Cape Town to Johannesburg Trans Karoo Meander

Why fly when you can drive through the Karoo?

Move Safaris

Cape Town to Johannesburg Trans Karoo Meander

Should you have time on your hands after your Garden Route tour or Johannesberg to Cape Town tour, consider a trip through the Karoo instead of a boring flight. The tour ends in Johannesburg at O.R.Tambo International Airport or your accommodation.

The Karoo remains one of the best kept secrets of South Africa. Slowly but surely the Karoo is stepping out of the shadows of the main attractions of South Africa, but still it evades the masses typical of main tourist sites.

As you venture into the Karoo, you start to appreciate the vast open spaces and arid landscapes. The Karoo is known for its own sound of silence and eqaully its night sky which will transport you into the galaxies like never before.

In the hey day of Colonial South Africa, the small towns were of great economic importance. The architecture of the day is still seen in the small towns, well preserved and stocked with museums depicting life in those times and the history of the Boer War. There are also plenty of old churches and monuments to view and lets not forget about the road side food shops ("farm stalls") stocked with tasty South African goods.

Day 1: Cape Town to Sutherland ( Please enquire about our 3 day Cape Town Explorer package which can be done before this tour leaves Cape Town)

We meet in Cape Town at your pre or post tour accommodation where we do our pre-trip briefing and paperwork.

We take a leisurely drive to Sutherland via the Hex River Valley. We will stop for wine tasting in this wine region. We leave the Western Cape and enter the Northern Cape, the largest of all the provinces.

Sutherland is our first night in the Karoo. The town is small and known for its warm hospitality and excellent night skies.

Sutherland is home to the largest single optical telescope in the southern Hemisphere. We will definitely partake in a tour of the night skies.

Day 2: Sutherland to the Karoo National Park

We take a leisurely drive Beaufort West via Fraserburg and Leeu Gamka as we start to obtain a sense of this lesser travelled part of South Africa.

Beaufort West was established in 1818 by Lord Charles Somerset. It was a move intended to bring about law, order and religion to the area. Beaufort West was a dangerous area. Farmers, bushman, runaway slaves, Xhosa tribes, ivory hunters all competed for precious water coming out of the natural springs.

Karoo National Park is unique in its ecosystem and landscape. Completely different to what you have experienced in the other nationals parks of South Africa. Yet another example of South Africa's diversity. Expect to be "wow'd"!

We do an afternoon game drive and follow a 400 metre long Fossil Trail depicting the geology and palaeontology of the Great Karoo. Genuine fossils are on display. Later on a swim and dinner under the Karoo stars.

Day3: Valley of Desolation and the Owl Lady & a lesson on the fossils of the Karoo

After an early morning game drive and breakfast we take a leisurely drive toward Graaf Reinette, the Karoo's premier heritage town and fourth oldest in South Africa. We also enter Cambedoo National park for the views of the Valley of Desolation. We cross from Western Cape into the Eastern Cape.

We then carry on toward Nieu Bethesda, a town of art and craft and the famed Owl Lady. We have lunch at and try some of the craft beer available in this arts and crafts town.

We overnight in either Graaf Reinette or on a farm. We enjoy a lesson on the Geology of the Karoo and the fossil record.

Day4: Hanover

After lunch we drive through Middelberg - halfway point between Johannesberg & Cape Town, as well as between Bloemfontein & Port Elizabeth. its also 100km from all the surrounding towns. From Middelberg we continue to Hanover where we spend the night and experience some South African farm hospitality.

We are now in the Northern Cape. Our farm stay is on an old equestrian estate turned game farm, the host is also pioneering the Karoo-Gariep Nature Conservency and Karoo leopard research. There is another surprise on his farm you will have to be patient for.

While in Hanover make sure to do a night game drive with our hosts. all the elusive nocturnal animals that are so difficult to see in Kruger National Park can be spotted here in one night!

Day5: Britstown and Kimberly - The Big Hole

After a hearty breakfast from the farm kitchen, we then head into town to visit the new school and the recent community printing project. (The community prints Move Safaris' T-shirts.) Thereafter we head for Britstown.

The town is named after Hans Brits who used to explore with David Livingstone. Hans set up the town on his farm, which was in the middle of the diamond route from Cape Town to Kimberly. We make a coffee stop at another interesting coffee shop, we make our way to Kimberly.

Kimberly hit the international seen with huge diamond discoveries in the 18oo's. The town was abuzz with diamond barons, diggers and schemers, boxing rings, auctions, cheetahs on leads as pets of the wealthy hob-nobs and the action of wild west like saloons. All this happening around the biggest man-made hole in the world- and full of precious diamonds!

We view the remnant of the open cast mine which is now "The Big Hole", we tour the mine museum and learn what Kimberly was like back in its glory days of wild west diamond rush spirit.. Kimberly was the first town in the world to have electric street lamps. We spend the night in this Karoo town of major historical significance. We have dinner in a restaurant as old as the town and a drink in honky-tonk bar. We also visit the war monument.

Day 6: Parys

This morning we leave the Karoo and head closer to Egoli (Johannesburg). We spend our last afternoon and evening enjoying the pleasent town of Parys on the Vaal River. Parys is the adventure sport capital of the Orange Free Sate.

Day 7: Johannesburg / O.R.Tambo International Airport

After breakfast we head into Egoli (Johannesburg) and O.R.Tambo Airport. Now you have seen another fascinating part of this amazing country, South Africa!

The tour ends at the airport, drop offs at your accommodation in Johannesburg may be arranged. Please enquire when booking your seat.