7-Day Cape Town & Sabi Sand Safari

Upon arrival at Cape Town International Airport, guests are met by an African Sky representative and transferred to their overnight accommodation at Cape Grace on the V&A Waterfront. Affectionately nicknamed South Africa's “Mother City”, Cape Town offers a striking blend of mountain, ocean and cosmopolitan flair. After time to freshen up and relax at the hotel, you head to the harbor for a sunset champagne cruise in Table Bay. As the boat glides out to sea, Table Mountain rises dramatically behind the city, creating one of the world’s most recognizable skylines.

The cruise offers spectacular sunset views and an excellent vantage point from which to see Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent many years of his 27-year imprisonment. Your guide may share insights into the island’s role in South Africa’s history and the broader struggle for democracy. With a glass of sparkling wine in hand and the cool ocean breeze on your face, it is a relaxed, atmospheric introduction to Cape Town. At the end of the cruise, you are accompanied back to Cape Grace to enjoy dinner and a restful first night in the country.

This morning of your Cape Town tour is devoted to exploring one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, Table Mountain. After breakfast, you transfer to the cableway station for the rotating cable car ride to the summit, which takes around five minutes and offers sweeping views over the city, harbor and Atlantic coastline. The main feature of Table Mountain is a level plateau roughly three kilometers long, flanked by Devil’s Peak to the east and Lion’s Head to the west, forming the dramatic amphitheater that frames Cape Town. Weather permitting, you’ll be able to stroll between viewpoints and enjoy the remarkable panoramas.

From Table Mountain the tour continues to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, located on the eastern slopes of the mountain. Covering over 500 hectares, with about 36 hectares under cultivation, Kirstenbosch is dedicated to indigenous South African flora, particularly fynbos, proteas and cycads. Paths wind through themed areas, lawns and streams, with frequent birdlife and occasional small mammals. Your guide will highlight notable species and viewpoints, and there may be time to explore sections of the famous tree canopy walkway. After your visit, you return to Cape Grace with the remainder of the afternoon at leisure and dinner at or near the hotel.

Today is devoted to the celebrated Cape Winelands. Traveling along the N1 highway, the tour makes its way to the Paarl Wine Route, where rolling vineyards and granite outcrops set a scenic backdrop. A visit is made to one of the notable wineries in this valley. Here, the winemaking process is explained in detail, from harvesting and fermentation to barrel aging and blending. Guests are invited to sample a selection of wines, gaining an appreciation for how soil, climate and grape variety influence the final character of each bottling.

From Paarl, the journey continues to the town of Franschhoek, established by French Huguenot settlers and now renowned for its fine cuisine and wine estates. Nestled among rugged mountains, the valley is home to some of South Africa’s most acclaimed wineries. A short visit to a Franschhoek estate provides another opportunity for tasting and photography. The tour then travels over the scenic Helshoogte Pass to Stellenbosch, the country’s second-oldest town and the historic heart of the South African wine industry. Oak-lined streets, Cape Dutch architecture and a visit to one of the area’s historic wineries round off the day, before you return to Cape Town and Cape Grace for dinner and a final night in the city.

Breakfast is followed by a transfer to Cape Town International Airport for a flight to Skukuza or Kruger Mpumalanga Airport in the Lowveld, depending on prevailing schedules. From here, guests are met and transferred to the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, which adjoins Kruger National Park and is renowned for some of Africa’s finest Big Five game viewing. Your destination is Lion Sands Ivory Lodge, an ultra-luxury lodge set along the Sabie River, where contemporary villas feature private plunge pools and expansive decks overlooking the bush.

After check-in and a late lunch, there is time to settle into your suite and absorb the tranquil surroundings before heading out on your first afternoon safari. Game drives are conducted in open 4x4 vehicles by a resident ranger supported by a local tracker, whose intimate knowledge of the area’s wildlife and tracks greatly enhances the quality of sightings. As dusk falls, the use of a spotlight may reveal nocturnal species such as civet, hyena or owl. Returning to camp after dark, you enjoy a gourmet dinner and your first night in the wilds of the Sabi Sand.

Sunrise and a hot beverage precede the morning safari, when predators are often still active and the soft light is ideal for photography. Your Lion Sands ranger will focus on tracking members of the Big Five – lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino – all of which occur in healthy numbers in this area. The Sabi Sand is famous for its frequent leopard sightings, with some of Africa's best chances to watch these elusive cats at close range. Along the way, you may also encounter plains game, birdlife and smaller predators that round out the ecosystem.

After a hearty breakfast back at the lodge, the late morning and early afternoon are devoted to relaxation. You might choose to spend time at your private pool, visit the spa, or simply watch the river from the main deck as animals come and go. In the late afternoon, you head out again for a second game drive that extends into the evening, when large predators are at their most active. The possibility of witnessing a lion pride on the move or a leopard on a hunt adds a thrilling edge to the experience. Back at camp, stories of the day’s sightings are shared around the fire before retiring to your suite.

The rhythm of life in this wild corner of the Greater Kruger has likely begun to feel familiar as another day is devoted to exploration in the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve. Two open 4x4 safaris are again on the agenda, guided by your experienced ranger-and-tracker team. The reserve is home to a remarkable diversity of species, with hundreds of bird species, numerous antelope, and a full complement of predators and large mammals. Your guide may focus on different areas or habitats today, broadening your understanding of how rivers, woodland, open clearings and rocky outcrops each support specific communities of wildlife.

Between drives, there is ample opportunity to appreciate the finer details of the environment. You may join an optional guided bush walk offered by the lodge, subject to conditions, where tracks, insects and plant life receive closer attention. Alternatively, you can simply savor the exclusivity and comfort of Lion Sands Ivory Lodge – enjoying quiet time, a good book or casual conversation with your ranger about conservation and local history. As this is your last full safari day, the afternoon game drive and sundowners are especially memorable, followed by a celebratory dinner that caps off your time in this iconic reserve.

A final early morning game drive offers one last chance to soak up the sights and sounds of the Sabi Sand, perhaps ticking off any species still on your wish list. The fresh air, birdsong and possibility of an unexpected sighting make this concluding drive as special as the first. After returning to the lodge, you enjoy a farewell breakfast and say goodbye to the staff who have made your stay so comfortable and personalized.

Thereafter, you are transferred to a nearby airstrip or Skukuza Airport for your flight to Johannesburg. As your aircraft climbs above the bushveld and turns toward the city, you can reflect on a journey that combined Cape Town’s coastal elegance with one of Africa’s premier Big Five safari experiences. On arrival at O. R. Tambo International Airport, your Cape Town and Sabi Sand safari with African Sky comes to an end, with the option to connect to your onward international flight or continue traveling elsewhere in Southern Africa.