This tailor-made South Africa trip is the classic round trip, travelled privately: just you and your own party, with everything arranged in advance. You start in Cape Town and on the Cape Peninsula, taste wine in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, follow the Garden Route past whales and coastal forest, then fly to Mpumalanga for the Panorama Route, Kruger National Park and three nights in a private reserve.
It is my recommended route. You choose between a rental car that is waiting for you and a private driver, you start on any date, and you can change whatever you like: days, order, hotels, activities. It's for travellers who want city, coast, wine and safari in one trip without joining a tour group.
At a glance
- Type of trip: fully arranged private tailor-made trip: you travel as a couple, family or group of friends, with no tour group and no fixed departure dates
- My recommended route: 18 days (15 nights on the ground, 2 overnight flights), adaptable from 12 to 24 days
- Transport: self-drive with a rental car or a private driver, your choice
- Three levels: Budget, Comfort or Premium, depending on the type of hotel or lodge
- Indicative price: from €2,470 pp excluding flight, based on 2 travellers; flight approx. €700–1,050 pp, not included, depending on the month
- Four travelling together: about 12% off per person · travelling solo: supplement of about 56%
- Best months: March to November (advice only; you start whenever you like)
| Level | Self-drive (rental car) | Private driver |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | €2,470 | €3,540 |
| Comfort | €2,850 | €3,920 |
| Premium | €4,070 | €5,140 |
Prices per person, based on 2 travellers, excluding the international flight. All prices are indicative estimates and become final once local partners have quoted.
Best time to travel
Spring and autumn give you mild weather on the Cape and good game viewing in the bush. There's one trade-off: southern right whales are only seen from the cliffs of Hermanus from July to November. Travel in September, October or November for a good chance; in March and April you won't see whales. On the other hand, autumn has a quieter feel on the coast.
Malaria risk around Kruger is low but higher in the rainy season (October to May). Cape Town and the Garden Route are malaria-free.
The route and why it runs this way
You begin in Cape Town with four nights, because the Table Mountain cable car often closes for wind or cloud. With several days in town, you can pick the clearest one. A driver meets you at the airport, and your rental car or private driver only arrives on day 4. After the Cape Peninsula, Langa and Kirstenbosch, it's a short hop (about 1 hour) to the Winelands.
The coast road to Hermanus comes next, then Route 62 to Oudtshoorn in the Karoo (about 5 hours with stops), and over the Swartberg and Outeniqua passes to Knysna. From Knysna you visit Robberg and Tsitsikamma. Rather than driving 1,800 km north, you fly from George via Johannesburg to Kruger Mpumalanga. That's the only flight routing on the trip: you return your rental car in George (or say goodbye to your driver) and a second car or a private transfer is waiting in Mpumalanga.
In the northeast you do a full day in Kruger with a ranger in an open vehicle, then the Panorama Route on your way to a lodge in a private reserve for three nights. You end with a final morning game drive and fly home via Johannesburg.
See the full day-by-day itinerary
What travelling privately changes here
You set the pace. An extra hour with the penguins at Boulders Beach, a long lunch on a wine estate or a lazy day in Knysna: there is nobody else to consider. Only the domestic flight and the safari times are fixed. If Table Mountain is in cloud, you simply move the cable car to another morning.
There is no guide travelling along, and mostly you explore at your own pace. Only where it can't be done otherwise is a specialist waiting: a resident guide in Langa, a cave guide at the Cango Caves, a ranger in Kruger, and a ranger and tracker in the private reserve, where off-road driving and walking safaris are allowed. Prefer a guide? I can add a local guide to any activity.
Self-drive or private driver?
The same route, two ways to travel it. You choose, and you can mix.
Self-drive. South Africa is one of the most pleasant countries for a self-drive trip: good tarred roads, clear signposting and short stages along the Garden Route. You drive on the left and never after dark. On day 4 your rental car is delivered to your hotel in Cape Town; you return it at George airport. In Mpumalanga a second car is waiting, which you leave in Hoedspruit. Your rental car comes with zero-excess insurance and a road book with driving times, fuel stops and safe parking. Fuel, tolls and parking are paid locally (indicative ± €160 for the whole route).
Private driver. Rather not drive on the left? Then from Cape Town to George (days 4–12) you have one dedicated driver with a comfortable vehicle; he speaks English and Afrikaans, which Flemish speakers understand well. In Mpumalanga I use private transfers: from the airport to Hazyview, a day with a driver along the Panorama Route to the lodge, and finally to Hoedspruit airport. Safaris are with the park's and the lodge's rangers.
At Comfort level the private-driver option costs about €1,070 per person more than self-drive (based on 2 travellers); with a driver fuel and tolls are included, when self-driving you pay fuel, tolls and parking locally (indicative ± €160 for the whole route). With four in one vehicle the difference per person shrinks.
Airport pickup. A driver waits with a name board in the arrivals hall of Cape Town International and takes you to your hotel in about 25 minutes. You only get your rental car on day 4, when you are rested. On the last day you return the car at Hoedspruit airport or a private transfer takes you there.
Budget, Comfort or Premium
The route stays the same; the level decides where you sleep.
- Budget: Clean, well-reviewed guesthouses and small hotels. In the private reserve a simple tented camp on half board with two safari activities a day.
- Comfort: Characterful guesthouses and mid-range hotels, often with a pool, and a comfortable safari lodge on full board with all game drives included.
- Premium: Boutique hotels and the best guesthouses, a wine estate in Franschhoek and a top-rated lodge in the private reserve on full board with ranger and tracker. True luxury (five-star hotels, Sabi Sand lodges) on request.
You can mix: every hotel or lodge can be swapped.
Practical tips
- Visa (Belgian passport): no visa for tourist stays up to 90 days. Your passport must be valid at least 30 days beyond departure, with 2 blank pages. An Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) exists since August 2026 but is not yet mandatory for Europeans; check before departure.
- Health: no mandatory vaccinations for travel from Belgium. Use mosquito protection around Kruger and discuss prophylaxis with a travel clinic or wanda.be.
- Money: South African rand. Cards are accepted almost everywhere.
- Flights and time: 13 to 15 hours with one connection. South Africa is 1 hour ahead of Belgium in winter and on the same time in summer.
- Meals: Breakfast is included every day, as are the lunch on the Langa township walk and the meals at the safari lodge in the private reserve, where there is no alternative (full board; half board at Budget level). For the other meals you get my restaurant recommendations, but you are completely free to choose where and when you eat: I never steer you to expensive restaurants in return for a commission.
- Language: Afrikaans is surprisingly easy to follow for Flemish speakers.
Travel advice
The Belgian FPS Foreign Affairs (update 17 July 2026) asks for vigilance: the crime level is high. Never drive after dark outside towns, don't leave the N2 near Cape Town even if the GPS suggests it, and be aware of robberies on Kruger access roads. There is also an increased risk of protests. The route is planned so that you always arrive well before dark, whether you drive yourself or travel with a driver; self-drivers get a road book with safe routes and a safety briefing when the car is delivered. Read the latest advice on diplomatie.belgium.be.
Frequently asked questions
Will I see whales on this trip?
Only if you travel between July and November. September, October and November combine whales with the best weather for the rest of the route.
Do I need malaria tablets for Kruger?
The risk is low, higher in the rainy season. Whether you need prophylaxis depends on season and your health. Ask a travel clinic.
Why a private reserve as well as Kruger?
Kruger gives you scale; a private reserve adds off-road driving, walking safaris and rangers with trackers.
Is it safe to travel around South Africa?
Crime is high, so the trip follows the FPS advice strictly: no driving after dark, fixed safe routes, and a private driver if you would rather not drive yourself.
Self-drive or private driver?
South Africa is a good self-drive country: good roads and short stages, but you drive on the left. If you would rather look than steer, choose the private driver. You can also mix: self-drive along the Garden Route and private transfers around Kruger.
Plan your trip
Tell me when you would like to travel, how many days you have and which level suits you, and I will draw up the route for you. Plan a personal intake call via the interest list or email info@steennot-travels.be. Before we start selling trips, we take out the legally required insurance against financial insolvency. Prices remain estimates until then.
Sources
- https://diplomatie.belgium.be/nl/landen/zuid-afrika/reizen-naar-zuid-afrika-reisadvies/algemene-veiligheid-zuid-afrika
- https://diplomatie.belgium.be/nl/landen/zuid-afrika/reizen-naar-zuid-afrika-reisadvies/gezondheid-en-hygiene-zuid-afrika
- https://www.wanda.be/nl/landen/zuid-afrika
- https://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/useful-information/malaria
- https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/sa-rolls-out-electronic-travel-authorisation
Last updated: 13 October 2026. Prices and dates are indicative estimates and may change.
