Our Top South Africa Cruise Excursions

Our Top South Africa Cruise Excursions

When you think of cruising the open waters, most people automatically imagine sailing around the shores of the Mediterranean or island-hopping around the Caribbean, but more and more ocean-going liners are now including Africa, and in particular South Africa, into their itineraries. Whilst sailing the high seas on your African cruise is all part of the journey, the real excitement begins when you step ashore and experience everything that the destination has to offer. Booking your South African cruise ships’ own excursions may be all well and good, but these trips are renowned ‘cash cows’ for the cruise companies, and you will invariably be herded around with the masses as you tick off the sights. Instead, Africa Travel are able to save you money and craft the perfect, personalised cruise ship excursion for your time on dry land in South Africa - whether it be a guided walk up the slopes of the famous Table Mountain, an afternoon wine-tasting in the company of an expert sommelier in the Cape Wine region, or an unforgettable safari in the Eastern Cape or poignant visit to KwaZulu Natal’s historic Battlefields. When you cruise to South Africa, let Africa Travel be your perfect partner.

Top Five Cruise Ship Excursions

With so many things to see and do, South Africa is a landlubber’s paradise, but Africa Travel have done the hard lifting for you and we are pleased to be able to offer you our exclusive run down of the country’s Top Five Cruise Ship Excursions.

Cape Town

‘The Mother City’, Cape Town could keep the keen visitor busy for weeks, but the short-term Cape Town cruise visitor should make sure that any trip includes a guided hike up Table Mountain, an escorted tour of the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in the company of a horticulturalist, a Cape Malay cooking lesson in the vibrant Bo-Kaap neighbourhood, and a scrumptious afternoon tea at the historic Mount Nelson Hotel. A visit to the city’s highlights is a must-do on any cruise to Cape Town.

The Cape Peninsula

Escape the crowds on your cruise to South Africa and spend your onshore time wisely down in the depths of the Cape, where wild beaches and dramatic vistas are the order of the day. The brave can swap being on the high seas for being under them with an exhilarating shark-cage dive, the hardy can join a boat trip to enjoy some of the planet’s finest whale-watching, and the pioneering can stand on the continents’ Southernmost tip and look far out to sea, before re-joining their South African cruise.

Wine Region

Leave your South African cruise and spend the day in the Cape’s intoxicating Winelands, travelling between wine estates, each one more beautiful and stunning than the last. Let your expert guide be your designated driver, and sit back and enjoy being taught about the region’s many grape varieties, sampling some of the very best wines and taking lunch in an award-winning eatery. Your transport could be by elegant side car, wine tram, hot air balloon or even horse – the choice is ours on your exclusive cruise ship excursion.

The Battlefields

South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province was the scene of many historic battles between the British, the Boers and the Zulus during the 19th century, and the keen historian should definitely try to include a trip there amongst their South African cruise’s offshore excursions. When it comes to historical sites, the region has a multitude of memorials and landmarks just waiting to be discovered – from the battles of Blood River, Isandlwana & Rorke’s Drift, to the Anglo-Zulu War and the devastating siege of Ladysmith.

Big-5 Safari

Any self-respecting cruise to South Africa really should include a safari – after all what could beat rising early, heading out in the first light in search of the famed Big-5 and returning for an alfresco lunch, before an afternoon trip into the African bush and a magnificent dinner under the skies are completed by a pampering overnight stay in a world-class safari lodge? Numerous safari options are available from both of the main South African cruise ship stops of Cape Town and Durban.

Why book your Cruise Ship Excursion with Africa Travel?

With over 30 years’ experience in creating and arranging holidays to South Africa, there is no one more qualified to organise unforgettable shore excursions from your South African cruise in this wonderful destination than Africa Travel. We have a wealth of specialist resources to help you book your perfect off-ship trip and as all of our staff have travelled the country themselves, you can trust that our personal recommendations will deliver the cruise holiday to South Africa that you have always dreamed of. We even have our own staff located in South Africa to ensure your cruise ship excursions run as smoothly as possible.

Our years of knowledge mean that we can give personalised recommendations for your trip, including the best safari areas to stay in, the leading wine estates to visit, and the top guides to escort you.