Active South Africa: Cape Town, Kruger & Tugela Falls

  • thumbnail image_activesouthafricacapetownkrugertugelafalls
  • thumbnail map_activesouthafricacapetownkrugertugelafalls

Duration: 10 days

Begins: Cape Town

Ends: Johannesburg

Trip Code: DSCH

From

£2,879 per person

Angebot anfordern

or Call 01273 099433

    If you want more than just a safari in South Africa, this is the 10-day wild ride you're after. Picture yourself abseiling down Table Mountain, camping under the stars near Kruger National Park, and hiking to the top of the world’s second tallest waterfall. Plus, you’ll hit the ground running with guided bushwalks, spotting wildlife up close. This is the kind of trip that’ll have you saying, "I can't believe we just did that!" Adventure junkies, this one’s calling your name.
    Is this tour for me?
    Travel Style
    Active
    Hiking, trekking, biking, rafting, and kayaking adventures all over the world, made for outdoor types.
    Service Level
    Basic
    Simple and clean hotels and hostels; affordable public and private transport; lots of optional activities.
    Physical Rating
    4 - Demanding
    Some high-altitude hikes or more strenuous activities, but accessible to most healthy travellers.
    Trip Type
    Small Group
    Small Group experience; Max 16.
    Age requirement
    12+
    All travellers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
    What's Included
    • Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
    • Hike either Sentinel Peak to Tugela Falls or Gudu and Mahai Falls
    • An immersive and active 4-night stay at a bush camp learning about best leave no trace practices
    • 4 safari drives through the Kruger area
    • Full wildlife immersion day and overnight bush camping
    • Biking activity through Pridelands Conservancy
    • Morning bush walk back to the main lodge
    • Boma dinner
    • Abseiling down Table Mountain
    • Free time in Cape Town
    • Internal flight between Cape Town and Johannesburg and Johannesburg and the Kruger area
    • All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
    Accommodations

    Lodges (6 nts), Hotels (2 nts).

    Meals

    8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 7 dinners

    Allow USD65-85 for meals not included.

    Transportation

    Private vehicle, plane, safari vehicle, walking.

    Staff & experts

    CEO (Chief Experience Officer) & experienced local guides throughout

    Day 1 : Cape Town

    Arrive at any time. Please make your own way to the joining hotel and enjoy a welcome meeting in the evening before an included group dinner where you will get to know your fellow travellers.

    Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group

    1h

    Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

    Meals Included:

    Dinner

    Day 2 : Cape Town

    Soak up this thrilling day in Cape Town and experience the adrenaline rush of abseiling down the cliff face of iconic Table Mountain. After breakfast the group will ride a cable car up to the top of the mountain and enjoy the views of Robben Island, Lions Head, The Twelve Apostles and Camps Bay in the deep blue Atlantic.

    Head back to Cape Town in the early afternoon and spend the rest of the day and evening exploring on your own. From neighbourhood walks to lighthouse hikes, there are so many ways to get to know this incredible city.

    Abseiling down Table Mountain

    Cape Town 1h - 2h

    Begin at the top about 1,000m above sea level surrounded by the incredible views of Robben Island, Lions Head, The Twelve Apostles, and Camps Bay as your back drop and the Atlantic Ocean at your feet. Listen to a safety briefing before harnessing up and abseiling down iconic Table Mountain for 112m along the cliff face. When you get to the bottom point there will be a 30 minute hike back up to the top of the mountain.

    Free time:

    Cape Town

    Enjoy free time to partake in some active optional activities in Cape Town like sandboarding or stay in town and café hop.

    Optional Activities - Day 2

    Atlantis Dunes Sandboarding

    Cape Town 4h

    Enjoy a Sandboarding experience at the Atlantic Dunes, about 45km north of Cape Town's city centre. This activity offers an exhilarating adventure in a stunning natural setting. Transfer for about 45 minutes to the vast area of pristine white sand, with some dunes reaching up to a height of 50 meters. All transportation to/from Cape Town, plus all necessary equipment and safety gear will be provided. Your professional guides will offer instructions and support throughout. All skill levels are welcome.

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast

    Day 3 : Cape Town to Tugela Falls Area via Johannesburg

    Fly from Cape Town to Johannesburg in the morning and travel to your mountain lodge accommodations near Tugela Falls. The lodge is owned by the local Batlokoa (Sotho) community, and all staff and guides are members themselves. Once here, sit down for a welcome meeting and briefing about the hiking that is expected in the coming days. Then, have an included group dinner at the restaurant on the lodge property.

    Plane

    Cape Town - Johannesburg 2h

    Sit back and relax on your included flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg for the next part of your adventure.

    Private Vehicle

    Johannesburg - Phuthaditjhaba 5h 330km

    Settle in and scan the scenery from the comfort of your private vehicle between the airport in Johannesburg to your lodge accommodations in the mountains. The views along the way will be stunning as you climb upwards into the mountains past rural dwellings and beautiful vistas.

    Free time:

    Phuthaditjhaba Evening

    Get settled at the mountain lodge near Tugela Falls. It is owned by the local Batlokoa (Sotho) community, and the staff and guides are members of the community. The Lodge is certified by Fair Trade Tourism. Spend free time enjoying the property before your evening safety briefing regarding the next day's hikes.

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Dinner

    Day 4 : Tugela Falls Area

    This morning you have two hiking options to decide between. Choose to set off on the more intense Sentinel Peak hike to the second highest waterfall in the world, Tugela Falls and enjoy lunch at the top. Or opt for the Gudu and Mahai Falls guided hikes along more gentle routes and have lunch back at the lodge in between each one. Dinner will be had back at the lodge with views over the surrounding scenery you spent the day immersed in.

    Choose between two guided hiking options this morning. One is more strenuous and takes you to the top of Tugela Falls, the second highest waterfall in the world, while the other is moderate and also visits two separates waterfalls with a return to the lodge in between for lunch.

    Option 1: Sentinel Peak with Tugela Falls

    7h - 9h 12km

    Option 1: Hike the Sentinel Peak trail to the top of Tugela Falls. This 12km trail will take most of the day and a packed lunch will be had at the top overlooking the impressive Drakensberg. The hike is also commonly known as the 'chain ladders hike' because of a series of chain ladders that hikers must climb up along an almost vertical rock face. Certainly not for the faint of heart, but well worth the incredible views you are rewarded with at the top. In regards to the chain ladders, there are two sections of about 50 rungs a piece and a choice between one with large "grabbing handles". Please feel confident before attempting this section as there's no shame in choosing the alternate route.

    Option 2: Gudu & Mahai Falls Hike

    5h 7km

    Option 2: Hike first to Gudu Falls on a shorter more moderate trail that leads you to the base of a waterfall in this lush green environment of rolling hills. Travel back to the lodge for an included lunch and then walk from the lodge on a nearby trail through peaceful scenery and quiet forests. Pass Mahai Cave and walk down to the tranquility pool named the 'Crack'.

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 5 : Tugela Falls Area to Pridelands Conservancy

    After breakfast at the lodge transfer to the airport and onwards to Hoedspruit and your immersive and active lodge stay. One at the lodge, sit down for a brief orientation of the property and the safety rules for the upcoming bush camp stay. Take some time to get settled in before the afternoon open safari vehicle drive through the bush searching for wildlife and continuing after sunset with a focus on nocturnal life and astronomy.

    Private Vehicle

    Phuthaditjhaba - Johannesburg 5h 357km

    Travel back to the airport near Johannesburg from your lodge stay near Tugela Falls and at the base of Sentinel Peak. The drive will take most of the morning, but the scenery will be enjoyable.

    Plane

    Johannesburg - Hoedspruit 1h

    Sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery on your flight out to Hoedspruit and the wild area of Kruger National Park and your unique Eco camp accommodations in the bush.

    Private Vehicle

    Hoedspruit - Pridelands Conservancy 0h30m 17km

    Settle in and scan the scenery from the comfort of your private vehicle to your accommodations in the magnificent bush landscape awash in the golden light. There will be a safety briefing before you are shown your rooms.

    Afternoon & Evening Bush Safari

    Pridelands Conservancy 3h

    Set off in a open safari vehicle into the African bush with a focus on the area's ecology. Search for the resident wildlife going about their daily routines and watch the sunset over this incredible landscape. The drive will continue in the evening with a shifted focus to nocturnal life and astronomy.

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Dinner

    Day 6 : Pridelands Conservancy

    Enjoy a full-day wilderness trail experience in the form of a bush walk. Connect with the wilderness and learn a minimal impact approach as you spend the day trekking on foot, observing wildlife both near and far, and learning about how guides and rangers in South Africa are taught to track and observe the animals in the bush. In the afternoon, set up an eco-friendly tent camp in the wild with your local guides. You will stay overnight here in your pitched tent along with the company of your travel mates and guides for a once in a lifetime opportunity to sleep under the starts in the savanna. Enjoy dinner around the fire and listen out for wildlife in the distance. The night sky should put on quite a display, so don't forget to look up as you drift off to sleep.

    Full-Day Wilderness Trail & Overnight Bush Camp Experience

    Pridelands Conservancy

    Today's experience is an in-depth introduction to the bush. Begin with a walk from the main lodge along a wilderness trail with your expert guides. Lessons during the walk include wilderness appreciation and Minimal Impact Approach and how to set up an eco-friendly camp in the surroundings. There will also be lessons at camp about how to build an eco-friendly fire, the importance of night watch, and mastering time with the light and by the stars. You will take those lessons learned and employ a mimimal impact approach while camping in the bush. Dinner will be served as you spend the night under the vast sky of stars.

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 7 : Pridelands Conservancy

    Rise early and after some refreshments clear the camp leaving no trace. Trek back to Pridelands Conservancy with your guide and group and indulge in a hearty breakfast there at the lodge. Later in the day, listen in on an expert-led discussion at the Pridelands Basecamp about an important wilderness topic led by your local expert. Later in the day, hop into the vehicles and join an afternoon safari drive incorporating important points from your earlier talk into the safari drive. Enjoy a Boma dinner back at the camp and fall asleep under the stars.

    Morning Bush Walk

    Pridelands Conservancy 3h

    Awake in the early morning at camp and experience all of the responsible tasks needed in order to leave no trace. Clean camp, pack breakfast for the walk back and then set of into the bush as your guide points out various plants and animals in the morning light. Upon arrival to the Pridelands main camp there will be a hearty breakfast to refuel after an active few hours.

    Afternoon Discussion & Safari Drive - Kruger Area

    Pridelands Conservancy 4h

    Attend an afternoon discussion at the main lodge on a wildlife topic. Have lunch at the restaurant on the property and then embark on a safari drive in which you spot the resident animals and your guide incorporates aspects from the discussion in your drive experience. Topics range from Animal Tracks to Common Tree and Shrubs, and Bird Identification, leaving travellers with a deeper understanding of the topics discussed as well as first-hand experience identifying tracks, plants, and birds while on safari afterwards.

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 8 : Pridelands Conservancy

    As the sun begins to rise the group will embark on an adrenaline-pumping mountain biking activity through the reserve. In the afternoon, choose to join an outdoor wilderness focused discussion led by the local guides and rangers. On your final evening in the conservancy, head out on a last safari drive to spot those last few animals. Bid farewell to the savanna with dinner and a drumming session out in the bush as darkness falls.

    Morning Bike Ride through Pridelands Conservancy

    Pridelands Conservancy

    Pedal through the morning glow on a sunrise bike ride through the wild landscape. Feel the wind rush past and search for resident wildlife going about their business. Along the way the group will make a pit stop for some coffee and a quick bite to eat before continuing back to the lodge.

    Afternoon Discussion & Safari Drive - Kruger Area

    Pridelands Conservancy 4h

    Attend an afternoon discussion at the main lodge on a wildlife topic. Have lunch at the restaurant on the property and then embark on a safari drive in which you spot the resident animals and your guide incorporates aspects from the discussion in your drive experience. Topics range from Animal Tracks to Common Tree and Shrubs, and Bird Identification, leaving travellers with a deeper understanding of the topics discussed as well as first-hand experience identifying tracks, plants, and birds while on safari afterwards.

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 9 : Pridelands Conservancy/Kruger to Johannesburg

    Sip your morning tea or coffee in the bush as the golden light crosses the savanna. Set out on a short morning drive to simply enjoy and envelop yourself in the dawn with nature rising around you. Return for breakfast before transferring onwards to the airport for your flight back to Johannesburg. Arrive in the late afternoon, get settled at the hotel, and enjoy a free evening to explore and grab dinner at a trendy spot in the city with your fellow travel mates and CEO.

    Morning Safari Drive - Kruger Area

    Pridelands Conservancy 2h30m

    Soak in the calming atmosphere of the bush on a final morning safari drive from camp. Search for the big five and slow down as the sun rises to sit in silence and simply be in nature.

    Private Vehicle

    Pridelands Conservancy - Hoedspruit 0h30m 16km

    Travel back to Hoedspruit from your active stay at a lodge in the Kruger area. Enjoy the scenery as you ride in a private vehicle to the airfield.

    Plane

    Hoedspruit - Johannesburg 1h

    Fly back to Johannesburg from your time in the bush.

    Free time:

    Johannesburg

    Spend time on your own in Johannesburg. Visit historical sites, walk through the botanical garden, or choose to find a delicious local spot to try some regional staples.

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Lunch

    Day 10 : Johannesburg

    Depart at any time.

    Departure Day

    Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.

    dates start-End Availability remaining spaces Price Per Person
    Jul 2025
    Sun, 06 Jul - Tue, 15 Jul 7+ available £3,099 Request a quote
    Aug 2025
    Sun, 24 Aug - Tue, 02 Sep 7+ available £3,099 Request a quote
    Sep 2025
    Sun, 28 Sep - Tue, 07 Oct 7+ available £2,999 Request a quote
    Oct 2025
    Sun, 19 Oct - Tue, 28 Oct 7+ available £2,999 Request a quote
    Nov 2025
    Sun, 30 Nov - Tue, 09 Dec 7+ available £2,879 Request a quote
    Dec 2025
    Sun, 28 Dec - Tue, 06 Jan 7+ available £2,879 Request a quote
    Feb 2026
    Sun, 22 Feb - Tue, 03 Mar 7+ available £2,999 Request a quote
    Apr 2026
    Sun, 12 Apr - Tue, 21 Apr 7+ available £2,879 Request a quote
    Jun 2026
    Sun, 07 Jun - Tue, 16 Jun 7+ available £2,999 Request a quote
    Jul 2026
    Sun, 05 Jul - Tue, 14 Jul 7+ available £3,099 Request a quote
    Sun, 26 Jul - Tue, 04 Aug 7+ available £3,099 Request a quote
    Aug 2026
    Sun, 23 Aug - Tue, 01 Sep 7+ available £3,099 Request a quote
    Sep 2026
    Sun, 27 Sep - Tue, 06 Oct 7+ available £2,999 Request a quote
    Oct 2026
    Sun, 18 Oct - Tue, 27 Oct 7+ available £2,999 Request a quote
    Nov 2026
    Sun, 29 Nov - Tue, 08 Dec 7+ available £2,879 Request a quote
    Dec 2026
    Sun, 27 Dec - Tue, 05 Jan 7+ available £2,879 Request a quote