Joan Newton

JB Luxury Escapes

CAPE TOWN JAZZ FESTIVAL: JOHANNESBURG & CAPETOWN –2027

Mar 15, 2027 to Mar 22, 2027
Cape Town, South Africa

Welcome to CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL!

 

This 8-day journey brings together three of South Africa’s most extraordinary experiences in a single, coherent itinerary — history, wilderness, and world-class music. It begins in Johannesburg, where two full days explore the Apartheid Museum, the streets of Soweto, and Constitution Hill: tracing the arc from apartheid’s machinery to the democracy it produced.

A transfer to Pilanesberg National Park follows — one of Africa’s finest Big Five reserves, set in the crater of a 1.2-billion-year-old volcano — for a sunset and dawn game drive before flying south to Cape Town. Four nights in the Mother City combine Table Mountain, the profound silence of Robben Island, a coastal drive to the penguin colony at Boulders Beach, and the headline event: two nights of premium admission at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Africa’s premier celebration of jazz.

 

Highlights

 
    • Visit to the Apartheid Museum, offering a powerful understanding of South Africa’s history
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    • Guided Soweto heritage tour, including Vilakazi Street — home to both Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu
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    • Visit to the Hector Pieterson Museum, commemorating the 1976 student uprising
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    • Explore Constitution Hill, a symbol of South Africa’s democracy and justice system
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    • Scenic transfer to Pilanesberg National Park, set within an ancient volcanic crater
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    • Sunset game drive in Pilanesberg with opportunities to spot the Big Five (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard, buffalo)
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    • Early morning (dawn) safari experience, when wildlife activity is at its peak
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    • Ride the rotating cable car up Table Mountain for breathtaking 360° panoramic views
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    • Explore the unique fynbos ecosystem — a floral kingdom found nowhere else on Earth
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    • Attend two nights of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival with premium access to multiple stages
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    • Ferry excursion to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned
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    • Guided tour led by a former political prisoner, offering deep personal insight into South Africa’s past
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              Scenic coastal drive along False Bay with stops in Kalk Bay and Simon's Town
 

TOUR INCLUDES:

  • Meeting and assistance on arrival and departure
  • Round trip airport to hotel transfers
  • 7 nights hotel accommodation
  • One-way flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg
  • 7 Accommodation in the properties listed
  • Transportation in private vehicle
  • Experienced tour guide
  • Admission to listed sites
  • Premium admission tickets
  • Festival transfers — hotel to CTICC and return, both evenings
  • Meals indicated (breakfast daily, lunch, 3 dinners)
 

DAY 1 : Mon. Mar 15 -- Arrival – Cape Town

Activities

· Arrive in ohannesburg.

· Meet & greet at the airport followed by private transfer to your hotel.

· Check in and relax.

· Optional activities depending on arrival time.

Hotel: Southern Sun Sandton 

DAY 2 : Tue. Mar 16 - APARTHEID MUSEUM & SOWETO HERITAGE TOUR 

Activities

· Breakfast at the hotel.

· Begin at the Apartheid Museum.

· In the afternoon, explore Soweto — the Southwestern Townships and the most historically significant urban area in South Africa.

· Visit the Hector Pieterson Museum.

· Visit the Nelson Mandela National Museum in his former home, and Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown,

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast & Dinner

DAY3: Wed. Mar 17 - CONSTITUTION HILL & PILANESBERG SUNSET GAME DRIVE 

After breakfast, visit Constitution Hill — a living museum and fully functioning court built on the site of the notorious Old Fort Prison, where both Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela were once held. The Constitutional Court was constructed using bricks salvaged from the demolished Number Four Prison, its interior woven with an extraordinary collection of South African art. Late morning, depart northwest — approximately 2 hours — to Pilanesberg National Park, set in the crater of a 1,200-million-year-old volcano. Check in at Ivory Tree Game Lodge before your late afternoon sunset game drive — golden hour in the bush, with elephant, white rhino, giraffe, zebra, hippo, and the possibility of lion and leopard all within reach. Return for dinner under the stars.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast & Dinner

Hotel: Bakubung Lodge

 DAY 4: Thur. Mar 18 -  DAWN GAME DRIVE & FLY TO CAPE TOWN

Rise early for a dawn game drive into Pilanesberg. The cool early hours reveal a completely different bush — lions often still active, birds in full chorus, the park waking to a new day. Return to Ivory Tree for a full breakfast and checkout. Transfer to O.R. Tambo International Airport for your afternoon flight to Cape Town. Arrive at Cape Town International Airport in the afternoon — your Cape Town guide will meet you and transfer you to The Commodore Hotel, located directly adjacent to the V&A Waterfront with panoramic views of Table Mountain, Cape Town Harbour, and Robben Island. The V&A Waterfront is on the hotel’s doorstep — Cape Town announces itself immediately.

Hotel: The Commodore Hotel

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

DAY 5: Fri. MAR 19 - TABLE MOUNTAIN | JAZZ FESTIVAL — NIGHT

After breakfast, ride the state-of-the-art rotating cable car to the 1,086-metre summit of Table Mountain (weather permitting). The car completes a full 360-degree rotation on ascent, offering sweeping views across Cape Town, the Atlantic Seaboard, Robben Island, and the Peninsula. Enjoy short, well-marked walks along the plateau surrounded by the extraordinary fynbos ecosystem — a floral kingdom found nowhere else on Earth. The afternoon is free to explore the V&A Waterfront. This evening: Night 1 of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival at the CTICC — Africa’s premier jazz event, with world-class South African and international artists across multiple stages simultaneously. Your premium admission gives you full access to all stages throughout the evening. Transport to and from the festival is included.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

Hotel: The Commodore Hotel

DAY 6: Sat. MAR 20 - ROBBEN ISLAND | JAZZ FESTIVAL — NIGHT 2

After breakfast, take the ferry from the V&A Waterfront to Robben Island — a UNESCO World Heritage Site once the prison that held Nelson Mandela for 18 of his 27 years of incarceration. The 3.5-hour tour includes two return ferry crossings, a guided visit to the Maximum-Security Prison led by a former political prisoner, and a bus tour of the island taking in the blue slate quarry where Mandela worked and the Muslim shrine. Return to the Waterfront by early afternoon. This evening: Night 2 of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival — with the lay of the land already familiar, use your premium admission to move between artists with ease and savour every moment of this remarkable event. Transport included

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

Hotel: The Commodore Hotel

DAY 7: SUN MAR 21-  KALK BAY · SIMON’S TOWN · BOULDERS BEACH PENGUINS 

A deliberately relaxed morning — sleep in after two festival nights, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and take your time. Late morning, depart for a scenic coastal drive south along the magnificent False Bay coastline. Browse the colourful fishing harbour village of Kalk Bay, with its antique shops, art galleries, and charming independent cafés. Continue to Simon’s Town — a beautifully preserved Victorian naval town — for lunch at leisure at one of the harborside restaurants. A short distance away, Boulders Beach is home to a thriving colony of African penguins living among granite boulders. Walk the boardwalks among these remarkable birds at close range — the ideal note of pure joy on which to close your Cape Town days. Return to the V&A Waterfront by late afternoon for a final evening at leisure.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

 

DAY 8: MON. MAR 22-  CAPE TOWN — INTERNATIONAL DEPARTURE(MON, 22 MAR)

After a final leisurely breakfast at The Commodore Hotel, complete checkout and allow a moment to take in one last view of Table Mountain from the Waterfront. Your private vehicle and guide will transfer you to Cape Town International Airport in comfortable time for your international departure. We hope this journey — from the streets of Soweto and the silence of Pilanesberg at dawn, to the profound stillness of Robben Island and the extraordinary energy of the Cape Town Jazz Festival — has left you with lasting impressions and a deeper love for this remarkable country. Hamba kahle.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

What's not included:

  1. International Flights
  2. Travel Insurance
  3. Meals not listed in the itinerary
  4. Gratuity to drivers and guides
  5. Alcoholic and personal beverages
  6. Visa fees where applicable
  7. Personal expenses and souvenirs 
 

TRAVEL INSURANCE:

  • Missing a vacation is bad enough. Losing the money you paid for your vacation is even worse. Trip insurance is therefore recommended. You can purchase travel insurance on your own.

 

TRAVEL NOTES:

  • Traveling abroad require a passport valid for six months beyond travel dates. 
  • All prices are based on the rates of exchange in effect at the time of price quotation. In the event that the US dollar devalues, JB Luxury Escapes Inc. and Savvy Travelers reserves the right to increase prices accordingly. Your final invoice will reflect increases resulting from currency devaluation.

  • TERMS & POLICIES

    • Making reservations for this package signifies your acceptance of our Terms and Conditions.
    • All deposits to JB Luxury Escapes and Savvy Travelers are non-refundable and non-transferrable.  This is because JB Luxury Escapes d/b/a Savvy Travelers has contractual agreements with hotels, airlines and other vendors that will not allow us to obtain any refunds. This way we can keep our package prices low and allow you to make monthly payments on your vacation.
    • Passengers are responsible for ensuring that they have the proper travel documents and MUST CHECK with the respective consulate(s) or visa agency to determine whether any visas or passports are required. Passports are required to be valid for at least 6 months after the date of travel. Some countries require a full blank “VISA” page in the passport for stamping purposes. Any information provided on travel description pertains to US citizens only. Non-US citizens should check with the respective consulate of the country(s) to be visited for current entry requirements.  Reservations must be made in your FULL NAME as it appears on your passport. 
    • Prices are subject to change without notice. Please make your reservations today at this low price to be locked in.
    • Monthly payments are required to keep your reservations current unless you make larger payments than what is required of your monthly payment plan.  Your invoice will clearly note your payment plan. We suggest you put this payment plan on your personal calendar.
    • You must ensure your roommate, if applicable, is also making timely monthly payments.
    • Late payment of $250 per person is required after final due date listed on your payment plan.  Late payment fees are automatically added to your reservation the day after your final due date.

    • All late payment requests must be approved by management before the final payment deadline on your invoice.

CANCELLATION POLICIES 

 

Days prior to  Land Package Departure

Item(s)* Assessed

Cancellation Fee

120 days or more

Deposit

Deposit Amount

119 to 91 days

Total Charges

25% of Total Cahrges

90- to 56 days

Total Charges

50% of Total Charges

55-46 days

Total Charges

75% of Total Charges

45 days or less

Total Charges

100% of Total Charges


 
 

Available Packages

CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
Available until December 31, 2026

$4,599.00
Deposit: $500.00 per person