25 Day Cape, Kruger & Victoria Falls With Madagascar Small Group Tour

Welcome to Cape Town! 

Upon arrival into Cape Town Airport (CPT ), you will be met in the arrivals hall by a local representative. 

When you check in at the hotel, you will receive a welcome letter with the time of tomorrow's tour briefing

Today is at your leisure with time to relax and explore this incredible city on your own.

Please Note: If Inspiring Vacations has not provided your international airfares, please ensure you provide your flight details via your Traveller Hub portal no later than 90 days prior to travel so that your transfers can be confirmed. Please make sure you have advised Inspiring Vacations of any changes to your arrival flight number at least 3 days prior to departure.

If you are purchasing pre-nights accommodation as part of your Inspiring Vacations package, airport transfers will be provided to the starting hotel.

If you are arriving early and have made your own accommodation arrangements prior to your tour commencing, airport transfers will not be included. Our transfer portal offers the option to book your airport transfers for an easier arrival experience (additional charges apply). Access to this portal will be available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before meeting your local guide for a tour briefing, followed by a half day tour that showcases the best of the city of Cape Town. Cape Town City Centre is rich in history and culture and is alive with the sights and sounds of a diverse people that call it home. This tour will take you to some of the most celebrated attractions from the Castle of Good Hope to the City Hall, where Nelson Mandela spoke to a crowd of hundreds of thousands after his release from prison. You will also see the cobbled streets and brightly coloured houses of the Bo to Kaap. Take a trip up Table Mountain, high above the clouds, on the revolving cable car, if the weather & time permits.

Return to your hotel this afternoon where the rest of the day is at leisure.

Note: The Table Mountain Cable Car is closed for annual maintance during winter.  Exact dates to be confirmed, but typically from 15 July - 01 September.

Enjoy a full day at leisure to relax, shop or continue exploring this dynamic city on your own. 

Alternatively, you may wish to join an optional full day tour of Cape Point.

Enjoy breakfast at leisure before checking out of your room and meeting your local guide for your transfer to Franschhoek. Franschhoek translates to French Corner and this is where you will find the finer things in life that include soul-stirring scenery, exceptional cuisine and century old wine estates that produce award winning wine. Franschhoek has been described as South Africa’s food and wine capital and there are more award winning restaurants in this town than anywhere else in the country. Vineyards over these mountain slopes have been nurtured and grown for over 300 years when the French Huguenots settled here in their escape from persecution. In the village you will find crafts, art and antique shops and galleries and a visit to the Huguenot Memorial is a definite when visiting Franschhoek. For those in search of energetic activities, there are a number of walking trails in the surrounding mountains or perhaps hire a bicycle to ride through vineyards.

Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Enjoy breakfast at leisure before enjoying a full day exploring the local wineries of the Franschhoek area with your included Franschhoek Wine Tram - Hop on Hop off Experience.  Your hotel offers a complimentary shuttle service which will take you to the start point of the Wine Tram.  Please arrange your shuttle time with the hotel reception.

The Franschhoek Wine Tram hop on hop off tour is one of the best ways to discover the true essence of the Franschhoek Valley picturesque vineyards, breathtaking scenery, warm hospitality, world class cuisine, fine wines and a 300 year history.

Aboard the hop on hop off tour you will experience a unique and leisurely way to see the Franschhoek Valley as you journey through rolling vineyards in a double decker tram and open air tram-bus stopping in at some of South Africa’s oldest and most distinguished wine estates. A combination of tram and tram-bus transports you around a loop of stops allowing you to hop off at each stop and experience the activities on offer, be it wine tasting, a cellar tour, lunch or simply a stroll through the vineyards and when you are ready, hop on to continue the tour. This tour takes you right into the heart of the Franschhoek Valley, with a narration focusing on the history of Franschhoek and wine cultivation in the valley and unparalleled views of the valley and vineyards.

Please note: all experiences at the wineries, tastings and meals are at an additional cost.

Today you will be met by your guide and transferred back to Cape Town for your included flight to Kruger National Park. 

On arrival you will be met and transferred to your accommodation where the rest of the day is at leisure before enjoying dinner this evening at the hotel.

One of the largest and most popular game reserves in Africa, the Kruger National Park is a bucket-list destination for those who love experiencing wildlife and adventure and today we will experience it on a full day game drive in an open vehicle. Following an early breakfast you will head out on your game drive. This full day excursion will be approximately 10 hours in duration.  Lunch will be included.

Approximately the same size as Wales, the park is particularly special because of the easy access and opportunities it provides visitors. The headline act is of course the animals, with the "Big Five" (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo) taking centre stage. There is however a huge supporting cast of more than 135 mammals and 500 varieties of bird. The sheer size of the Kruger National Park ensures an ever-changing landscape. Each new habitat brings with it its own resident animals, making game viewing a fun challenge and a quickly acquired skill. 

We return to the hotel in the late afternoon with time to relax before your included dinner.

Today is free to relax and enjoy the resort.

For those wanting to maximise their safari experience, there is an option to book a half day, open vehicle game drive.

Today you will be transferred to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport for your included flight to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. 

On arrival you will be met by a local representative and transferred to your hotel located in the heart of the town with easy access to the falls. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure.

Please note: Your final flight schedule may have you arrive and/or depart via the Zambia side of Victoria Falls. Additionally, partaking in the Day Tour to Chobe National Park will mean you may transit between Zimbabwe and Zambia multiple times.  Please consider this when obtaining your visa (if applicable, please consider the KAZA UNIVISA which allows for multiple entry to these countries)

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before you join a guided tour of The Falls from the Zimbabwe side. 

No surprise why Victoria Falls is one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World. You'll understand it instantly as we tour the Zimbabwean side, for there are numerous spectacular vantage points along the width of The Falls, and the sight of this astounding gift of nature, simply takes your breath away. Walk through the permanent, beautifully misty rainforest which flanks the Falls, stopping to marvel at the principal sites as it cascades to the depths below the Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Rainbow Falls, the Boiling Pot, Cataract Island and Livingstone Island. We'll stand and watch, feel and listen to the spray and thunderous noise, as millions of litres of water tumble over the Falls into a series of narrow gorges below. The seventh Natural Wonder of the World puts on the most dramatic show for you, and you'll be privileged to have watched it.

This afternoon is at leisure. Alternatively you may wish to join the optional tours on offer. There is enough time this afternoon if you wish to select both of these tours.

After breakfast, meet your guide as you venture off to Botswana on a full day tour of Chobe National park. This is a sensational trip with land and water-based game viewing.

The first safari is from the Chobe River, teaming with animals, sitting securely on board, just off the riverbank, game viewing from the relaxing vantage point of a boat. You're on the mighty Chobe River which flows through the renowned Chobe National Park providing a haven for herds of grazing animals and bird life. Just sit back, relax, and keep those binoculars handy. Watch this glorious scene unfolding itself - large herds of elephants, often with the tiniest frolicking calves, kicking up dust as they wait their turn at the water's edge to drink. Large crocodiles sun themselves on the banks of the river, mouths agape. Glorious birdlife, wonderful game and the gentle rocking of the riverboat.

When we disembark, we join our safari vehicle for a drive through the Chobe Game Reserve with the chance of seeing more wildlife and birdlife, and a gorgeous lunch at a lodge awaiting us overlooking the Chobe River. 

Head back to Victoria Falls late this afternoon as we cross the border back to Zimbabwe. 

Please note: the Chobe Day Tour may be shared with guests from other groups. The maximum number of guests for this day tour will be 20. There will be a change of vehicle at the Botswana/Zimbabwe border.

Today you will be transferred to Victoria Falls Airport for your included flight to Johannesburg. 

On arrival you’ll be met by a local representative who will accompany you on the shuttle transfer and assist with your hotel check in. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Make your way back to the airport for your included flight to Antananarivo. Please ensure you check-in at least 3 hours prior to your scheduled departure. 

Welcome to Madagascar! On your arrival at Antananarivo Airport you will be met by a local representative in the arrivals hall and transferred to your hotel for relaxation and overnight in preparation for meeting your new group in the morning for your Madagascar adventure.

Today is a leisurely day, perfect for immersing yourself in the captivating wonders of Antananarivo. Explore its rich tapestry of history through iconic landmarks like the meticulously reconstructed royal palaces, the revered Andafiavaratra Palace, and the solemn tomb of Rainiharo. Delve into the city's natural splendour at Tsimbazaza Zoo and the serene Lake Anosy. Experience the fervour of sports at Mahamasina Stadium or seek solace in the tranquillity of the 19th-century martyr churches. Uncover the treasures of art and archaeology at the esteemed Museum of Art and Archaeology. Antananarivo beckons with a plethora of experiences waiting to be discovered and cherished.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning before we start our journey with a drive to Andasibe through the green and luxuriant vegetation of eastern Madagascar. Along the way we will see Merina villages spread in the rocky mountains before arriving at Andasibe in the afternoon and check-in to the hotel. This evening experience the forest from a different perspective as we enjoy a night walk. Your guide will point out night active lemurs and other nocturnal animals in their natural habitat.

We start our morning with a visit to the Special Reserve of Andasibe to see the Indri, the largest lemurs on the island. This 810 ha reserve is unique with its endemic fauna and flora and contains a wide variety of orchids, canopy, and endemic animals like chameleons, tenrecs, and many birds. In the afternoon, we visit the V.O.I.I.M.A Community Reserve. Here you will also come across a variety of wildlife, ranging from brown lemurs, indri, chameleons, geckos and birds. This reserve provides a sustainable way of saving the remaining rainforests in the area by creating a livelihood for the local communities through reforestation projects.

Return to your hotel where the rest of the evening is at leisure. 

Leave early this morning and head south to Antsirabe, across the highland landscape with its beautiful rice fields on display. The spectacular eroded hills called ‘lavaka’ remind us of the Far East with its rice fields and green landscape with vegetables and fruit trees. We stop in Ambatolampy for a quick visit to this huge agricultural city which is also known for its aluminium founderies where most of the countries utensils are produced in this town. We continue arriving in Antsirabe early in the evening. 

Antsirabe, known as the ‘The place of salt’ is an elegant city and known as the centre of the beer industry and home of the local Star Brewery. Founded by Norwegians in 1856, Antsirabe has many elements that makes it look and feel like a European city in the middle of Africa.

After breakfast we drive to Ambositra, the centre of Madagascar's wood carving industry. The highlands are characterised by its architecture: The houses are made with ornately carved wooden balconies and shutters with bright colours. Further on we pass the ‘le col de tapia’, a type of tree resistant to bush fires. The landscape is still dominated by rice fields, pine forests, eucalyptus trees and rocky mountains. We turn off from the main road to reach our destination late this afternoon: Ranomafana National Park.

Check into your hotel where your evening is at leisure.

The approximately 40,000 ha of Parc National de Ranomafana with its rain forest covered hills and abundant wildlife, has long been considered one of Madagascar’s highlights, and is one of the country’s most popular national parks.

Its entrance lies about 7 km from Ranomafana village and altitudes in the Park Range from 800 m to 1200 m. In addition to its densely forested hills, Ranomafana’s terrain is characterised by numerous small streams which plummet down to the beautiful Namorona River. Here, enjoy long walks in the national park spotting some of the lemurs, chameleons and other animals.

Enjoy an early breakfast before we leave Ranomafana and visit a local wine farm for a wine tasting near Fianarantsoa. 

We then head southwards to Ambalavao and visit the ‘Anteimoro Paper Factory’ which is a vestige of the Arabian civilization on the island. Afterwards, we take time to stop at a community-based silk weaving project run by the women's association "Soalandy" and learn the skillful techniques of this art and meet the women and how the cooperative is making a difference to the local community.

Later, we pass through the mountain chain of Andringitra, which serves as a transition between the dry south and green highlands with its famous ‘3 hillocks’ and its huge ‘Archbishop's Cape’. Along the way we will see from afar a spectacular huge granite dome with twin rock towers called ‘The Gate of The South’, which in fact marks the end of the highland and the beginning of the south. The ‘Bishop's Hat’ is another noticeable, imposing formation and a sacred location for the local people.

We then continue to Ihosy, the capital of the Bara tribes where we arrive at our retreat in the late afternoon/early evening. Positioned high in the Sandstone Mountains, enjoy incredible views from your lodge overlooking the Isalo National Park.

Today, enjoy a hike in the incredible Isalo National Park. The park covers an area of 81,540 ha, comprising of the entire stretch of the Isalo massif. This huge mountain is spectacular with its eroded sandstone elevations. Along the way we will see vegetation like Uapaca bojeri, Pachypodium rosulatum or ‘elephant's foot’ and Aloe isaloensis, a native species of aloe endemic to Isalo. The eroded mountains also served as a place where the Bara kept their dead before they could bury them in their actual tombs. 

We start our climb and reach the massif after walking about 20 minutes, where we will have a spectacular view of the huge sandstone mountains with its beautiful colours and its strange and battered formations creating many different images like ‘the tortoise’, ‘the masks’ and ‘the crocodiles’. We see small streams of water, and rivers which are marked by lines of brilliant green, generally made up of numerous Pandanus pulcher and the delicate, slim-stemmed, feathery leaved palm Chrysalidocarpus isaloensis. Along the way, keep your eye out for sifakas, brown lemurs and ring-tailed lemurs, as well as fifty-five species of birds.

Today we continue to Tuléar where this part of our journey brings us to new scenery among the dry forests of the west and the spiny desert of the south. On the way, we admire the different ‘Mahafaly tombs’ and the ‘Antandroy tombs’. After a short visit of Tuléar we drive to Ifaty, the driest part of the country. Situated in the Deep South, the landscape is dominated by the cactus-like, spiny forest of different euphorbiaceae and didieraceae.

Mangrove trees line the coast alternated by Vezo communities which earn their living from fishing. We will see many small pirogues with men who go out fishing twice a day, while children and women wait on the coast to collect the fish before taking them to Tuléar for sale.

Check into you charming hotel late this afternoon overlooking the magnificent lagoon of Ifaty.

Today is free to enjoy the beautiful beach of Ifaty and the many experiences available to be purchased from the hotel. 

You may choose to partake in a diving or snorkelling excursion, or experience the Vezo fishermen's life. Why not visit the Reniala Forest where you can see two kinds of baobabs, spiny bush, and the ‘chameleon parsoni’, which is one of the largest chameleons in the world. Whale tours are available from July to mid-September where they come to the cool seas of Madagascar to give birth to their young.

Early in the morning we transfer to the airport for the flight back to Antananarivo. After check-in at the hotel, you have the afternoon free to explore the capital on your own. 

The capital of Madagascar is also called the ‘City of Thousands’ and it is where the first King started to unify the different kingdoms of the island. Tana was built in three stages: The high city, the first area occupied during the regal period where the old queen's palace is situated; the mid-city, where all the chic boutiques of the capital are found; and then the low city, which is the commercial area of the town. Walk from the high city to see the Rova, the queen's palace, and the house of the first minister during these days, which is now a museum. All of these were built by Frenchman Jean Laborde during the royal period. The mid-city, or the administration area, ends at the Rainiharo tombs and the lower town is situated in the main avenue called ‘L'avenue de l'independence’ dominated by the railway station.

After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your included flight back to Johannesburg where your tour concludes on arrival. 

Departure transfers are included as part of your package. You will be collected from your hotel at the appropriate time and transferred to the airport to meet your flight.

If Inspiring Vacations has not provided your international airfares, please ensure you provide your flight details via your Traveller Hub portal no later than 90 days prior to travel so that your transfers can be confirmed.

Please Note: If booking a connection flight at JNB O.R. Tambo Airport on this day, all flights must be booked from 9pm onwards. If your flight departs prior to 9pm, we cannot guarantee your connection and recommend booking an additional night accommodation. Post tour accommodation information can be found under “Extra Services” and can be purchased at time of booking.