South African Safari & Bike Adventure: Kruger, Blyde River, and More

Day 1: Johannesburg
Individual arrival to O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) where you will meet your guide and be transferred to your hotel. Feel free to explore and visit some of the highlights of South Africa's largest city. Recommended is a visit to Nelson Mandela Square, located directly across from your hotel or the hop-on-hop-off Johannesburg bus. Another possibility is the 4-hour-long Soweto bike tour. Departures are at 10 am and 1 pm and includes lunch and a transfer to and from your hotel (see pricing).

Day 2: African Bush
At approximately 8 am, you depart the hotel for a 5-hour transfer to the Private Game Lodge near Bandelierkop where you'll spend the next two nights. Along the way is an opportunity to visit an open-air museum that allows you to understand the daily life of the Bakone people who inhabited the Polokwane area 250 years ago. After arriving at your accommodation, enjoy an evening bushwalk followed by a delicious dinner in an African boma.

Day 3: Safari Cycling (15 miles/ 25 km, 180m elevation)
The first cycling tour through the bushveld gives plenty of opportunity for you to have up close and personal encounters with some of the infamous animals of the African Bush including giraffes, impala, zebra, kudu, and a plethora of bird species. This safari will teach you about the lifestyles and habitats of these animals, along with the tracking of animals. You have the choice to take a sunset drive or enjoy a relaxing afternoon by the pool followed by another delicious dinner in the boma.

Day 4: Town of Tzaneen and surroundings (19 miles/30 km, 500 m elevation)
After breakfast, travel 60 minutes to the start of our bike ride outside the town of Tzaneen, Limpopo. Tzaneen is a large tropical garden town set in a high rainfall, fertile region where tropical and subtropical agriculture flourishes across a 20,000 square kilometer (7,700 sq mi) landscape. Tzaneen's name is derived from the Northern Sotho word 'Tsaneng', meaning 'gathering place' and it truly lives up to that name. Known as Limpopo's paradise and nicknamed the 'Land of Silver Mist' for the frequent mist that rolls across the mountains above, Tzaneen is one of South Africa's most scenic cycling destinations. Set in lush tropical surroundings, it is also home to Limpopo's highest mountain, the Iron Crown Mountain, rising more than 2,200 m (7,200 ft) above sea level. This Tzaneen mountain bike route takes you through a beautiful mix of easy flowing single tracks, gravel roads and jeep tracks through indigenous forest, circling dams with the exciting possibility of a hippo sighting. On a special day, you may also spot the Samango Monkey and the rare Bat Hawk, two of the region's most sought-after wildlife encounters. After a well-earned lunch, a short drive brings you to your accommodation near Tzaneen for the next two evenings; the perfect base to explore this remarkable corner of Limpopo, South Africa.

Day 5: Wolkberg Mountains (9.5-28 miles/ 15-45 km, 420-650 m elevation)
The Wolkberg Mountains divide the highveld and the lowveld of Limpopo, and they contain incredible, well-established avocado and macadamia nut farms. The cycling route will take you on a loop through pine and eucalyptus plantations, where you'll see incredible views of the mountains surrounding you. Lunch will be in a local restaurant with a view of the valley, and you will have the afternoon to relax at the hotel.

Day 6: Blyde Dam and the Kruger National Park (23 miles/ 37 km, 410 m elevation)
Following the Blyde River through the canyon, you'll arrive at the Blyde Dam, offering unforgettable views of the Blyde River emerging from the western slopes of the Drakensberg near Sabie in Mpumalanga. You'll see the river drifting north past Pilgrim's Rest for over 100 kilometers. This area is filled with spectacular beauty along the eastern escarpment. You may even see some baboons and kudus on your tour! The Blyde Dam was completed in 1974, and you'll have the opportunity to explore the river on a boat cruise, where you'll hopefully get to witness hippos and crocodiles in the wild. Make sure to look out for the Three Rondavels from below! After lunch, leave for the Kruger National Park and end the day at your accommodation in Kruger where you can enjoy authentic South African Barbeque or "braai".

Day 7: Kruger National Park
Today is the big safari day! Kruger, renowned for the "Big 5"—elephants, rhinos, buffalo, lions, and leopards—has so much to offer! This national park is one of Africa's largest; covering an area of covering an area of 19,485 sq. km. This wildlife sanctuary provides a unique way to experience the "heartbeat of Africa". After your day in the park, you'll enjoy a delicious dinner and share photos and stories of your spectacular day in the bush with your fellow travelers.

Day 8: Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve (25 miles/40 km, 620 m elevation)
The Blyde River Canyon is the third largest and greenest canyon in the world, and it is here that you will spend your day. The bike tour begins at the Pinnacle Rock, where you can enjoy this striking view of South Africa's diverse landscapes. The route will follow the escarpment to Wonder View, which, on a clear day, allows you to see all the way to Mozambique! You can visit a beautifully cascading waterfall before you head to Bourke's Luck potholes, formed over centuries of water flowing from the Treur and Blyde Rivers. From there, a short transfer brings you to the Three Rondavels lookout point and finally to today's accommodation with a view of this renowned escarpment.

Day 9: Echo Caves (17 miles/ 27 km, 330 m elevation)
Enjoy a final view of the Three Rondavels before hopping on your bike to head on today's mostly downhill tour through citrus farms! The destination today is the Echo Caves, an underground paradise discovered by a local farmer in 1923. Appreciate a visit to the caves before a transfer along the Abel Erasmus Pass through Lowveld for the last evening. A highlight of today is a guided afternoon game drive in an open game viewer. Relish one final dinner in a boma around a fire, listening to the African night!

Day 10: Departure
Begin the day with a final bushwalk with a game ranger through Big 5 territory. A replenishing breakfast sends you on your way as you say your final goodbyes before taking the included transfer to the Eastgate Airport in Hoedspruit (HDS). From here, you can depart on your flight (to be booked by yourself), or we can arrange a 6-hour road transfer back to Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) (pricing on request).

Extensions

A 4-night extension in Cape Town is also possible either before or after your tour. Please contact us for a detailed itinerary.

• Johannesburg & Soweto
• Hoedspruit