NEW! Grand Iberia, Africa & Asia Passage

Explore proudly multicultural Cape Town, in which diverse traditions, cuisine and landscapes collide. Travel through Cape Town by motor coach to get oriented in the “Mother City.” In the heart of the city, you will have the chance to get out and enjoy a stroll through the Company’s Garden. With historic buildings, museums, places of worship and an art gallery, the garden is home to South Africa’s oldest cultivated pear tree and a rose garden built in 1929. Stroll past the Houses of Parliament, an inner sanctum of South African politics dating back to 1885, and the South African Jewish Museum, opened by Nelson Mandela in 2000. Then, visit the famed Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, where you will have free time to explore independently. After, you will return to your awaiting ship.

Summit Table Mountain—a celebrated Cape Town landmark—and admire its extraordinary views. Start your tour of the iconic mountain at Kloof Nek’s lower cableway station, where you will ride the Rotair cable car up the mountainside. Enjoy the panoramic views courtesy of its 360° rotating floor. Take in the spectacular scenery as you ascend 2,300 feet from the Valley Station to the Mountain Station. On the summit, gaze at Devil's Peak on the left, Lion's Head on the right and Signal Hill in the foreground, with Cape Town and its suburbs lying in between. Stand on top of the approximately 500-million-year-old rocky formation and reflect on nature’s enduring power and majesty as you take in your surroundings. Later, descend back to sea level and return to your ship.

Discover the beauty of Cape Town’s coast and mountains on this scenic drive. Travel by motor coach, taking in impressive vistas along the Atlantic coast before stopping for photos at Maiden’s Cove. Nestled between two beaches, this lookout spot offers magnificent views of the Twelve Apostles, the mountain range that forms the backbone of the Cape Peninsula. Continue down the coastal road to Chapman’s Peak Drive. This thrilling stretch of road between Hout Bay and Noordhoek was completed in 1922 using prison labor. It hugs the side of the mountain as it winds along the steep coast, offering striking views of the crashing waves below. Pass the white sands of Noordhoek Beach, then turn inland to head over the mountains along Ou Kaapse Weg (Old Cape Road). Enjoy views of the southern peninsula, Cape Flats and False Bay before descending into Cape Town.

Visit picturesque Stellenbosch, the “City of Oaks,” and savor its fine wines and authentic character. Founded along the banks of the Eerste River at the foot of the Stellenbosch mountains in 1680, this oak-lined university town showcases many fine examples of Cape-Dutch architecture. After an orientation drive around the city, tour one of the numerous local wine estates. Savor the quality and refined taste of more than three centuries of wine-making tradition, then take time to explore the town or browse for mementos at your leisure. Stroll down Dorp Street along well-preserved 19th-century lanes in the shade of mighty oaks, just a short walk from the Eerste River, and admire the town’s rich heritage of Cape Dutch architecture, museums, and monuments. Afterward, you will return to your awaiting ship.

Discover the wild beauty of the Cape Peninsula on a scenic tour that will thrill nature enthusiasts. The tour takes you through the Atlantic seaboard to Camps Bay and toward Hout Bay’s small historic fishing village. Then, drive through the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive and proceed to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Ride the funicular railway to the top of Cape Point and capture the breathtaking views of its dramatic sea cliffs. After having lunch at a scenically located local restaurant, visit the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach. Continue to the colorful fishing harbor of Kalk Bay before turning onto Boyes Drive and viewing the magnificent vistas of Muizenberg and False Bay. Your drive will conclude with a visit to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, spreading out on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain and hosting 4,580 species of indigenous plants.

Explore the mysteries of eastern spices on this culinary journey through Cape Town’s Bo-Kaap neighborhood. This former township, situated on the slopes of Signal Hill, is the historical center of Cape Malay culture, a community descended from Southeast Asian slaves. They brought with them recipes utilizing various spices, including curry. Begin your guided tour outside the Bo-Kaap Museum, following the masala route to a local spice shop to learn about the spices used in Cape Malay cuisine. Stroll cobblestone streets lined with colorfully painted houses to the home of your hosts. Here, you will learn to prepare traditional dishes such as dhaltjies(chili bites) and samosas. Your main dish will be a mouthwatering Cape Malay curry, a beef stew that blends both sweet and savory flavors. Sit for lunch to enjoy your creations and hear stories about Cape Malay culture from your hosts.

Admire a beautiful sunset while cruising the Atlantic Ocean along the coast of Cape Town. Travel from your pier to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront jetty, where you will board your private open air yacht. After a safety briefing from your crew, settle in as you depart from the dock on your two-hour sojourn. Head out into the Atlantic Ocean, setting sail for Clifton Beach. Along the way, you will pass by Mouille Point, Green Point, Sea Point and Bantry Bay. Sip on sparkling wine and savor a selection of canapés as you cruise. Watch the sun shimmer across the rippling water and reflect off of Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles behind you before gracefully slipping beneath the horizon. After your memorable sunset cruise, you will return to the jetty and transfer back to your ship.

Explore Table Mountain and enjoy the sunset from Signal Hill on this after-dark excursion. Travel up Kloof Nek, located between Table Mountain and Lion’s Head, to the Lower Cableway Station. Ascend to the summit via Rotair cable car, enjoying panoramic views as your car rotates 360°. Table Mountain gets its name from its flat-topped central massif. This protected area, which stretches from Signal Hill to Cape Point, has a high concentration of endemic plant and animal species—more than 2,285 plant species alone. Learn about this diverse ecosystem while taking in expansive views of the city below you. Then, drive to the summit of Signal Hill via Kloof Nek for an opportunity to watch the sunset while enjoying a selection of canapés and a glass of sparkling wine. After, you will return to your ship via the affluent neighborhoods of Sea Point and Green Point.

Journey into the bush in search of Africa’s “Big 5” and more during a safari drive at a private game reserve. Embark on a scenic drive by motor coach through the Hex River Valley to the Aquila Private Game Reserve, a wildlife and safari park nestled in the southern Karoo Highlands. Covering more than 17 square miles, the reserve’s mix of natural wetlands, semi-arid desert and mountains is home to a wide range of flora and fauna. Upon arrival, enjoy a welcome drink before boarding your 4x4 safari vehicle and setting out into the wild with your experienced ranger guide. Keep watch for rhino, buffalo, giraffes and lions (in an enclosure), as well as herds of zebra, wildebeest, warthogs and more. Hippos and crocodiles lurk in the wetlands and an array of birds grace the sky. Cap your tour with a delicious buffet lunch at a local restaurant, then board your coach and return to your ship.

Experience one of the world’s foremost botanical gardens, then enjoy a formal tasting at a local wine estate. Depart from Cape Town, skirting the slopes of Devil’s Peak en route to the renowned Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. Covering more than 1,380 acres on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, the park is home to more than 8,500 species of indigenous plants. Upon arrival, set out on a leisurely stroll, taking an opportunity to immerse yourself in these idyllic surroundings. Later, travel through upscale suburbs into the oldest wine producing region in the southern hemisphere and where South Africa’s wine industry began more than three centuries ago. In Constantia, visit a local estate, where you will participate in a tasting of local vintages. Afterward, take a scenic journey over Constantia Nek to Hout Bay and through seaside communities en route to your ship.

Enjoy an immersive experience of African music, dance, storytelling and cuisine in the heart of Cape Town. Head to an African restaurant where you will be welcomed by a griot, or West African praise singer, and live djembe drumming with a Malian Bamana puppet show: an ancient traditional art using brightly colored masks and dolls made of wood and metal. After the opportunity to participate yourself, you will be served a tasting menu of 14 seasonal, authentic African dishes. African meals are traditionally served family style, with a sumptuous feast that is designed to be shared. While you dine, you will learn about each dish's country of origin and the cooking techniques and spices used to prepare them. Throughout your meal you will see interpretive dances performed in colorful costumes to live music bringing classic African stories to life. Then, transfer back to the pier.

Visit Table Mountain National Park to see the only penguins on the African continent before exploring Kalk Bay. Travel to Simon’s Town, where you will be surrounded by mountains as you head to a sheltered beach on the Cape Peninsula. Boulders Beach, which forms part of Table Mountain National Park, located in the UNESCO-listed Cape Floral Region, is home to an endangered, land-based colony of African penguins, one of only a few in the world. You will have a one hour guided excursion to see their nesting grounds and habitat. After, take a short drive to the picturesque fishing village of Kalk Bay, one of South Africa’s oldest towns, named one of the “12 Coolest Neighborhoods Around the World” by Forbes magazine. You will have free time to explore its cobbled streets, historical buildings and boutique shops while you take in coastal views of colorful fishing boats and mountains.

Visit a unique habitat for marine life by boat, then explore a renowned historic winery. Take a scenic drive along Cape Town’s iconic backdrop of Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak to seaside suburb, Hout Bay. Here, board your boat for an excursion to Duiker Island, known for its Cape Fur seal colony and more than 20 species of seabirds. Humpback whales and dolphins are frequently spotted here. You will also sail to the site of the 1909 shipwreck of the SS Maori. After, continue to Groot Constantia estate, South Africa’s first and oldest wine-producing farm, established in 1685. World-renowned for centuries, the estate’s wine appears in novels by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens and was served during Napoleon’s exile on the island of Saint Helena. Explore the grounds overlooking False Bay, before enjoying a tasting of perfectly paired wine and chocolate.

Explore picturesque towns and beautiful landscapes in the heart of South Africa’s renowned wine-producing area. Travel to the UNESCO-listed Cape Floral Region, to Franschhoek Wine Valley at the foot of Simonsberg mountain. Stop to explore the vibrant diversity of fruit and vegetable gardens at Babylonstoren, one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms in the country. Continue to the Boschendal Wine Estate, a working farm with spectacular views and indigenous gardens, where you will be served one of their award-winning wines followed by a delicious picnic lunch. Next, head to the Huguenot Monument, commemorating the cultural influences of French Protestants on South Africa, where you will have time to explore. Drive to university town of Stellenbosch to stroll oak-shaded streets dotted with cafes, shops, and galleries in the shadow of its namesake mountain. After, you will return to your ship.