South Africa Tours and Travel

Day 1 – Johannesburg

Morning

• Arrive at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at your own convenience. The airport has connections from all around the world, including London, Dubai, Doha, Istanbul, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Cape Town, and Durban.
• Meet your guide on arrival and begin the trip into South Africa.
• Transfer to your centrally located hotel in Johannesburg, a city shaped by strong inequality, migrant labour, and segregation from apartheid. We’ll pass by wealthy suburbs and extreme poverty side by side on our drive.
• Check in to the hotel, relax, and freshen up.
• In the evening, we go out for dinner at a local restaurant in Johannesburg serving grilled meat, stews, pap, and simple sides. These are all common everyday dishes here in South Africa, and a perfect first taste of the cuisine.
• Overnight at our hotel in Johannesburg.

Day 2 – Johannesburg

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• The first stop on our Johannesburg tour will be at Constitution Hill, a former prison used during apartheid. Many political prisoners were held here under laws that controlled movement and daily life. The site also includes old court buildings where these laws were enforced.
• We continue through central Johannesburg. Here you’ll see even more of the clear division between rich and poor areas, with gated zones, high security zones, crowded simple settlements, and street markets often only a few blocks apart.

Afternoon

• Lunch at a local restaurant serving simple South African food.
• Next, we head to Soweto, the largest township in South Africa. It was created when Black residents were forcibly moved out of central Johannesburg during apartheid.
• We drive through Orlando West and nearby areas, with stops along the way to see key sites linked to apartheid. This area was a major center of protest and political violence. You will see dense housing, small street shops, and busy local streets where people live and work side by side.
• In the late afternoon, we’ll return to Johannesburg.
• Dinner at a well-known local restaurant in town, before we head out to explore the South African nightlife.
• Overnight in Johannesburg.

Day 3 – East Rand

Morning

• Today we’ll travel into the East Rand mining belt. This area was built around gold mining during apartheid in South Africa.
• We’ll pass both active and closed mines, old shafts, and large waste dumps. Some sites are still operating, while others are abandoned or slowly collapsing.
• We’ll visit old mining towns where workers lived in company housing and controlled settlements, often separated by race during apartheid. You’ll see how these towns were designed around the mines, with strict access and harsh working conditions being part of daily life.

Afternoon

• Lunch at a roadside workers’ diner used by miners and truck drivers, giving a direct look at everyday life in the mining belt. Simple meals like grilled meat, chips, and stew are common here.
• We continue through industrial zones with factories, rail lines, and logistics areas that support the mining industry. You will see a mix of active operations and abandoned sites from past mining activity.
• We also pass areas linked to labour strikes and protests by mine workers during and after apartheid. These events played an important role in shaping South Africa’s modern labour rights movement and political change.
• Late afternoon, we return to Johannesburg.
• Dinner back in Johannesburg, and further exploration of the South African nightlife for those interested!
• Overnight in Johannesburg.

Day 4 – Free State

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Today we’ll leave Johannesburg and drive into the Free State, a major farming province located 3-4 hours outside of Johannesburg. The province reflects clear differences in land ownership and wealth between large commercial farms and smaller rural settlements.

Afternoon

• Lunch in a small roadside town restaurant along the way, used by locals, farmers, and truck drivers passing through.
• After lunch and a quick stretch out, we’ll continue through the rural farming areas and small Free State towns.
• Late afternoon, we’ll arrive at our lodge in the Free State, located in a quiet rural setting surrounded by farmland.
• Here we’ll check in and have some time to relax in the peaceful surroundings after a long day on the road.
• Dinner at the lodge with simple home-style South African food, made using fresh produce and ingredients sourced from nearby farms, alongside grilled meat, vegetables, and other local staples.
• Overnight at our lodge in the Free State.

Day 5 – KwaZulu-Natal

Morning

• For early risers, there is an optional sunrise watch over the Free State farmland, offering wide open views over the agricultural landscape.
• We’ll enjoy a relaxed breakfast at the lodge.
• After breakfast, we begin the drive towards KwaZulu-Natal, a province shaped by Zulu cultural heritage and rural communities. The Zulu are one of South Africa’s major ethnic groups, and this is one of the best regions in the country to experience their cultural landscape and everyday rural life.
• Along the way, we pass areas affected by political violence in the 1980s and 1990s, still affecting parts of KwaZulu-Natal today. We’ll make a stop at the Blood River, locally known as the Ncome River Battlefield site, one of the most significant historical conflict sites, offering insight into layered conflicts.

Afternoon

• Next, we’ll visit a traditional Zulu homestead, where we are introduced to everyday rural life, homestead structure, and Zulu customs and traditions.
• We will have lunch at the homestead with the local family, where you can sample traditional Zulu favourites.
• After the visit, we’ll continue towards Durban, the largest city in KwaZulu-Natal and a major Indian Ocean port city shaped by trade, migration, and industry.
• We’ll be arriving in the late afternoon and check into our centrally located hotel.
• Dinner will be at a local restaurant in Durban serving fresh seafood.
• Overnight in Durban.

Day 6 – Durban 

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• We begin our Durban city tour at the KwaMuhle Museum, where we’ll learn more about Durban’s apartheid-era history, including city segregation, the pass system used to control African labour, and how surrounding townships developed as a result.
• We then continue to the Golden Mile beachfront, the city’s main coastal strip with long sandy beaches, surf spots, and the main promenade used by both locals and visitors.
• Next, we’ll visit the Victoria Street Market, a busy indoor market selling spices, food, clothing, and crafts, reflecting Durban’s strong Indian and African cultural mix. Time to pick up some souvenirs to bring back home!
• We then pass uShaka Marine World and the harbour area, where the beachfront meets Durban’s busy working port, one of Africa’s largest shipping hubs. We also drive through the CBD (central business district), where shops, markets, and transport hubs show everyday city life in Durban.

Afternoon

• Lunch at a township shisa nyama, a local eatery where you choose your meat and it is grilled over open fire on the spot, usually served with pap (maize porridge), salads, and simple sides in a casual local dining setting.
• We then visit the Berea, a famous Durban viewpoint, looking over the city and harbour in Durban, as well as the coastline and beachfront.
• We continue to the Durban City Hall area, one of the city’s most iconic colonial-era buildings and public squares, built during British colonial rule when South Africa was part of the British Empire.
• In the evening, we’ll enjoy our last dinner of the tour at a local restaurant located on the coast. Watch the sun go down on the horizon as we do one last toast for our South African adventure.
• Overnight in Durban.

Day 7 – Departure

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Transfer to the airport for onward travel.
• Tour concludes.