- South Africa
- Best of South Africa with Victoria Falls
Travel to Zimbabwe and witness the awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur of the 'Smoke that Thunders' on this four night extension to Victoria Falls (three nights in Victoria Falls and one night in Johannesburg); one of the world's most sensational natural wonders.
2022 Dossier
2023 Dossier
This map is for the main tour only
Depart London on your scheduled, overnight flight via Johannesburg to Cape Town.
Breakfast
On arrival the following day, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Breakfast
Embark on a fantastic full day tour around the Cape Peninsula. Joining one of the most spectacular coastal drives in the world - Chapman's Peak Drive - travel to the World Heritage Site of The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and then on to Cape Point where the mighty Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. You will also visit the beautiful marine protected area of Boulders Beach where the sandy shores are home to a breeding colony of over 2,000 endangered penguins.
Breakfast
This morning enjoy a city tour of Cape Town. This city is a rare cultural gem, resulting from the amalgamation of different nationalities and indigenous tribes which will be explored during the tour. Enjoy an afternoon of leisure, take an optional excursion (payable locally) including a breathtaking helicopter ride over Cape Town and Table Mountain or take the cable car ride to the top of Table mountain, the flattopped monolith that dominates the city's skyline commanding stunning views. Alternatively for a more relaxing experience, visit the West Coast Ostrich Farm on a half day tour.
Breakfast & Dinner
Today, tour the breathtakingly beautiful Cape Winelands, first stopping at the town of Franschoek, then onto Stellenbosch. Take some time to explore these delightful towns before enjoying a cellar tour and wine tasting at the award-winning Boschendal Estate.
Breakfast & Dinner
Take a scenic drive into the heart of the gorgeous Garden Route and into the picturesque coastal town of Knysna. Spend the remainder of the afternoon at leisure.
Breakfast & Lunch
This morning, take a ferry across Knysna lagoon to the Featherbed Nature Reserve. Stopping at some magnificent viewpoints, your guide will describe the area's fauna, flora, history and shipwrecks followed by a leisurely-guided walk around the area.
Breakfast
Depart for Tsitsikamma, a section of the Garden Route famed for luscious forests and dramatic coastlines. Visit a Protea Farm to see South Africa's national flower, before travelling onward to Port Elizabeth, a city known for its laid-back coastal ambience and bold colonial architecture.
Breakfast & Dinner
Fly from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg, where you will be transferred to the town of Mpumalanga. Your retreat within this idyllic space will serve as the perfect base from which to explore Kruger National Park.
Breakfast
Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the tour; a guided safari drive in Kruger National Park. One of the biggest, oldest and quite simply one of the best wildlife parks in the world, Kruger boasts the greatest variety of animals including the famed Big Five.
Breakfast
Today is at leisure alternatively, or alternately take part in one of our optional excursions (at a fee) including a second 4x4 experience into Kruger.
Breakfast
Today, travel along the magnificent Panorama Route, one of South Africa's most stunning scenic drives. With awe-inspiring vistas, the route follows the impressive Blyde River Canyon, before arriving in the city of Johannesburg.
Breakfast
Enjoy a short sightseeing tour of the city, with a stop at the Apartheid Museum for a fascinating insight into South Africa's cultural struggles. Later in the afternoon, head to the airport for your scheduled flight back to the UK.
Breakfast
After breakfast enjoy a short sightseeing tour of the city, with a stop at the Apartheid Museum. Rest of the day at leisure.
Breakfast
After breakfast, fly to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. You will be met by a representative and taken to your hotel to settle in. Early this evening, enjoy a sundowner during a sunset cruise on the mighty Zambezi River before returning to your hotel for the evening.
Breakfast
This morning you will depart your hotel for a half day tour of the falls. Your guide will take you to vantage points where the finest views can be appreciated whilst educating you on how the falls were formed and the local customs and traditions surrounding them. Return to your hotel to relax.
Breakfast
Today has been left at leisure for you to simply relax or choose to further explore this fascinating area.
Breakfast
Depart for your return flight to the UK via Johannesburg.
Marilyn Collins
03 Mar 20Cape Town hotel needed some refurbishment but excellent service and food. Knysna - excellent in all respects. Port Elizabeth - very good Hazy View - lovely location and gardens. Rooms were rather basic. Food and service very poor. A superb programme with generally good accommodation and an excellent itinerary managed by a very experienced and effective tour guide. This was our first tour as we are usually independent travellers and were somewhat apprehensive. The quality of our experience means that we will certainly book a further tour with Mercury.
M Lewis
18 Sep 19Our tour guide Mark was outstanding. His knowledge and passion for South Africa made this trip for us, his attention to detail and care of us was second to home. If you could guarantee a Mark Bayman on every tour. Thank you.
K Holland
06 Mar 19The SA Garden Route was very good and our tour guide Danny was outstanding. The tour extension to Mauritius and the Jalsa Beach was exceptional in all aspects.
G Wilson
29 Nov 18Guides were excellent both Danny in Cape Region and Tash in Johannasburg. Their local knowledge was superb and they both ensured that tourists had the best possible experience.
British passport holders are not currently required to obtain a visa in order to travel to South Africa or Zimbabwe. These will be granted on arrival. Further to visa advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you to check with your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding required passport validity.
You must obtain suitable travel insurance prior to departure. Mercury Holidays is partnered with Holiday Extras which offer insurance at the following prices:<br /><br /> <table class="basic" cellspacing="0"><thead><tr><th><b>Age in Years</b></th><th><b>Up to 64</b></th><th><b>65 - 74</b></th><th><b>75 - 85</b></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Up to 17 days cover</td><td>£39</td><td>£75</td><td>£129</td></tr></tbody></table> For all persons 86 years and over, please contact us for insurance prices. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
If booking more than 10 weeks before departure a deposit of £250pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 10 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 10 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
Your flight is to Johannesburg Airport is with South African Airways (SA), departing from London Heathrow Terminal 2. Each passenger is entitled to 23kg of hold luggage and hand luggage that you are permitted to carry one item of hand baggage (Max 8kg - 56cm/36cm/ 23cm) in addition to one small personal item on-board the aircraft. Weight restrictions will be finalized on E-ticket receipt. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure.
We recommend that you consult your local GP for advice on vaccinations and travel health before your departure. You will need to ask them about the best anti-malarial medication to take before you travel as you will need this for the time you are in Kruger National Park.
This tour is accessible to most people with an average level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves full days of sightseeing, often on foot and includes some climbing of stairs and getting on and off coaches. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.
There is no minimum number of travellers for this extension however the main tour passenger numbers will apply for the main part of the tour. If in the unlikely event there are less than the required number of people booked on your main tour date then you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of the tour, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times. Accommodation and transfers are included for the Victoria Falls extension and there will be a guide with you at times during your stay but there is not a guide with you for the duration of the tour.
The currency in South Africa is the South African Rand and we recommend you change some currency before you leave the UK. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in your local currency.
You will need to take money with you to cover any personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £300 - £400 will be sufficient for the durations of the tour, depending on how much of a bargain-hunter you are!