14 Day Great Western Trek

The Great Western Trek is an epic off-the-beaten-track private overland adventure that explores the remote corners of South Africa's Northern Cape and Western Cape provinces.

Overview

This tour visits some unique and exciting destinations that are not customarily visited but offers an enriching experience to those looking for something unique. Part of the tour is spent at private lodges. An experienced African Sky guide privately guides most of the itinerary.

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Safari Ref. Code
T48
Starting Date
Any Date
Starting Point
Johannesburg
Ending Point
Cape Town
Customizable
Yes
Type
Private Tour
Accommodation Level
Personal
Countries Visited
Destinations Visited
  • Upington
  • Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
  • Witsand Kalahari
  • Augrabies Falls National Park
  • Namaqualand
  • Olifants River Valley
  • Riebeek Kasteel
  • Cape Winelands

Detailed Private South African Tour Itinerary: 14 Day Great Western Trek

Day 1

Arrival / Upington

Overnight: River Place Manor
Meals: None

Highlights

  • Arrival in South Africa
  • Upington
  • Orange River

Arrival / Upington

Flights
  • Johannesburg (JNB) - Upington (UTN) - 1 hr 30 min
Transfers
  • Upington Airport to River Place Manor (15 min)

Once you've arrived in Johannesburg and have cleared customs and immigration, you'll find a representative from African Sky waiting for you as you enter the arrivals hall. First, we'll take care of a few formalities. As an experienced guide, our representative will gladly answer any questions. Once formalities are completed, you'll be escorted to the appropriate departure terminal, where you'll board a local flight to Upington in South Africa's Northern Cape province. There, you'll be met and transferred to your overnight accommodations. The remainder of your first day in South Africa is enjoyed at leisure on the banks of the Orange River.

Day 2

Upington / Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Overnight: !Xaus Lodge
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Highlights

  • Kalahari Wilderness
  • Sundowners in the Wild
  • Star Studded Skies/li>

Upington / Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Distance
340 km (211 mi)
Itinerary
8 am to 11:50 am and 3:30 pm to After Sunset
Transfers
  • River Place Manor - iXaus Lodge (3hrs 50 min)

After an early breakfast, you'll be met and transferred to the remote !Xaus Lodge in a private concession of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. On arrival at the lodge, you'll be warmly welcomed and assisted with settling in. The purpose of visiting !Xaus is to escape the world, to place yourself in a location so remote that nothing of the outside world remains or impacts your day-to-day activities. Later in the day, you'll enjoy your first exciting activity in the Kgalagadi wilderness. The activity starts in the late afternoon, pauses at a remote location for sundowners, and continues into the evening, lasting three to four hours to maximize your experience.

Day 3-4

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Overnight: !Xaus Lodge
Meals: Full Board

Highlights

  • Encountering the Kalahari Lion
  • Wide Open Spaces
  • Spiritual Experience

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Itinerary
Sunrise to 9 am and 3:30 pm to After Sunset

!Xaus, meaning 'heart' in the Nama language, was established in May 2002 after an agreement was reached with the South African government. The agreement restored a large tract of land to those who once roamed the area. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is an immense desert with grass-covered dunes. The park is home to abundant wildlife, including large, black-maned Kalahari lions, cheetahs, brown and spotted hyenas, a handful of desert-adapted leopards, and large numbers of gemsbok, springbok, and wildebeest and eland. While at !Xaus, your activities include game and after-dinner drives, guided dune walks, a visit to a bushman craft village, and star gazing, made possible by clean air and zero light pollution.

Day 5

Kgalakgadi Transfrontier Park / Upington

Overnight: River Place Manor
Meals: Breakfast

Highlights

  • Morning Activity in the Kalahari
  • Meeting Your Guide
  • Leisure Time

Kgalakgadi Transfrontier Park / Upington

Distance
340 km (211 mi)
Itinerary
8 am to 2 pm
Transfers
  • iXaus Lodge - River Place Manor (3hrs 50 min)

After breakfast, you'll be met and returned to Upington. On arrival at your accommodations, you'll meet up with your African Sky guide, who'll remain with you for the remainder of the tour. The afternoon spent is at leisure.

Day 6

Upington / Witsand Kalahari

Overnight: Witsand Kalahari
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Highlights

  • White Kalahari Dunes
  • Desert Roaring
  • Nature Walk

Upington / Witsand Kalahari

Distance
155 km (96 mi)
Itinerary
8 am - 4 pm (Customizable)

Our destination today is one of the most unusual places in South Africa - Witsand Kalahari, approximately 160km from Upington. Witsand - literally 'white sand' - refers to a five-and-a-half mile-long white dune, standing out in stark contrast to the typical red dunes of the Kalahari. Known as the 'roaring dune,' a distinctive roaring may be heard as the wind blows. Witsand is home to various animals including gemsbok, red hartebeest, duiker, steenbok, and a small herd of kudu. You will enjoy a short hike in this unique wilderness in the afternoon.

Day 7-8

Witsand Kalahari / Augrabies

Overnight: Tutwa Desert Lodge
Meals: Full Board

Highlights

  • Oasis in an Arid Land
  • Augrabies Falls
  • Encountering the Klipspringer

Witsand Kalahari / Augrabies

Distance
337 km (209 mi)
Itinerary
8 am - 4 pm (Customizable)

We depart this remote desert environment and return to civilization - at least for a moment, anyway! After rejoining the paved N14, we'll travel to Springbok and later to one of South Africa's other remote regions. Namaqualand is an arid environment along Southern Africa's West Coast, covering an area of approximately 440 000 square kilometers. Here, you'll find the semi-desert Succulent Karoo biome, a biodiversity hotspot with the largest concentration of succulent plants in the world - more than 5 000 species - more than a third of the world's total. At least 40% are endemic. The region is arid in summer, and temperatures often rise above 40°C. At the onset of the rainy season, thousands of wildflowers bloom spectacularly. The otherwise drab environment is transformed into Activities, including day tours to the Richtersveld, dedicated flower tours, and a diamond and shipwreck tour.

Day 9-11

Augrabies / Namaqualand

Overnight: Naries Namakwa Retreat / Namaqua Flowers Beach Camp
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Highlights

  • Wildflowers in Spring
  • Succulent Karoo Biome
  • Spektakelberg Mountain

Augrabies / Namaqualand

Distance
294 km (182 mi)
Itinerary
8 am - 4 pm (Customizable)

We depart this remote desert environment and return to civilization - at least for a moment, anyway! After rejoining the paved N14, we'll travel to Springbok and later to one of South Africa's other remote regions. Namaqualand is an arid environment along Southern Africa's West Coast, covering an area of approximately 440 000 square kilometers. Here, you'll find the semi-desert Succulent Karoo biome, a biodiversity hotspot with the largest concentration of succulent plants in the world - more than 5 000 species - more than a third of the world's total. At least 40% are endemic. The region is arid in summer, and temperatures often rise above 40°C. At the onset of the rainy season, thousands of wildflowers bloom spectacularly. The otherwise drab environment is transformed. Activities, including day tours to the Richtersveld, dedicated flower tours, and a diamond and shipwreck tour.

Day 12

Augrabies / Olifants River Valley

Overnight: Melkboomsdrift Lodge
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Highlights

  • Beautiful Olifants River Valley
  • Melkboomsdrift Working Wine Farm
  • Olifants River

Augrabies / Olifants River Valley

Distance
282 km (175 mi)
Itinerary
8 am - 4 pm (Customizable)

After an early breakfast, we'll head off in a southerly direction. As we travel, you'll experience several small settlements and villages typical of South Africa's dry western region. Our destination is Melkboomsdrift, a working wine farm located along the banks of the Olifants River. Melkboomsdrift offers great country cooking and warm hospitality and is the perfect farm-style retreat for weary travelers. Aside from wine tasting at their large cellar at Lutzville, other activities include hiking or simply strolling through the vineyards, bird watching along the river, or a visit to the ocean at Strandfontein or Doringbaai.

Day 13

Olifants River Valley / Riebeek Kasteel

Overnight: The Royal Hotel
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Highlights

  • Riebeek Valley
  • Town of Riebeek Kasteel
  • Beautiful Winelands

Olifants River Valley / Riebeek Kasteel

Distance
251 km (156 mi)
Itinerary
8 am - 4 pm (Customizable)

The Riebeek Valley is one of the oldest settled European districts in Southern Africa after Cape Town. Today, Riebeek Kasteel is popular for its beauty and rural atmosphere. Worthwhile visits include De Oude Kerk (the Old Church), the Olive Boutique, The Gallery (representing mostly local artists) and Le Petit Chocolat. The town and district have many interesting shops and attractions, and your guide will be at your disposal as you explore at leisure.

Day 14

Departure

Overnight: None
Meals: Breakfast

Highlights

  • Cape Winelands
  • Fine Wines
  • Memories to Last a Lifetime

Departure

Distance
192 km (119)
Itinerary
8 am - 4 pm (Customizable)

Today, we'll visit the Cape Winelands before ending the tour in Cape Town. Franschhoek, literally 'French Corner', owes its existence to a small group of French Huguenots who settled here in the latter half of the 17th century and began working the Drakenstein Valley. We'll visit several fine wine estates in the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek districts throughout the day. The region is renowned internationally for the exceptional quality of wines its fertile soils produce. Most noble cultivars and classic styles are represented here, from superb whites such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon, and Chenin Blanc, to rich reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, and Merlot. During the late afternoon, you'll be delivered to a location of your choice in Cape Town, bringing to an end a tour of some of South Africa's less-traveled regions.

Included

Accommodation:
  • 2 Nights River Place Manor
  • 3 Nights !Xaus Lodge
  • 1 Night Witsand Kalahari
  • 2 Nights Tutwa Desert Lodge
  • 3 Nights Naries Namakwa Retreat / Namaqua Flowers Beach Camp
  • 1 Night Melkboomsdrift
  • 1 Night The Royal Hotel
Guides:
  • Resident Rangers: From Day 2-4
  • Private African Sky Guide: From Day 5-14
Vehicles:
  • Day 5 - 14: Private Air conditioned vehicle
Meals:
  • All meals Specified in the Itinerary
Flights:
  • O R Tambo International (Johannesburg) to Upington
Transfers:
  • Upington Airport to Upington
  • Upington to !Xaus Lodge
  • IXaus Lodge to Upington
Activities:
  • Open 4x4 game drives (!Xaus Lodge & Tutwa Desert Lodge))
  • Dune Walks (!Xaus Lodge)
  • Bushman Craft Village visit (!Xaus Lodge)
  • Augrabies Falls Visit
  • Water-based Activity on Orange River (Tutwa Desert Lodge)
  • Flower Tour (Naries Namakwa Retreat)
  • Winelands, including Wine Tastings
Additional:
  • Tourism levy
  • All applicable taxes
  • All park fees where applicable
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Excluded

Excluded:
  • International airfare (to and from South Africa)
  • Personal and medical insurance
  • Activities not specifically stated in the itinerary
  • Drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Meals not specifically stated in the itinerary

14 Day Great Western Trek

Plan