Journeys · South Africa
Winelands & Whales
Pearl Valley Golf Estate beneath the Drakensteins, Arabella Golf Estate beside the lagoon, and southern right whales breaching just offshore — the Cape's gentlest, loveliest week.
Highlights
- Pearl Valley Golf Estate — Nicklaus among the vines
- Arabella Golf Estate and its postcard par-3 17th
- Hermanus — the world's best land-based whale watching
- Long lunches in Franschhoek and Stellenbosch
Best months
Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov (whale season)
A southern right whale breaching beyond the 17th green at Arabella — the only gallery that outranks the shot.
What's on the card — and where you'll sleep
The golf on this journey
- Pearl Valley Golf Estate
- Erinvale Golf Club
- Arabella Golf Estate
Where you'll stay
- La Residence, Franschhoek — Stellenbosch & Franschhoek, 4 nights
- Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, Walker Bay — Hermanus & the Whale Coast, 4 nights
Every property is hand-picked from our register of fifty-two — none paid for, none reciprocated. See the options for this region →
Where you go, and why
Stellenbosch & Franschhoek
Settle into the most beautiful wine country on earth: oak-lined university streets, Cape Dutch farmsteads, mountains on every horizon. Play Pearl Valley Golf Estate and Erinvale Golf Club between tastings — and take the Franschhoek wine tram for the day your swing deserves a rest.
STAY La Residence, Franschhoek
Hermanus & the Whale Coast
An hour over the mountains to the cliff-top town the whales chose: every winter and spring, southern right whales calve so close to Hermanus that the town employs the world's only whale crier. Play Arabella Golf Estate on the Bot River lagoon — its 17th is one of golf's great postcard holes — walk the cliff path with binoculars, and finish each day with Walker Bay wines and just-shucked oysters.
STAY Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, Walker Bay
Every journey is a starting shape, not a fixed product — add nights, swap lodges, bring the Gallery. Guide price per person sharing, excluding international flights; confirmed precisely in writing before you commit.
Asked before you booked
How much does Winelands & Whales cost?
Guide price is from US$6,800 per person sharing, excluding international flights. For an exact figure, use the Price a Private Version tool — adjust the nights, rounds and experiences and our quoting engine returns your private price, checked by a specialist, usually within one working day.
How many rounds of golf are on this journey?
3 rounds are built in — Pearl Valley Golf Estate, Erinvale Golf Club, Arabella Golf Estate. Every round can be kept, swapped or dropped when you price your private version.
Can my non-golfing partner come?
Absolutely — this is the heart of how we design. While the golfers play, the Gallery programme runs parallel experiences (game drives, spas, wine, walks, markets), and everyone reunites for lunch or sundowners. Non-golfers never sit out a day.
When is the best time to take this journey?
Best months are Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov (whale season). We will be honest about the trade-offs of any month you are considering — every season has its version of this trip.
Where will we stay?
Exact, named properties at every stop — on this journey: La Residence, Franschhoek, Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, Walker Bay. Every property is hand-picked from our register; none paid for, none reciprocated.
Do I need a visa for South Africa?
Most UK, US, EU, Canadian and Australian passport holders get a free visitor visa on arrival for stays up to 90 days. We confirm the current rules for your nationality when you book.
Is there malaria on this trip?
Cape Town, the Winelands and the Garden Route are completely malaria-free. The Kruger lowveld carries a low seasonal risk — we will advise on simple precautions — and if you prefer zero risk, we can route your safari to malaria-free reserves like Madikwe, Shamwari or Gondwana instead.
What is the weather like for golf?
The Cape plays best from October to April — long, dry summer days. The Kruger and the highveld are at their best for safari in the dry winter months, May to September. Most of our South African journeys work year-round; we will time yours to what matters most to you.
Tell us how you want to feel when you come home.
We'll build the wild, and the golf, around that — and nothing else.
Design your safari Speak to us