Wildlife & Culture

13 days—Cradle of Humankind & Northern Safari

$2110-3401 USD

Get quote

Safari summary

Take a journey with us traveling slowly through the fascinating northern parts of South Africa, rich in both cultural and historical legacies. You will visit various cultural sites that each offer unique experiences with a chance to sample the diversity of this rainbow nation and our common ancestral roots, which bind us all together as humankind. On top of this, a chance to visit two world-class Game Reserves during the trip makes this a well-rounded one!

About this tour

	Tour type	Custom, tailor-made, private
	Main focus	Game drives
	Activity level	Easy activity
	Best months	February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October
	Countries	South Africa
	Parks	Kruger

Itinerary

Day 1

DAY 1: HISTORY & CULTURE | JOHANNESBURG & SOWETO Beginning our tour around Johannesburg, we spend the first day visiting the many fascinating cultural aspects of the City of Gold. We head off to the south western areas, where both a tour of the Soweto township and a visit to the Apartheid museum start the contrast of cultures in the economic beating heart of RSA.

Day 2

DAY 2: CRADLE OF HUMANKIND PRECINCTS We move out to the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the Cradle of Humankind, where a large number of remains of our early human ancestors have been repeatedly found, and the story of our origins over the past few million years, are told in spectacular glory. We take a look at both the Maropeng precinct and the Sterkfontein caves.

Day 3

DAY 3-5: MAPUNGUBWE NATIONAL PARK | KINGDOM OF GREATER ZIMBABWE We continue our journey North, as we drive to the border of Zimbabwe, where we find remnants of the Great Zimbabwe Kingdom from a thousand years ago. Set in a pristine National Park, we spend a few days learning of this fascinating culture and searching for wildlife.

Day 6

DAY 6-7: VENDA ROUTE | LOCAL CULTURE & TRADITION We leave Mapungubwe National Park to travel onto magical Venda territory, sampling this fascinating landscape, rich in cultural legacy and mysticism. It seems like a different country, and the proud Venda people have many fascinating spiritual sites to explore. This is also the area of various tribes and their long and proud histories, including Modjadji the 'Rain Queen.' We visit a variety of fascinating sites, enjoy a day of easy hiking, and stay close to the Chief in a traditional African Royal homestead.

Day 8

DAY 8: ZWAKALA RIVER RETREAT | CRAFT BREWERY We spend the day up in the Magoebaskloof Mountains, tasting the local craft beer made from the sweet waters which flow pure and clean down the mountain. We enjoy a lunch at the Brewery before spending the afternoon in typical holiday-style, with many options to rest and relax, and some interesting activities (optional) on offer; hiking, walks, swimming in the river, fishing, horse-riding, and more.

Day 9

Kruger

DAY 9-12: KRUGER NATIONAL PARK | FLAGSHIP WILDERNESS From here we travel further into the bush for another four nights, visiting the world-famous Kruger National Park. We take our time exploring the middle and southern sections of the Park, with all of the variety and diversity of landscape and animals that this park offers.

Day 13

Kruger

DAY 13: JOHANNESBURG | OWN IS HOME! Waking up early, we enjoy one last long game drive searching for anything or everything we haven't seen. On the way, we enjoy a hearty breakfast before ending our Kruger Park journey at the gates. From here we transfer back to Johannesburg and your own itinerary or flights home.

Here are the latest tours by Siya Phambile Expeditions.