Cape to Kalahari Self-drive

This unusual Cape to Kalahari self-drive tour (13 nights) contrasts cosmopolitan Cape Town with the stark beauty of the dry Kalahari. It includes game-viewing to the Kgalagadi National Park and a visit to the spectacular Augrabies Falls.

Cape Town is one of the most beautifully situated cities in the world. Cradled by Table Mountain, it has immense charm and historical interest. Whilst its unique cultural blend is part African, part European and part Asian.

After a few days relaxing in Cape Town, you meander slowly north to the rugged Cederberg Mountains. The Cederberg is known for its beautiful rock formations, San rock art paintings and walking trails. Then you continue to Namaqualand, an area famous for its spring flowers. Head north to the magnificent Augrabies Falls National Park. Here the Orange River thunders through a 19 km gorge and plunges down 200m into a rock enclosed pool below.

An then you finish the Cape to Kalahari self drive tour with a few days of game-viewing in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. No one who has travelled through the Kalahari can forget its raw grandeur. It is one of the last true wilderness areas of Southern Africa. This vast Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a land of red desert dunes, endless horizons and huge skies. And it is home to the desert-adapted Kalahari lion as well as to leopard, cheetah and hyena. Plus immense herds of springbok, gemsbok, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest and eland. Nowhere in South Africa are you more likely to see cheetah than in these dry river beds.

Then the tour ends in Upington where you can fly back to Cape Town or Johannesburg. Depending on your flight, you may need an extra night.

Cape to Kalahari at a Glance (13 nights)

Cape Town - 3 nights, The Vineyard Hotel, near to Kirstenbosch BB
Winelands - 1 night, Avondrood Guesthouse, Franschhoek BB
Cederberg Mtns - 2 nights, Cederberg Ridge Lodge, DBB
Nieuwoudtville - 1 night, Linda se Dop, Nieuwoudtville BB
Near Augrabies - 1 night, Dundi Lodge, near Augrabies waterfall
Kgalagadi Park - 2 nights, Twee Rivieren Restcamp, Trans Kalagadi National Park, Room Only
Kgalagadi Park - 1 night, Xaus! Full Board & Activities
Kgalagadi Park - 2 nights, Mata Mata or Nossob Restcamp, Room Only
Return to Upington for your onward flight.

Tailor-make this tour

Depending on the connecting flight connections, you may wish to spend an extra night in or near Upington at the end. Plus, if you have more time, we recommend perhaps adding an extra night in the Cape Winelands en route to the Cederberg Mountains. The nights in the Kgalagadi are examples as we may need to change the routing depending on flight times and availability.

Upgrade Option

We can also offer this at a higher price point using different hotels and including private concession camps in the Trans Kgalagadi Park. Contact us for a quote. This is considerably more due to the fact that the private concession camps are on the Botswana side of the park and thus priced in dollars.

We would use the same hotels but better room types for the first 6 nights. Then as follows:

Near Augrabies - 2 nights, Tutwa Desert odge, in Augrabies region but with own access to Orange River
Kgalagadi Park - 2 nights Ta Shebube Rooipits Game Lodge, on Botswana side, Full Board & Activities
Kgalagadi Park - 1 night, Xaus! Full Board & Activities
Kgalagadi Park - 2 nights, Kalahari Tented Camp, Room Only
Return to Upington for your onward flight.