South Africa is a country located in southern part of Africa. With your own car in South Africa you can explore the Northern Cape region, this interesting area is fantastic and definitely something different.

Number of days

18 DAYS

Price from

28 495: –

Traveling with your own car in South Africa may seem complicated at first glance, but here you have the perfect trip for you who want to experience South Africa a little more in depth, beyond the usual tourist routes. We visit the lesser-known towns and national parks and get to enjoy both the long-awaited tranquility and unique color splendor. The rental car is adapted to how many of you are on the trip. To travel with your own car in South Africa, an international driving license is required.

DAY 1

On arrival you pick up your rental car at Cape Town Airport (alternatively you get a transfer to your hotel and you get your rental car delivered to the hotel.) In order for the trip with your own car in South Africa to be smooth, we send you a detailed directions before departure with your travel documents. Here you have information about which roads we recommend you to take, as well as interesting places to visit along the way.

You start by driving north by either following the N7, it is the shortest way to your first overnight stop or you can follow the scenic Bloubergstrand which has a fantastic view over the bay towards Taffelberget and Melkbosstrand to! Khwa ttu. This is a center that honors the traditions of the San people, who were the original inhabitants of the desert areas of southern Africa. It offers a guided tour (at your own cost) at 10:00 or 14:00.

Then continue via Piketberg and Clan William, you arrive around 17.00 to your accommodation and here you check in for 2 nights, dinner is included.

Distance – shortest route: about 240 km

Distance – recommended road: about 370 km

Meals included: Dinner

DAY 2

Today you have the opportunity to explore Clan Williams’ surroundings. This is a citrus growing area and here you can do an optional farm trip. The area is also famous for the famous Rooibos tea and is happy to pay a visit to one of the Rooibos farms.

Your lodge is located in the Cederberg area, known for ancient rock formations and here you can hike. Cederberg is also known for its beautiful fields of wild flowers in spring, flowering from August to early October.

Also take the opportunity to visit Lamberts Bay, a fishing village on the Atlantic coast which is a great place to have a Fish & Chips lunch and also the Bird Island Nature Reserve is well worth a visit.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

DAY 3

After breakfast you check out and continue further north towards the Northern Cape. This area is known as Namaqualand – a dry region, known for its incredible “Namaqualand Flowers”. When the first spring rains fall on the dry desert landscape, the flowers bloom in every conceivable color. This happens from mid-August to mid-October. It is impossible to say exactly what time it is best to see the flowers – it depends on when the first rains arrive.

It is said by the locals that when God was making the earth, He left the best for last and took His time with the amazing and spectacular Spring Flowers of Namaqualand creating the “Garden of the Gods!”

You arrive in Springbok, which is the northernmost town on the west coast, and here you check in at your hotel.

Distance – shortest route: about 350 km

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

DAY 4

Explore this remote part of South Africa. Namaqua National Park is not to be missed. The landscape is spectacular all year round and if you are here during the flowering season you will be amazed by the flower carpet of colors that cover the area. The flowering season is difficult to predict in advance when it will occur. Everything has to do with the time and amount of winter and spring rains that fall. This flowering season usually takes place during August-October.

The lodge you live in, “Naries” – is a Nama word (indigenous people in this region), which means “the place where reeds grow”. Here you can breathe the fresh air, eat good food and just enjoy the peace and quiet. Naries is an oasis for your soul and there is a reason why you will not find any TV in the rooms.

To enable the recovery of some of the sensitive plants in the Naries, all goat farming has been stopped and a program has been started to re-implant the native species of antelope. Today, the Naries, although still in the middle of a rehabilitation process, have 150 springboks, 30 oryx and a number of Klippspringare. the plan also includes re-planning the zebra, which once roamed freely over these hills. The harsh and barren landscape of Namaqualand is not ideal for seeing the largest wildlife, but it is a treasure trove of endemic plant species and a paradise for the valuable, smaller animal species.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

DAY 5

After breakfast you leave the Naries and drive east towards Augrabies. The area is remote, dry with a few farms, many say it resembles the Australian wasteland. Drive to Pofadder which is a great place to stop for lunch and then on to Augrabies Falls National Park. You check in here at Augrabies Falls Rest Camp.

The cottage consists of two single beds, a double sofa bed suitable for children, living room / bedroom / kitchenette, toilet and shower. There is AC, microwave, kitchen equipped with crockery and cutlery. Access to restaurant and shop is on site.

Distance – shortest route: about 320 km

Meals included: Breakfast

DAY 6

Spend the day exploring Augrabies Falls National Park. There are marked roads that lead you to experience the park from different directions. Here live rock jellyfish, springbok, gemsbok, black rhino and the little “Dassies”, hyraxes, which sunbathe on the rocks.

The animals in Augrabies Falls National Park can survive in extremely high and low temperatures. Smaller animals look for shelter and shade in caves, quarries and fallen trees. An interesting mammal found in Augrabies is the unique, clawless otter whose presence in the park keeps the river system healthy. This desert region provides incredibly great photo opportunities for those interested in photography.

No meals included, self-catering

DAY 7

Time to leave Augrabies and you drive via Upington to Askham and here you check out the lodge which is close to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Kgalagadi Lodge has a shop offering food, fresh fruit, vegetables and the restaurant serves traditional Kalahari dishes.

Distance – Augrabies to Kgalagadi Lodge: 365 km

No meals included

DAY 8 & 9

A short distance from your lodge is Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The parking fee is paid at the gate, 356 ZAR per person (2018). You enter the park at Twee Rivieren gate, before you go on there is a small shop here you can go in and buy with your snacks, as well as cold drinks, at your own expense.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is located in northern South Africa and southwestern Botswana. This is a semi-desert with red dunes and a spectacular starry sky at night. The wilderness is fantastic and a dream place for photographers. Kalahari lion, chamois, cheetah, hyena live here and if you are lucky you may be able to see a leopard.

Once you have driven into the park, it is important to take your time and not stress. You drive on gravel roads and the maximum speed is 50 km. Animals often stand by the road so it is important to be attentive.

You drive to Kamqua Picnic Site and there you need to arrive no later than 14.30 otherwise you will miss your transfer that will take you to Xaus Lodge and there is no other way to reach the lodge as you are not allowed to drive there on your own. At Kamqua Picnic Site you can safely park your rental car.

Xaus Lodge, a Fair Trade Tourism Certified lodge, offers a tranquil, remote desert experience. This is “a place to experience” a unique place to spend the night.

Distance – Kgalagadi Lodge to Twee Rivieren: 6 km

Distance – Twee Rivieren to Kamqua Picnic Site: 65 km

Distance – Kamqua Picnic Site to Xaus Lodge: You are driven there by the lodge’s own vehicles and you will cross 90 dunes so the travel time depends a bit on what you see on the road.

Meals included: Dinner

DAY 10

Today you leave Xaus Lodge after breakfast and get a transfer back to Kamqua Picnic Site. You take your car and drive south to Twee Rivieren, leaving Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. On to Upington and here you make a stop for the night. Relax and enjoy the surroundings in the afternoon.

Distance – Kamqua – Upington: about 320 km

Meals included: Breakfast

DAY 11

You leave Upington and drive towards Kimberley, we recommend that you take the road via Griekwastad. Griekwastad, formerly Griquatown which was the first city established north of the Orange River and has an interesting history. Griekwastad was founded as a mission station and was for a time the capital of the British colony of Griquland West. You continue to Kimberley, which is the capital of the Northern Cape, and check in at your guest house.

Distance – Upington to Kimberley: about 400 km

Meals included: Breakfast

DAY 12

Kimberley gained fame due to diamond exploration and here you can visit the “Big Hole” which is the largest, artificial diamond mine in the world. We really recommend a visit to the interesting Big Hole and Kimberley Mine Museum where you can bring history to life. Diamond mining began in 1866 but a small, shiny stone in this area, which turned out to be a diamond – the famous “Eureka Diamond”. This attracted a large number of diggers who came to Kimberley to seek their fortune. During the period 1871 – 1914, more than 50,000 miners dug the large hole by hand and found close to 3 tons of diamonds. Another famous diamond – “South Africa’s star” – was also found here.

Meals included: Breakfast

DAY 13

You leave Kimberley and head for the Karoo in the Northern Cape. It is a dry landscape, but when the first rain of the year falls, Karoo’s dry soil comes to life.

There are some small, isolated villages to visit. For agriculture, sheep farming has long been the most important industry and some farms also breed springbok. Karoo Lamm is a well-known brand that is in high demand, the animals graze on the many small bushes and wild herbs, which gives the meat a fantastic, herbal taste. Angora goats are also popular for farming and wool is in high demand worldwide.

You drive through the small villages Jacobsdal, Koffiefontein and Petrusville before you arrive at your accommodation which is close to Hanover and check in at a family-run guest house, here you can enjoy healthy food, fresh air and starry skies.

Distance – Kimberley to Karoo Gariep: about 320 km

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

DAY 14

You live on a working farm located in a nature reserve. In the morning you can join a guided walk with the owner, a hike of about 2 km where you get interesting information about the early history of the San people and how they lived in the area.

In the middle of the day when it is warmest you can take it easy and enjoy the pool. In the late afternoon you can accompany the owner of “Hippo Pool” to enjoy a sundowner. In the 18th century, hunters shot all the hippos in the area, but for the past 15 years, work has been done to reintroduce the hippos to their natural habitat.

On the way back to the farm you do a night safari, where you have the opportunity to see “Karoo Shy 5”. Karoo Shy 5 are the rare nocturnal animals that all live in the area; wild boar, earth wolf, ear dog, camel fox and black-footed cat. When the evening is over, we also make a stop and enjoy the stars in the sky.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

DAY 15

Today you continue on the N1 south via Beaufort West to Prince Albert. This small town was just a sleepy Karoo village but since a few years ago, Prince Albert has become a popular place to live and many have moved here from the big city to be able to enjoy the quality of life. Prince Albert has a beautiful architecture with fascinating flora and fauna. The town is only 2 km from the impressive Swartberg Pass and in the area there are olive groves, vineyards and nature reserves to visit.

Your accommodation is located in a restored old farmhouse in the city with walking distance to several excellent restaurants.

Distance – Karoo Gariep to Prince Albert: about 560 km

Meals included: Breakfast

DAY 16

In Prince Albert you can, among other things, walk, cycle and go bird watching. Also feel free to take a city walk as the architecture is well preserved with Cape Dutch, Karoo and Victorian buildings.

There is a chef training in Prince Albert, which means that there are lots of cozy restaurants to try.

Feel free to visit a winery, a cheese farm or some of the small museums.

We also recommend taking a round trip via Meiringspoort and the impressive Swartberg Pass, a round trip of about 200 km.

A different tour you can do is the “Ghost Tour”. For a 1 hour you get a tour of Prince Albert and hear stories about some of the village’s characters and stories about local ghosts.

Meals included: Breakfast

DAY 17

Today you leave Prince Albert and drive via Laingsburg to the highlands of Sutherland. The resort is known as one of the colder resorts in South Africa. The San people lived here more than 25,000 years ago.

On clear evenings, it is well worth a visit to South Africa’s astronomical observatory, just outside the city, here is one of the southern hemisphere’s largest telescopes. It includes a stargazing in the evening and a local astronomer will guide you to identify some of the stars.

Distance – Prince Albert to Sutherland: about 260 km

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

DAY 18

Today you leave Sutherland after breakfast and drive back to Cape Town on road N1. South Africa is abbreviated as SF by Abbreviationfinder.

We recommend that you take your time and stay in Matjiesfontein. The small town was founded in 1884 and became a popular place through its health spa which was offered to passengers who came by rail.

Then continue along road N1 to Cape Town where you hand in the rental car at the airport. After all these memorable days, it’s time to fly home.

Distance – Sutherland to Cape Town: about 350 km

Meals included: Breakfast

ACTS
WITH YOUR OWN CAR IN SOUTH AFRICA

PRICE INDICATION PER PERSON:

01 Feb 2019 – 31 Jul 2019: 28 495 kr
01 Aug 2019 – 31 Oct 2019: 30 495 kr

THE PRICE OF THE TRIP INCLUDES:

• Rental car 18 days, category M – Ford Ecosport or similar car. The rental car includes: unlimited mileage, GPS and premium insurance coverage.
• 17 nights accommodation according to itinerary.
• Meals according to itinerary.
• All entrance fees, tours and activities listed in the itinerary.
• Detailed route description.
• Agent on site and 24 hour service with emergency number.

THE PRICE OF THE TRIP DOES NOT INCLUDE:

• Airline tickets and airline taxes.
• Petrol for the rental car
• Meals not mentioned itinerary.
• Park fees to Augrabies National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
• Tip.