Come discover South Africa with us on a 10-day adventure!
This 10-day program is open to Loop Abroad alumni (students and staff) and their partners, family, and friends. We are SO excited to show you one of our favorite places to visit – South Africa! This trip allows you to safari in the Johannesburg area and then spend most of your time in and around Cape Town. This is our second alumni trip location, which is a great fit for the second country where we launched programming almost a decade ago. We’re offering this trip at a VERY discounted price in the hopes that it can be accessible for the most people.
PLEASE read the description in the itinerary tab- this is not a veterinary program, and it’s not a course. There’s no lectures, no vet hours, and no college credit. It’s just fun. It also has free time most evenings, which means that dinners (and some other meals) are not included in the price. Unlike a Loop field course, you are allowed to go out in your free time and allowed to drink alcohol if you are of legal drinking age in South Africa.
If you are coming with a partner, friends, or family members, we will room you together. If you are traveling solo, we’ll room you with a roommate of the same gender. If you’d like a solo room, we can accommodate for a small solo room stipend. You’re staying in a hotel in the city with wi-fi and other regular amenities. It is not super fancy.
It is not hot in South Africa in July. On average, the high is 68 degrees Fahrenheit and the low is 52. I know that many of us think of South Africa as hot weather, but you’re just one country north of Antarctica. It’s winter in July.
Please come on this trip and be cool. Remember how you had someone in your group who complained and it was annoying? Don’t be that person. We’re trying to do something cool here – don’t be the one that messes it up for everyone. We would like to keep running trips like this!
This trip will not have a group flight – you will be responsible for your own airfare into Johannesburg, South Africa (JNB). We will pick you up at the airport (included) and get you back to the airport for your departure (included).
This trip includes a domestic flight between Johannesburg and Cape Town. This flight is included in your program fee, and we will arrange it for you. This domestic flight means that you will have a weight limit on your luggage (likely 44 pounds), and will be limited to one checked bag.
You can stay and travel on your own after, or skip activities and do your own thing (at your own expense). You will still need to fill out enrollment forms, including the medical form that needs to be signed by a doctor. There will still be some things you will agree not to do in your free time, including riding a motorcycle or consuming illegal drugs. We’re still trying to get you home safe and sound when your trip is over.
Alumni of Loop Abroad or CELA Belize programs (in-person or virtual, students or staff, any location). An alumni enrolling in this trip may also bring their partner, friends, or family members. Please note that many activities are outdoors and require participants to be able to walk moderate distances on their own. Please note that some activities may not be accessible to young children. If you have questions about particular activities for your family, please ask!
• Connect with Loop Abroad students and staff from the last 16 years
• 2-day safari trip to Pilanesburg National Park to try to spot the “Big Five” while you look for elephants, giraffes, zebras, big cats and more from your safari vehicle
• Lesedi cultural village trip with dance performance, drumming, and cultural tours
• Touring Cape Town’s famous sites
• Enjoying the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town and shopping for souvenirs, crafts, artwork, and clothes
• Soaring to the top of Table Mountain on a cable car (weather permitting)
• Savoring famous South African dishes such as biltong, bunny chow, melktert, and malva pudding
• Visiting Robben Island, the prison where Nelson Mandela was held (weather permitting)
• Getting up-close with African penguins at Boulders Beach and rock hyraxes in Cape Town
• Relaxing in picturesque Simon’s Town
• Exploring Cape National Park, home to baboons, fur seals, ostriches, and stunning views
• Discovering the famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, known as Africa’s most beautiful garden
• Free day to follow your heart in Cape Town, from sightseeing to wine tours to museums to history
• Learn about South African history on a Langa township tour led by a local
Please note: some of these activities are weather-permitting. We have never had to skip the safari, but sometimes the boat to Robben Island or the cable car to Table Mountain is inaccessible due to winds. When possible, we will reschedule these activities for other trip days if they are closed due to weather. Otherwise, we will replace them with an alternative activity, such as a wine tour.
Arrive Wednesday, July 9, 2025. Depart Friday, July 18, 2025.
$2,850 USD not including international airfare. Domestic airfare within South Africa IS included in your program fee. This program is not eligible for the alumni discount, the early enrollment discount, or any other discounts.
Program Fee is per-person (regardless of their age) and is for double-occupancy rooms. If you are traveling with someone, we will room you together. If you are traveling solo, we will assign you a roommate of the same gender. You can request a solo room for a $300 single supplement. Solo rooms are not guaranteed to be available during the safari overnight.
Space is limited and is first-come, first-served. Loop Abroad reserves the right to refuse service to anyone – if we are unable to serve you, we’ll notify you of the cancellation and refund your enrollment within 5 business days.
The entire program fee ($2,850 USD) is due upon enrollment. We are happy to set up an interest-free payment plan for anyone who would like to pay in installments – please contact [email protected].
If you have to cancel, here is the cancellation policy:
$1,000 of the program fee is the deposit and is non-refundable and non-transferable. Don’t pay it until you’re sure you want to go! The balance of the fee ($1,850) is refundable until 60 days before travel. 60 days before travel, the full program fee is non-refundable.
The program fee does not include medical insurance – if you don’t have medical insurance that covers you while abroad, you can purchase travel medical insurance. We can help you find a plan that meets our insurance requirements (approximately $20).
For US passport holders traveling from the US, no vaccines or visas are required.
Please see itinerary tab for details on what is included in program fee. Airport transfers, housing, breakfast, domestic airfare within South Africa, and all listed activities and meals are included. International airfare, non-listed meals, alcoholic drinks, and optional free time activities are not included.
We’re extremely excited to show you what South Africa has to offer. South Africa was the second country where Loop Abroad opened student programs, almost a decade ago, and we have so many wonderful partner organizations within the country doing great work. It offers an amazing combination of cultural activities and unparalleled wildlife experiences, and this trip visits multiple locations in South Africa so that you get to experience the best of both. Plus, it’s not hot! In July, it’s often in the 60s during the day, which is great for traveling around.
The program hotel is not a luxury hotel but is quite nice and centrally located and offers wifi.
Housing at the safari overnight (one night) is more rustic and does not have dependable wi-fi. Housing the first night is at an airport hotel in Johannesburg – we will ask that you do not go out on your own in Johannesburg for your safety, and we will have dinner together in the hotel restaurant on this first evening before our safari the next day.
In Cape Town, grocery stores and other shops carry most things you would find in America, though brands may differ. ATMs are readily available. Uber is available and offers easy, affordable rides during free time, as well as food delivery.
American-style clothing is appropriate in Cape Town. You will want a jacket, hat, and gloves for the safari drive. While South Africa has eleven official languages, almost everyone speaks English and signs are available in English. You will have an English-speaking tour guide with your group and 24/7 emergency support available.
Day 1: Arrival and welcome dinner. Arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa! Airport transfer and welcome dinner are included. We will have an early start for our safari tomorrow, so this is the chance for everyone to safely arrive, get to know one another, and get a good night’s sleep to be ready for the morning.
Tonight only, we’ll stay at an airport hotel in Johannesburg, where we will also eat dinner. We will ask that you do not go out and explore Johannesburg in the evening alone.
Included meals: dinner.
Day 2: Safari day!. We will head out of the city today to Pilanesburg National Park. Today starts early at 7am, when we’ll take private transport out to Pilanesburg (approximately 2 hours).
The reserve lies in a crater of an extinct volcano, with rare rock types and formations that make it a unique geological feature. Pilanesburg is home to 360 types of birds and great for birdwatchers – bring your binoculars!
After lunch (on your own), we’ll have a game drive with opportunities to view most of South Africa’s famous wildlife. The park’s location between the dry Kalahari and the wet Lowveld offers a unique diversity of animal and plant life not normally found together. In addition to the Big Five, we often see cheetahs, wild dogs, and other African mammals.
We will have dinner at the bush lodge and spend the evening there. Enjoy the 4-star lodge and be sure to take some time to look at the stars in the night sky over Pilanesburg – truly spectacular!
Included meals: Breakfast and dinner.
Day 3: Cultural village… and off to Cape Town!
After breakfast, we will travel to Magaliesberg to visit the Lesedi Cultural Village, a favorite of all our Loop Abroad groups over the years. You’ll enjoy a guided tour of four homesteads – Zulu, Xhosa, Basotho, and Pedi – where guests can share the excitement and warmth of true rural African cultures. You’ll have a chance to browse the Ndebele Village and African craft market, as well as enjoy a show with musical performance and drumming.
Then, we’re off to the airport to catch our flight to Cape Town, where we’ll be spending the rest of the program. Once we arrive, we’ll enjoy dinner in Cape Town and then settle in at the hotel in Cape Town where we will be staying for the rest of the program.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Day 4: Cape Town Tour
Today, we’re going to get to know Cape Town inside and out. We’ll use the Red Bus to travel around and explore a number of different sites in the city with your guide. You’ll see Table Mountain, Cape Point, and lots of great places to take photos, grab a snack or souvenir, and learn about the city.
We will visit the District Six Museum as a group. This museum serves as a remembrance to the once lively multi-racial area that was forcefully removed during apartheid in the 1960s and 1970s, and offers insight into this era of South Africa’s modern history.
In the afternoon, you’ll have free time to explore the city on your own. You can continue using your bus ticket until 5pm if you like.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch.
Day 5: Table Mountain
Today, we’ll take the cable car up Table Mountain and have an opportunity to explore the views and nature at the top. We will do a small hike (we are not hiking the mountain, just walking around once we are up the mountain) together.
The time of this trip is weather-dependent, so you will have free time either in the morning or afternoon to enjoy the city. We will have dinner together and enjoy a drumming show, with transfer back to the hotel after.
This is really the most famous spot in Cape Town – and for good reason! Soak in the iconic views up here.
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner.
Day 6: Boulders Beach – Penguin time!
After breakfast at the hotel, we will head to Boulders Beach, which is about an hour drive from Cape Town. Boulders Beach is part of Table Mountain National Park, and it is famously home to a colony of African penguins that you can see on the beach.
You’ll be able to take your time walking on the beach, observing the wild penguins up close. This is an amazing place! Baboons, zebras, antelope, ostriches, and fur seals are possible sightings at Cape Point in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, and you can enjoy amazing views of the ocean and lighthouse.
We’ll spend some time here hiking and enjoying the day outside. We will return to Cape Town around 6pm, in time for dinner and evening on your own.
Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.
Day 7: Robben Island, V&A Waterfront, and Kirstenboch Botanical Garden
After breakfast, we will take a boat tour to Robben Island, described as a unique symbol of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity, suffering and injustice. You will learn the history of Robben Island and be able to see where Nelson Mandela was held as a political prisoner from 1964 to 1982.
Known and loved around the world for his commitment to peace, negotiation and reconciliation, Nelson Mandela was South Africa’s first democratically elected president (1994-1999). Mandela was an anti-apartheid revolutionary, author, and philanthropist.
After our visit to Robben Island, we will travel by boat back to the mainland (sometimes seeing penguins on the way!). We will have some time at the V&A waterfront to shop for souvenirs and enjoy this area of the city, and we will have lunch (on your own).
In the afternoon, we’ll head to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, a real gem of Cape Town and often referred to as the most beautiful garden in Africa. Then we will return to the hotel for you to enjoy your evening.
Included meals: breakfast.
Day 8: Free Day
Today is yours to do as you please. Whether you want to sleep in or have an early start, there are lots of options in and around Cape Town. We can help you to book or tour or advise on what you might like to do.
Art and history museums, shopping, waterfront restaurants, art or cooking classes, a great aquarium, wine tours, food tours, wildlife trips, and more are available in and from Cape Town at a variety of price points.
Whether you pack the day with classes and museums or relax at the waterfront with a glass of wine, you’re sure to enjoy a wonderful day in Cape Town.
Included meals: Breakfast
Note: Activities and transport for this day are not included.
Day 9: Township Tour
Today, you’ll have a little time to relax in the morning. We will meet for lunch and then we’ll have a chance to enjoy a tour of Langa, Cape Town’s oldest black township. Langa was establishes in 1923 as one of the many areas designated for Black Africans before and during Apartheid. This eye-opening tour is led by a resident of the township and gives you the chance to ask questions and learn from a local perspective.
On this guided walking tour, you’ll see four different housing and socio-economic areas, including worker hostels and informal settlements. You will get the chance to greet residents along the way in their language, called isiXhosa.
This tour may include cultural elements such as experiencing traditional music or dance. It’s a great experience to see another perspective on Cape Town.
We will have a goodbye dinner together for our last night in Cape Town.
Included meals: breakfast and dinner.
Day 10: Departure Day.
After breakfast, we’ll head to the airport in Cape Town and return by air together to Johannesburg (included). From here, you can transfer to your flight home.
Included meals: Breakfast
Note
The order of the particular days in the itinerary may change. We will do our best to include all the listed activities, but if something needs to be adjusted due to weather or unforeseen circumstances, we will substitute a similar activity.
