South Africa Cape Town, Wine & Safari
Join us on an adventure through South Africa! We’ll be hiking, wine-tasting, viewing the exotic Big 5 from our Land Rover and drinking sundowners in the bush as we make our way through Cape Town, Stellenbosh and Thornybush Game Reserve!
Life is short and the world is wide
Welcome! We are Rise & Rove, a modern group travel company that offers group adventures catering to women. Join us on curated, guided trips with very special activities designed to see, taste, explore and deeply experience incredible global destinations.
You’ll join a rad group of women ready to make friends and dive into the destination but we’ll take care of all the logistics and details. Your job: Show up and have fun. Simple as that.
The South Africa Trip
7 Days/6 Nights | Dates TBD
Very few trips can promise dramatic mountains, coastline views, rolling vineyards, meaningful culture and incredible, authentic animal encounters all in one week. But the Rise & Rove South African adventure will tick all those boxes and more! We’re partnering with our dear friends at Zephyr Adventures to bring you this amazing experience. We’ll begin in Cape Town, a vibrant city with so much to offer, both for the city mice and the nature lovers. Then we’ll visit the incredible wine region of Stellenbosch where we’ll sip from a number of beautiful and tasty wineries. Last, but not least, you’ll get the thrill of a lifetime as you listen to lions roar in the distance from a cozy bed in your luxury tented camp, with 2 action-packed game drives per day that are sure to leave you with unforgettable memories.
Not to mention, you’ll have a group of up to 14 fun-loving ladies to experience it all with!
Itinerary
While unlikely, the itinerary is subject to change but we only adjust to improve the experience. Our priority is to provide the best travel experience ever!
Day 1: Cape Town
Today we’ll meet in the morning before setting off to explore the Cape Peninsula in Table Mountain National Park. There you’ll take in the gorgeous flora and fauna, including fynbos, proteas, baboons, ostriches and more! We’ll hike 2 kilometers from the lighthouse to Cape Point, the south-westernmost tip of the African continent. We’ll be sure to snap your pic with the famous sign, to prove you made it to the edge of Africa! After stopping for lunch, we’ll carry on to the Boulders Penguin Colony, where you’ll get to see all the cute penguins hanging on the beach. We’ll make one more stop for a wine tasting at a wine farm in Constantia, South Africa’s oldest wine area. Later that evening we’ll walk to GOLD to taste food from all over the African continent, watch African performers and participate in live drumming sessions.
Day 2: Cape Town
After breakfast we’ll take a ride on the cable car to the top of the iconic Table Mountain where you’ll get 360 views of the city, the ocean and neighboring peaks that make the Cape Town “skyline” so unique. We’ll do a short hike to Maclear’s Beacon and have lunch atop the mountain. Afterwards, we’ll do some shopping at Old Biscuit Mill, a must-see. It’s an outdoor market filled with super cute little shops and local gifts like jewelry, scarves, clothing, artwork and more. After our retail therapy sesh, we’ll take a short street art and graffiti walking tour through Salt River, where the artwork reflects the stories of the apartheid, perseverence and character of the South Africans. We’ll have a relaxed dinner tonight and turn in because, what a day it will have been!
Day 3: Stellenbosch
Today we’ll head to the wine capital of South Africa, trading the cultural vibrance of Cape Town for the stunning, green rolling hills of Stellenbosch, a region heavily influenced by Dutch settlers. Before we get into the wine, we’ll stop at Kayamandi township. There we’ll meet with our favorite girl, Tembi, who will show us what life is like in her community, which she has fierce pride for. Lunch will be al fresco at the gorgeous Delheim Wine Estate, followed by wine and chocolate pairings at Muratie Wine Farm. The Muratie estate is perfectly quaint, with a great history that weaves in every aspect of colonial South African history. After this action-packed day, we’ll check into the hotel and have a free night. There are many nearby restaurants you can walk to from the hotel in beautiful downtown Stellenbosch.
Day 4: Stellenbosch
After a few fast-paced days, we’ll start a little slower today. You’ll have the morning and early afternoon free to have breakfast at leisure and wander Stellenbosch’s quaint shopping streets. Or, you can choose to treat yo self at the spa. In the late afternoon we’ll depart for a tasting at the picturesque Jordan Winery, followed by a short walk to the DeMorgenzon Estate. It’s home to a vineyard where the grapes listen to classical music! But, what’s even more important than those classy grapes is that the female owner is dedicated to addressing the health and education concerns of South African women and has numerous organizations that contribute to female interests. She herself was named Forbes’ Africa Woman of the Year. Our last stop is an absolutely stunning estate where few words can describe its incredible beauty. You’ll just have to see it for yourself as we watch the sunset at Tokara and indulge in a four course, wine-paired dinner. Our fanciest night!
Day 5: Thornybush Game Reserve
Today we leave those cultured grapes behind as we set out for the most thrilling and bucket-listy part of our grand adventure – the safari! We’ll transfer to Cape Town airport for the morning flight to Hoedspruit, near Kruger National Park. Upon landing, we’ll take the drive to our luxury safari camp. On the way, we may run into traffic. And, unfortunately honking at giraffes in the road just doesn’t work the way it does with cars! 🙂 When we arrive at our tented camp, we’ll join our first game drive, where we’ll ride in open air Land Rovers searching for animals. No afternoon game drive is complete without a “sundowner” in the bush (G&T anyone?) and we’ll finish the day with an amazing meal cooked for us at the very atmospheric grounds of the luxury camp.
Day 6: Thornybush Game Reserve
We’ll assume you slept well to the sounds of lions roaring in the distance! This morning we’ll wake up bright and early (well, actually dark and early) to begin our morning game drive before sunrise to see the animals at their most active. You’ll see the day break in hues of orange and purple over the bush. And believe us, this is a sight you’ll never forget. We’ll view more animals, hopefully completing our Big 5 tally, before retiring back to camp for lunch and a dip in the pool. For those who are interested, we’ll take a guided bush walk, the perfect way to get some exercise and feel the excitement of the bush without the safety of the Land Rover. We’ll do another late afternoon game drive and then you’ll finish the day having seen the sun both rise and set over the majestic African bush. We’ll take a moment to stargaze from the vehicle and you’ll see how spectacular a sight the stars are from the remote game reserve.
Day 7: Thornybush Game Reserve
We’ll rise early again for one last game drive and hopefully complete our spotting of the Big 5! After the drive, we’ll shuttle back to Hoedspruit Airport to catch a flight to Johannesburg, arriving in the afternoon. Our tour will end here in Johannesburg and you can either head home or carry on to the next leg of your adventure.
Trip Description
This trip is currently on hold awaiting new dates. If you'd like to sign up for 1st dibs once we set new dates, join the wait list! Simply let us know via the Contact Us page!
- Cape Town – Stellenbosch – Safari
- Arrive Cape Town
- Depart Johannesburg
- 14 travelers total
Inclusions
- Well-located accommodations at hand-picked, stylish, boutique hotels and luxury tented camp for the safari portion (with in-room shower & full bathroom)*
- 6 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 5 dinners
- Guided hikes & city walks
- Entrance fees for any activities mentioned in the itinerary
- Township tour
- Wine tastings at the wineries
- All meals and non-alcoholic drinks at the safari camp
- Guides, rangers, drivers and trip leaders
Exclusions & Optional Extras
- Flights to and from your origin are not included. Booking and payment for these flights are the responsibility of the traveler.
- Flights to and from Hoedspruit Airport from within South Africa (our safari portion) are not included. You will pay face value for the fares and we estimate the cost to be roughly $600. We will book the flights for you and you will be charged at the time of booking, usually 60-90 days prior to departing.
- Alcoholic beverages are not included beyond those listed in the Inclusions section.
- Tips and gratuities are not included in the trip cost and are optional; you may use your discretion and we’ll provide suggestions where applicable.
- Travel insurance is not included. We very strongly recommend getting travel insurance. After booking we will recommend a good travel insurance option or you may purchase your own policy.
- Individual room (Single Supplement) – $1,000 USD per person
Important Info
- This itinerary is moderately active and we recommend all travelers are able to walk for distances of 2-3 kilometers without issue.
- Arrival airport for flights is Capetown International Airport (CPT)
- Departure airport for fights is Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB)
- We advise you to visit your country’s authority on health and traveling to determine what vaccinations you should have prior to travel in South Africa and also, specifically, travel to the Kruger National Park area. Examples include the CDC in the USA and Public Health Agency of Canada.
- Ensure you check your government’s official website for the passport and visa requirements for entry into South Africa. At the time of this posting, if traveling from the US or Canada, you do not require a visa for a visit less than 90 days but you must have at least 2 blank pages in your passport and your passport must be valid for 30 days beyond the date you expect to depart from South Africa.
- If you are coming from or have extended layovers (12+ hours) in countries with risk of transmission of yellow fever, you will be required to show a yellow fever vaccination certificate to enter South Africa.
- There are 11 official languages of South Africa (and many more unofficial), the most common of which are English, Zulu and Afrikaans.
- Currency in South Africa is the South African Rand (our prices are in USD).
- We strongly suggest purchasing travel insurance for any adventure.
- Weather at this time of year is mild with highs in the mid 70s (F) and lows in the mid 50s (F) in the Cape Town region and slightly warmer in the Kruger National Park.