The Great African Journey — Mara, Sabi Sand & Cape Town
East Africa and Southern Africa in one private, well-paced 14 days
Overview
Most people who have time for one big Africa trip end up choosing between East Africa and the south, and then wishing they had seen both. This journey settles that. You spend the first half in the Masai Mara, in a private conservancy where the game viewing is as good as anywhere on the continent and the crowds of the main reserve stay on the other side of the river. Then you cross to South Africa for the Sabi Sand, the best leopard ground in Africa, before finishing in Cape Town and the Winelands — a city, a mountain and a wine valley to come down slowly on.
This is a big trip, and we have built it to be honest about that. The one long travel day between Kenya and South Africa is routed through Johannesburg with an overnight, so you are not stepping off one game drive and onto a late flight the same evening. Every safari leg is private-guided — your own vehicle and guide in the Mara conservancy and in the Sabi Sand — and the Cape end is deliberately unhurried so you fly home rested rather than wrung out.
Who It's For
For travellers who want the whole picture of Africa in one journey and have around two weeks to give it. It suits milestone trips, honeymoons and anyone coming back for a second safari who wants a different half of the continent this time. It is not the trip for a tight budget or a short week — it rewards the time it asks for.
Package Highlights
Two Great Reserves
Masai Mara conservancy and the Sabi Sand — East and South Africa's finest game grounds in one trip
Private Vehicle & Guide
Your own 4x4 and guide on every safari leg, in both countries
Conservancy Privileges
Off-road driving, night drives and walking in the Mara conservancy, away from the main-reserve crowds
Big Cats Both Ways
Mara lion and cheetah on open plains, then the highest leopard density on earth in the Sabi Sand
Table Mountain & the Cape
Table Mountain, Cape Point and the peninsula to close the wildlife half
Winelands Wind-Down
Two unhurried nights in Franschhoek among the vineyards before the flight home
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Land at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta airport, where you are met and driven to a quiet garden hotel away from the city noise. The rest of the day is yours to sleep off the flight. If you land early and have energy, we can arrange an afternoon at the Sheldrick elephant orphanage or the Giraffe Centre.
🏨 Accommodation: Hemingways Nairobi / Giraffe Manor (ultra tier)
🍽️ Meals: Dinner
Your Route
Tap a marker to see each stop on your journey.
Featured Lodges & Accommodation
Kicheche Bush Camp
📍 Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Masai Mara
A small owner-run tented camp in one of the Mara's best private conservancies. Six tents, no fences, and a conservancy fee that goes straight to the Maasai landowners who keep this ground wild. Game viewing here matches the national reserve with a fraction of the vehicles.
From $650 per person per night
Mara Plains Camp
📍 Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Masai Mara
A seven-tent camp raised on decks above a bend of the Ntiakitiak River, run by a conservation-led operator. Among the most comfortable addresses in the Mara, with its own vehicles and guides and genuine access to the surrounding conservancy.
From $1,900 per person per night
Londolozi Founders Camp
📍 Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Run by the same family for five generations, Londolozi helped write the book on the modern safari lodge. Founders Camp has raised timber decks over the Sand River and private plunge pools, and the guiding and leopard knowledge are as good as the Sabi Sand offers.
From $1,850 per person per night
Ellerman House
📍 Bantry Bay, Cape Town
A small Relais & Châteaux hotel above the Atlantic in Bantry Bay, with a South African art collection, a deep wine cellar and sea views from almost every room. The quietest luxury address in the city.
From $1,300 per person per night
Pricing & Options
All prices per person sharing. Customize any tier to your preferences.
Classic
(~$762/night)
Owner-run Mara conservancy camp (Kicheche), a quality Sabi Sand lodge and a 4-star Cape Town hotel. Private guide and vehicle on every safari leg, all internal flights, all park and conservancy fees.
Get QuoteLuxury
(~$1,269/night)
Londolozi in the Sabi Sand, Ellerman House in Cape Town and a top conservancy camp in the Mara. Private guiding throughout, premium beverages and an unhurried Winelands finish.
Get QuoteUltra-Luxury
(~$2,115/night)
Mara Plains and Singita Ebony with The Silo in Cape Town, a private guide who stays with you the whole trip, business-class regional flights and helicopter transfers at the Cape.
Get QuoteWhat's Included & Excluded
✓ Included
- ✓ All internal and regional flights (Nairobi–Mara, Nairobi–Johannesburg, Johannesburg–Sabi Sand, Sabi Sand–Cape Town)
- ✓ 13 nights' accommodation across Kenya and South Africa
- ✓ Private guide and 4x4 vehicle on every safari leg
- ✓ All meals on safari; breakfast and selected dinners at the city and Winelands hotels
- ✓ Twice-daily game drives, plus walking and night drives in the Mara conservancy
- ✓ Private Cape Town city, peninsula and Winelands touring with a dedicated guide
- ✓ All park, reserve and conservancy fees
- ✓ All airport and inter-property transfers
- ✓ Overnight at Johannesburg on the cross-continent travel day
✗ Excluded
- ✗ International flights to Nairobi and from Cape Town
- ✗ Kenya and South Africa visas or entry permits
- ✗ Travel and medical insurance
- ✗ Premium wines, spirits and champagne in the cities
- ✗ Spa treatments and optional activities (balloon flight, helicopter add-ons)
- ✗ Gratuities for guides and lodge staff
- ✗ Personal expenses and items of a personal nature
Photo Gallery
Best Time to Travel
June to October is the sweet spot: both the Mara and the Sabi Sand are dry and the game is easy to find, and July to October overlaps with the wildebeest in the Mara. Cape Town is at its driest and warmest from November to March, so if the Cape beaches matter most to you, the shoulder months of May and October give the best balance across all three stops.
Why Choose This Package
Both halves of Africa, once
East Africa's open plains and the south's leopard thickets are genuinely different safaris. This trip gives you both without having to choose or come back twice.
Private-guided the whole way
Your own guide and vehicle on every drive, in Kenya and in South Africa — not a shared seat on a scheduled game drive.
Paced like adults planned it
The long Kenya-to-South-Africa hop is broken with a Johannesburg overnight, and the Cape end is left unhurried, so the trip does not run you into the ground.
Conservancy over crowds
We put you in a Mara private conservancy, not the vehicle-packed main reserve — better sightings, off-road access and night drives, with the fee supporting the Maasai who own the land.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Experience the The Great African Journey — Mara, Sabi Sand & Cape Town?
From $9,900 per person | 14 Days / 13 Nights
⚡ Limited availability for peak season 2026 — book early to secure your dates
