South
Africa

11 – 23 October 2025
13 days

From £2795

Add an optional 3 day/
2 night Luxury Safari at Gondwana Private Reserve

£995

Book Now

What’s included

All nights accommodation on twin basis
Meals as indicated on Itinerary
Airport Pickup at Cape Town International
Private transfers throughout tour
Full training day with help2read. Daily facilitator while volunteering
Entrance & conservation fees to the reserves where applicable
Airport Dropoff at George International Airport

What’s not included

All items of a personal nature
Gratuities & Tipping
All Meals & beverages not mentioned in Itinerary
International flights
Travel & Medical Insurance
Visa
For lunches not included in the trip please budget 10 GBP and for dinners please budget 20 GBP
Travel insurance - Compulsory for this trip.

Join us and experience the REAL South Africa!

Molweni – Hello!

Welcome to our exciting itinerary for the 2025 EVA Travel tour of South Africa, featuring the magic of Cape Town and the surrounding areas as well as a unique volunteering opportunity with a local literacy program.

Cape Town is a modern, cosmopolitan city surrounded by nature and home to Table Mountain, one of the New 7 Wonders of the world. The Cape is known for its beautiful beaches, stunning biodiversity, award-winning food and wine, and sheer variety of experiences on offer. On this trip 13-day trip we stay in a little coastal village and volunteer in the mornings with a child literacy programme ‘Help2Read’. This is a child literacy program that works with primary school children to help them improve their reading and enter the wonderful world of books. In addition to opening up a new world through reading, the program helps by giving them the basic skills to put them on the road to a good education.

After Cape Town we will explore the Garden Route for 2 nights. As with all give-back tours, whilst our volunteering is a central part, learning about the people, food, culture and environment we visit is equally important and immersive, So we will have opportunities every day to explore once of the most beautiful places in the world, enjoying everything Cape Town has to offer.

For many guests 13 days is enough time to be away from home but for those who have the time and inclination, we will have an optional 2-day safari in the area to enjoy. Hope you can join us on this unique and immersive tour that promotes the best of sustainable tourism and gives back in a truly meaningful and forward looking way.

Highlights

Cape Town Fun: Explore Table Mountain, chill with penguins at Boulders Beach, snorkel, hike, and enjoy amazing food.
Volunteer & Give Back: Mornings spent with Help2Read, helping kids improve their literacy and confidence.
Cultural Adventures: Discover Bo Kaap’s colorful streets, visit Robben Island, and connect with the Masiphumelele community.
Garden Route Escape: Explore Knysna, its famous lagoon, and the stunning Knysna Heads.
Optional Safari: Spot the Big Five on a two-night safari to end your adventure on a wild note.

Day 1 - Welcome to Cape Town!

Our tour will begin in Cape Town and you will be met on arrival at the Cape Town International Airport by a member of the EVA Team, clearly recognisable by their big smile, big sign and turquoise shirt! The transfer to the Team House in Noordhoek Village should take about 45 minutes and you will have a chance to settle in. We’ll have a brief orientation session before everyone gathers in the evening for a Welcome Dinner.

Lunch & Dinner included

Day 2 - Penguins & Cape Point

After breakfast we will head out and explore the spectacular Cape Peninsula. Our first adventure for the day will be to join marine biologists for a guided snorkel. After our snorkel we will spend time at Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town, home to the African Penguin. Pristine white sands and calm turquoise waters hemmed in by gigantic granite boulders. Boulders Beach is one of the Cape Peninsula’s most magnificent beaches and is protected as part of the Table Mountain National Park. We will spend the morning on the beach, boardwalk and boulders with African Penguins. We will continue our journey and explore the rugged coastline of the Cape Peninsula. We will stop at the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. The nature reserve boasts a scenic terrain that is home to zebras, baboons, elands, ostriches, along with over 250 different species of birds.

Breakfast & Dinner included

Day 3 - Volunteer Training and Beach Foraging

After breakfast we will join a Help2Read facilitator for the day to learn all about Help2Read and get us ready for our awesome teaching experience. This non-profit project aims to improve children’s attitude to reading and hopes to help children to learn to love books. It helps teach children English and grow their confidence and self-esteem with literacy. It gives these children hope that a better future is possible During our training day our literacy project team member will discuss how to help the students, teaching techniques and the different literacy levels. The training is fun and we’ll be introduced to different games, which will help us to get the students to love reading.

In the afternoon we will join Lindy from RE Wild Food. We will join her on a private beach foraging experience incorporating edible seaweeds, wild plants and organic produce. RE Wild strive to be sustainable, traceable, organic and low impact. Harvesting is done fresh from their garden, and they support local artisans and suppliers. Enjoy a 4-course wild food inspired meal served in their cosy clay home with paired Germanier organic wines and craft beer from their brewery.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included

Day 4 - Volunteering & Body Boarding

The school that we will volunteer at is in an underprivileged area where illiteracy is high and average class size is 42. Our first day at the project will be all about settling in and getting to know how things work. We will get to know our fellow volunteers and staff and meet the children. After bidding farewell to our new little friends we will stop in Muizenberg for a body boarding lesson. This seaside town on False Bay is famous for its warm and calm waters for swimming and body boarding Our lesson will start with a beach briefing & orientation of equipment. We will be divided into groups and will hit the water for some in-water coaching and instructing. Enjoy an of ocean time catching waves, our beachside bliss awaits!

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included

Day 5 - Volunteering & Farm Village

We will spend our morning at the school continuing and building on our activities from yesterday. This is an opportunity to enhance the teaching provided by the staff and give some much needed individual attention. After resting up at the house in the late afternoon we will venture to Noordhoek Farm Village to explore local shops and then enjoy their open air evening market. Breakfast & lunch included

We will be able to choose from a wide selection of food stalls, then tuck in at the shared-style tables on the lawn, and with loads of entertainment and exciting things to see, it really is a great night out.

Breakfast and Lunch included

Day 6 - Volunteering & Sunset Market

After our morning of volunteering we will head home for lunch and freshen up for a special sunset at a local community market at Cape Point Vineyards. Here, the harmony of local flavours and artisan craftsmanship converge to create an enchanting evening out. We will soak up the sensational scenery of vineyards, mountains and ocean views. Wine tasting time! Enjoy dinner at the vineyard and hopefully an unforgettable South African sunset!

Breakfast & Lunch included

Day 7 - Volunteering & Imhoff Farm

After our final morning of volunteering for the week we will head to Imhoff Farm, a historical Cape farmstead. Imhoff Farm is one of the Cape Peninsula’s original farms (dating back to 1743) and its unique location, natural beauty and talented tenants have attracted visitors for decades. Located in Kommetjie, Imhoff Farm has an array of restaurants, retail shops, artisan and adventures to fulfill our afternoon outing. It’s old world, yet original and beautifully situated. Magnificent views of rugged mountains and spectacular sunsets.

Breakfast & Dinner included

Day 8 - Bo Kaap & Robben Island

After breakfast, we will venture over to Bo Kaap on a private walking tour. On our meander we will see the colourful houses, smell the spices of the East and hear the mosques calling for prayer. After Bo Kaap we will head to The V & A Waterfront and catch a ferry to Robben Island to learn about the island multi layered 500 year history. The tour culminates with a viewing of Nelson Mandelas cell. The rest of the afternoon is yours to enjoy- the choice is yours! After an early dinner out, at the V & A waterfront, we will venture back to Noordhoek.

Breakfast included

Day 9 - Table Mountain

Up early to climb the most iconic landmark of South Africa, Table Mountain. Towering tall at over a thousand metres over Cape Town, Table Mountain is a playground for nature lovers and adventure seekers. On reaching the top of the mountain, we will take in the amazing panoramic views across this fantastic city and beyond. We'll spend time exploring the mountain top and enjoy a light snack with refreshments, before we catch the cable car back down. There are about 2,200 species of plants found on Table Mountain and 1470 floral species. The Cape Floral region of the national park is one of the richest floral regions in the world. Over 70% of the flowers are endemic to the Table Mountain. It is no wonder that the mountain was chosen as one of the new seven world wonders.

Free afternoon to relax at the beach, go horse riding - the choice is yours!

Breakfast, Packed Lunch & Dinner included

Day 10 - Masiphumelele Township

Today we join The Masiphumelele Creative Hub (MCH) a non-profit organisation founded in 2017. Their vision - that all children and youth of the Masiphumelele community shall have access to healthy and good food, acquire skills to better their future and take full responsibility for developing their community accordingly.

A Nourished Child - is their main objective! We will assist for the day in their vegetable garden, harvesting and planting, cook lunch for the children and help deliver food parcels to the elderly.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included

Day 11 & 12 - Explore the Garden Route

After breakfast, we'll bid farewell to the breathtaking landscapes of Noordhoek that have become our temporary home. We will venture to Knysna, a charming holiday town at the heart of the Garden Route, situated between lush forests and the shores of the peaceful lagoon. The most well known attraction being the heads - two great sandstone cliffs guarding the mouth of the lagoon which connects the estuary with the sea. Knysna Heads is one the most striking geological features along the entire southern African coastline. Enjoy 2 nights exploring Knysna, sampling Oysters, visiting a eight hundred year old Yellowwood Tree, go on a boat cruise - adventure awaits!

Breakfast included

Day 13 - Farewell or Safari Add on

After breakfast, we'll bid farewell to Knysna. Our team will transport you comfortably to George International Airport where home awaits or why not extend your stay with an unforgettable 2 night safari to Gondwana Game Reserve. Gondwana Game Reserve is the only free roaming Big 5 private wildlife reserve in the Southern Cape.

Book Now

Day 13 - Big 5 Safari Add on

Gondwana Private Game Reserve is a Big Five Fynbos reserve within the endangered Cape Floral Kingdom. Home to lion, white rhino, eland, red hartebeest, endangered Cape Mountain Zebra, springbok, kudu, hippo and Cape buffalo to name a few. On arrival we will be treated to lunch and then settle into our Fynbos Villa. After afternoon tea venture out with expert guides in open safari vehicles to explore the reserve. Set on 11 000 hectares, its breath-taking beauty will soothe and delight with its endless mountain views and green rolling hills blanketed in fynbos. After sunset drinks head back to camp for dinner.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included

Day 14 - Big 5 Safari Add on

Set off on an early morning game drive in open viewers and enjoy coffee and rusks along the way. Gondwana is also home to the Southern most elephant herds in the world. They are the first to have been re-established in a Fynbos and Renosterveld region. They are extremely proud to have the first wild e elephants born in the Southern Cape in 200 years. After lunch, a siesta and high tea venture out on a sunset game drive.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included

Day 15 - Farewell

Wake to the sounds of wild in this unspoilt natural wonderland. Head out on an early morning game drive before heading back to camp for a farewell breakfast and a shuttle to George Airport.

Breakfast included

Book Now