Depart from New York or Washington, DC for your flight to Cape Town via Johannesburg, South Africa on South African Airways.

Upon arrival at Johannesburg International Airport you will go through immigration and clear customs, re-check your bags and then proceed to the Domestic Terminal for your onward flight to Cape Town. Then upon arrival at Cape Town Airport you will be met by a SAA Vacations representative and transferred to your Hotel.

With a classically inspired exterior and gracefully elegant within, the Cape Grace Hotel is set on its own private quay on Cape Town's vibrant Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. The Cape Grace's charm lies in its intimate atmosphere, stylish décor and unique personalized hospitality, where you will find staff warm and flexible, with a spirit of unrivalled generosity.

Accommodation: Cape Grace Hotel

After Breakfast at the Hotel you will take part in a full day Cape Peninsula Tour including Table Mountain (weather permitting). The tour starts early with a visit to Table Mountain, which is well known for its spectacular views. After making your descent, you will start the rest of your tour with a drive along the Atlantic Ocean en route to Hout Bay - once a fishing community, now it is one of the most popular residential areas.

There will be a chance to join the M.V. Circe for a half-hour cruise to "Seal Island" (own account), or for the less adventurous the possibility of a stroll through the fish market at "Mariners Wharf". The tour continues to the Indian Ocean to Fishhoek for lunch (own account). After lunch, the tour will take you for a visit with the Jackass Penguins at Boulders Beach near Simonstown. Then to the Cape of Good Hope Reserve and Cape Point, said to be the romantic meeting place of the Indian and the Atlantic Oceans.

Accommodation: Cape Grace Hotel (B)

After breakfast you will make your own way to the jetty at the Clocktower in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Here you will board the ferry for your Robben Island Tour.

For nearly 400 years, Robben Island, 8 miles from Cape Town, was a place of banishment, exile, isolation and imprisonment. It was here that rulers sent those they regarded as political troublemakers, social outcasts and the unwanted of society.

During the apartheid years, Robben Island became internationally known for its institutional brutality. The duty of those who ran the Island and its prison was to isolate opponents of apartheid and to crush their morale. Some freedom fighters spent more than a quarter of a century in prison for their beliefs.

Those imprisoned on the Island succeeded on a psychological and political level in turning a prison'hell-hole' into a symbol of freedom and personal liberation. Robben Island came to symbolize, not only for South Africa and the African continent, but also for the entire world, the triumph of the human spirit over enormous hardship and adversity. Today, you will be escorted around the island by an ex-political prisoner, and given insight into the past and how the human spirit triumphs.

Accommodation: Cape Grace Hotel (B)

After breakfast head out on the scenic drive to Franschhoek where you will spend the night at Le Quartier Francais. In any language, Le Quartier Français is a splash of style in the heart of the historic village of Franschhoek, a quaint corner of the Cape winelands that is forever a little French.

Set behind a delightful Provençal façade lined with a charming rose and lavender border, Le Quartier Français welcomes visitors from all over the globe who come here to dine in fine style and spend the night in a room with a spectacular view. With a melange of French, Malay and traditional South African dishes, Margot Janses' menu tempts with a modern twist of the old Cape and the new.

Accommodation: Le Quartier Francais (B)

Today you will travel to Paarl which proudly bears the title of the third-oldest town in South Africa. Standing tall on Paarl Mountain and celebrating the birth of Afrikaans, is the Afrikaans Language Monument, and just outside Paarl is Drakenstein Prison, where Nelson Mandela spent his last years of captivity and started his walk to freedom.

Paarl offers a diversity of attractions - from museums and galleries, to shops selling handmade gifts and products made by local craft-makers. The goal today is to discover a gastronomic feast! Starting at Fairview Wine Estate, sample some of the goat and jersey milk cheeses produced in this area. Fairview is South Africa's largest producer of specialty cheeses.

Later this morning, travel to Nederburg Wine Estate, for an'Incredible Journey of Tastes'. Nederburg Wine Estate's history dates back to the 17 th Century. Nederburg is home to South Africa's most awarded wines, and also annually hosts the internationally acclaimed Nederburg Auction, which ranks as one of the top five wine auctions in the world.

Lunch takes the form of a 3-course meal, and is hosted by Katinka Van Niekerk, advisor too many of South Africa's most celebrated chefs. The relaxed and informal presentation uses the effective technique of show-and-taste. The menu matches up six wines with a selection of dishes. Guests decide on the spot what works, what does not and why, in a fascinating deconstruction of flavors. The purpose is to gain first-hand experience of how best to partner wines with food, by matching flavors, body and texture, and by using the five taste sensations as a guide.

Finish off with a stop at Huguenot Fine Chocolates, where delicious handcrafted Belgian chocolates are made as you watch. The Belgian-trained chocolatiers produce world-class products, and this is your opportunity to sample some! (A framed article extolling the health benefits of chocolate, has pride of place on the wall at Huguenot Fine Chocolates!)

Accommodation: Le Quartier Francais (B, L)

This morning you will have an early transfer to Cape Town Airport for your flight to Johannesburg on South African Airways. Upon arrival at Johannesburg International Airport, you will then be transferred to your hotel.

The Mount Grace Hotel is situated in the beautiful Magaliesberg area, an hour's drive from Johannesburg. Guests are welcomed by a rural charm, warmth and simplicity that have characterized The Mount Grace for nearly two decades. The thatched bedrooms are arranged into Thatchstone, Grace and Mountain Villages and are tastefully furnished with fresh country prints. Tea and coffee making facilities, television, radio and books in each room offer comfort and luxury. Activities include tennis, swimming, croquet, bowls, mountain biking, horse riding, walks, bird watching, picnics and trout fishing.

Accommodation: The Mount Grace Hotel (B)

Today is at leisure to play a round of golf, have a spa treatment (own account) or enjoy all the other facilities the Hotel has to offer such as trout fishing or a picnic in the countryside.

Accommodation: The Mount Grace Hotel (B)

Today you will bid farewell to South Africa and depart on your international flight back to the USA on South African Airways. (B)

Arrive in New York or Washington, DC with a lifetime of memories!