Ultra-Luxury South Africa Safari: Wine and Wilderness
On this ultra luxury South Africa wine and safari tour, you’ll be assigned private guides and trackers and enjoy exclusive access to top vineyards. Delve into the gastronomy of the Cape Winelands with sommelier-led tastings and private dining in Franschhoek. Be among the few guests in Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, staying in exclusive lodges and seeking black-maned lions and rhinos. Then look for the Big Five in Sabi Sands, renowned for leopard sightings.
Trip highlights
- Dine on traditional fire-cooked cuisine, prepared by a private chef, in a Stellenbosch vineyard
- Go behind-the-scenes at private wine estates and be guided through reserve tastings with sommeliers
- Look for desert-adapted lions and rhinos with your dedicated safari guide and tracker in Tswalu Kalahari Reserve
- Head out with expert trackers to seek leopards in Sabi Sands, which has Africa’s highest concentration of the big cats
- Track wild dogs through the savanna bushveld on foot, and learn about the smaller creatures that live there
- Go on night safaris to seek elusive wildlife including ground pangolins, brown hyenas and aardwolves
Our bespoke trips include
We design one-of-a-kind journeys incorporating luxury in all its forms. Our bespoke trips include:
- Luxury accommodation throughout
- Privately guided tours
- Private transfers
- Meticulously selected experiences
- Expertise and support from your Jacada Concierge
Itinerary in detail
Days 1–4
Fine dining and wine tasting in Franschhoek
In the Cape Winelands east of Cape Town, Franschhoek is a 17th-century valley town founded by French Huguenots. Its rich winemaking traditions have made it a hub for South African wine tasting, and your days here will feature immersive vineyard tours and gourmet experiences.
We can arrange mountaintop picnics, tastings of freshly shucked oysters on the beach and helicopter transfers to private wine estates. Sip wines with a sommelier or winemaker, and get behind-the-scenes access in some of the valley’s top vineyards.
Explore the valley on cycling or hiking tours, following trails through vineyards, fields and forests against the backdrop of the Franschhoek Mountains. Or head into Cape Town, where our concierges can pre-book tables at the finest restaurants.
Where you could stay
Make it mine
Private dining
Art class
Heli-biking
Land in a vineyard for an exclusive meal
Remhoogte Wine Estate spreads out in the foothills of Simonsberg in Stellenbosch. For this exclusive experience, you’ll be whisked here by helicopter, opening up incredible Western Cape views. Once there, you’ll be seated at Vuur restaurant for a tasting menu prepared by a private chef cooking over open fire, paired with estate wines.
Take a painting lesson in botanical gardens
At the foot of Table Mountain in Cape Town, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden has plants from five of South Africa’s six biomes. On this immersive tour, explore the bloom-filled gardens and forest trails with a guide. Then, take a private acrylic painting lesson with South African artist Kim Black, known for her floral artworks.
Explore Jonkershoek’s trails with a guide
The valley of Jonkershoek has a vast network of renowned hiking and mountain biking trails. Accompanied by a professional heli-bike tour guide, you’ll be transferred by helicopter for mountain biking along otherwise inaccessible trailheads. Cycle down single tracks and alpine descents in the Hottentots Holland Mountains.
Days 4–7
Go on private safari in Tswalu Kalahari Reserve
Your private South Africa safari continues in Tswalu Kalahari, a vast, semi-arid wilderness in the southern Kalahari. Its grasslands provide habitat for around 80 mammal and 340 bird species, and limited visitor numbers mean richer wildlife experiences and better chances of sightings.
Staying in luxury tented suites within the reserve, you’ll be assigned a dedicated private safari guide and tracker. Look for black-maned lions, desert black rhinos, leopards, buffalos and cheetahs. Go on nighttime safaris and walks to seek the ‘elusive five’: ground pangolins, brown hyenas, aardwolves, aardvarks and the bat-eared foxes.
Where you could stay
Motse Camp
Into the wilderness
Meerkat experience
Star beds
Horseback safari
Observe meerkat colonies with expert guide
Tswalu has three habituated meerkat colonies, and you’ll have the opportunity to observe them with your private guide. Head out at dawn to observe the animals emerging from their burrows, watching as they groom, forage and play among the red dunes.
Dine and sleep under the stars
Tswalu’s Malori camp offers the chance to camp out under the stars. Arrive in the afternoon for sundowners followed by a chef-prepared meal or tapas. You’ll sleep in elevated safari tents illuminated with lanterns, with decks and bathrooms open to the sky.
Follow trails on horseback
Get a different perspective on a guided horseback safari, which opens up opportunities for closer sightings of animals such as giraffes, oryxes and kudus. Follow trails through the grasslands and over the dunes, stopping for a picnic or sundowners.
Days 7–10
Look for leopards in Sabi Sands Game Reserve
The final days of your luxury South Africa wine and safari tour will be spent in Sabi Sands. Leopard sightings are relatively likely in the reserve, which shares an unfenced boundary with Kruger National Park; Sabi Sands has the highest density in Africa of these elusive big cats, and your skilled private guide will take you to the best places to spot them.
Take private day and night drives to seek the rest of the Big Five, and go on walking safaris through the savanna bushveld. Observe smaller creatures, looking for birds like African fish eagles and purple-crested turacos, and track wild dogs with a species expert.
Where you could stay
Lion Sands Ivory Lodge
Thank you Tessa and the team at Jacada for planning our celebratory trip to South Africa. Your input and suggestions for hotels, experiences, restaurants and itinerary were top notch. I appreciated your accessibility in working with me to plan a wonderful trip - from emailing to phone calls, you were always available. I also very much valued the fact that…
Why book with Jacada
Personalised design
We’ll plan your trip around your personal interests, tastes and preferences, providing honest advice based on first-hand knowledge.
Authentic experiences
Our expert guides and brilliant Concierges are hand-picked for their ability to bring your destination to life with care and passion.
Positive impact
We seek out unforgettable experiences that benefit both local communities and the environment.
