Breathtaking South Africa
Jewish Tours to South Africa

South Africa is a breathtaking tapestry of natural wonders and urban sophistication. While winter is chilling our continent, picture yourself watching the sunset in the Lion Sands private game reserve, while rhinos, elephants, leopards, lions and birds enjoy the last drink of the day. Drive in spectacular lands and visit new and exciting cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town, where you will meet with proud Jewish communities. Be amazed by the grandeur of the African continent, as you travel and experience its splendor.

Day 1 Thursday Departure from the USA
Departure on your flight to Cape Town, South Africa.

Day 2 Friday Arrival to Cape Town
Welcome to legendary Africa! Upon arrival, enjoy an orientation tour of Cape Town, known as the “Mother City” of South Africa. The 16th century explorer, Sir Francis Drake declared this place “the fairest we saw in the whole circumference of the earth!” Indeed, the peninsula’s mixture of sea, valley and mountaintops is considered one of the most breathtaking spots on earth. Later, time to rest at your well-appointed hotel. Welcome Dinner. Protea President Hotel.

Day 3 Saturday Cape Town
Breakfast. This morning’s sightseeing will take you further into the powerful beauty and intriguing history of Cape Town. First, a visit to Table Mountain (weather permitting), a huge, flat-topped block of sandstone, which you will ascend by cable car all the way to the summit for its magnificent, panoramic views. Next, a trip to the fascinating Malay Quarter, with its narrow cobblestone streets. View the National Gallery, South African Museum, Victorian-style Houses of Parliament and City Hall, and Castle of Good Hope, dating from 1679. Your last stop is the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, where you may explore the bustling shops and cafes at your leisure. Dinner. Protea President Hotel.

Day 4 Sunday Cape Town - Stellenbosch - Cape Town
Breakfast. Today, leave the city for the countryside, heading into South Africa’s legendary wine country. You will enjoy a scenic drive through the Franschhoek Valley and visit one of the many fine wine estates in the region. Then, on to historic Stellenbosch, center of learning (boasting the first university taught in Afrikaans), soccer, and the wine industry, where you will visit another estate for Lunch, washed down with the finest products of this region’s grapes. Protea President Hotel.

Day 5 Monday Cape Town
Breakfast. Today is devoted to a visit with the local Jewish community. South Africa’s Jewish population, roughly 130,000 strong, has made an indelible impression, both culturally and economically, on this part of the world (as one small example, there is Nobel Prize Winner Nadine Gordimer, anti-apartheid novelist and daughter of a Lithuanian Jewish watchmaker).You will visit the South African Jewish Centre, located in the very heart of Cape Town, and housing the South African Jewish Museum and Holocaust Centre. Lunch with members of the Cape Town Jewish Community. Protea President Hotel.

Day 6 Tuesday Cape Town - Kruger National Park.
Breakfast. Transfer to the airport for your connecting flight to MQP Airport, from which you will be transferred to the Private Game Reserve, Lions Sands. This unique reserve, covered in waving grasslands, is devoted to offering an unparalleled Safari experience where you can experience Africa’s game animals in their natural element. Not only is this park rich in genetic diversity and natural resources, but many species (known as “endemic species”) can only be found here. At dusk, enjoy your first Game Drive, followed by Dinner. Lion Sands Lodge.

Day 7 Wednesday Kruger National Park
Breakfast. Today you will be on a Game Drive at dawn and at dusk. Lion Sands Reserve offers exceptional access to Africa’s “Big Five” -- lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhinoceros. Enjoy special open-roofed four-wheel drive jeeps which can travel anywhere, or try a “bush walk,” accompanied by experienced game rangers and trackers. Grab your cameras and prepare for the experience (and photos) of a lifetime! Lunch is included on this day. In the evening, feel pampered as “Dinner is served” in this luxurious atmosphere. Lion Sands Lodge.

Day 8 Thursday Kruger National Park - Johannesburg
After a final early-morning Game Drive and Breakfast, depart this massive and unique wildlife reserve and head back to civilization. Journey to Johannesburg by scenic roads, taking in attractive little towns such as Hazyview, White River and Nelspruit, and let Africa's proud grandeur make you feel privileged to have witnessed this incomparable part of the world. Lunch en route. Arrive in Johannesburg, known as "the City of Gold" in the afternoon, with time to rest and refresh at your lovely hotel. Dinner. Protea Balalaika Hotel.

Day 9 Friday Johannesburg
Breakfast. Today, enjoy a tour of the financial capital of this country. You will also see Soweto township, formerly a “ghetto” and home to the likes of Nelson Mandela and Archibishop Desmond Tutu. You will visit a “shebeen” restaurant where, during the apartheid era, common folk met in secret to socialize and raise a cup to hope. (Both alcohol and political gatherings were illegal to blacks under apartheid.) Later, visit the Jewish Community Centre for Lunch, before returning to the hotel for an evening at leisure. Protea Balalaika Hotel.

Day 10 Saturday Johannesburg - Pretoria - Johannesburg
Breakfast. A short drive takes you to Pretoria, the nation’s capital. Enjoy a tour of this historic town, fondly known as the “Jacaranda City” in honor of its magnificent trees, which drip with mauve blossoms. You will see the Union Buildings, where Nelson Mandela was inaugurated, as well as the Sammy Marx House, dedicated to the first great industrialist in South Africa (and yes, he was “one of us”). In the afternoon, visit the Lesedi Cultural Village and tour its four homesteads. Enjoy a fabulous Tribal Show, featuring the traditional songs and dances of the Zulu, Xhosa, Ped and Basotho cultures. This is followed by a Pan African Feast, served in the Nyama Choma restaurant, and featuring delicacies from North, East and South Africa. A truly amazing Farewell Dinner Celebration. Protea Balalaika Hotel.

Day 11 Sunday Johannesburg - Home Flight
Breakfast. This morning, you will grow closely acquainted with a major African resource – gold! Travel to Gold Reef City, a former working mine, to absorb the atmosphere of the early 1900’s gold rush, and learn the history of the mineral that built Jo’burg. Walk through the original homes of miners and their bosses, watch a gold bar being poured, and descend into a real goldmine. Time to shop for a touch of this golden dream – the color of cheetahs, sunshine and savannahs, -- before proceeding to Johannesburg International Airport for your flight home.

Day 12 Monday Arrival in the USA
Arrival in the USA. Welcome home from an amazing journey!