn more about their customs and culture, before enjoying some dancing and singing. Afterwards, we have a traditional meal (with something for the less adventurous) including venison, i.e. crocodile and springbok.

Day 2
After an exciting start to our journey through South Africa, we travel to Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa. Here we visit a museum or two and the Government building – the Union Building, from where you have a 180ºC view of the Pretoria City skyline. We also visit the Voortrekker Monument and Paul Kruger House Museum before we travel towards the Escarpment. The town is situated 2000 meters above sea level, on average, and is known to get snow in the winter. Then we continue through the town of Lydenburg to the Robbers Pass Mountain.

Day 3
We descend into the valley to the old gold mining town of Pilgrims Rest. Here we have some time to explore the area and all its shops. Take a stroll up to the graveyard and search for the famous Robbers Grave. From here we travel back to the escarpment via the scenic Panorama Route. We visit sights such as the awe-inspiring Blyde River Canyon, God’s Window with its breathtaking 180º views of the Lowveld and Bourke’s Luck Potholes with its curiously round-shaped potholes carved over millions of years by small pebbles into the softer surrounding rock. In the later afternoon, we descend into the Lowveld to our overnight stop.

Day 4
From our overnight stop, we depart for the Kruger National Park. It is here on entering the world-renowned game reserve that the excitement starts. Your experienced guide will help you to spot wildlife which has an uncanny ability to camouflage. After an afternoon game drive in open vehicles, you will dine with the sounds of hyenas and lions roaring in the distance!

Day 5
Start the morning with coffee or tea before leaving for an early morning game drive. You will be thrilled by the sights of the wildlife in their natural environment. Return to camp for a hearty breakfast. Midday relaxes or browses the curio shop. Later in the afternoon, once the heat of the day has passed, enjoy an afternoon game drive. After an afternoon game drive in open vehicles, you will dine with the sounds of hyenas and lions roaring in the distance!

Day 6
We leave the Kruger Park after breakfast and drive to the Jane Goodall Chimpanzee Institute for a guided tour through the sanctuary. Here we learn more about these magnificent apes.
After lunch, we continue to the Rottcher “Orange” winery. Rottcher uses an age-old traditional method of fermentation to create a unique range of drinks. Rottcher “orange wines” can be likened to sherry or port and enjoyed before, during or after a meal. Rottcher is well known as “The Pride of the Lowveld” as the drinks possess natural goodness and the unique promise of enjoyment. Selecting from the exciting flavours of Orange and Ginger, Orange, Orange and Chilli you soon realise that you can enjoy another zesty drink from Rottcher …..Anywhere….Anytime!

Day 7
Today we depart and enter the small Kingdom of Swaziland, and on route to our overnight stop, we stop at the well know Ngwenya blow glass Factory to see how they make glass articles. You will have time to shop in the factory shop. Then we drive to a local craft market of over 1km long. Here you have plenty of crafts to choose. We spend the next two nights in the Ezulwini Valley from where we will explore this small Kingdom.

Day 8
After breakfast, we visit a local village to learn more about the traditional Swazi culture and see them dance. Then we explore Swaziland a bit more and attend a handmade candle factory and in the afternoon the King Sobhuza Memorial.

Day 9
After breakfast, we depart the peaceful Kingdom of Swaziland for St Lucia. St Lucia is a beautiful seaside town located amongst subtropical forests. We arrive in time for a relaxing afternoon boat trip on the St Lucia Estuary.

Day 10
Today you have time at leisure to relax, go swimming in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean or enjoy a walk in one of the local indigenous forests.

Day 11
A lazy morning starts our day. After breakfast, we depart St Lucia and drive to the Zululand midlands. This will be our base from where we get to explore the Anglo-Zulu battlefields.
This is a long day driving through scenic routes and mountain passes

Day 12
Today we go on a full-day guided tour of the battlefields with the experts. In the morning we get an overview of the Isandlwana Battle site. We return to the lodge for lunch before starting our afternoon session at the second major battle site – Rorke’s Drift. We return in the later afternoon.

Day 13
A lazy morning starts our day. After breakfast, we depart and start to drive to Durban. We arrive at the King Shaka International Airport (DUR) or OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in the early afternoon.

• Included