Cape & Kruger National Park by Rail

Designed for travellers who don’t have a ton of time, this 7-day trip devotes the, ahem, lion’s share of its length to exploring South Africa’s most treasured game reserve with a few bonus experiences mixed in along the way.

Stretched across nearly 2.5 million hectares of wild South African frontier and home to over 600 species of mammals and birds, Kruger National Park is massive by any measure. Get treated to a traditional family meal in Cape Town, take the train to Johannesburg with the locals, track the Big Five on a game drive in Kruger, and visit Soweto and a Planeterra project, too. One week now, memories forever.

 

Itinerary

Day 1 Cape Town
Arrive at any time.

Day 2 Cape Town
Enjoy a full day in Cape Town with options to visit Robben Island, Table Mountain, exploring Cape Point or embarking on a wine tour around Stellenbosch. In the evening, experience an authentic meal in a local home in a nearby township.

Day 3 Shosholoza Meyl Train
Board the Shosholoza Meyl train at Cape Town station. Enjoy the day with your travel companions playing cards, meeting the locals and checking out the dining car. Drift to sleep to the rhythm of the train. Wake up and opt for a tasty breakfast on board.

Day 4 Johannesburg
Scheduled arrival into Johannesburg is noon. Meet the transfer and local guide and head for a visit to Soweto township.

Days 5-6 Greater Kruger Area/Manyeleti Game Reserve
Take the Panorama Route into the Kruger National Park area. Visit the Planeterra-supported G Hope Africa preschool before an afternoon game drive in Kruger NP (own vehicle). Keep an eye out for elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo—Africa's famed Big Five. In the evening, enjoy a traditional dance experience in Shalati.

Day 7 Johannesburg
Drive back to Johannesburg. Tour ends on arrival at the airport. All onward travel can be booked after 5pm.

 

What's Included

• Cape Town orientation walk
• Shosholoza Meyl train experience
• Traditional meal in a local home
• Soweto township tour
• Panorama Route drive
• Kruger National Park game drive (full-day)
• Traditional dance experience
• Planeterra-supported G Hope Africa preschool visit
• All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
• 6 breakfasts, 3 dinners. (Allow USD150-200 for meals not included.)
• Private van/bus, 4x4 safari vehicles, sleeper train
• Chief Experience Officer (CEO)/driver, local guides.
• Small group experience; Max 18, avg 12
• Hotels (2 nts), Guest House (1 nt) sleeper train (1 nt, multi-share mixed gender), lodges (2 nts).

 

Trip Specifics

• Price: From £749 (available to book in other currencies)
• Duration: 7 days
• Start/Finish: Cape Town to Johannesburg
• Code: DSKQ