South Africa Whale Watching Tour and African Safari

A southern right whale breaching in Walker Bay Nature Reserve, Hermanus, South Africa

What to expect on this itinerary

Relish the rich natural beauty and diversity that South Africa has to offer, and enjoy the finest marine viewing experiences on this 13-day vacation . Get up-close-and-personal to marine mammals in their natural environment – experience the thrill of watching humpback whales lobtailing, southern right whales breaching, dolphins jumping and seals playing, and be awed by great-white sharks. Then shift your search from the sea to the land and scout the African bush for the Big Five – this vacation is packed with wildlife viewing for your enjoyment.

Countries Visited

South Africa

Places Visited

Cape Town,  Hermanus, Oudtshoorn,  Safari at Amakhala Game Reserve

Suggested Duration

13 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Cape Town – Arrive in South Africa

Today, you arrive in Cape Town - world renowned for award-winning wines and spectacular natural beauty. Collect your rental vehicle from Cape Town International Airport and begin exploring the breath-taking views across False Bay. Travel onto Simon’s Town and the lodge where you’ll be spending the night. The lodge is ideally positioned near Boulders Beach – home to approximately 2,000 African Penguins.

What's Included:

Accommodation
Transfer
Day 2

Cape Town – Explore the City, Table Mountain, Township Tour, Walk with Baboons

Day 3

Cape Town – Cape Peninsula Guided Tour

Day 4

Hermanus – En route to discover whales

Day 5

Hermanus – Dyer Island Cruise

Day 6

Oudtshoorn – Exploring Cango Caves

Day 7

Plettenberg Bay – Breath-taking Outeniqua Pass

Day 8

Plettenberg Bay – Garden Route exploration

Day 9

Plettenberg Bay – Bungee Jump or Canopy Tour

Day 10

Port Elizabeth – Calabash Township Tour

Day 11

Amakhala Game Reserve – Discover the Big 5

Day 12

Amakhala Game Reserve – Walk through the African bush

Day 13

Port Elizabeth – Depart Home

Trip Highlights

  • Come face-to-face with Africa’s Big Five at Amakhala Game Reserve
  • Search for the Marine Big Five - namely: whales, sharks, seals, dolphins and penguins
  • See as many as three different whale species
  • Interact with, and ride, the world’s largest bird – the ostrich
  • Relish a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to ‘walk with baboons’
  • Discover the underground wonders of the Cango Caves - Africa’s largest show cave system
  • Cultural tour: meet local South Africans first-hand by taking a township tour
  • Leap off the highest commercial bungee jump in the world (optional) - a plunge that Prince Harry took while in South Africa
  • Appreciate that on your vacation you’ll use companies recognized by the Fair Trade Tourism organization for their commitment to ethical, social and environmental processes and the promotion of responsible tourism

Starting Price

$15,900 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 1120 reviews

Carolyn T.
South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe Trip Review: Wildlife, Local Cuisine, 13-Day Trip

Wow, I ran out of superlatives–fantastic, awesome, amazing. Everything was well organized and the recommended accommodations were all top-notch. The guides were so expert in their field. Every activity was well worth the time. Every meal was delicious.

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Anil M.
South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana Tour Review: 10 Nights

Our first trip to southern Africa was amazing, exceeding all expectations. We saw everything we came to see, and more. The game rides were well structured and safe, the visuals were unbelievable, and taking a side trip to Victoria Falls was a great idea. The accommodations were quite luxurious, despite being considered mid-range. There was always someone there to greet us and guide us at every travel point.

Zicasso's tour operator tailored our itinerary to our wishes and was wonderful to work with. Things couldn’t have gone better.

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Grace J.
South Africa Travel Review: Safaris, 1 Week

We had an awesome trip. Zicasso's travel expert was amazing. She accomplished everything.

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Nancy H.
South Africa, Zimbabwe Tour Review: Cape Town, Franschhoek, Wine Tasting, Elephant Experience, River Cruise, Wildlife, Nature, Scenery, 13 Nights

Zicasso's trip planner arranged the most fabulous trip for my family. She knew exactly what I wanted and delivered a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Africa! She always answered my questions promptly. She chose memorable experiences for us, our lodgings were top-notch, and she "kept in touch, behind the scenes," to ensure all elements were going smoothly. I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone planning a trip to Africa!

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LESLIE W.
Rwanda, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique Trip Review: Gorilla Trek, Bush Camps, 3 Weeks

It was very well planned. Zicasso's travel specialist was responsive and flexible in the planning process and throughout the final details.

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Catherine R.
South Africa, Zimbabwe Vacation Review: Safari, 11 Nights

The trip was amazing. Zicasso's trip expert did an awesome job planning the trip. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and exceeded all of our expectations. The “in-country” travel was seamless. Our accommodations and tours were all top-notch. I can‘t thank her enough for planning this awesome experience.

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

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