Expat Explore - Version: Mon Sep 27 2021 16:21:29 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) Page: 1/12 Itinerary for Cape Town and the Garden Route • Expat Explore Start Point: End Point: Cape Town International Airport, StayEasy City Bowl Cape Town, Matroosfontein, Cape Town, 7490, South Africa 54 Bree St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 12:15 hrs & 14:45 hrs 8000 StayEasy City Bowl Cape Town, 18:00 hrs (subject to traffic) 54 Bree St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8000 Check in from 15:00 hrs DAY 1: Arrive in Cape Town Wamkelekile e iKapa! Welcome to Cape Town! The Mother city is South Africa's oldest city and one of three official capital cities. The first day of the tour is an arrival day, an Expat Explore team member will be at the airport to welcome those arriving today! A complementary transfer is available at certain times during the day to your starting hotel. The city is a bustling metropolis and home to an array of sights and attractions. If you arrive early, take some time to enjoy any of the Expat Explore - Version: Mon Sep 27 2021 16:21:29 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) Page: 2/12 many tourist attractions around the city. This evening you will meet and greet your tour leader as well as your fellow travellers from all over the world. Enjoy a welcoming party at the hotel with an included dinner! Experiences Book flights to arrive at Cape Town international airport today, where a member of the Expat Explore team will direct you to your complementary airport transfer (certain times - see tour help section for more information), which will take you to the starting hotel in the city. Enjoy an included welcome dinner this evening - the perfect opportunity to get to know your Expat Explore tour leader and fellow travellers! Included Meals Breakfast: Lunch: Dinner: DAY 2: Cape Town City Tour On your first full day in the Republic of South Africa, we take you on a driving tour of Cape Town. Visit the Castle of Good Hope, the beautiful St George's cathedral, and the colourful Cape Malay quarters. Also set foot in the Company's Gardens (the oldest garden in SA!). The afternoon is then Expat Explore - Version: Mon Sep 27 2021 16:21:29 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) Page: 3/12 yours free to explore the city; we'll drop you off at the beautiful V&A Waterfront, the perfect base to grab a spot of lunch in the heart of the city. After lunch, why not take a cable car ride up to Table mountain, one of the official 'New 7 Wonders of Nature'? Experiences Cape Town city tour: Explore the heart of Cape Town. See highlights including the Castle of Good Hope which was once a Dutch stronghold, see St George’s Mall which is a bustling cobbled pedestrian street lined with shops, stalls and historic buildings. Wonder through the Company’s Gardens before enjoying a taste of local culture in the Cape Malay Quarter. Explore the V&A Waterfront: Enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of the ever-popular V&A Waterfront! It’s home to world-class shopping, top-rated restaurants serving fresh, delicious food, craft markets, buskers and great views of the harbour. Travelers can enjoy boat cruises and even helicopter trips! Included Meals Accommodation Breakfast: Lunch: Dinner: StayEasy Cape Town City Bowl Optional Excursions Helicopter Flight: R 1450 Langa Experience: R 990 * Stated prices and availability are subject to change. DAY 3: Cape Town: Free Day Expat Explore - Version: Mon Sep 27 2021 16:21:29 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) Page: 4/12 Cape Town is yours to explore today! Choose from a variety of optional activities - Cape Town has something for every kind of interest! A popular option is to join a day trip to Cape Point and the Cape Peninsula. Here, you’ll visit the Cape Point Nature Reserve, the Cape Point Lighthouse, the most south-western point of Africa and see beautiful landscapes filled with Cape Fynbos. Also make stops at Kalk Bay and Boulders Beach Penguin Colony. More activities include visiting the District 6 Museum, the Two Oceans Aquarium, the stunning Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and the Constantia Wine Valley - which is a short 20 minute drive from Cape Town and home to a number of award-winning wine estates! Included Meals Accommodation Breakfast: Lunch: Dinner: StayEasy Cape Town City Bowl Optional Excursions Cape Peninsula Day Trip: R 1200 Langa Experience: R 990 * Stated prices and availability are subject to change. DAY 4: Stellenbosch - Cape Winelands - Hermanus Expat Explore - Version: Mon Sep 27 2021 16:21:29 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) Page: 5/12 This morning we explore the Cape Winelands! Following breakfast we take a scenic drive through the Cape wine region. First stop is Stellenbosch, a special university town in the heart of the Cape winelands. Explore the Cape Dutch architecture and many laid-back coffee shops, boutiques and art galleries. Lunch is a delicious traditional meal served among the vineyards at a winery. South Africa has the oldest wine industry outside of Europe. This is your chance to taste South Africa's signature wine, Pinotage. Learn all about Cape district wines and the wine-making process from a local wine expert . After one more wine tasting tour this afternoon we take a heavenly coastal drive to Hermanus. The evening you will have free time to explore the town of Hermanus. Experiences Stellenbosch - Take some free time to explore the historical university town, admire the mix of Cape Dutch, Georgian and Victorian architecture, the tree lined streets and relaxing coffee shops. Cape Winelands - Enjoy two wine tasting and included lunch at a wine farm in the famous winelands region of the Western Cape. Hermanus - Savour the stunning coastal views as we make our way to Hermanus, where you’ll have a free evening to explore this delightful town on the Cape Whale Coast Route - if you’re lucky you’ll even be able to spot whales from the beach! Included Meals Accommodation Breakfast: Lunch: Dinner: Windsor Hotel Expat Explore - Version: Mon Sep 27 2021 16:21:29 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) Page: 6/12 DAY 5: Hermanus - Swellendam - Mossel Bay This morning you can still enjoy free time in Hermanus before setting off for the Garden Route! Between June and November there are lots of whales in the water, and you can spot them from the shore! You can also join in on the optional shark cage diving experience. SA is known for Great White Sharks and you can see them up close in Gansbaai. We stop for lunch on our way to Swellendam. This was the original trade route to the north. You can taste some real Boerekos (farmer's food) or even some Springbok (game) carpaccio. Outside of Albertinia we stop at the Cape Aloe Vera farm. You can taste aloe tea and try body products made from this special medicinal plant. We also learn more about its many uses. Then leave for Mossel Bay, a popular coastal village. On our way to the hotel we stop at Pinnacle caves. Fossils of 170 000+ years have been found at this ancient site. Experiences Swellendam - enjoy free time for lunch in the third oldest town in the Republic of South Africa. Check out the incredible architecture of the Dutch Reformed Church - a striking mix of Italian Baroque and French Gothic influences, with an Eastern dome and Cape Dutch facades. Aloe Vera farm - Stop at one of the original aloe factories in the Hessequa region. Sample various Aloe Vera products, walk around in the indigenous garden (with 17 species of aloe) and drink some Aloe tea! Expat Explore - Version: Mon Sep 27 2021 16:21:29 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) Page: 7/12 Mossel Bay - Visit Pinnacle Point Caves, a Provincial Heritage Site where human bones of between 40,000 and 170,000 years ago has been discovered. The discoveries have led to further studies by the Institute of Human Origins. Included Meals Accommodation Breakfast: Lunch: Dinner: Oceans Hotel Optional Excursions Shark Cage Diving: R 2430 Marine Eco Big 5 Trip: R 1390 * Stated prices and availability are subject to change. DAY 6: Garden Route: Game Drive - Knysna - Garden Route The first South African wildlife experience awaits at Botlierskop Private Game Reserve. You will have the chance to see wildebeest, rhinos, giraffes, elephants and lions on a safari with the group. Expat Explore - Version: Mon Sep 27 2021 16:21:29 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) Page: 8/12 Spend lunch time in Knysna, the heart of the Garden Route. Jump aboard a unique paddle-boat for an optional lunch cruise of the lagoon. Alternatively, choose to explore the harbour and eat at a local restaurant. After lunch there are some more animal encounters! You have the choice of two optional excursions - roam free with the monkeys at Monkeyland, or visit Birds of Eden, the world's largest free flight aviary and bird sanctuary. Experiences Botlierskop Game Drive - Get to know the garden route wildlife on an open vehicle safari truck in Botlierskop Private Game Reserve. Sightings include buffalo, zebra, giraffe, golden wildebeest, hippos, rhinoceros, lions and more than 200 bird species! Knysna - Experience the laid-back yet stylish vibe of Knysna. A small and quaint town known as "the beating heart" of the Garden Route. Get off at the Knysna waterfront - an ideal location with unique and trendy stores, water activities and the most divine dining options. Tsitsikamma Microbrewery - Visit a local craft brewery hang-out for a charming craft beer tasting experience.