Cape and Kruger

At the foot of Table Mountain, Welgelegen House captures Cape Town’s timeless charm. Once two Victorian family homes and later an orphanage for Jewish children, it has been reimagined as a welcoming retreat, a true “home away from home.” Today, 14 en-suite rooms open onto a leafy courtyard, offering calm and stillness amid the city’s rhythm.

A plunge pool provides respite on warm days, while our attentive team shares local insights, from hidden restaurants on Kloof Street to sweeping views atop Table Mountain. Ideally located, Welgelegen House places Camps Bay, the V&A Waterfront, and Cape Town’s vibrant culture just a short drive away, making it not only a base for exploration, but a return to Cape Town’s spirit.

Situated below Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head, Cape Town offers a rich cultural and industrial heritage, grand splendour and an assurance of activity & excitement. Including all the ‘must-sees’ of any Cape Town day tour, this option is a geographical and cultural extravaganza, showing you Cape Town, from its historical beginnings to the dazzling, modern city it is today. 

The tour commences with a tour of Table Mountain (weather permitting; cable car fee not included). Enjoy panoramic views over the Mother City and the Atlantic Seaboard with Robben Island in the distance lying sleepily in Table Bay harbour.  In the city itself, stop at the Company Gardens. Enjoy a walk through the garden and a visit to the South African Museum.  This is followed by a visit to the Castle of Good Hope.  Built between 1666 and 1679 by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as a maritime replenishment station, the Castle of Good Hope is the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa. The drive through the city centre would also take you past the Houses of Parliament, the Grand Parade and City Hall from where Nelson Mandela first addressed South Africans after his release in February 1990.

Enjoy a scenic drive along the Atlantic Seaboard via Sea Point, Clifton, Camps Bay and Hout Bay, a quaint seaside village with magnificent mountain views. Continue onto Chapmans Peak Drive, one of the world’s most spectacular coastal drives towards the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and Cape Point. Watch the dramatic clash of the seas from the viewpoint which can be accessed by foot or the Flying Dutchman Funicular (additional cost to own account). A lunch stop (to own account) will be discussed with your guide en-route to Simon’s Town. Arrive in historic Simon’s Town, a village with charming Victorian architecture, a naval base and a large penguin colony at the beautiful Boulders Beach. Boulders penguin colony is home to a growing colony of the protected African penguin. Wooden walkways allow visitors to view penguins in their natural habitat. Continue on to the well-known Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.  Founded in 1913 in an effort to preserve South Africa’s unique flora, the gardens encompass five of South Africa’s six different biomes and is world renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape Flora it displays as well as for the magnificence of its setting against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. The tour ends with drop off at your hotel.

Depart Cape Town City and head inland toward the heart of the South African wine industry, the world-renowned Cape Winelands, which has come to produce some of South Africa and the world’s finest wines.

Explore the second oldest town in South Africa and walk down the canal-lined avenues, in the shade of giant oak trees and beautifully preserved historic buildings, cafes, boutiques and art galleries. Simon van der Stel – the Governor of the Cape Colony at the time – established the town in 1679 and the remaining Cape Dutch architecture gives a sense of this Dutch colonial history. However, ten years later in 1690, French Huguenot refugees settled in the area and planted grapes in the fertile valleys around Stellenbosch giving way to the birth of the South African Wine Industry. Enjoy a wine tasting before continuing on the tour.

Travel over the Helshoogte Pass to the town of Franschhoek, which was also subsequently settled by the French Huguenots in the 17th century. Billed as the gourmet capital of South Africa, this charming town, in the most picturesque valley, retains a strong French Huguenot style represented in the longstanding architecture and lifestyle. Enjoy a wine tasting before taking the time to enjoy the fabled culinary skills of the Franschhoek chefs at one of the many award-winning restaurants (to own account).

Onward to Paarl, one of the Cape’s first farming districts. The town is set at the foot of the cluster of remarkable granite domes from which it takes its name. Renowned for its haunting scenic beauty and deep viticulture and fruit-growing heritage, Paarl’s fertile soil and Mediterranean-like climate provided the perfect conditions for farming. Settlers planted orchards, vegetable gardens and grape vineyards, thus rooting Paarl’s long and continuing history as a major wine and fruit producing area of South Africa. Enjoy a final wine tasting before returning to the bustle of the city after an enthralling day in the countryside.

Last Word Kitara alongside the Kruger National Park, is the most exclusive address in the Greater Kruger. This 5-star luxury lodge enjoys pride of place on the banks of the beautiful Klaserie River, a big five causeway. Discover the true meaning of a ‘soul safari’. Unrushed, untouched, unrivalled. The epitome of ‘beyond boutique’, Last Word Kitara is the gorgeous crown jewel in the exclusive Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, the quintessential ‘Big Five’ safari experience. Discover the world of free-roaming wildlife from the comfort of you private suite, our inviting viewing deck or the sparkling infinity pool overlooking the Klaserie River.

Six spacious suites, set along the Klaserie River, offer sweeping views of the pristine riverside setting. Suites are adjoining but not interleading. All are en-suite replete with indoor and outdoor showers. Drink in the tranquil bushscapes from your private balcony. The classic décor style, inspired by nature, is imbued with dreamy accents of Africa.