Highlights
- Ride the cable car to the top of Cape Town's Table Mountain
- Enjoy wine tasting with kid-friendly options
- Spend quality family time at the fun Sun City Resort
- Learn about South African history on a guided tour of Soweto
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Cape Town, Family-Friendly Activities | Cape Town |
| Day 2 | Table Mountain Cable Car, City Walking Tour, Escape Room | Cape Town |
| Day 3 | Bloemendal Estate Wine Tasting & Kids' Sweet Pairing | Cape Town |
| Day 4 | Fly to Johannesburg, Transfer to Sun City Resort | Sun City |
| Day 5 | Full Day at Sun City Resort | Sun City |
| Day 6 | Transfer to Johannesburg, Soweto Tour & Storytelling Dinner | Johannesburg |
| Day 7 | Depart Johannesburg |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Cape Town, Family-Friendly Activities
Welcome to South Africa! Upon arrival at Cape Town International Airport, a driver will meet you and take you to your hotel in the city. After settling in, you'll have the rest of the day to explore. Perhaps head to the V&A Waterfront, popular with locals and visitors due to its numerous restaurants, bars, shops, and cafés. It's a great place to relax with your kids and recover from the journey while seeing some of the city's sights. The looming plateau of Table Mountain above is especially impressive.
If you and your kids have a bit more energy, you could also visit the Two Oceans Aquarium and marvel at the incredible marine life or enjoy a harbor cruise as you watch the sunset. Other options include visiting the Diamond Museum, which explores the history of the diamond rush in South Africa. Or, take a helicopter flight and enjoy epic views of the city and Table Mountain from above.Day 2: Table Mountain Cable Car, City Walking Tour, Escape Room
After a good night's rest, set out to explore more of the city today. Start by meeting your local guide and heading up Table Mountain in the cable car. Along the way, you'll be treated to breathtaking views of Cape Town and the coast, as well as some high-altitude thrills sure to delight the kids. There will be time to take a walk around the top and grab a coffee and ice cream, if you like, before taking the cable car back down.
Next up is a walking tour of the historic city. You'll explore the different eras of Cape Town and learn about South Africa's history and the people who shaped it. Stops along the tour will include the well-maintained Company's Garden, the South African Houses of Parliament, Greenmarket Square, the 17th-century Castle of Good Hope, and the 17th-century Slave Lodge Museum, which is one of the oldest buildings in the city. Head to the V&A Waterfront for lunch at one of the many child-friendly restaurants, some of which have playgrounds and great kids' menus.
After lunch, challenge older kids to a game of "hint hunt," an escape room game. Teams will be locked away in a themed room and required to solve clues and puzzles before the 60-minute timer is up. It's a great problem-solving activity that will get the whole family working together. If your kids are younger, you might prefer to explore the waterfront, take a short boat ride, or take them to play in a park.
Day 3: Bloemendal Estate Wine Tasting & Kids' Sweet Pairing
Spend today touring the local wineries of the Durbanville Wine Valley, a fertile growing region peppered with award-winning vineyards and located just 20 minutes from Cape Town. Make a day in wine country fun for the whole family at the Bloemendal Estate, a kid-friendly gem with plenty of sights, activities, and tastes to suit all ages. Tuck into their popular sushi platters while watching the youngsters play in the large sand pit and jungle gym. Head to the tasting room to sample some wines while the kids indulge in their own version of a "tasting"—with a selection of fruit juices, ice cream, and sweets.
If the children still have the energy to burn in the afternoon, opt for a family walk or bike ride through the vineyards. After all that fresh air, everyone will have worked up an appetite, so once you're back in Cape Town, head to dinner at the family-friendly Strolla. The kids have their own area, where, under supervision, they'll attire themselves appropriately as little chefs and build their own pizzas. When they've eaten to their hearts' content, they'll make their way to the games room to watch a movie, do some coloring, or play a few games. Meanwhile, you can relax with your own meal and a cocktail or two!
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 4: Fly to Johannesburg, Transfer to Sun City Resort
Say goodbye to Cape Town today and fly northeast to Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city. From the airport, you'll be transferred to the Sun City Resort, northwest of Johannesburg, a place where everyone in the family can relax and have fun.
Right on the border of Pilanesberg National Park, Sun City Resort is the only surf-and-safari destination within a two-hour drive of landlocked Johannesburg. There are many activities and zones to enjoy here, including a huge waterpark, Valley of Waves, and a huge maze that mimics an archeological discovery, the Maze of the Lost City. There's also golf and nightlife for parents, safari tours in Pilanesburg, and trampolines, and a forest of lights that kids will love, among many other attractions.
Day 5: Full Day at Sun City Resort
You'll have a whole day to enjoy Sun City Resort's many attractions today, so pick the activities that appeal most to you and your kids. Cool off in the pools and water slides of the Valley of Waves, challenge yourself to another escape room adventure, feed crocodiles in the Crocodile Village, go ten-pin bowling, or grab a bucket of popcorn and enjoy a family-friendly movie. You'll be spoiled for choice.
Day 6: Transfer to Johannesburg, Soweto Tour & Storytelling Dinner
Return to Johannesburg today, where you'll check into your hotel and then start discovering this vibrant city and its inspiring history with a guided tour of Soweto. Home to a segregated Black population in the decades of Apartheid, Soweto was a center of civil unrest until the country's first fully democratic elections in 1994. You have the choice of walking, biking, or taking a tuk-tuk as you visit key sites like the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu's former homes on Vilakazi Street. Fuel up during the tour on "bunny chow," a hollowed-out loaf of fresh bread filled with stew or curry.
In the evening, you'll have the opportunity to learn about Soweto's political history from people who have lived it, with a traditional dinner and storytelling under the stars. You and the kids will be hearing directly from freedom fighters, former students who were part of the 1976 uprisings, artists, and musicians local to Soweto, as they share their experiences with you. This is an opportunity unlike any other for you and the kids to experience living history while you share food around the fire―you'll come away with both a deeper understanding and some new friends.
Day 7: Depart Johannesburg
Depending on your departure time, you might have a little more time to enjoy Johannesburg this morning. To savor a final brunch and let the kids burn off some energy before the flight, head to Zoo Lake Park, where parents can relax on a café terrace while kids play on the jungle gyms or take to the lake in paddle boats at this popular local hang-out spot. When it's time to say goodbye, your driver will transfer you to the airport, where you'll catch your flight home or onward to your next destination. Safe travels!
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