Tours & Itineraries

CORE NATIONAL ITINERARY

Click here for a PDF brochure of the itinerary.

Origin Safaris’ core itinerary consists of our Cape Town – Pafuri Thulamela – Cradle of Humankind tour. Using both scheduled and private air transfers, travel between the core destinations is seamless.

CRADLE OF HUMANKIND ORIGINS TOUR

Click here for a PDF brochure of this tour

This is an unforgettable journey of discovery that will walk you in the footsteps of your ancestors to our earliest human origins.

The three-hour guided tour operates in the heart of the Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will be guided by open safari vehicle through the pristine highveld and bushveld landscape of the Greater Cradle Nature Reserve to two of the world’s most important fossil sites – Gladysvale Cave and Malapa – home to Australopithicus sediba, a new hominin species discovered there in 2008.

The Reserve is home to over 20 animal species, including leopard, brown hyena, sable antelope, eland, giraffe, blesbok and kudu, and more than 230 bird species.

The tour concludes with a visit to the Malapa Museum, a beautifully curated space which takes visitors on a journey into the deep past, exploring some of the world’s most important archaeological discoveries that were made on the Reserve.

After the tour you can enjoy a meal at the Cradle Restaurant, an award-winning venue which overlooks the rolling highveld landscape.”

THE LOST KINGDOM OF THULAMELA TOUR

Click here for a PDF brochure of this tour

The Kingdom of Thulamela in the Pafuri region of the Kruger Park is South Africa’s best-kept archaeological secret. Hauntingly beautiful, this partially reconstructed hilltop settlement is surrounded by ancient baobabs and commands spectacular views across savannahs, floodplains and mountains.

Beyond the Thulamela site, your days will be spent on leisurely morning and evening game drives and walks, exploring some of the numerous loops and detours of this game and bird-rich area.

The diverse landscapes, habitats and food sources support the richest biodiversity of the Kruger Park. A renowned birding destination, it offers over 450 species, including many migrant populations found nowhere else in South Africa.

Guests are accommodated in the Pafuri Luxury Tented Camp on the banks of the Livuvhu River.

BOKONI-VERLORENKLOOF ITINERARY

Click here for a PDF brochure of this tour

Whether as a stand-alone weekend or mid-week destination, or as part of a national itinerary (it is en route to the Kruger Park)  the Verlorenkloof Estate is an exquisite eco-reserve and archaeological gem just 3 hours from Johannesburg.

It is a unique destination that combines fascinating (and largely unknown) Bokoni archaeology with spectacular mountain and wetland scenery – all in a pristine private reserve where guests are accommodated in beautifully located and secluded Crofts.

All our itineraries are customized around the interests and circumstances of our guests. These range from short-duration, single destination stays to multiple destination safaris which may include visits to other archaeology safari destinations in South and Southern Africa.

THE CRADLE OF HUMAN CULTURE IN CAPE TOWN

Click here for a PDF brochure of this tour

The Cradle of Human Culture is the area at the southern tip of Africa where early humans – Homo sapiens – first evolved. It was here that the final leap was made in our evolution as humans. This is also the area where South Africa’s ‘first nation’, the San-Bushman, lived and thrived for thousands of years.

Our tours will take you to key sites which present the history, life and culture of the Cape’s original inhabitants, while exposing you to the area’s exquisite natural beauty.

NOTES

We offer several options, whether as day tours or as multi-destination journeys, starting and ending in Cape Town.

We accommodate self-drive travelers and can organize guided overland trips between all our destinations. All our destinations are accessible by sedan vehicles on hard-top roads.

Please visit the Inquiries page so we can help you develop and plan your own itinerary.

The map below highlights our core destinations.

Share this with your social media network