Depending on the departure city and airline flight schedules, guests may depart on either March 22 or 23. Please note that those departing San Francisco on our air-inclusive program will likely depart the U.S. on March 22.

We arrive in Johannesburg and transfer to our hotel in the suburb of Rosebank. As flight schedules may vary greatly, we have no group activities or meals planned. Dinner tonight is on our own.

We meet our fellow travelers today as we embark on a tour of the Soweto district of Johannesburg. Here we see the home of former Archbishop Desmond Tutu; visit the home, now a museum, of the late Nelson Mandela; and tour the moving Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum, where we learn more about apartheid and the Soweto uprising of 1976. Then we hear fascinating stories from a local Sowetan who was present during the uprising, followed by lunch at a local restaurant. Tonight we enjoy a welcome dinner together. (B,L,D)

We fly this morning to Victoria Falls, first “discovered” by explorer David Livingstone and claimed for Great Britain’s Queen Victoria in 1855. With its 300-foot-deep gorge and thundering spray, “Vic” Falls is a wonder of the natural world. This afternoon we see it for ourselves on a guided walk. (B,D)

This morning we visit a local school where we have the opportunity to interact with the children and teachers, then spend some time exploring the town of Victoria Falls. Late this afternoon we embark on a Sundowner dinner cruise on the Zambezi River. (B,D) 

This morning we set off on a rhino safari in open-top safari vehicles. This afternoon is at leisure; this evening we attend a talk on David Livingstone’s travels, trials, and travails. (B,D)

Known for a diverse terrain that attracts an exceptional array of wildlife, Chobe National Park in nearby Botswana boasts one of the largest concentrations of game in all Africa, including the world’s largest elephant population (some 120,000), as well as zebra, lion, hippo, giraffe, impala, wildebeest, buffalo, and more. We’re sure to see some of them on today’s full-day excursion to Chobe, where we take a morning game drive and an afternoon game cruise. (B,L,D)

Today we fly via Johannesburg to the Namibian capital of Windhoek, arriving late this evening. (B)

After a brief tour of Namibia’s largest city, we set out through the central Namib Desert of vast gravel plains and rocky mountains. Isolated and immense, tranquil and romantic, this endless expanse offers a glimpse of a land before time. Late this afternoon we reach our lodge in the heart of the dune desert. (B,L,D)

We rise with the sun to see the world’s highest crested dunes at Sossusvlei, their red-orange hues constantly changing in the early morning light. Here we have the opportunity to climb the velvet-like sand of Big Mama, as the locals call the largest dune. (B,L,D)

We travel today through the Namib desert en route to Swakopmund, Namibia’s largest port. (B,L,D)

From Walvis Bay this morning, we take a cruise along the storied Skeleton Coast, so named for the whale and seal bones that once littered its shores – debris from the whaling industry.  Along the way we’ll see Cape Fur Seals and sea birds, including petrels. We enjoy lunch on board before disembarking and returning to Swakopmund, where the remainder of the day is at leisure. (B,L,D)

We fly to Cape Town today. After time at leisure to explore as we wish, we dine together tonight at a local restaurant. (B,D)

Today we tour The Winelands, South Africa’s renowned wine-growing region just 45 miles east of Cape Town. Amidst the beautiful scenery, we visit two wineries for tours, tastings, and lunch. Returning to Cape Town, we ride by cable car 3,500 feet to the top of Table Mountain for glorious views. Dinner tonight is on our own in this cosmopolitan city. (B,L)

This morning we take a panoramic tour of this beautiful city at the southern tip of Africa and also stop at stunning Hout Bay. Then we travel to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, home to more than 250 species of birds, and where we ride a funicular to the summit for stupendous views of “the meeting of the oceans” (the Atlantic and Indian). After a seafood lunch in historic Simons Town we visit Boulders Beach

to see a colony of enchanting African Penguins up close. Our last stop is acclaimed Kirstenboch National Botanical Garden, nestled against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. The world’s first such garden founded (in 1913) to preserve native flora, today the Kirstenboch cultivates only indigenous plants. (B,L)

Today we come face-to-face with an indelible aspect of South African history: the notorious prison on Robben Island that once held Nelson Mandela and other opponents of apartheid. We tour the island and prison, guided by a former inmate. Returning to Cape Town, we enjoy a briefing by foreign service staff at the U.S. Consulate (schedule permitting). Tonight we enjoy a farewell dinner together. (B,D)

We transfer to the airport this morning for our return flights to the U.S. (B)

We arrive in the U.S. today and connect with our flights home.