South Africa
Gold, Diamonds and Mammal-like Reptiles
Cape Town to Johannesburg
March 2025 - dates TBC
Guide Price £TBC
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Includes 2 National Parks and 4 World Heritage Sites
Exclusive small group tour, number of participants : 4 - 7
Includes bed and breakfast accommodation, transportation, entrance fees and geological guiding. Lunches and Dinners are not included.
Prices are per person, based on 2 people sharing a room. Single supplement applies please make contact for details.
South Africa is a geological and wildlife marvel, a wonderland of geological superlatives and scenic beauty. It boasts the world's biggest gold and platinum deposits. The world's biggest diamond was found here. Many of the most important hominid fossils were found here, as were the best mammal-like reptile fossils. It also has fantastic National Parks teeming with wildlife, and wonderfully friendly local people.
Table Mountain, Cape Town
The Fossil Trail, Karoo National Park
The Cullinan Diamond Mine, source of the world's largest diamond (317 carats/63g) which is set in the front of theImperial State Crown in the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.
Johannesburg is the world's greatest gold mining city
ITINERARY
The itinerary for this trip is currently in the final stages of development and a 'dry run' of the trip is scheduled for March 2024. Once this trip has been completed, a more detailed itinerary will be published here, along with a route map.
Day 1: Arrive in Cape Town. Transfers from the airport to our first night's hotel and a welcome dinner with the group. Overnight in Cape Town.
Day2: Cape Town area. Sites to include Table Mountain, Chapmans Drive and Iziko South African Museum. Overnight in Cape Town.
Day 3: Cape Town to Calitzdorp. Sites to include Paarl Rock & Cogmans Kloof. Overnight in Calitzdorp.
Day 4: Calitzdorp to Beaufort West. Sites to include Cango Caves, Swartberg Pass and Meiringspoort. Overnight in Lemoenfontein.
Day 5: Beaufort West to Kitching. Sites to include Fossil Trail (Karoo National Park), Valley of Desolation, Graaff-Reinet Museum, Kitching Fossil Centre. Overnight in Nie-Bethesda.
Day 6: Kitching to Kimberley. Sites to include Ganora Farm Private Museum. Overnight in Kimberley
Day 7: Kimberley to Parys. Sites to include Kimberley Big Hole. Overnight in Parys.
Day 8: Parys area. Sites to include Vredefort Dome. Overnight in Parys.
Day 9: Parys to Sterkfontein. Sites to include Gold Reef City, Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, Sterkfontein Caves. Overnight in Muldersdrift.
Day 10: Muldersdrift to Steelpoort. Sites to include Cullinan diamond mine and Dwars River Heritage Site. Overnight in Steelpoort.
Day 11: Steelpoort to Mbombela. Sites to include Three Rondavels Viewpoint, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, God’s Window. Overnight in Mbombela.
Day 12: Mbombela. Sites to include Barberton GeoTrail. Overnight in Mbombela.
Day 13: Mbombela. Sites to include Kruger National Park game drive. Overnight in Mbombela.
Day 14: Mbombela to Johannesburg. Sites to include Emgwenya Waterfall. Transfer to JohannesburgOR Tambo Airport for late afternoon/evening departure flights.