D1: Johannesburg OR Tambo - Johannesburg |
| Meet and Greet and Transfer |
| - | Meet and greet and transfer from OR Tambo International Airport. Our guide will meet you at the airport upon your arrival, assist you with any queries you may have before you embark on your holiday, and transfer you to your hotel. |
| - | Overnight: Hyde Park Guest House (Standard room/BB) |
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D2: Johannesburg |
| Day Tour: Jo`burg, Soweto and Apartheid Museum FD(o) |
| - | Breakfast |
09:00 | - | Orientate yourself with greater Johannesburg on a full-day tour of Johannesburg, Soweto and the Apartheid Museum. Your explorations begin in the heart of bustling Johannesburg, the third largest city in Africa, as you seek out landmark buildings such as the Hillbrow Tower, one of the tallest towers in Africa, the sky-scraping Ponte City, Sentech and Carlton Centre Tower and the multi-million rand Nelson Mandela Bridge. South of city you will find the Apartheid Museum that showcases the notorious system of racial discrimination that became synonymous with South Africa from 1948 until 1994 when the country’s first fully democratic elections were held. The museum has two entrances labelled ‘white’ and ‘non-white’ giving visitors a tiny taste of some of apartheid’s prejudiced rules. More serious overtones to this system of racial classification can be observed inside the museum with harrowing personal testimonials and historical facts. Your tour rounds off with highlights of Soweto such as the match box houses, FNB “Soccer city” Stadium, Hector Pieterson Memorial, Vilakazi Street and Mandela House.
(Optional rates: D2:Joburg, Soweto & Apartheid Museum FD) |
| - | Overnight: Hyde Park Guest House (Standard room/BB) |
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D3: Johannesburg |
| Day Tour: Mandela FD(o) |
| - | Breakfast |
09:00 | - | Collection from your hotel for a full-day tour tracing the early life of South Africa’s most iconic leader, Nelson Mandela, from the time he arrived in Johannesburg to the infamous Rivonia Trial that led to his 27 years of imprisonment. The tour follows a roughly chronological order of important events in his life beginning with Mandela Yard in Alexandra where he rented a room while studying and working as a clerk in a law firm. Next is Constitution Hill, a human rights precinct that acknowledges the horrors of the past while embracing the promise of the future and also incorporates the Old Fort Prison, a notorious jail where political prisoners including Mandela where incarcerated. The tour concludes with a visit to Liliesleaf Farm, widely regarded as the birthplace of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the armed wing of the ANC. It was here that a police raid on 11 July 1963 resulted in the Rivonia Treason Trials and eventual incarceration of many senior ANC leaders, including Nelson Mandela. Return transfer to your hotel included. (Optional rates: D3:Mandela FD) |
| - | Overnight: Hyde Park Guest House (Standard room/BB) |
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D4: Johannesburg |
| Day Tour: Lion and Safari Park HD(o) • Day Tour: Cradle of Humankind HD(o) |
| - | Breakfast |
08:00 | - | The Lion and Safari Park is a 600 hectare wilderness reserved situated in the Hartebeespoort, Magaliesburg and Cradle of Humankind area. The park offers guests an incredible opportunity to get up close to many of South Africa’s most iconic animals. The Lion and Safari Park offers a wealth of exciting activities for the whole family. Guests are guaranteed the opportunity to get extremely close to many of Africa’s most exciting animals including Brown and White Lion, Wild dog, Cheetah and over twenty different African wildlife species. While exploring the park guests will get the opportunity to view many amazing animals including Zebra, Giraffe, Gemsbok, Springbuck, Blesbuck, Sable, Nyala and many many more.
(Optional rates: D5:Lion and Safari Park HD PM) |
14:00 | - | Pick up from your hotel for a half day tour of the Cradle of Humankind. Just outside of the fast-paced city of Johannesburg lies one of the most important archaeological sites for human evolution studies, the aptly named Cradle of Humankind. It is one of South Africa’s eight Heritage Sites and consists of a network of limestone subterranean caves that hold a rich hominoid fossil record. The caves, including the Sterkfontein, Swartkrans and Kromdraai, tell the story of what the world was like when our human ancestors were evolving some two to three million years ago, and lend credence to the theory that humans and their ancestors evolved in Africa first. In 1947 one of the first major discoveries was made at the Sterkfontein Caves of a pre-human skull dating back more than 2-million years. The skull was classified as Plesianthropus transvaalensis and hence shorted to ‘Mrs Ples’. Aside from fossil displays the Cradle of Humankind also includes a variety of other activities and facilities. Transfer back to your hotel at the conclusion of the tour. (Optional rates: D5:Cradle of Humankind HD AM) |
| - | Overnight: Hyde Park Guest House (Standard room/BB) |
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D5: Johannesburg - Johannesburg OR Tambo |
| Day Tour: Pretoria City Tour HD(o) • Transfer |
| - | Breakfast |
08:00 | - | Pick up from your hotel for a half-day Pretoria City Tour to discover the administrative capital known as "Jacaranda City". Pretoria is a city of tree-lined avenues, fascinating architecture and historic monuments. A drive along Government Avenue will take you to the Union Buildings, a symbol of the new Democratic South Africa. As part of the executive government the building cannot be visited but the beautifully manicured terrace garden, planted with indigenous species and scattered monuments, memorials and statues, is an attraction in its own. From the Union building meander the streets of Arcadia heading to the city centre to visit the Kruger house Museum. This modest Edwardian style home was occupied by Paul Kruger from 1894 to 1900; it contains interesting souvenirs of Oom Paul's life, the founder of the Afrikaans Nation. Complete the tour with a drive through Church Square to Voortrekkerhoogte, the hill on which the Voortrekker Monument is built. The Monument, rising like a sentinel in the south of Pretoria is an essential piece of the puzzle in understanding the Afrikaner people. The friezes explain their entire history from the Great Trek up to the Battle of Blood River and the forming of the Boer Republics. Return transfer to your hotel included. (Optional rates: D1:Pretoria City Tour HD PM) |
16:09 | - | Transfer from Johannesburg to Johannesburg OR Tambo |