Current as of: September 27, 2026 - 23:48
Signature South Africa | Winelands & Wild Shores Trip Notes
- Ways to Travel: Guided Group, Signature
- Destination: South Africa
- Programmes: Culture
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Activity Level:
2 out of 7 - Easy & Moderate
- 9 Days: Land Only
- Ages: 18+
- Trip Code: LSG
- Carbon Footprint: 87.5kg CO2e
Trip Overview
Trace a journey through sculpted landscapes, regional produce, and meaningful encounters
This is South Africa at its most sensory: ocean air, wild coasts, and regional flavours. Led by your handpicked Signature Guide, begin in Cape Town, then follow the southern edge where wind-shaped shorelines give way to vineyard-clad slopes and the vast stillness of the Karoo interior. Along the way, reconnect with wild flavours alongside coastal foragers, join marine specialists on a sea safari, and shape your own story in Hermanus on our distinctive Signature Day. This is South Africa revealed through those who know it best — shared slowly, thoughtfully, and with purpose.
Venture to the very heart of each destination on our Signature Collection, where every journey is shaped by our unrivalled local connections and insider expertise. Step beyond the ordinary with private invitations, rare encounters, and experiences few will ever share. So when someone says, “I’ve been there,” you’ll simply smile, knowing you’ve experienced it differently.
Signature Day: Experience our distinctive Signature Day, choosing between immersive optional activities such as a township-led cultural encounter, coastal wildlife exploration to see whales, or a guided wine journey through Hemel-en-Aarde
Signature Stay: Stay at Rosenhof Country House, a restored Victorian homestead in the Klein Karoo, part of this trip’s refined accommodation portfolio
Signature Guide: Let your handpicked Signature Guide lead you to the country’s soul — sharing their home, heritage, and heart
Is This Trip for You?
We have graded this trip Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page.
Driving times: The longest travel time takes place on Day 6 (approximately 4hr 15min). Day 4 also includes a longer journey (around four hours total). All other transfers are under two hours and travel by private vehicle throughout.
Signature Day: Select from a curated menu of optional experiences to create a day that is personal to you or choose to slow the pace and enjoy the facilities of your accommodation. Simply prebook your chosen experience at least 60 days before departure through your Signature Collection travel expert. Additionally, an optional walking tour can be prebooked if you arrive early on Day 1.
Please note, some optional activities may have a minimum number of participants required to operate. If minimum numbers are not reached by 60 days prior to travel, you will be contacted and offered an alternative optional activity.
Group
When it comes to unlocking a destination, your Signature Guide is the key holder. Hand-selected for their extensive experience and unrivalled local knowledge, they ensure your experience runs effortlessly thanks to their exceptional organisational skills. Our Signature Guides are named on our website, so you can begin your journey with complete confidence and anticipation of the wonders each day will bring.
Adult min age: 18
Min group size: 4
Max group size: 16
Itinerary
Land Only
- Start City: Cape Town
- End City: Hermanus
Land Only Itinerary
Settle into Cape Town’s rhythm | Welcome reception at Aubergine
Our journey begins in Cape Town, fondly known as the Mother City, where a private transfer brings you to Canopy by Hilton Longkloof, in the Longkloof neighbourhood beneath Table Mountain.
Those arriving early may join an optional storytelling walk from mountain ridge to sea, tracing Cape Town’s layered histories with an award-winning travel writer (available to prebook on request).
As evening draws in, we gather for a welcome reception and dinner at Aubergine restaurant, set within the former home of Sir John Wylde, the first Chief Justice of the Cape of Good Hope. In this historic property, built in 1830, we enjoy seasonal dishes, South African wines, and moments to connect with each other – a taste of things to come.
Accommodation: Canopy by Hilton Cape Town Longkloof
Trace the Cape Peninsula | Join expert foragers to discover the flavours of the coast
Follow the curve of the Cape Peninsula along Chapman’s Peak Drive – widely regarded among the world’s most scenic coastal roads – to the Cape of Good Hope. A guided walk on the Lighthouse Keeper’s Trail traces cliff-edge paths shaped by wind, sea, and stories of shipwrecks and beacons.
Signature Experience: Explore the coastline through its wild flavours alongside expert foragers, stepping into the intricate world of intertidal rock pools. Learn to identify native seaweeds and coastal plants, gaining insight into their nutritional value, medicinal properties, and nuanced culinary uses. Afterwards, settle in for an ocean-inspired lunch, where the day’s foraged finds are thoughtfully prepared and shared together.
Return to your hotel for time to unwind, with dinner at leisure.
Accommodation: Canopy by Hilton Cape Town Longkloof
Travel into the Winelands | Explore the distinct flavours of the Fynbos with a botanical expert
Leaving Cape Town, we journey into the Cape Winelands, where open valleys and distant peaks signal a slower rhythm.
Signature Experience: Step inside a botanical cellar to experience the distinctive flavours of South Africa’s indigenous herbs from the Cape Floristic Region. Guided by a culinary Fynbos specialist, explore rare botanicals and their refined culinary expression, then walk the surrounding renosterveld before sharing an experimental tapas lunch that honours these ancient plants and their enduring vitality.
Continue to Stellenbosch, where we check into our accommodation, before heading out for an evening at Webersburg Wine Estate, where a private cellar tour reveals the story behind the wines before a traditional braai served alongside expertly matched vintages. Surrounded by the beauty of the Cape Winelands, this is an authentic celebration of South African food, wine and hospitality.
Accommodation: WedgeView Country House & Spa
Journey into the Klein Karoo | An evening gazing at southern skies
After a relaxed start, we travel into the semi-arid landscapes of the Klein Karoo, where we settle into Rosenhof Country House, our Signature Stay, a historic Karoo homestead transformed into a five-star boutique hotel.
Signature Experience: After dinner at the hotel, enjoy a private stargazing session with expert astronomers, using specialised telescopes to observe Southern Hemisphere constellations and deep-sky highlights. Surrounded by the stillness of the semi-desert, the Klein Karoo is a place where the night sky comes alive.
Accommodation: Rosenhof Country House
Discover the heart of the Klein Karoo | Meet farming families and cross the Swartberg
Today reveals the Klein Karoo through those who shape it. Begin on a fifth-generation mixed farm near De Rust, where the owner shares how resilient farming has evolved to sustain land, livelihoods, and community.
Continue through Meiringspoort’s dramatic gorge for a short walk to its waterfall, then pause in Klaarstroom for coffee and conversation with local hosts.
Lunch unfolds in Prince Albert, accompanied by traditional riel dancers, before crossing the Swartberg Pass, its winding gravel road opening onto vast mountain horizons and fynbos-rich slopes. The day closes with a Karoo-led dinner, celebrating regional flavours and hospitality.
Accommodation: Rosenhof Country House
Stand where oceans meet | Arrive in harbour-side Hermanus
Leave the Karoo and travel toward the coast, arriving at Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa and the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian oceans.
After a seafood lunch near the lighthouse, a guided walk along the Rasperpunt Trail reveals the highlights of Agulhas National Park: shoreline fynbos, sweeping coastal views, and the Meisho Maru Shipwreck.
Tracing the coastline through a series of historic villages, we reach Hermanus and check into Whale Rock Luxury Lodge, our home for the final few nights of the journey.
Accommodation: Whale Rock Luxury Lodge
Signature Day | Choose township encounters, whales, or wine
Today is your Signature Day, where you can select an authentic, curated experience to connect deeply with South African culture. You could:
- Join a specialist guide in Zwelihle township, meeting local entrepreneurs and artists, with tastings of home-style dishes and traditional brews (9am-12.30pm)
- Trace the Hermanus coastline on a private guided tour, combining seasonal whale watching, penguins at Stony Point, and walks through botanical gardens. (9am-5pm)
- Follow the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley with a local wine guide, tasting cool-climate pinot noir and chardonnay before a leisurely lunch among the vines (9am-4pm)
- Take a whale-watching boat trip, led by a whale specialist, with close-up marine encounters and expert interpretation (a private boat operates for our group) (3pm-5.30pm)
Dinner this evening is at leisure.
Accommodation: Whale Rock Luxury Lodge
Encounter the Marine Big Five | Share an interactive dinner at Fisherman’s Cottage
Signature Experience: Join marine specialists to cruise around Dyer Island – nicknamed the Serengeti of the Sea for its rich marine biodiversity and breathtaking wildlife spectacles. With our expert guides, we have the chance to encounter the Marine Big Five – whales, dolphins, penguins, seals, and sharks – while also learning from a penguinologist how research and rescue efforts protect African penguins, now critically endangered, within this complex marine ecosystem.
Return to Hermanus with time to rest or browse local galleries, before we gather at Fisherman’s Cottage for a farewell dinner this evening. Here, chef Michael Broughton leads an interactive and elevated potjiekos session before sharing the meal together, with dishes inspired by the Overberg coast.
Accommodation: Harbour House Hotel
Say a fond farewell to South Africa
After a last breakfast, the morning is yours to linger. Stroll the cliff path one final time or enjoy a slow coffee as you reflect on coastlines, farms, and cellar doors now stitched into memory.
When you are ready, your airport transfer returns you to Cape Town International Airport for onward flights. This chapter may close, but South Africa’s shores and winelands remain ready to welcome you back.
Alternatively, open a new chapter of discovery by speaking to your Signature Collection travel expert about extending your stay.
Accommodation
Experience the best of South African hospitality
Every aspect of the Signature Collection is meticulously planned to take you deeper into the destination. That means your accommodation is a refined showcase of local hospitality, whether you’re staying in a pioneering luxury hotel or enjoying privileged access to a characterful stay designed to fully immerse you in the local culture.
Below are the accommodations we use on this adventure:
Cape Town: Canopy by Hilton Longkloof (nights 1-2)
Practically equidistant between the city centre, Table Mountain cable car and V&A Waterfront, this modern retreat occupies an ideal location for exploration. When you’re not out discovering the best of Cape Town, relax in your contemporary room, make use of the fitness centre, or drink and dine at ONGETEM restaurant, helmed by acclaimed South African chef Bertus Basson.
Stellenbosch: WedgeView Country House & Spa (night 3)
Embrace South Africa’s country house life with one night on this private estate in the heart of the Cape Winelands. Run by Dave and Anouk Bakker and their team, this 18-room property is a welcoming retreat with views stretching over vineyards and to the Stellenbosch mountains. There are plenty of welcoming facilities too, including a pool, a bistro-style restaurant, an expansive garden and a spa.
Oudtshoorn: Rosenhof Country House (nights 4-5)
Our Signature Stay is a Victorian homestead in the Klein Karoo, transformed by the Barrow family into a refined, five-star boutique. Here, the rose gardens after which the property is named lead to individually designed rooms, while other amenities include a wellness centre with a gym, sauna and dipping pool. There’s also a fine-dining restaurant serving traditional Karoo cuisine from a menu that changes daily to incorporate the freshest produce.
Hermanus: Whale Rock Luxury Lodge (nights 6–8)
Finish our adventure with three nights at Whale Rock, a contemporary retreat with a home-from-home feel. Unwind in the green gardens, have a dip in the pool or take a short walk to the Cliff Path, from where you may spot southern right whales during the season (July to November).
- Enhance your stay: Personalise your experience with curated room upgrades and additional nights tailored to your travel plans.
Food & Drink
This journey is designed to deepen your connection to South Africa through its food and drink. Taste indigenous Fynbos botanicals with a culinary specialist, forage for seaweeds and coastal plants before an ocean-inspired lunch, and share a traditional braai with matched wines in the Cape Winelands. In the Klein Karoo, regional flavours are shaped by farming families and local hospitality, while the coast brings fresh seafood and cool-climate wines. The journey concludes with an interactive potjiekos dinner led by chef Michael Broughton, drawing on the flavours of the Overberg. Where meals are not included, your Signature Guide will be on hand with considered recommendations, whether you choose to dine together or enjoy the evening at your own pace.
Transport
From the moment you land to the moment you depart, all transport is taken care of for you. On this adventure, we use private vehicles, ensuring smooth transitions between coast, highlands and winelands. Journeys are unhurried and scenic, designed to match the slower pace of the Signature Collection. All luggage handling, guide travel and daily logistics are taken care of behind the scenes
Weather & Seasonality
South Africa’s southern regions experience broad seasonal shifts:
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Summer (Dec–Feb): Warm days, cooler evenings by the coast and long light ideal for coastal walking.
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Autumn (Mar–May): Crisp mornings in the winelands, mellow afternoons for vineyard visits and mountain passes.
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Winter (Jun–Aug): Cooler temperatures, occasional rain, and peak whale-watching along the Hermanus coastline.
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Spring (Sept–Nov): Fresh breezes, blooming fynbos and comfortable walking conditions.
Each season brings its own atmosphere, shaping light, colour and the pace of the days.
Joining Instructions
As with all adventures in the Signature Collection, we take care of your arrival and departure transfers, allowing you to fully relax and immerse yourself in the local culture.
- Arrival airport: Cape Town (CPT)
- Your adventure begins with a welcome reception at 6pm on Day 1 at our first accommodation.
- Departure airport: Cape Town (CPT)
- Your adventure concludes after breakfast on the final day.
Complimentary arrival and departure transfers are included between the airport and the tour’s designated start and end hotels on the first and last day of your tour. If you book additional pre-tour or post-tour nights at the designated start or end hotel through Exodus, your complimentary transfer will also be valid for those arrival and departure dates.
Additional charges may apply for transfers on different dates or to and from alternative hotels within the same city. To ensure arrangements can be made, complimentary transfers must be requested through your Signature Collection Travel Expert at least two weeks before your tour departure date.
Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.
Location start: Cape Town
Location end: Hermanus
What To Take
Essential Equipment
There’s no specialist equipment you need for this trip. For more information on what you might need to pack, please see our packing guide.
Practical Info & Visa
Visa
South Africa
Travellers from the UK, US and most (though not all) EU states normally do not need a visa to enter South Africa. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.
Compulsory online declaration form: Tourists entering or leaving South Africa must complete a declaration form online, typically submitting no more than 24 hours before departure from the country from which you are travelling. This requirement does not apply to passengers transiting through South Africa, provided they remain within the designated transit area. For more information or to complete your form, please visit the Customs Online Traveller Declaration portal.
Some local governments provide guidance on what entry requirements their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.
• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/africa/south-africa
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/south-africa
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-africa/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/SouthAfrica.html
Please note, all travellers to South Africa who require a visa need at least two consecutive blank pages in their passport (ie a left- and right-hand page) to enable an entry visa to be issued.
Additionally, any child under 18 travelling to South Africa needs to be in possession of an unabridged birth certificate with the names of both parents. If a child under 18 is only travelling with one parent, they will also have to have an affidavit, no less than three months old, from the absent parent confirming the child can travel with the other parent; a court order granting full legal guardianship of the child; or a death certificate of the deceased parent.
Vaccinations and Health
South Africa
There are no required vaccinations. However, recommended vaccinations include hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, rabies and tuberculosis. You will also need a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you’re arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission or transiting for more than 12 hours through a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.
Malaria prophylaxis is essential if travelling in the greater Kruger area; seek advice from your doctor or travel clinic about which tablets to take. The rest of South Africa, including the Garden Route, has a low risk of malaria.
Dengue fever, a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes, is also a known risk in places visited. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, so we recommend taking the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Local Time
South Africa's time zone: Africa/Johannesburg (UTC +02:00)
Electricity
South Africa's electricity:
Plug types M (three round pins), N (three round pins) and C (two round pins) – 230V, 50Hz
Money
South Africa's currency: South African rand (ZAR)
Tipping
On this adventure, tipping for any local support staff is included and will be taken care of locally by your Signature Guide. Tips for your Signature Guide are not included. We recommend a starting point of US$70 to US$75 per group member, to be given at the end. This is discretionary and you may wish to tip a different amount, depending on the service you have received.
Sustainability and Impact
As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.
We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.
This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.
We also weave Signature Legacy moments into your itinerary, so the positive impact of your trip lasts long after your stay. These are moments to remember which help people and nature thrive, ensuring you build a harmonious, positive connection with the places you visit.
On this journey, you can:
- Walk the shoreline with a specialist guide, identifying edible seaweeds and responsible harvesting. An experience that deepens understanding of coastal ecosystems through taste, touch, and observation.
- Visit Hermanus’ Zwelihle township with a local guide, gaining insight into daily life. Meet makers and small business owners, share home-style dishes, and hear first-hand stories shaping the community’s future.
- Learn directly from conservation specialists at Dyer Island and the African Penguin & Seabird Sanctuary. Observe penguin behaviour and see how rescue and rehabilitation work is helping protect this critically endangered species.
Important Information
Your Safe Participation
When booking this trip, you should be confident in your ability to participate in all activities described in these Trip Notes. If you have any doubt about your suitability, please call us and ask to speak to one of the experts on this itinerary.
Although our leaders are well trained to deal with different capabilities, if they have any concerns about someone’s ability to safely take part in an activity, or their impact on other people’s enjoyment, we authorise them to take necessary action which, in some circumstances, may involve asking someone to miss that activity.
By booking this trip you agree to our Booking Conditions which clearly state that our leaders have the authority to do this. In these rare instances we will ensure anyone sitting out is safely provided for and offered alternative options where possible. Refunds will not be provided for activities missed and customers may be liable for additional costs incurred.
Seatbelts
All vehicles used by us should be equipped with working seatbelts, except where approved by us based on the vehicle type or journey. Wherever seatbelts are available, we require our customers to use them for their own safety, even where it may not be a legal requirement.
Travel Safety
For additional information please have a look at the travel safety advice page on our website.
How To Book
Speak to our friendly team of experts to plan your adventure:
- Check availability: our website shows real-time availability of our guided group tours, or contact our team by phone, email or live chat.
- Hold a space: You can provisionally hold a space on any guided group tour to give you time to finalise your travel plans.
- Confirm your booking: Payment of a deposit will complete your booking and secure your place on the trip.
After booking
You will receive a confirmation document and invoice, which includes extra information and guidance about your travel arrangements. Our dedicated Customer Operations team will help you with any pre-travel questions or arrangements and can easily add extensions or extra accommodation to your booking. Final Joining Instructions will usually be sent out two to three weeks prior to departure.
Adding transfers to your booking
If you have arranged your own flights and would like to add transfers to your booking, please provide your arrival and departure details to our Customer Operations team around four to six weeks before departure.
- Where complimentary transfers are included, they are available for any flight but can only be added to your booking once we have received your flight schedule.
- Where group arrival and departure transfers are available, these operate at fixed times. You will need to arrive in time to meet the scheduled transfer. If the timings don’t align with your travel plans, our team can arrange private transfers once they receive your flight schedule.
Trip Note validity
Trip notes may be updated after booking; if any updates significantly impact the inclusions or itinerary you will be advised in writing. A link to the most up-to-date Trip Notes will be sent out with your Final Joining Instructions before departure.
The information in these Trip Notes is given in good faith. All holidays can be subject to unexpected changes, and occasionally it may not be possible to follow the itinerary as planned. In these circumstances we will make the best-possible alternative arrangements that maintain the integrity of the original itinerary.
