Thanks to the mix of cultures that have created the Mother City, history runs deep in Cape Town. From Dutch, French, British, Malay, African and indigenous influences to industry, technology and science, Cape Town’s rich – and at times tragic – history can be seen in a number of world-class museums that allow us to step back in time to understand the present. A number of these museums are located in the city centre – all within walking distance of each other and combinable with our “History & Heroes Walk” – and together they offer a view as diverse and entertaining as Cape Town itself.

South Africa’s celebrated Cape Winelands region is not just internationally famous for its exquisite wines, but is also highly valued for its extraordinary beauty and diversity. Set in soaring mountains and sweeping valleys amidst the carefully preserved, natural bounty of the Cape Floral Kingdom, the Cape’s vineyards are rich in tradition, history and unique Cape-Dutch architecture, as well as exceptional wines and cuisine. Your time in the winelands is very flexible and our guides often recommend their own favourite wineries to visit, as they may know the owners or have a special vintage that they wish to share with you. You may also have a particular winery that you have read about and wish to visit, and all of this can be discussed on the day with your guide. For non-wine drinkers, there are crafters offering tastings of beer, brandy, cheese, chocolate and gin. It’s also possible to exchange a night in Cape Town with an overnight stay in the quaint Winelands village of Franschhoek with its high street of shops, galleries and world class restaurants, or one of the vineyards surrounding the village.

Table Mountain is South Africa’s most recognised icon. At over 1,000m (3,280ft) in height and flanked by the smaller peaks of Lion’s Head, Signal Hill and Devil’s Peak, she provides a majestic backdrop to the city of Cape Town.

There are over 350 separate hiking routes on the mountain but for those looking for an easier way to reach the “Table”, a ride in the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is the way to go. Opened in 1929, the cableway has since had three upgrades and serviced over 16 million passengers. The current cableway cars have a revolving floor, giving up to 65 passengers a 360° view of the city and mountain during the 10-minute ride. We include the more exclusive “Fast Track” ticket in the cost of your journey and your guide accompanies you up and down.

A relaxing day awaits you today on a meander around the scenic Cape Peninsula with our guide. Leaving the city behind, you first visit the eclectic fishing village of Kalk Bay and the historical naval town of Simon’s Town and its famous resident colony of African penguins. You then venture further south to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, where the many legends and shipwreck stories that abound at the “Cape of Storms” are brought to life. After visiting both Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, you travel back to the city via the Atlantic coastline and the dramatic and picturesque Chapman’s Peak Drive.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is world renowned for the beauty and diversity of its Cape flora displays, and its magnificent setting against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. Established in 1913 to conserve the native flora of southern Africa, Kirstenbosch is internationally acclaimed as one of the great botanical gardens of the world. The estate covers 528 hectares (1,300 acres) including a 36-hectare (89-acre) cultivated garden as well as collections of rare and endangered species and a natural forest. Kirstenbosch’s Tree Canopy Walkway, nicknamed the Boomslang, is a 130m (426ft) elevated steel‑timber path weaving through the treetops. It offers sweeping views of Table Mountain and the botanical garden, and blends discreet design with immersion in nature.

For nearly 400 years, Robben Island was a place of exile and imprisonment for those regarded as outcasts and troublemakers. Since 1997 it has been a museum and a heritage site, acting as a major focal point of South African heritage. The island can be visited on a guided tour that includes the notorious prison that housed most of the freedom fighters during the apartheid struggle era – the most famous being Nelson Mandela who spent 18 years of his life here.

Departing from an exclusive berth within the V&A Waterfront, the 3½ hour tour includes a return boat trip across Table Bay, a visit to the Maximum Security Prison, interaction with an ex-political prisoner and a 45-minute guided bus tour of the island. Our guide accompanies you to also add his/her knowledge to the experience.

The Apartheid Museum houses the foremost collection of exhibits dealing with 20th-century South Africa, at the heart of which is the apartheid story. A series of 22 individual exhibitions that include film footage, photographs and artefacts chart the course of the country’s official segregation era from 1948 to 1994. More often an emotional experience than a mere museum meander, South Africa’s racial segregation and resulting political turmoil is played out in vivid photographs, well-researched textual displays, and gut-wrenching video footage. As you come to the final installation however, you witness the euphoria and forgiveness that enveloped the country when apartheid officially ended with South Africa’s first non-racial democratic election in 1994.

Walter Sisulu, anti-apartheid hero and mentor to Nelson Mandela, once said that the history of South Africa cannot be understood without knowing the history of Johannesburg’s South West Townships, better known as SOWETO.
A visit to Soweto is a cultural and historical experience that explores this vibrant Johannesburg township, focusing on its role in South Africa’s struggle against apartheid and its modern-day culture. Accompanied by your private local guide, key sites that you can visit include Vilakazi Street, which is now famous for being the only street in the world that has housed two Nobel Laureates – Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Along with a drive along this now-famous street, your guide will introduce other parts of Soweto, such as the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum (commemorating the 1976 Soweto Uprising), the Mandela House Museum (one of Nelson Mandela’s former homes), Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (one of the world’s largest with almost 3000 beds) and the infamous mine workers’ hostels.

Located in the same general area as the Cradle of Humankind and Lesedi Cultural Village, the Harties Cableway offers visitors an exciting cable car trip on the longest mono-cableway in Africa with panoramic views of the beautiful Magaliesberg mountain range, Hartbeespoort Dam and surrounding areas. At the top is an educational walkway as well as options to keep you fed and watered while you take in the picturesque view.

If you’ve ever wondered how South Africa came to be called the Rainbow Nation, a trip to the Lesedi Cultural Village gives you a one-stop opportunity to discover South Africa in a day. The village offers visitors a taste of some of the major indigenous South African cultures, and traditional Xhosa, Zulu, Pedi, Ndebele and Basotho homesteads have all been replicated here. For travellers with a desire to learn more about South Africa’s cultural diversity but with a limited amount of time, it ticks all the right boxes. The village is open in the late morning or late afternoon, and each tour commences with a browse through the Ndebele village and craft market with its distinct wall murals. Then there’s a multi-visual theatre presentation and an exploration of the other four homesteads. A song and dance show called the ‘Giant Ingoma’ is next, featuring performances from all five cultures. A feast of African dishes is then served in the Nyama Choma restaurant. What makes the experience unique is the opportunity to meet local families and being able to talk to them about their day-to-day lives.

The massive Voortrekker Monument is located on a hill overlooking South Africa’s capital city of Pretoria/Tshwane. It was built in 1949 to commemorate the “Great Trek”, an often treacherous journey across the country undertaken by pioneering Boer families who fled British rule in the Cape Colony from 1835 to 1854. A laager (corral) of 64 granite ox-wagons surrounds the main block of the Monument and at the entrance stands a bronze sculpture of an Afrikaner mother and her children, as a tribute to the female Voortrekkers who made possible the eventual settlement of the Afrikaner community. Inside the monument is the Hall of Heroes, which houses one of the world’s longest historical marble friezes. The frieze depicts the trials and tribulations of the Great Trek and is illuminated by four huge windows of yellow Belgian glass. One floor below is the Cenotaph Hall which houses a tapestry of more than three million stitches, as well as a collection of historical flags and other artefacts belonging to the Voortrekker families.

Also in Pretoria/Tshwane are the Union Buildings, which form the official seat of the South African government and also house the offices of the President of South Africa. The buildings are over 275m long and boast a semi-circular shape, with two wings at the sides. This serves to represent the union of a formerly divided people, with the east and west wings representing two of the country’s major languages, namely English and Afrikaans. Especially notable are the terraced gardens surrounding the Union buildings, which were planted exclusively with indigenous plants. Within the grounds are various monuments, including a 9m-high statue of the late former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. The statue was unveiled on 16 December 2013, now known as Reconciliation Day and exactly 64 years after the unveiling of the Voortrekker Monument. The statue has been erected in an amphitheatre, not unlike (deliberately?) the amphitheatre at the Voortrekker Monument which is clearly visible in the distance.

The 47,000 hectare Cradle of Humankind has unearthed the best evidence of the complex journey which our species has taken to make us what we are. It is not only a place of on-going scientific discovery into our origins, but also a place of contemplation – a place that allows us to reflect on who we are, where we come from and where we are going to. At the centre of this World Heritage Site is Maropeng Visitor Centre, which is an exciting, world-class exhibition focusing on the development of humans and our ancestors over the past few million years. A five minute drive down the road are the Sterkfontein Caves. Excavated continuously since 1968, more than 550 hominid fossil specimens have been found including ‘Mrs Ples’ and ‘Little Foot’. Underlying the old quarry is an extensive system of younger caves containing an underground lake and many limestone formations, part of which is open to visitors on a 45-minute guided tour.