Dates

Session 1

May 14 – May 26, 2023
Students depart the U.S. on Saturday, May 13, 2023

Garden Route Add-On Options:

SOLD OUT: 3-day weekend during program: May 19 – May 21
4-day program extension: May 26 – May 29

Session 2

May 29 – June 9, 2023
Students depart the U.S. on Sunday, May 28, 2023

Garden Route Add-On Options:

4-day program extension: June 9 – June 12

Pricing

Session 1 Program Fee: $3,000

Session 2 Program Fee: $2,900

Garden Route Fee:

SOLD OUT: 3-day weekend during program: $1,050
(Session 1 only)

4-day program extension: $1,250
(Both Sessions)

Overview

Join us for your ideal summer adventure on DIRECT Cape Town. Combining adrenaline pumping adventures with an impactful personal development curriculum and community engagement, your participation on DIRECT Cape Town will set you apart from your peers. The itinerary focuses on highlights of the city including several days of hands-on community service and plenty of free time to explore on your own. You will tour the must-see attractions, hike Table Mountain and mingle with African penguins on Boulders Beach. Your typical day may start with a leadership lesson on your personal values followed by a tour of the southwestern tip of the African continent, the Cape of Good Hope. Over dinner, you will reflect on your accomplishments of the day while also recounting the connection you made with community members the day prior during our community visits. Whether you’ve never travelled outside of the country or if this is your first time on a plane, our Cape Town staff will ensure you are prepared for a transformative experience abroad.

What’s Included

Let us do the planning so you can stress less and travel more. Your program fee covers many of the expenses of your time abroad.

Bucket-List Adventures

Cape Town is an adrenaline lover’s dream. By stepping outside of your comfort zone with your peers, you will leave this program with incomparable life-long friendships. You have opportunities to hike Table Mountain, experience sand-boarding and even skydive all in one city with your new best friends. We partner with a local adventure company to ensure signing up for one or two extra adventures is safe and hassle-free.

Also, if you want to maximize your DIRECT program and take it to the next level, most students book the Garden Route. This iconic adventure package offers the chance to cage dive with sharks, go on a safari game drive to see Africa’s Big 5 up close and personal and make a new best friend at the elephant sanctuary. You can also sign up separately to take a leap at the world’s highest commercial bungee jump. No matter your appetite for adventure, Cape Town has options for you!

Community Engagement & Service

We believe there is nothing more powerful than service to take your international experience to the next level. Community days are often the highlight of our students’ experience in Cape Town. Each year we work with community leaders and NGO’s to identify how to best support initiatives in local communities. Some of our favorite past projects include running after school programming for local youth, partnering with soup moms (community matriarchs) in Sir Lowry’s Pass, preparing meals at a local food kitchen, school beautification projects and business consulting for young entrepreneurs.

Personal Development & Leadership

Traveling abroad can bring a renewed sense of confidence and clarity to your life during a pivotal time. Our staff works to maximize this opportunity by facilitating personal development workshops and creating space to pause and reflect on all that you are experiencing. Each meeting will have a unique focus ranging from your personal strengths, practicing gratitude, creating your vision statement or identifying your values. Through guided conversations, these personal development exercises will provide an invaluable sense of purpose and direction for your life.