The Majestic African Journey: Kenya to Cape Town (13 Days / 12 Nights)

JAMBO – KARIBU! You’ll be warmly met on arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport with a special welcome including bubbly, hot/cold towels, and a presentation of an authentic safari hat and essentials pack.
Drive to Amboseli National Park, arriving at the lodge in time for lunch and a warm welcome.

In the afternoon, enjoy a game drive in Amboseli, home to lions, buffalo, cheetah, giraffe, gazelle, and wildebeest among many others. With over 400 bird species and sweeping views of Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli offers some of Africa’s most inspiring vistas.
Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Hotel: Amboseli Serena Lodge / Oltukai Lodge
Meals: Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast 

Breakfast at the lodge, then spend a full day in the park with morning and afternoon game drives. Amboseli offers some of the most breathtaking views in Africa. Its scenery — one of the best places for a photogenic view of Mount Kilimanjaro (weather permitting) — is second to none. This is best seen on a clear day. Amboseli National Park provides the classic Hollywood image of Africa and is famous for its large herds of giant elephants. All meals and overnight at the lodge.

Hotel: Amboseli Serena Lodge / Oltukai Lodge
Meals: Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast 

After breakfast, check out and depart. Drive to Lake Naivasha, with its commanding setting at the foot of the Rift Valley Escarpment. Lake Naivasha is an important horticultural area of Kenya.

Lunch at your Naivasha hotel, then proceed for a boat ride and Crescent Island walk.

Enjoy a boat ride on the lake and disembark on Crescent Island, a private sanctuary, for a walk among zebra, wildebeest, gazelle, vervet monkeys, genets, and giraffes.

Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Hotel:Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge
Meals: Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast 

A hearty early morning breakfast, then drive to the Masai Mara National Reserve, offering wonderful scenery and plenty of game. Arrive at the lodge to a very warm welcome and lunch, followed by some leisure time.

This afternoon is the moment we’ve been longing for – depart on an exciting game viewing drive. The rolling plains and grasslands stretching far into the horizon are home to the black-maned lion, savannah elephant, Cape buffalo, wildebeest, elusive leopard, cheetah, spotted and striped hyena, rhino, topi, Burchell’s zebra, and Maasai giraffe, among many others.

The Mara Game Reserve never disappoints. One is spoilt by the variety of bird and wildlife species in this reserve, long established as the “granary” of wildlife in Kenya. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Hotel: Mara Serena Lodge

Meals: Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast 

Enjoy a full day of morning and afternoon game viewing drives. Be on the lookout for the Big Five that the Maasai Mara is famous for: lion, savannah (African) elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard, and black rhino.

In the early 20th century, Kenya was a famous hunting destination. Hunting any of the Big Five was considered a matter of pride, a mark of class, and a feeling of heroism.

Optional Activities:
Balloon Safari – Today’s adventure begins just before dawn. Flames from the hot air balloon burners light the darkness as the crew inflates their craft. As the first pink light of sunrise flickers across the sky, the balloon fills and rises. Suspended in a basket beneath the rainbow-colored canopy, you’ll enjoy a game-viewing adventure with an entirely new perspective. Apart from the occasional hiss of the burners, the flight is magically silent — broken only by the sounds of the bush below. After landing, enjoy a champagne breakfast in the bush, complete with flowers, china, and crystal under a convenient acacia tree. A short game drive back to camp may reveal the same lions or elephants seen from above. A flight certificate is issued on completion.

Back at camp, enjoy a sumptuous lunch and a well-deserved rest.

Visit to an “Off-the-Beaten-Track” Maasai Manyatta – This afternoon, you may opt to visit a traditional Maasai Manyatta and experience the culture of this world-famous community. The Maasai still live much as they did for centuries. Interact with these nomadic people and learn about their customs and traditions.

Hotel: Mara Serena Lodge

Meals: Lunch / Dinner / Breakfast

Early morning breakfast at the lodge. Sadly, it’s time to say kwaheri (goodbye) to your wonderful camp manager and team as you transfer to the airstrip for your charter flight to Nairobi. Upon arrival, connect with your onward flight to Victoria Falls.

On arrival, you’ll be met by your Thompsons Africa representative and transferred to a local restaurant for lunch. In the late afternoon, embark on a sunset cruise on the upper stretches of the Zambezi River, where David Livingstone once canoed on his quest to discover the falls over 150 years ago. Enjoy viewing abundant wildlife and a variety of birds as a mesmerizing Zambezi sunset leaves you breathless.

Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Hotel: Pioneer Lodge

Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

After breakfast, cross the border to Livingstone, Zambia, for a half-day tour of the falls. Enjoy spectacular close-up views, interesting angles, the footbridge and Knife-Edge, Rainbow Falls, and a chance to swim above the falls in Devil’s Pool.

Note: The dry months from October to December leave the Zambian side of Victoria Falls mostly dry, while the Zimbabwean side becomes a picturesque cascade.

Return to Zimbabwe, with lunch served at Lookout Café. After lunch, embark on a Tour of the Falls (Zimbabwe side), one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Though not the highest or widest waterfall in the world, Victoria Falls is the largest, spanning 1,708 meters wide and 108 meters high — creating the world’s largest sheet of falling water.

Later this evening, transfer for The Boma Dinner, a must-do experience combining exuberant cultural songs, dances, and a traditional feast. Shangaan and Ndebele performers will inspire you with their energy — and you may even find yourself dancing! For the adventurous, lightly grilled mopani worms await!

Return to the hotel for overnight.

Hotel: Pioneer Lodge

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Transfer to Victoria Falls Airport for your flight to Cape Town. Upon arrival at Cape Town International Airport, meet and greet by a Thompsons Gateway representative, then proceed for dinner at a local restaurant.

Hotel: Southern Sun Waterfront

Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

Proceed to the Table Mountain Cable Station, where you’ll ascend to the top (weather permitting). Enjoy crisp air and sweeping views of Cape Town — a truly unforgettable experience.

Next, drive through the Malay Quarter, with its narrow cobblestone streets and colourful houses, and pass by the Houses of Parliament, City Hall, and the Castle of Good Hope, a restored fort of Cape Town.

Lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and enjoy a treetop walk. Return to the V&A Waterfront for dinner and shopping.

Hotel: Southern Sun Waterfront

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

After breakfast, depart on a full-day tour of the Cape Peninsula.
First, visit Muizenberg, a town full of history and home to surfers, with fine beaches and colourful beach houses.

Enjoy a crayfish lunch at Fish Hoek, then visit the Cape Point Ostrich Farm for a guided tour. Continue to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, ascend to Cape Point, and visit Boulders Beach to see the penguins. Drive past Simon’s Town, Muizenberg, and Fish Hoek en route back to Cape Town. Dinner at a local restaurant.

Hotel: Southern Sun Waterfront

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Drive along the coast to the fishing village of Hermanus, soaking in the glorious ocean views and keeping your eyes peeled for southern right whales at play (whale season is between July and November). These massive mammals breaching are an awe-inspiring sight, and the excitement will undoubtedly leave you with a hearty appetite for lunch.

Proceed to visit an Abalone Farm for a guided tour. Meet your tour guide at the Heart Shed in the New Harbour of Hermanus. Sit back and relax as you learn about the history of abalone in South Africa and Hermanus’ Walker Bay area, as well as the biology and life cycle of this mysterious mollusc—and the unfortunate decline of wild stocks due to overharvesting and poaching.

Your guide will share insights into abalone in its natural environment and introduce you to the fascinating world of abalone farming. After the briefing, gear up for a guided walk to experience the aquaculture industry firsthand at one of the oldest and largest abalone farms in South Africa—Abagold. Visit Abagold’s state-of-the-art hatcheries where broodstock are cared for and baby abalone (spats) are produced. Observe farming activities such as feeding, tank cleaning, and sorting of abalone as you walk among over 40,000 baskets on the farm.

The tour concludes with an abalone tasting before enjoying a seafood lunch at a local restaurant, followed by dinner back in Cape Town at a local eatery.

Hotel: Southern Sun Waterfront

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

After breakfast, proceed to the Winelands, the heart of South Africa’s wine industry. Visit Stellenbosch, framed by the Hottentots Holland Mountains, known for its Cape Dutch homesteads and oak-lined streets.

Enjoy a wine tasting at one of the region’s premier wineries, followed by lunch at a winery restaurant. Afterward, return to Cape Town and spend some leisure time at the V&A Waterfront before dinner.

Hotel: Southern Sun Waterfront

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Free at leisure until transfer to Cape Town International Airport for your flight home.