35th Parallel - adventure travel & sports community

Cape Town

Cape Town is a vibrant, exciting city situated on the very southern tip of Africa, with the Atlantic Ocean to the West and the Indian Ocean to the East.  With the spectacular Table Mountain as a backdrop, arriving in Cape Town on a beautiful summers day will take your breath away.  This tour explores the best Cape Town has to offer from the scenery, wildlife, culture and vibrant city scenes.  Your tour guide lived here for 12 years, so knows Cape Town very well and will ensure you have the time of your life!

Check out the great photos and videos from other travellers in our community!

Table Mountain

Aptly named, Table Mountain forms the backdrop for the city below. The view from atop is spectacular and gives a much better perspective of Cape Town below.  You may even be lucky enough to see the famous 'table cloth' over the mountain!

The West Coast

The West Coast of Cape Town is rugged and beautiful.  Driving Chapmans Peak Road on a beautiful day has to be one of the most beautiful drives in the world.

Khayelitsha Township Tour

Not on the regular tourist "must see's", Khayelitsha Township is where a large percentage of Cape Towns poorer Africans live. 20 Years ago you wouldn't have dared venture into Khayelitsha, however today it's quite safe and well worth the visit - this is an eye opener for most westeners.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Cape Town

South Africa is a culturally diverse country, one nation made up of many peoples.  With 11 different official languages, a multiplicity of traditions and skin tones; it truly is the “rainbow nation” of Africa.  Arriving in Cape Town you’ll immediately be struck by the natural beauty of the land, the friendliness of the locals and the diversity of the cultures.  Depending on your arrival time today, there may be time to explore the Greenmarket Square markets, downtown and the famous Long Street before meeting the rest of the group and guide at Blues, a famous seafood restaurant overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on the west coast of Cape Town.  D

Day 2: Cape Peninsula, Hout Bay & Boulders Penguin Colony

We’ll start off our day heading south along the west coast on Chapmans Peak Drive, one of the most spectacular coast drives in the world, ending up in Hout Bay, a picturesque seaside village once self declared a republic!  Then we’ll continue to the Cape Peninsula Nature Reserve where we visit the southern most tip of Africa, the place where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet.  There is a wide range of indigenous fynbos as well as baboons, buck and Cape Mountain Zebra.  We’ll stop to take pictures of the coastline from the old lighthouse and visit the great arts and craft markets.  Be sure to keep the windows up to keep the baboons out!  Then we’ll continue around the point heading north east towards Simons Town, Fish Hoek and Kalk Bay.  On our way we’ll pay a visit to the small men in tuxedos, the African Penguin colony on Boulders Beach.  Finally we’ll end up back in Cape Town in the late afternoon in time for sundowners and a relaxing dinner at the now famous Royale Burger Bar (owned by one of your guides best friends!).Description.  B/L/D

Day 3: Table Mountain, Cape Town & Khayelitsha Township

We’ll begin the day by heading up Table Mountain, one of the most famous city backdrops in the world.  It’s your choice if you want to hike/climb up or catch the cable car.  The view from atop are amazing and really put Cape Town in perspective.  You can see Lions Head, the city, Robben Island and the coastline heading north – it truly is spectacular.  Then we’ll visit the Khayelitsha township - experience that will open your eyes to the way in which the biggest portion of Cape Town’s population are living.  Despite the difficult circumstances and poor living conditions, you will experience the vibrancy and sprit of the South African people.  In the afternoon you’ll have time to explore the abundance of great shops and markets in the city to purchase some memorabilia and gifts.  This evening we’ll have dinner at the famous Mama Africa's where you can sample the many kinds of food eaten in Africa as well as learn a few African dances if you’re up for it!  B/L/D

Day 4: Travel to Okavango Delta, Botswana

This morning we’ll catch an early flight to Maun in Botswana to meet the rest of the group before heading into the wilds of Botswana.  This is where Day 1 of the Southern African Safari tour commences.

Land Cost

USD$1,095 per person (6-12 members)
Single Supplement: $300

Rates quoted are per person, based on sharing double accommodation.  If you prefer single accommodations, you must pay the Single Supplement Fee.  If you’re travelling alone and wish to share accommodations, we’ll try our best to find you a roommate.

A 3.5% credit card processing fee will be charged to all payments.  To avoid this fee, contact us to arrange payment by bank transfer. See our Terms and Conditions of Travel for more information on cancellations and refunds.

What’s Included

All activities, meals and accommodations mentioned in the itinerary as included.  Further inclusions are:

• Expert leadership and guides
• Sightseeing and tours as noted in the itinerary
• Ground transportation (excluding airport transfer on arrival)
• Additional guides where necessary
• Entrance fees and permits
• Meals as indicated in detailed itinerary

What’s Not Included

International airfares; optional activities; optional tipping to leader/guides; gratuities; meals not noted as included on the itinerary; travel insurance (we strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance. 35th Parallel is a provider of travel insurance. Please contact us for a quote); excess baggage charges; airport taxes; costs of medical immunisations; and items of a personal nature (sodas, alcoholic beverages, laundry etc.).

Optional Extras

The following are all optional extras and will incur an additional cost:

• All activities mentioned as "optional" in the itinerary.
• If you wish to commemorate the experience, we can provide hats, t-shirts and soft jackets with custom printing or embroiding.

Air Travel

Airfares to and from the departure point for this trip are not included in the land cost.  We are happy to provide a quote for your domestic and/or international travel, or you can source your own airfares via the internet or your preferred travel agent.  Please be sure to check your tickets with our staff before purchasing or obtaining your tickets.  We need to verify your arrival and departure schedule and ensure we have enough participants to operate the trip.

Seasonal Considerations

The weather in Cape Town in October is quite warm, however may be a little cool in the evenings, so be prepared for this.  During the day, shorts, sandals and t-shirts will be sufficient.

Accommodations

To maximise the “local” aspect of our adventures, wherever possible we avoid staying in large hotels or “tourist traps”.  We prefer to stay in accommodations that would normally be frequented by the locals, thereby giving us more opportunities to travel like locals, and meet locals.  Further, as we travel in very small groups, this also provides us the flexibility to stay where the locals stay!  So, our accommodations normally vary between Bed & Breakfast, Lodges, Boutique Hotels, Holiday Homes and Camping.  In each location, we choose the accommodation which will provide the best experience.

First Aid

We provide a comprehensive expedition first aid kit but prefer everyone to be independent with basic first aid items. Your personal first aid kit should include: Pain killers, Plasters (Band-Aids), strapping tape, anti-biotic cream, general anti-biotics (ask your GP), Diamox, throat lozenges, re- hydration salts & other personal medication of your choice.

This trip can only be booked as an extension to the Southern African Safari.