Your Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrival at destination - Johannesburg - Essential South Africa
Welcome to Johannesburg and the start of your South Africa adventure.
After collecting your luggage, make your way to your hotel.
The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Special Information
The standard check in is 2pm. Should you be arriving earlier in the day, the hotel can hold your luggage until your room is ready.
Airport transfers are not included. However, the hotel is just a short walk from the airport terminal buildings, adjacent to the departure level of the airport via a sky bridge. Simply make your way to the departures floor and from there follow the signs to the City Lodge Hotel.
Day 2 - Essential South Africa - Johannesburg to Cape Town - Allocation 20 - Current
After breakfast you will meet your local guide at reception at 8am. Travel by comfortable vehicle to the Kruger National Park where adventure awaits. Along the way your informative guide will entertain you with fascinating information about South Africa. In the afternoon you will reach your accommodation. Your safari camp provides permanent en-suite safari tents which are tastefully decorated and provide comfort with an authentic bush ambience. The camp also features an outdoor pool plus a restaurant and bar overlooking a waterhole.
The remainder of the day is free to relax and settle into your safari camp before enjoying an included dinner.
Special Information
Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours.
Day 3 - Essential South Africa - Johannesburg to Cape Town - Allocation 20 - Current
After an early breakfast, prepare for a full day of safari adventure in an open game drive vehicle at Kruger National Park. As South Africa's most renowned national park and the largest wildlife sanctuary, Kruger offers an unparalleled experience. Its remarkable biodiversity is unique on a global scale. The park is home to 147 mammal species, including the "Big Five" (leopard, lion, rhino, elephant, buffalo), as well as around 507 bird species, 114 reptile species, 49 species of fish, and 34 amphibian species.
Inspiring Highlights
Full Day Kruger National Park Safari
Special Information
Start Time: 6am (Breakfast is available from 5:30am)End Time: 4pm
During your time in Kruger you will be looked after by the safari camp staff.
Day 4 - Essential South Africa - Johannesburg to Cape Town - Allocation 20 - Current
Today you have a day at leisure to relax and enjoy your lodge or you can pre-book another full day game drive in an open vehicle in the Kruger National Park.
Day 5 - Essential South Africa - Johannesburg to Cape Town - Allocation 20 - Current
After a final breakfast in the wild beauty of the Kruger Region, you will transfer to the Kruger Airport. From here, you'll fly to the vibrant city of Cape Town, where stunning landscapes and rich culture await. Upon arrival, you will be met by a local representative who will transfer you to your hotel.
The rest of the day is at your leisure.
Special Information
Your included flight allows one checked bag up to 20kg (44lbs), and one 8kg (17 lbs) carry-on. Your flight will be unescorted.
Your internal flight for this day is arranged by our local partner. Specific flight details will be provided in your welcome letter upon arrival and cannot be provided in advance. Please note that these group flights cannot be upgraded, amended, or checked in online. Your group will be required to check in together.
Flight time will be approximately 3 hours
Day 6 - Essential South Africa - Johannesburg to Cape Town - Allocation 20 - Current
After breakfast you will meet your local guide and take a city tour through Cape Town to see the highlights of this vibrant city with the majestic Table Mountain at its back. You will drive past the stadium, see the colourful houses at the Bo-Kaap and drive past the Castle of Good Hope before you go for a stroll in Company's Garden.
Inspiring Highlights
Colourful Houses of Bo-Kaap
Castle of Good Hope
Company's Garden
Day 7 - Essential South Africa - Johannesburg to Cape Town - Allocation 20 - Current
Enjoy a full day at leisure to relax, shop or continue exploring this dynamic city on your own.
Alternatively, you may wish to join an optional full day tour of the beautiful winelands region.
Day 8 - Essential South Africa - Johannesburg to Cape Town - Allocation 20 - Current
Today you have time at leisure to discover Cape Town or you book our excursion to the Peninsula.
Day 9 - Link Day Essential Africa Encompassed Cape Town to Victoria Falls
Today you will be transferred to Cape Town Airport for your included flight to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
On arrival you will be met by your local guide for Zimbabwe and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure.
Special Information
Your internal flight for this day is arranged by our local partner. Specific flight details will be provided by your Tour Leader upon arrival and cannot be provided in advance. Please note that these group flights cannot be upgraded, amended, or checked in online. Your group will be required to check in together.
Flight time will be approximately 3 hours.
Day 10 - Essential South Africa with Victoria Falls - Vic Falls extension - Allocation - Day 1
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before you join a guided tour of Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side.
No surprise why Victoria Falls is one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World. You'll understand it instantly as we tour the Zimbabwean side, for there are numerous spectacular vantage points along the width of the falls, and the sight of this astounding gift of nature, simply takes your breath away. Walk through the permanent, beautifully misty rainforest which flanks the falls, stopping to marvel at the principal sites as it cascades to the depths below the Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Rainbow Falls, the Boiling Pot, Cataract Island and Livingstone Island. We'll stand and watch, feel and listen to the spray and thunderous noise, as millions of litres of water tumble over the Falls into a series of narrow gorges below. The seventh Natural Wonder of the World puts on the most dramatic show for you, and you'll be privileged to have watched it.
This afternoon is at leisure. Alternatively you may wish to join an optional sunset river cruise.
Inspiring Highlights
Discovery the majesty of Victoria Falls
Day 11 - Link Day Essential Complete Africa - Vic Falls to Nairobi
This morning you are free to relax before your afternoon flight to Nairobi. Late checkout is included to allow you to enjoy the facilities of the hotel and freshen up before your flight. At the appropriate time, a representative will collect you and transfer you to the airport.
Welcome to Kenya! On your arrival into Nairobi you will be met by a local representative in the arrivals hall and transferred to your hotel for relaxation and overnight in preparation of your exciting adventure ahead!
Special Information
Please be advised that luggage restrictions limited to 15kg per person in a soft-sided bag applies for the flight from Serengeti to the Masai Mara on Day 18. If travelling with luggage that does not abide by these restrictions, we recommend taking an extra soft sided bag and packing essentials required for this trip. Excess luggage can be stored free of charge at your Nairobi hotel and collected on return to the hotel on Day 20.
Flight time will be approximately 3.5 hours.
Day 12 - Essential East Africa Nairobi to Nairobi - Allocation - Current
After breakfast, depart for Amboseli National Park. Here, you will be captivated by the magnificent presence of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain. Amboseli is renowned as one of Kenya's most iconic parks, offering breathtaking panoramic views. It is dotted with emerald-green swamps in which great herds of elephant wallow, half-submerged in the papyrus grasses. In the afternoon, immerse yourself in the beauty of this remarkable landscape on a thrilling game drive.
Inspiring Highlights
Amboseli National Park game drive
Special Information
Your travel time today will be approximately 4.5 hours.
Day 13 - Essential East Africa Nairobi to Nairobi - Allocation - Current
Experience a full day of exploration in Amboseli, complete with morning and afternoon game drives. Witness the awe-inspiring sight of Kilimanjaro rising above the clouds during the early morning. Amboseli offers an array of wonders, from the ancient dried-up lake bed of Lake Amboseli to its expansive savannahs and verdant swamps. The plains are bustling with wildlife, including antelopes, spotted hyenas, jackals, warthogs, olive baboons, and vervet monkeys. If you're fortunate, you might even catch a glimpse of a lion, leopard, or cheetah
Inspiring Highlights
Amboseli National Park game drives
Day 14 - Essential East Africa Nairobi to Nairobi - Allocation - Current
After breakfast, bid farewell to Amboseli National Park as we journey towards Tanzania via the Namanga border of Kenya/Tanzania for border formalities. You will change vehicles and guide at the border. Please keep your passport handy.
Continue to the town of Arusha with a stop for lunch before completing the journey to the town of Karatu. Nestled at the base of the famous Ngorongoro Crater, Karatu is surrounded by stunning green landscapes and coffee plantations. The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax or stretch your legs with a walk in the local area.
Special Information
Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours.
Day 15 - Essential East Africa Nairobi to Nairobi - Allocation - Current
This morning, you descend into the Ngorongoro crater for a memorable game drive. This magnificent Crater is the world's largest intact, unflooded caldera, formed by a massive volcanic eruption. Your route downhill descends over the lush rainforests of the rim, 610m down to the grasslands of the crater floor, an area of about 260 square kilometres. This haven provides a year-round home to wildebeest, zebra, eland and gazelle, and lion. The rainforests shelter elephant, mountain buck, buffalo, hyena, wild dog, leopard, cheetah, and some of Tanzania's last remaining black rhinos.
Spend your day game viewing and exploring the crater floor, stopping for a picnic lunch.
In the afternoon, return to Karatu for an overnight and relaxation at your tranquil lodge.
Inspiring Highlights
Ngorongoro crater game drive
Day 16 - Essential East Africa Nairobi to Nairobi - Allocation - Current
After breakfast, you will head out for the legendary Serengeti - a place the Masai call Siringitu: “place where the land moves on forever”. Tanzania's first game reserve, the Serengeti National Park, is one of the last remaining natural migration corridors and one of the oldest ecosystems on earth. Its climate, vegetation, and fauna have remained mostly unchanged over the past million years. The natural instinct that drives the annual Great Migration of more than a million wildebeest, gazelle, and zebra is so powerful that neither drought nor crocodile-infested rivers can halt it.The drive to your accommodation whets your appetite for more. After settling in, you waste no time taking your place on the afternoon game drive. There is so much to see here that the drive lasts until sunset.
Inspiring Highlights
Serengeti National Park game drive
Special Information
Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.
Day 17 - Essential East Africa Nairobi to Nairobi - Allocation - Current
You will have a full day of discovery in this vast park, rising early to make the most of your time.
An excellent all-year-round game viewing destination, most famous for the great wildebeest migration, many other species call the Serengeti home, including lion, cheetah, leopard, elephants, hippos, and more. No two game drives are alike, providing a sense of anticipation for what you might see next. With its vast plains, acacia trees, and rocky outcrops, the Serengeti is a photographer's paradise, particularly as the sun sets.
Return to your tented camp to share stories of the day's sightings with your fellow travellers.
Inspiring Highlights
Serengeti National Park game drives
Day 18 - Essential East Africa Nairobi to Nairobi - Allocation - Current
This morning, you'll be transferred to the airstrip where you will bid farewell to your Tanazinan guide. A light aircraft flight will take you across the plains, where you will be met by your Kenyan tour guide and transferred to the Masai Mara National Reserve. Note, as you will cross the border at Isebania, please keep your passport handy.
Spending the next two nights in the reserve will allow plenty of time to discover and experience the magic of the Masai Mara Game Reserve. The Mara is home to the “Big-Five” Lion, Rhino, Buffalo, Leopard, and Elephant, so keep your eyes peeled. From July to September, the wildebeest migration from the Serengeti congregates in the Masai Mara.
Special Information
Luggage restrictions of 15kg per person in a soft-sided suitcase apply for the flight to the Mara today. Your journey will include two flights, with a change at the Tanzania-Kenya border crossing at Isebania. The border crossing will be conducted by a short shuttle bus transfer. Please keep your passport handy. Note, there will be a change of guide when you return to Kenya.
Your internal flight for this day is arranged by our local partner. Specific flight details will be provided by your Tour Leader upon arrival and cannot be provided in advance. Please note that these group flights cannot be upgraded, amended, or checked in online. Your group will be required to check in together.
Day 19 - Essential East Africa Nairobi to Nairobi - Allocation - Current
Early this morning, you will have the option of taking a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the Masai Mara. See below for further details. Note that due to the popularity of this activity, pre-booking is essential.
Today will be a full day spent exploring the park in search of the Big 5. The Mara is one of the most famous ecosystems in the world, and with reason, this huge expansion is home to an astonishing variety of wildlife. difficult to believe, over 450 species of animals have been recorded here. You might be lucky to see lions, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, wildebeests, zebras, buffalo, warthogs, hyenas, jackals, wild dogs, buffalo, leopards, many kinds of antelopes, and elephants.
Birding can also be done throughout the year with the reserve having a record of over 570 species of birds, with more than 50 bird species of prey which include: Eagles, vultures, storks, and many others.
Inspiring Highlights
Masai Mara National Reserve game drive
Day 20 - Essential East Africa Nairobi to Nairobi - Allocation - Current
After breakfast, we'll begin the journey back to Nairobi, with opportunities to stop to take in the views of the Rift Valley and enjoy an included lunch.Arrive in Nairobi in the afternoon, where you will check in to the hotel and spend the rest of the afternoon at your own leisure as you relive your safari highlights.
Special Information
Your travel time today will be approximately 5.5 hours.
Day 21 - Departure Day - 13 Day Serengeti & Masai Mara Small Group Tour
After a final breakfast, the tour concludes, and it's time to say goodbye. At a suitable time you will be transferred to the Nairobi airport for your outbound flight.
Thank you for travelling with Inspiring Vacations. We hope you had a memorable experience.
Special Information
Departure transfers are included as part of your package. You will be collected from your hotel at the appropriate time and transferred to the airport to meet your flight.
If you choose to extend your stay (e.g., departing after the final tour date) and have booked your additional accommodation independently, this included service will be forfeited and no refund will be issued.
If Inspiring Vacations has not provided your international airfares, please ensure you provide your flight details via your Traveller Hub portal no later than 90 days prior to travel so that your transfers can be confirmed.