garden route day tours

Day Tours and Experiences

Private day tours on the garden route.

Discover the breathtaking beauty and cultural treasures of our region with our carefully crafted day tours. Immerse yourself in unforgettable experiences that showcase the very best our destination has to offer. Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, history buff, or simply seeking adventure, our day tours are designed to cater to every interest and create lasting memories.

Join us as we take you on a journey through stunning landscapes, charming towns, and iconic landmarks. Our knowledgeable guides will provide fascinating insights and stories along the way, ensuring you get the most out of your day tour experience.

Join us on one of our day tours and embark on an adventure that will captivate your senses and ignite your curiosity. Browse our tour options below and book your unforgettable experience today!

Book your day tour now and let us show you the very best of our region!

BROWSE A SELECTION OF DAY TOURS

All day trips can be customised. Please email us for a detailed quote.

Mossel Bay Historical Day Tour

Knysna Elephants, Wine & Catamaran Day Trip

Wilderness Half-Day Highlights

A Crags Wine Excursion

Oudtshoorn Splendour Day Trip

Animal Alley Adventure

Why choose our day trips:, professional guides.

Our guides are passionate locals who know our destination inside out. They will share their extensive knowledge, entertaining anecdotes, and insider tips, making your day tour both educational and engaging.

Expertly Crafted Itineraries

Let us save you time, money and energy as we do all the leg work for you, so that you can enjoy the things that matter most.

Comfortable Transportation

Sit back and relax in our comfortable, air-conditioned vehicles as we navigate the scenic routes to our destinations. We prioritize your safety and comfort throughout the entire journey

Memorable experiences

From exploring stunning national parks to indulging in delicious local cuisine, our day tours are designed to create unforgettable moments. We strive to exceed your expectations and leave you with memories that will last a lifetime.

Small Group Sizes

We believe in providing an intimate and personalized experience. Our day tours are limited to small group sizes, allowing you to connect with fellow travelers and receive individual attention from our guides.

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• Cape Point & Peninsula Day Tour
• Cape Winelands Day tour
• Cape Town City & Table Mountain Day Tour
• Constantia Winelands Day Tour
• 5 Mountain Passes Day Tour
• Cape Town malaria-free Wildlife encounter
• West Coast Flowers Day Tour
• Hermanus & Whales Day Tour
• Hermanus & the Whales Overnight Tour
• Arniston & Cape Agulhas Tour
• Cape Winelands Overnight Tour
• Cape Town’s malaria-free Safari & Wildlife Tour

Garden Route Classic Tour

• Garden Route & Overberg Tour
• Garden Route Tour & malaria-free Safari
• Garden Route Tour & Kruger Park Safari
• Garden Route & Cape Town Tour
• Cape Town, Garden Route & malaria-free Eastern Cape Safari Tour

Big 5 Kruger Safari, Garden Route and Cape Town Tour

• Garden Route & Big 5 Kruger Safari Tour
• Garden Route & Wildlife Tour
• Malaria-free Madikwe Big 5 Safari & Garden Route Tour
• Malaria-free Big 5 Safari & Cape Town Tour
• Big 5 Kruger Tour
• Big 5 Kruger Safari & Panoramic Tour
• Big 5 Kruger Safari & Cape Town Tour
• Kwazulu-Natal Big 5 & Drakensberg Mountains Safari
• Malaria-free Big 5 Safari, Garden Route & Cape Town
• Pilanesberg Big 5 Safari
• Safari Lodge Accommodation
• Sun City Tour
• Johannesburg & Soweto Tour
• Cradle of Humankind Tour
• Lesedi Cultural Village Experience
• Namaqualand & West Coast Flower Tour
• West Coast & Cederberg Mountain Tour
• Great and Little Karoo Tour
• Malaria-free Big 5 Safari
• Big 5 Kruger Safari
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Garden Route Tours from and/or to Cape Town

A fabulous variety of garden route tours and safaris to suit your unique interests.

Doing one of our Garden Route Tours should be at the top of your list of Cape Town Tours and Trips when you visit South Africa’s rainbow nation. It rates as the no 1 tour activity or experience you can do from Cape Town. You are in for a scenic diversity treat of charming picturesque towns and villages, dramatic & scenic landscapes, tall trees, deep gorges, shimmering lakes, majestic mountain ranges, golden beaches and lush indigenous forests on all our Garden Route Tours .

Our guides are superb : engaging, knowledgeable and passionate professionals, and will do everything possible to make your Garden route experience the trip of a lifetime with extraordinary moments and travel stories.

The Garden Route with its abundance of natural beauty and wonders, is located along the picturesque Southern Cape Coastline of South Africa. It   stretches from Mossel Bay through George , Wilderness , Knysna , Plettenberg Bay up to Tsitsikamma and is a must-see highlight when you visit South Africa . A malaria-free Safari combines perfectly with the Garden Route.

For the best and diverse scenic tour experience , start and end your Garden Route Tour from Cape Town before or after doing our superb Cape Town Tours . Half the fun and diverse natural scenic splendor on our tours, is the route traveling to and from the Garden Route with  stunning rugged mountain scenery on route from Cape Town , beautiful landscapes, wine estates, quaint farmstalls and picturesque villages, the Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn, Cape Aguhas in the Overberg and Hermanus on the Whale Coast . This scenic feast of landscapes in a circular route to and from the Garden Route , makes Cape Town the ideal start and end destination for your Garden Route Tour

If you have a few extra travel days, add an authentic African Safari in the malaria-free Eastern Cape , home to the Big 5 wildlife animals, just a few hours’ drive from the Garden Route.

We offer a variety of fabulous Garden Route Tours with scenic, nature and leisure travel options, safari and wildlife options, activity and adventure options or a combination thereof. Whatever your unique interests and preferences when you are on holiday, one of our private or small-group Garden Route Tours  with our superb Guides would be perfect for your vacation.

Email us on [email protected] or select the “Enquire Now / Book ” button to obtain rates and availability:    

4 Days; 3 Nights

Explore the highlights of the Garden Route from Cape Town, including rugged mountain scenery on route to charming Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo on Day 1, the limestone formations of the famous Cango Caves , in Oudtshoorn. On Day 2 we travel along the scenic Garden route to Knysna – jewel of the Garden Route. On Day 3 we explore Plettenberg Bay with its long golden beaches, as well as and the dramatic beauty of the Tsitsikamma Forest and Coastal Park. On Day 4 we travel back to Cape Town via the Garden route, then turning inland.

We offer this tour as a Private Tour, fully customisable, as well as Small-Group Classic Garden Route Tours are offered. Our accommodation venues are superb 4-star establishments with many upgrade possibilities.

If you have limited holiday time in Cape Town and South Africa, and need to decide between the wide variety of Garden Route Tours, this is the best tour option to see the main highlights along this picturesque coastline .

Garden Route & Overberg Tour

5 days; 4 nights.

In addition to the Classic Garden Route Tour Highlights ( Oudtshoorn , Knysna , Plettenberg Bay and Tsitsikamma ), we add the Overberg  with quiant  Arniston  as well as Cape Agulhas , the southernmost tip of Africa and meeting place of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

We travel back to Cape Town via Hermanus  (with the best land-based Whale Watching from July to November) and the stunning coastal Clarence Drive . 

Because of the wonderful scenic diversity that the Overberg adds to your Garden route tour experience, this is the favourite of all our scenic Garden Route Tours. Read here to see our 14 Superb reasons why you should add the Overberg to your Garden Route Trip.

Garden Route & malaria-free Eastern Cape Safari Tour

7 days; 6 nights.

The Garden Route (with Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Tsitsikamma) is combined with a malaria-free Safari  in the Eastern Cape , a natural extension of the Garden Route and home to the free-roaming Big 5 of Africa (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino).

You can choose between visiting  Addo Elephant National Park , with more than 600 Elephant, or one of the luxury private game reserves  with 4-star and 5-star luxury lodges. Experience the thrill of an authentic African Safari in the search for wildlife encounters, the peaceful surroundings of nature and the sounds of the bush.

Garden Route & Big 5 Kruger Park Safari Tour

10 days; 9 nights.

Combine your Garden Route Tour (including Oudtshoorn, Cango Caves, Knysna, Tsitsikamma) with a Safari in the flagship Game Reserve, Kruger Park , home to the free-roaming Big 5 of the animal kingdom (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino)

Garden Route & Cape Town Tour

8 days; 7 nights.

Our Tour package includes highlights of cosmopolitan Cape Town, Table Mountain, Cape Point and Peninsula and the Cape Winelands as well as a Garden Route Tour, including Oudtshoorn’s Cango Caves, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Tsitsikamma, Arniston, Cape Agulhas and Hermanus on the Whale Coast

Cape Town, Garden Route & malaria-free Eastern Cape Safari Tour

Explore Cape Town City, Table Mountain, Cape Point and the Stellenbosch / Franschhoek / Paarl Winalnds before departing for the scenic Garden Route (Oudtshoorn, Cango Caves, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Tsitsikamma) and a malaria-free Safari within the Eastern Cape, home to the free-roaming Big 5 (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino)

13 days; 12 nights

Highlights of Cape Town and the Garden Route as well as a Safari at the flagship Game Reserve, Kruger National Park, home to the free-roaming Big 5 (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino) and the Panoramic route on the Mpumalanga escarpment

Garden Route & Big 5 Kruger Safari Tour

10 days; 9 nights.

Explore the Garden Route and add a Safari at the flagship Game Reserve, Kruger National Park or one of the adjacent private game reserves in the Greater Kruger area, a game reserve like no other and home to the free-roaming Big 5 of the animal kingdom (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino)

Garden Route & Wildlife Tour

5 days; 4 nights.

The tour includes the classic must-do highlights of the Garden Route ( Oudtshoorn , Knysna , Plettenberg Bay and Tsitsikamma ) and adds a wildlife and nature experience on the malaria-free Garden Route at a 4-star Safari Lodge on a Conservation Reserve.

The Garden Route’s conservation game reserves are smaller than the Eastern Cape’s private Game Reserves with its free-roaming wildlife. Predators on the conservation reserves on the Garden route are kept separate in large camps and do not hunt.

This provides a soft safari experience and is the ideal tour if you have limited time and your travel budget is limited  and cannot include the malaria-free Eastern Cape.

Email us on [email protected] or select the “ Enquire Now / Book Now ” button to obtain rates and   availability or to book a tour.

Garden Route Tours in South Africa

The Garden Route , perennially green, has a mild Mediterranean Maritime climate and lies on a narrow belt between the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains and the Southern Coast of South Africa

Aside from the abundance of scenic landscapes, the Garden Route offers unlimited scenic photographic opportunities , animal interactions, wildlife experiences, active and adventure activities .

So whether you are interested in scenic beauty, leisure, landscapes, hiking or adventure , the Garden Route offers a diverse variety of holiday experiences and one of our fabulous Garden Route Tour options will match your interests.

Start and End destinations are   flexible : Cape Town , George (or the Domestic Airport at George ), Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Tsitsikamma, Port Elizabeth (or the International Airport at Port Elizabeth).

To experience one of the best highlights offered in our beautiful rainbow country, a Garden Route Tour should be right at the top of your travel bucket list of South African Tours and Trips .

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Garden Route Tours

South african garden route tours.

The most amazing a 400-kilometer stretch of coastal road in the south western point of South Africa regarded as the most beautiful regions in the Great country. The region its name from the Garden route national park , and the diverse vegetation and wildlife, and abundance of lagoons, lakes, mountains, forests, and beaches along its winding roads, situated between the Tsitsikamma , Knsyna and Wilderness regions, Home to abundant marine reserves, a round trip offers a variety of attractions, and activities and adventure sports, along the way, from hiking and whale watching tours, to exploring caves and deserted sandy beaches, and Big 5 Nature reserves.

The route meanders between the Indian Ocean and the Tsitsikamma and Outeniqua mountain ranges, with equally stunning views on either side. The beauty of the indigenous forests meets the rugged cliffs and the abundant coastal views, producing the type of panoramic views only found in South Africa, on needs 4-6 days to really enjoy the region, its people and Towns and its food, Join us on an adventure and experience of a lifetime.

6 Day Garden Route and Addo Tour

5 Day Garden Route and Addo Tour

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A Complete Guide to the Garden Route

The South African Garden Route is not something people who envision the African landscape would expect to encounter. Instead of dry grass and thorny acacia trees, the garden route is filled with dense forest, lush green mountains and rushing rivers that spill into the Indian Ocean.

The Garden Route is well worth visiting, and for those who are embarking on an exciting Cape Town tour, a trip through the Garden Route is a natural next stop. The Route, given its name from the fact that the area is a beautiful strip of botanical wonders, covers an extensive area and is only a mere 4 hours from Cape Town.

The stunning 300km stretch of land that the Garden Route covers has an unidentifiable starting point (the locals can’t quite agree on where it begins) and runs up the rustic Eastern Cape coast of South Africa.

Self-drive tours as well as guided ones, are all available at rather affordable rates. Many tours also include accommodation and entry fees to popular attractions.

The History of the Garden Route Unlike many of the other national parks dotted around South Africa, the Garden Route is not exactly one entity. Rather it is a variety of national parks, old picturesque towns and various natural attractions, and so the history of the areas is about as varied as the places you will encounter.

The history of the Garden Route is divided into two sections; ancient history and the more recent events that have shaped the area.

The ancient history dates back around 2000 years to the time when hunter-gathers lived a nomadic life in the region. These herders made use of the abundant natural vegetation and close proximity to fresh water sources to live. The tribe that dominated the area was the Khoi Khoi.

Hundreds of years later, when man took to the oceans to explore the world, Europeans landed in the area and instantly fell in love with the scenery, the natural forests, the natural harbours and the plentiful game that lived in the Garden Route at that time.

Many of them chose to make their homes here and established small villages of their own. This was soon after the arrival of Dutch Settlers in 1652.

Along with those who initially settled in the Eastern Cape, after arriving on ships in other parts of the Cape, Dutch settlers from the Dutch East Indian Companies relief establishment would soon after their arrival also start moving inland, in search of a new home.

The explorers who ventured inland would trade all sorts of things with the people they would encounter along the way. The numerous natural forests the explorers found along the way were not respected in a way we would today, simply because they lived such different lives. They saw the forests not as trees but as timber to be turned into ships and homes. So many sawmills popped up in the area.

A few hundred years later and gold was discovered.

The gold rush of South Africa is truly legendary and saw the rise and fall of towns, families and industries, and it gave the forests of the Garden Route temporary relief. But by then 200 years had passed and the forests and most of the game populations had been nearly whipped out.

In 1913, the Forest Act was passed. All woodcutters had to be registered and approved, making it more difficult for just anyone to move into the area and begin cutting down trees. By 1939, all woodcutters in the area were pretty much forced to pack up their tools. The forests of South Africa today include plenty of alien species but the Garden Route is one of the few places where indigenous hardwood trees grow freely.

In the present, South Africa’s national park authorities have set aside areas of the Garden Route where the natural habitat has been mostly revived and there is a firm dedication to conservation so that visitors from all over the world can enjoy some of our country’s most beautiful natural wonders.

When travelling through the forests, the smell of milkwood trees fills the air and in the summer months, all sorts of flowers bloom, attracting bees and other insects.

The more recent history of the Garden Route, saw the rise of towns and the establishment of roads between the cities of Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. All along the route, there are various places to stay, countless bars and restaurants to explore, hiking trails to venture on, and friendly faces to meet.

Getting there

For those who are on the ultimate self-drive excursion, it’s basic knowledge that you have to know where you are going. And for those who are part of a laid back tour group, it’s of course natural to want to know where you are heading.

Getting there is half the fun, as they say, and when you are taking a winding trip up the coast, taking in the sights, smells and sounds along the roughly 200km route, this saying rings truer than you could possibly believe.

The Garden Route is considered one of South Africa’s ultimate road trips and its forests, national parks and isolated beaches are enough to attract most intrepid adventurers.

Most Garden Route tours will begin in Cape Town, especially for international travellers. Since most guests travelling to South Africa, wanting to visit the Cape, will start their holiday in Cape Town, it is quite natural that the Garden Route tours begin here to.

So, how do you get to the Garden Route?

To get to the Garden Route, you will be following South Africa’s fully tarred and well maintained, N2 highway. If you travel the route from beginning to end, you will rack up around 800kms, and likely end up in Port Elizabeth.

Officially, the Route begins at Mossel Bay and ends at Storms River. Knysna is considered to be about the middle of the Route.

The beauty of the Garden Route is that tours can stop all along the way, at every beautiful attraction or small town, and explore. There is also no real, or rather no official guide to determine where you should be stopping and what you should be doing. This is why most tour companies will create their own itineraries. Many tour companies will also provide guests with the option of customising their tours.

The other option that some guests like to use is flying. This option gives them the chance to land exactly where they want to and as such it minimises the amount of time they are going to be spending on the road.

But really, half the fun is getting there so if you were to fly into the area and only see the most popular places, then you will truly be missing out on a lot of the more exiting attractions.

Famous Garden Route Attractions and Towns

Known for its natural attractions as well as its many historical small towns, the Garden Route is without a doubt a top destination for everyone visiting South Africa.

Storms River Suspension Bridge

There are all sorts of exciting natural attractions to see and get lost in. The Storms River is a part of the Tsitsikamma National Park, which is now a part of the Garden Route National Park, and the best way to explore here is to put on your comfortable walking shoes and get hiking.

At a point you will come to sighting that is not for the faint of heart; a suspension bridge.

It stretches for 77 meters, covering the turbulent mouth of the Storms River. Guests walking across the bridge can watch the storms river merging with the Indian Ocean in a violent rush. The bridge is only about 7 meters above the water and those who stand on the bridge can feel the intensity of the wind as they take in the experience.

Those heading for the bridge should also look forward to the hiking trails that will lead them there. Walking through unbelievably beautiful natural forests, which occasionally give way to ocean views, and an array of spectacular waterfalls, the suspension bridge is really just the final cherry on the cake.

The nature in this part of the Tsitsikamma is also quite something. The birdlife is vibrant and full of song, and there are also all sorts of antelopes and monkeys living in the park. When gazing out at the ocean, you might have the opportunity to catch glimpse of some of the marine life that frequents the area.

When you are in the area you should also take the time to visit South Africa’s oldest tree. It is called the Big Tree and it is estimated to be around 800 years old.

Knysna Forest and Knysna Heads

From above the view could quite easily be that of an English country side. On the ground though, it is quite distinctly South African.

Knysna is situated right on a lagoon, between the forests and the ocean. It is without a doubt one of the most popular towns in all of the Garden Route and it is home to a gorgeous natural wonder, the Knysna Heads.

The Knysna Heads are two gigantic rocky outcrops, sitting in the mouth of the lagoon. The easiest way to see them is by boat and by taking a long walk along some of the trails in the area which have a couple of lookout points from which you will be able to see some of the most unforgettable panoramic views.

While on a walk, you can stop off at one of the local cafes for a pick me up.

Close to Knysna, the forests are a must-see. They are one of South Africa’s only natural forests and these forests are home to some of South Africa’s oldest trees, some of which are between 400 and 800 years old. Of these trees there are yellowwoods, stinkwoods and Cape chestnuts.

Knysna Elephant Park

Elephant herds once roamed the area although today they can only be found in conservation areas like the Knysna Elephant Park.

At the elephant park, you can interact with and even feed these legendary animals, under the careful eye of their devoted handlers.

The park was established some 20 years ago and at the time was the first South African sanctuary to look after orphaned elephants. Many of the elephants were rescued and rehabilitated at the sanctuary. This kind of experience is one that will certainly stick with you for the rest of your life and if you have a special love for wildlife, you need to embark on this tour.

Swartberg Pass

It’s not all forestry and lush greenery, there are some places in the area that are mountainous and during sometimes of the year, quite dry.

The Swartberg Pass is one of those places and along with its quite remarkable rock formations and unbelievable views, there are also a couple of places where you can go exploring.

The Pass climbs over the Swartberg Mountain Range, which is a natural boundary between the Great Karoo and the Little Karoo. The road travels some 200 km and at some points it rises up to 2 326 meters above ground.

The Swartberg Pass winds its way from Oudtshoorn to Prince Albert and it was built by convicts between 1881 and 1888 under the guidance of the road engineer Thomas Bain.

One of the flowers to lookout for along the way is the Protea, South Africa’s national flower.

Oudtshoorn Ostrich Farm

It is one of the biggest towns in the Little Karoo and it also happens to be one of the best known and most used ostrich breeding centers of South Africa. If you’ve had dreams of riding an ostrich, you will probably be able to do it here.

Oudtshoorn is a sort of side trip for guests because it is not actually a part of the Garden Route but there is a lot to see and do here.

A visit to the Cango Wildlife Ranch is worth it. Here you can go cage-diving with crocodiles, and you can get up close and personal with cheetahs and lemurs.

Wilderness National Park

Of all the Garden Route this is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places out of them all. Wilderness National Park sits between Knysna and George. In the north the park ends in the Outeniqua Mountains, and to the south it leads right into the Indian Ocean.

In this vibrantly colourful part of the world you’ll come across wetlands, estuaries, and lakes, as well as a diverse range of flora and fauna that are quite unique to the Garden Route. Along with seeing all sorts of birds, you can go hiking, canoeing, windsurfing, fishing, and sailing.

Bloukrans Bungy

One of the best things the Garden Route is well known for is its exhilarating sports. Canoeing, windsurfing, fishing, and bungee jumping.

Bloukrans Bungy is situated about 40 kms outside of Plettenberg Bay when you are heading in the direction of the Storms River. It is best known for being the world’s highest commercial bungee jump and those who are brave enough will take the 216 meter leap into the gorge below, while safely attached to a bungee cord.

To ensure that you make the best memories, bring along a GoPro or similar camera so you can record every single hair raising moment.

Plettenberg Bay

When you come back into civilisation after sometime out in the wilderness (no pun intended), one of the places you should certainly visit is Plettenberg Bay. For the locals it is a rather upmarket town, where only those of a certain income bracket can afford to live, and where students spend their “Spring Break”.

For international guests it is an oasis of calm and guests can look forward to some of the best accommodation and picturesque beaches. Be warned though, in the high season the town can be packed full of people.

It was once a place of industrialisation and quick growth, but these days it is dotted with coffee shops, places to buy antiques, and all sorts of second hand shops where you can buy a once loved something.

Once you’ve spent some time exploring the town, you can settle yourself on one of the blue flag beaches and enjoy a good book and a warm drink, so long as the wind isn’t acting up. You can also arm yourself with your camera and set off to snap a few pictures of some of the many, stunning historical buildings.

There is a natural conservation area called wilderness and there is also a town called Wilderness, so don’t confuse the two. In the town of Wilderness, there are sparkling natural lakes, untouched beaches, mountains, lagoons and estuaries full of birds. It is the ultimate outdoorsy town for anyone wanting to get in touch with nature while exploring the shops.

Wilderness has plenty of fantastic places to stay as well, so you can easily find some luxury accommodation while here.

Although many South Africans have chosen to retire in this quaint little town, making sure that the pace is nice and slow, Sedgefield is a fantastic place to enjoy some of your time while on a tour of the Garden Route.

The town has 5 hidden beaches, which lie just beyond the lagoons and sand dunes, and they stretch along the coast for around 6 kms. They are the perfect place to go for a walk, especially when the tide is low.

The town is quite well-known for its eclectic art vibe and while here there are a few places where you can soak up the creativity.

Storms River

It is not just the name of the popular river that runs through this area, but it is also partly the name of the town nearby, known as Storms River Town. The town lies just about on the beach and it plays host to all sorts of action packed adventures such as tubing.

The town of Storms River Mouth is surrounded by the Tsitsikamma National Park and it has become a favourite destination for holiday markers across the Cape. People love to stay here because so much of the accommodation looks out over the restless ocean and makes for the perfect place for those cold, stormy nights.

Nature’s Valley

One of the last must-visit towns is Nature’s Valley. The town is known as a real retreat into nature and there was one time when the town was completely inaccessible and situated between the daunting Tsitsikamma Mountains. The valley is characterised by a river, a number of beaches and the natural forest.

The village is quite hidden away from the world and occasionally the nature comes a little too close, although that is part of the appeal.

Dias Museum

While it will take a lot of strength to drag you away from the gorgeous nature that characterises the Garden Route, there are a few indoor attractions which are well worth the visit.

One such attraction is the Bartholomew Dias Museum.

The Museum is based in Mossel Bay and it pays tribute to the arrival of the Europeans and their subsequent meetings with those who already lived here. The museum gives guests a truly remarkable insight into the history of the area at that time as well as a look at the history of the Portuguese, British and Dutch sailors who were constantly coming and going.

Within the museum is a replica of the Dias Caravel which is the boat used by Bartholomew Dias to reach Africa. Guests can walk around the boat and imagine themselves living in an era when such travel was the norm.

Blue Ocean Adventure

When on the Garden Route, and so close to the shining ocean, exploring the waters and seeing some of its inhabitants is a must. The Garden Route has numerous places for experienced divers to take a dip, but you don’t have to be a diver to see what lurks beneath the waves.

Blue Ocean Adventure gives guests to the area the opportunity to spot the rare Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin, the Bottlenose Dolphin, Humpback Whales, Southern Right Whales and all sorts of other beautiful sea creatures while also being given a front row seat to a view of the landscape.

Whale watching is an incredibly popular past time for those living and visiting the area, and it would be a shame to miss such a sighting. The whales are not visible all year round, so make sure you plan your trip in such a way that you don’t miss them.

Gansbaai is without a doubt a highlight of the tour for everyone who has a love for sharks. It is the shark cage diving capital of the world, and anyone can sign up for a cage dive, you don’t need experience. Guests who go shark cage diving will be supplied with the necessary equipment and the accompanying attire. They are then taken out on to the ocean, climb into a cage and then drop beneath the waves to go on an underwater safari of sorts.

Cage dives take place all year round, but are heavily dependent on the weather, so certain times of the year are better than others.

The Ultimate Garden Route Road Trip

From natural wonders, to historical towns, and wonderful places to eat, the Garden Route has a lot to offer those who go exploring. Whether you want to spend your time swimming in the river while gazing up at the sheer canyon cliff faces, go deep sea diving to visit long forgotten ship wrecks, spend a few days hiking through one of the many national parks, or submerge yourself in the local vibes, with this ultimate Garden Route road trip you can plan your trip from beginning to end.

It is South Africa’s most scenic drive. Passing through indigenous forests, spotting lagoons and simply taking in that clear South African air, the Garden Route is one for the bucketlist.

Practical information

1. The Garden Route begins in Mossel Bay (officially, although the locals might claim otherwise), and ends in Storms River. It covers a stretch of about 200 -300 km (the official distance depends on who you talk to). 2. There is no set number of days needed to explore the route. Some people take 7 days, others 2 weeks. The time you spend on tour will likely be determined by the tour company you are travelling with, so plan carefully, you don’t want to miss the best attractions. 3. You can travel the route either way and as such you can begin in Cape Town and end in PE or you can begin in PE and end in Cape Town. There are also some travellers who journey down from Johannesburg and head straight for whichever attraction they chose as their starting point. Again, where you begin and end will depend on the tour company you travel with. 4. When it comes to the finer aspects of your travels, if you are travelling from overseas, it might be helpful to bring along a travellers adaptor plug for your appliances and chargers. In South Africa, power sockets are most the M type. 5. Accommodation is generally going to be decided by the company you are travelling with and you can expect some truly amazing, even luxurious accommodation, when you are on the road. If you are planning to tackle the route on your own, the most budget friendly accommodation will be camping. Luckily, the Garden Route has countless camping spots all along the way. 6. There are restaurants and family owned cafes in most of the small towns dotted along the route, so you will always find a place to eat or a place to stock up on food while on the road. In some cases, the area is quite old fashioned and dedicated to a slower pace of living, and as such you might find that restaurants are closed on a Sunday. 7. If you are planning a self-drive trip, keep in mind that South Africans drive on the left hand side of the road, and pass on the right. South African roads can be quite an experience so make sure you stick to the rules and just take your time. 8. The Garden Route is tarred the whole way so you won’t need a 4×4 vehicle when on a self-drive. 9. When you arrive at a national park and wish to enter, keep in mind that there are certain entrance fees that will need to be paid. Generally, when travelling with a tour group as part of a packaged trip, your entrance fees will be covered.

South Africa Travel Insurance Basics

It pays to plan your trip properly and this means planning for possible risks and/or disruptions in your plans. Travel insurance is used for in case things go wrong and it is especially important when you are travelling to a destination like South Africa, which is quite far-flung.

Travel insurance can also cover your personal well-being should you get sick or hurt while on holiday. Remember, South Africa is quite the action-packed holiday getaway, and the Garden Route has a number of activities which include hiking, surfing, canoeing, bungi jumping, and diving, and having insurance is going to cover any possibly accidents.

This type of insurance will also work to cover any losses due to theft or even damage. As you well know, South Africa has a bit of a reputation for theft, but your holiday doesn’t have to be ruin by a robbery.

With travel insurance, you can sit back and take in the beauty around you, without the worry about unexpected financial situations.

When you are choosing you insurance company, make sure that you have chosen the company that works predominantly with travel. More insurance companies are going to offer travel insurance, but instead opt for a reputable company which specialises in travel.

Travel insurance can be bought online and there are quite a lot of flexible insurance options available out there. Make sure that you have a look around, read the reviews and only settle for a company that will provide you with the service you expect. You should also look at customising your insurance instead of getting a blanket cover. You can choose to cover only certain aspects of your trip, and actually save money by not having to pay out extra money unnecessarily.

The best time to travel the Garden Route

South Africa is blessed with year round gorgeous weather. The Garden Route is no exception. The best time to travel the Garden Route is during the South African spring and summer, which begins in around September and ends in April.

While the winters might be a little gloomy with the romantic splash of rain, but since the winter months are off season, you can expect a quiet, and in some cases, a more personal, trip. The Garden Route enjoys an abundance of rain, most of which falls in the winter months with Cold Front systems whip the Western South Africa.

As the Garden Route winds into the Eastern Cape, the winter rains blow away before reaching land. The Eastern Cape, including the Tsitsikamma, receives summer rainfall with spectacular thunderstorms being quite normal.

To be on the safe side, simply assume that you will have rain during your trip and plan your attire accordingly.

As for the temperature, the summer months are always warm and pleasant. Unlike the bushveld of South Africa, and the north eastern coastline, where the summer temperatures get swelteringly hot, the Garden Route has a mild kind of heat. The average summer time temperatures range from 24 degrees Celsius to 30 degrees Celsius.

The Spring months as well as the Autumn which includes the months of September, April and May, are quite cool with the temperatures hovering at around 17 to 23 degrees Celsius. From June to August, the heart of South Africa’s winter, temperatures drop to between 16 – 20 degrees Celsius.

Garden Route Tour Itinerary and Highlights

Some of the best Garden Route Tours are the 5 to 6 day tours. This timeframe is ideal because it allows every day to be jam packed with action while not being too long drawn out. This means you can plan a longer trip to South Africa and fit the Garden Route into your time spent here without spending all your time on the Route.

Day 1 – Hermanus, Gansbaai, Cape Agulhas

The tour begins in the Mother City, Cape Town. Guests can stand on the Southernmost tip of Africa and be in awe of the endlessness of the Atlantic Ocean as it stretches out before you. From there, the tour heads through Cape Town and out towards the Garden Route.

The first day is spent really exploring, with the tour stopping at some of South Africa’s most beautiful beaches, including De Hoop Beach, welcoming towns, and idyllic eateries. The first day also includes a trip to the unforgettable De Hoop Nature Reserve.

Hermanus and Gansbaai are well-known for their oceanic viewing. Whales and sharks are often spotted close to the beach. A commonly enjoyed activity in this area includes shark cage diving, which is done off the coast of Gansbaai. Those brave adventurers who want to meet a Great White Shark, are kitted out in the right diving attire to keep the cold of the Atlantic away and submerged beneath the waves in a cage. While under the cold waters, curious Great Whites swim up to the cage and guests get to experience the exhilaration of witnessing these magnificent creatures.

For the rest of the trip, we travel on towards Knysna, taking the route via Malgas and Witsand. Guests will be accommodated in the same place throughout the tour. We choose a comfortable, central location from which to experience all that the Garden Route has to offer.

Each day is spent touring a part of the area. Guests can look forward to a trip into the Tsitsikamma, one of the most exquisite forests in the country. With its hiking trails and other fun things to do, it is difficult to be bored while you are here. Another day will be spent in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa’s whale watching hub. Whether from comfort of the beach or out on the ocean, seated safely in a boat, spotting the whales as they come close to the beach is an unforgettable experience.

The afternoons and evenings are for leisure time. Guests can spend them relaxing and reliving the days excitement. Our tours of the Garden Route make use of the very best 3 and 4 star accommodation so you can look forward to the best experience. The lodges we use come with all of the amenities you can expect and they are run by friendly staff. The tour accommodation includes breakfast, while lunch and dinners are at your own expense. The Garden Route is full of all sorts of family run restaurants, cafes and coffee shops.

Guests who are considering a tour should keep in mind that the tour will include plenty of walking, so it is important that you pack a pair of comfortable shoes and be prepared for a busy time out in nature.

Those who visit South Africa will usually want to visit at least one national park to see the country’s real pull; the wildlife. The Kruger National Park, in particular, is an attraction for many, but if your tour of South Africa is going to be confined to the Cape, you are likely to miss out on seeing this park. To make up for it, Kurt Safari can include a trip to one of the nearby nature reserves where you can see the Big 5.

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4 Day Garden Route Express Private Tour

Mountains, sea, and forest – this tour goes straight to the heart of the Garden Route, to spend time enjoying this beautiful stretch of South African coastline. This tour starts & ends in Cape Town, and can depart any day of the week.

Tours includes:

• Services of a professional tour guide/driver
• Private transport, as described in itinerary
• 3 nights’ accommodation
• Daily breakfast
• Many options for adventure, nature, and hiking activities in Mossel Bay, Wilderness, Knysna, and Plettenberg Bay
• Hiking in Tsitsikamma National Park or Robberg Nature Reserve
• Route 62 tour

Tour itinerary:

We depart Cape Town early, and make our way to the Garden Route. We enter the Garden Route at Mossel Bay, known as the landing site of the first European mariners to round the southern tip of Africa. There we can spend some time on the spectacular beaches, or hike the Cape St. Blaize trail along the cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean. Alternatively, we can go straight through to Wilderness, to check into our seaside accommodation for the evening.

Day 1 highlights

Today we explore the heart of the Garden Route, Knysna. This stretch of coast is known for its lovely scenery, including indigenous forest, a large warm-water estuary, and the Outeniqua Mountains.

Day 2 highlights

After breakfast, off to Tsitsikamma National Park. The day will be spent in the park, with its unique combination of indigenous forest and beautiful Indian Ocean coastline. The park has a wide choice of activities for all, including hiking, crossing a suspension bridge and swimming.  In the afternoon we travel back via the beautiful town of Plettenberg Bay.

Day 3 highlights

On our final touring day, we make our way back to Cape Town via the scenic route 62.  We travel over the Outeniqua Mountain Pass, and into the Klein Karoo at Oudtshoorn, known as the Ostrich capital of the world. Enjoy the small-town charm of the Klein Karoo, before finishing the tour in Cape Town in the early evening.  ( Guests could alternatively finish their tour in George, and book a one-way flight to Cape Town or Johannesburg .)

Day 4 highlights

Pricing for 4 day garden route tours (august 2023 – august 2024):, pricing for 4 day garden route tours (september 2024 – august 2025):, please read our 4 day garden route private tours terms and conditions ..

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7 Day Garden Route Tours

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7 Day Ultimate Garden Route & Addo Luxury Tour

From ZAR 25200

7 Day Ultimate Garden Route & Addo Comfort Adventure

From ZAR 21300

7 Day Ultimate Garden Route & Addo Budget Adventure

From ZAR 16900

The Ultimate 7 Day Garden Route and Wine Tour

Experience a piece of paradise.

The Garden Route in South Africa is a 300km stretch of coastline that is one of the most exquisite driving routes the world. It stretches between Heidelberg in the Western Cape and Storms River in the Eastern Cape. It is a route that always receives rave reviews from locals and global travellers alike. Many people explore the Garden Route again and again, as there is just so much to see, do and experience.

Spectacular Natural Beauty

This route of pure, natural beauty provides a spectacular tour experience with attractions all the way. There are ancient forests, majestic mountains, pristine beaches, wildlife safaris, wine farms, picturesque towns and pure adventure opportunities.

An Amazing Study in Contrasts

A journey along the Garden Route is a tapestry of different landscapes, and part of what makes it so exciting to do. You’ll experience everything from deeply lush forests, verdant farmlands and vividly coloured wildflowers, to semi-arid dessert. There are wild, untouched beaches as well as popular surfing mecca beaches. These incredible contrasts inspire many artists and writers who have chosen to live at different spots on the Garden Route, lending their unique and quirky vibe to each town you visit.

Even the towns show contrast – from sleepy and traditional, to towns steeped in rich history to trendy towns full of eclectic shops, restaurants and locals. All are uniquely charming and fascinating in their own way.

There is even contrast in the way you can choose to experience the Garden Route. You can soak it up in tranquillity and peace in the different natural surroundings. You can focus on the cultural treats of art, fine cuisine, wine and history. Or you can go for all-out adventure, of which there is every type imaginable. Where else can you go swimming, boating, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, surfing, bungying, cave climbing, abseiling, fishing, ziplining, sandboarding, horse riding and whale watching – all on the same route?

The wild inhabitants of the Garden Route are unsurpassed. There are opportunities to get up close and personal with whales, dolphins, elephant, cheetah, meerkat, lions, giraffe, zebra, ostrich and many other bird species.

Professional Guides and Private Travel

With so much on offer, you could easily take a month to explore this wonderland. Most of us don’t have that luxury, however. That shouldn’t stop you ‘though, because you can still enjoy the Garden Route experience over an unforgettable and enjoyable 7 days. If you some time off, or a special celebration coming up, then the best way to experience the Garden Route is with a 6 Night Garden Route and Wine Tour, guided by professionals who will ensure you have the most memorable Garden Route experience. The tours are small and private, conducted in luxury vehicles that can transport a maximum of 13 travellers.

Build Your Tour Based on Your Budget

MoAfrika’s 6 Night Day Garden Route and Wine Tour packages are unique, in that you can make your bookings based on your budget. Every night, you can choose your accommodation option, ranging from super-fun backpackers, to comfortable and charming guesthouses, to world-famous luxury hotels.

You get to experience the glorious attractions of the Garden Route for 7 days, at the rates that suit you. Looking for specials and deals? We’ve got you covered with a reservation at a clean, modern and cosmopolitan backpackers. If you want comfortable and homey, the gorgeous guesthouses will suit you. Need a bit of luxury and pampering in your life? Then the deluxe options will tick all the boxes. Many people think that the Garden Route might be out of reach because of cost, but it is time to take a look and think again. We have great holiday packages on offer, from budget to luxury,  contact us for our 2019/2020 prices. 

Easy Access

If you are a South African resident, it doesn’t matter whether you come from Cape Town, from Port Elizabeth, from Durban or from Gauteng, the Garden Route is a must-see and must-do holiday experience. It is perfect for solo travellers, couples, families, students and small groups. MoAfrika Tours 6 Night Garden Route and Wine Packages all start and end with a pick-up and drop off at your chosen destination in Cape Town. Locals can take a convenient domestic flight into Cape Town and get ready to enjoy a world-class experience. And why not add on some time in the Mother City too? We also offer transfers and bus tours from Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Port Elizabeth. Other citizens will love the experience so much, they will come again and again to enjoy even more of what the amazing country of South Africa has to offer.

Some of the highlights on your 6 Night Garden Route and Wine Tour itinerary:

In just 7 days you can take in the all the highlights of the Garden Route, on a tour that includes:

• Boplaas Tasting
• Route 62 Roadtrip
• Ostrich Farm Visit
• Cango Caves Heritage or Adventure Visit
• Wilderness Canoeing
• Visit a Kayamandi Local’s Home
• Simonsig Bubbly Tasting
• La Bri Wine & Chocolate or Biltong Pairing
• Explore Franschhoek
• Reach The Tip of Africa at Cape Agulhas
• Hermanus Cliff Paths Walk
• Meet the Betty’s Bay Penguins
• Wind Along Coastal Clarence Drive
• Knysna Heads Walk
• Tsitsikamma National Park Explore
• Addo Game Drive in Tour Van
• Chill Out at J’Bay
• Buffelsdrift 4×4 Safari 
• Buffelsdrift Elephant Bush Walk  
• Bungy + Zipline at Bloukrans Bridge (or )  Tsitsikamma Waterfall Zipline
• Sandboarding 
• Hermanus Whale Cruise  
• Hermanus Kayaking  
• Biltong and Wine Pairing  

Don’t delay and take advantage of the amazing 6 Night Garden Route and Wine Package option, for an experience that will delight and inspire.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hilites of a 7day garden route tour.

A 7-day Garden Route tour is a wonderful way to explore the natural beauty, wildlife, and adventure activities of this stunning region in South Africa. Here are some of the highlights you can expect on a typical 7-day Garden Route tour: Drive along the stunning coastal road of Clarence Drive, Visit to Stony Point penguin colony, Whale watching in Hermanus (seasonal), Scenic drive through the Overberg region, Wine tasting in the Robertson Wine Valley, Visit to the Cango Caves, Visit to an ostrich farm, Visit to the Cango Wildlife Ranch, Optional hot air balloon ride (additional cost), Drive through the Outeniqua Pass, Visit to the Wilderness National Park, Stop at Map of Africa viewpoint, Visit to Knysna Heads, Cruise on the Knysna Lagoon to the Featherbed Nature Reserve, Optional activities such as hiking or 4×4 drive on the reserve, Visit to the Tsitsikamma National Park, Optional activities such as zip-lining, bungee jumping, or canopy tours (additional cost), Visit to Storms River Mouth, Scenic drive along the Garden Route.

What is the average cost of a 7 day Garden Route tour?

The cost of a 7-day Garden Route tour can vary widely depending on the type of tour, level of accommodation, and the activities included. Typically, a 7-day Garden Route tour costs between $1,500 and $3,500 per person based on shared accommodation.

What are some recommended items to pack for a 7-day Garden Route tour?

Packing for a 7-day Garden Route tour can depend on the specific itinerary and time of year you’ll be visiting, but here are some recommended items to consider:

• Comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots
• Lightweight and breathable clothing for warm weather, including shorts, t-shirts, and sun hats
• A light jacket or sweater for cooler evenings or early mornings
• Swimsuit for beach or pool time
• Sunscreen, sunglasses, and insect repellent
• Camera or smartphone with extra batteries and memory cards
• Binoculars for wildlife viewing
• Water bottle and snacks for the road
• Personal toiletries, including any prescription medications
• Cash or credit card for souvenirs or extra activities

It’s also a good idea to check the weather forecast and review the specific activities included in your tour itinerary to make sure you pack appropriately.

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MoAfrika tours and the Kruger Safari Co. are destination management companies (DMC) and are not entities of the South African National Parks Board (SANparks).

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An Ultra-efficient Garden Route Itinerary for 5 Days

Streching for more than 300 kilometers (or 190 miles), South Africa’s Garden Route is perhaps the most popular road trip in the entire country. In some ways, the Garden Route is a condensed version of South Africa: it has forests, mountains, lagoons, grasslands, and deserts. This Garden Route itinerary is perfect for both the adventurous as well as the laid-back traveler, with plenty of activities to mix and match. And since there are so many things to do in the Garden Route in South Africa, you can let yourself be occupied from morning until night!

Personally, I loved South Africa’s Garden Route and could’ve spent twice the number of days here than I could. Especially if you love outdoors activities, you’ll be spoiled for choice with the fabulous national parks in this region.

Here are the highlights of my Garden Route trip, some tips on driving it yourself, extra activities I missed but wish I’d had time for, plus guided tours to the Garden Route from Cape Town in case you’re not renting a car.

Enjoy this beautiful slice of paradise ✨

Garden route accommodation

In general, you can stay in most towns along the Garden Route and not go terribly wrong. There are a lot of Garden Route itineraries that recommend a bunch of different locations, ranging from guesthouses to full-blown luxury lodges. These are the places I personally stayed at that ended up being excellent, both in terms of facilities and logistically, and won’t blow your budget.

• Hermanus – We loved our stay at The Nantucket . It’s a three-story guesthouse, and the owner will give you decades-worth of tips for the Garden Route. He even printed out a list of recommended stops for us! Great ocean views, our neighbors staying here saw whales from the balcony! Super clean and bright.
• Knysna – Another guesthouse, Cloud 9 has stunning views over the sea and the lagoon from its high vantage point. The cost per night is a steal, though access is along a weird dirt road Google doesn’t know about so be prepared.
• Port Elizabeth or Jeffreys Bay – We stayed at Brighton Lodge in Port Elizabeth, which ended up being very lucky as they gave us SUPER helpful tips for our trip to Addo Elephant Park, including where best to enter the park and which roads to avoid. Besides Port Elizabeth, you can also base yourself in Jeffrey’s Bay.

Garden Route Itinerary for 5 days

Day 1: cape town to hermanus.

• Day 2: Mossel Bay, Wilderness, Knysn

Day 3: Plettenberg Bay, Nature’s Valley, Tsitsikamma National Park, Port Elizabeth

Day 4: addo elephant park, day 5: return through klein karoo to cape town.

While not technically part of the Garden Route, Hermanus is a town that a lot of people (us included) build into their Garden Route itinerary. And why not? It’s on the way from Cape Town to Mossel Bay (the official start of the Garden Route), and is famous as the best land-based whale-watching capital of the world . From June to December every year, the Southern Right whale comes to the bay to give birth to its calves. That’s right – you can see baby whales!

Apart from seeing whales, you can also often see the Cape Fur Seal as well as dolphins.

Things to do in Hermanus

• Take a whale-watching boat tour – While Hermanus is famous for its excellent land-based whale-watching, you can get within 50m of these gentle giants by boat. Must-do if you are visiting during the whale season from June to December (there were still whales in the bay during our trip in early December).
• Hermanus Whale Festival – September is peak season, even if the whales can be seen for many more months. This three-day festival includes street food, activities for kids, live music, and whales obviously.
• Cliff Path – Another place you can watch whales from, this easy 10km coastal hike is a great way to spend time in Hermanus. You don’t need to stay long to enjoy the view and breathe in Hermanus’ famous “champagne air”.
• Go for oysters at locales’ favorite oyster joint – Recommended to us personally by our host in Hermanus, Lemon Butta has excellent seafood, especially oysters.

Day 2: Mossel Bay, Wilderness, Knysna

Mossel Bay marks the official start to the Garden Route, even though many people make sure to stop in Hermanus on the way here. Its name literally means “Mussel Bay”, like the mussels you might like to eat! If you’re trying to do this as a day trip, that probably means mussels for breakfast or lunch. Based on some reviews (and our trusty South Africa guidebook ), we ended up at Oyster Bar , which offered 3 oysters for under $10.

Things to do in Mossel Bay

• Eat oysters – You’ll notice this is a theme on the Garden Route! Oysters and other seafood are extremely popular here and you can find them ultra-fresh in Mossel Bay.
• Visit the Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex – Remember how we talked earlier about how sailors used to crash against the southern tip of Africa? You can visit a musem named for the explorer who was the first European to sail around it. It’s got ships inside.
• Diaz Beach – The biggest beach in Mossel Bay, with beautiful sand and has a restaurant and surf school nearby. You can go swimming here, just not too far because the area does have sharks.
• The Point – A popular surf point and beach, complete with both a small and a large tidal pool. Entry point to the St. Blaize hiking trail.
• St. Blaize Hiking Trail – A 15 kilometer long stretch of hiking trail along the coast of Mossel Bay.

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Knysna is famous for having both a beautiful coastline as well as an inland lagoon. Depending on your vantage point, you can actually see both sides of Knysna at the same time. Its unique geography also means it was famous as a dangerous place to sail (this seems like a theme, no?). The Knysna Heads has been called the single most dangerous ocean mouth in the entire world. Sounds like a place you want to hang out, eh?

Truth be told, Knysna is one of my top picks for places to visit on the Garden Route and you’ll soon see why!

Things to do in Knysna

• Eat oysters at the Knysna Oyster Festival – If you’re in Kynsna in June, you can eat oysters at the most famous place to eat oysters in the entire country! You can check the exact dates on the Kynsna website .
• Go for a boat ride – Just after telling you how dangerous it is to sail, I’m going to give you the idea to go for a boat ride! Often these are canceled owing to wind, but it doesn’t hurt to give it a try. You can do a Whale Watching Boat Tour in case you didn’t get a chance to see whales in Hermanus!
• Knysna Elephant Park – You’ve got a lot of chances to see elephants on this trip, and if you won’t make it to Addo Elephant Park (which, by the way, you SHOULD!) – you can also see elephant in Kynsna.
• See the Knysna Heads at the Eastern Viewpoint – One of the best spots to get a view over the lagoon in Kynsna!

This stretch is a very pretty drive, including stops in a national park and plenty of chances to see babboons! If you have more time, you can break this stretch up for this garden route itinerary into several days. We met people during our South Africa road trip that spent several days in Tsitsikamma National Park alone.

Plettenberg Bay

Also known as “Plett”, Plettenberg Bay is a city famous for its beaches. It’s a popular place especially for families who want to spend time together on the beach. You can come here and grab a drink overlooking the beach, or jump in the water. Keep reading for more information about things to do in Plettenberg Bay!

Things to do in Plettenberg Bay

• Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve – If you’re looking for somewhere to go on safari during your time on the Garden Route, my top recommendation is Addo Addo Elephant Park near Port Elizabeth. However, there are plenty of spots to do it before reaching the far end of the route, such as Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve .
• Go to Monkey Land – If you want to walk among the monkeys, this is the place to do it. This park has free-roaming monkeys you can interact with as you experience Monkey Land. Bring your camera but hold onto it tightly 😉
• Drive through Nature’s Valley – After Plettenberg Bay, you’ll have the option to veer off the N2 onto the R102. It’s a scenic drive and plenty of changes will arrive to see babboons crossing the street! Read more about Nature’s Valley in the next section.
• See the Bloukrans Bridge – Bloukrans Bridge is the highest bungie jumping point in the world. It’s set up in such a way that you need to zipline to the bungie jumping point, so it’s not for those who are afraid of heights! If you want to do it, definitely book your bungee jump slot in advance – when we went they were sold out for the day!

Nature’s Valley

Nature’s Valley is a small resort village along the Garden Route. Even if you don’t decide to stick around for long, you can drive through the area by taking a detour off of the N2 (The Garden Route) onto the R102. As you drive through be careful as babboons cross the road!

Tsitsikamma National Park

Tsitsikamma National Park is a marine reserve most famous for its suspension bridges you can walk to in about 15 minutes across wooden walkways. For the more adventurous and prone to outdoors activites, kayaking through the gorge or ziplining through the canopy of trees are two of the most popular things to do in Tsitsikamma.

Port Elizabeth

I honestly didn’t spend a lot of time in Port Elizabeth itself, and found the city relatively vanilla compared to most of the other places in the Garden Route. But it’s a great place to base yourself if you’ll he heading to Addo Elephant Park the following morning! We stayed at Brighton Lodge which was super easy to find, secure, and had a good location for driving to Addo the next day.

Addo Elephant Park

Addo Elephant Park is the third largest national park in South Africa after Kruger National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. It has more than 600 elephants, and is really special because it’s a place where you can see immense herds of elephants altogether. There are numerous watering holes (many man-made) which often attract elephants in large numbers.

When we were there we also saw zebra, buffalo, hartebeest, and a number of other animals. There are even plans to expand the park to include a marine area, making it the only park in South Africa to be home to the “Big 7” (elephant, rhinoceros, lion, buffalo, leopard, whale and great white shark).

Addo Elephant Park was one of the highlights of our South Africa trip! Keep reading for my top tips for visiting.

Tips for visiting Addo Elephant Park

Here are a couple of practical tips for your trip to Addo.

• Enter through the north entrance. Addo is an enormous park, you won’t have time to loop around. If you enter through the North, you can exit through the South and head back to wherever you’re staying.
• Roll down your window and talk to other self-drivers. Drive slowly and if you see other drivers and have a tip for them, or want to ask them something, don’t hold back!
• Go on a guided tour. Addo is an awesome place to experience budget safari in South Africa , because you can do both a self-drive safari (where you drive your own car around the park) and you can join a group guided safari (which will educate you and show you more of the smaller animals too!).
• Get plenty of gas in advance. There is gas available close to the entrance, but you’ll want to make sure you don’t run the risk of running out because obviously there is just anywhere to get gas inside.
• Bring water and snacks. You’re going to be in an air-conditioned car, but you’ll turn it off and wait at certain viewings and it can get toasty! Plus you’ll want to spend at least a few hours driving yourself around. Be prepared!
• Bring your binoculars! If you haven’t used them for real, binoculars are AWESOME when you’re on safari. It’s even better than looking through a zoom lens. We bought these binoculars by Olympus and they were so great everyone else on our later safari asked to brorow them!

If you’re flying back out of Cape Town, go ahead and loop back through the Klein Karoo. If you’re flying out of Port Elizabeth to go elsewhere in the country, like Johannesburg or Kruger National Park, you can do the Klein Karoo in between Hermanus and the other parts of the trip. In any case, this is a special area with open landscapes and rolling hills of farmlands.

Klein Karoo

Klein Karoo means “Small Karoo”, and it’s a desert region that stretches above the coastal region of the Garden Route. The most famous road through this area is called Route 62, considered one of the best roadtrips in South Africa as a whole.

Things to do in Klein Karoo

• Drive the famous Route 62 – Along this route you’ll find a number of towns serving up great wine or hosting ostriches!
• Go to an ostrich farm – One of my regrets in my South Africa trip that I didn’t get to visit an ostrich farm! Just please do not ride the ostriches , it puts the birds under stress.
• Follow the Klein Karoo wine route – Officially, the Klein Karoo wine route goes through Montagu, Barrydale, Ladismith, Calitzdorp, Oudtshoorn, De Rust, and Herold. Check out this website on the Klein Karoo wine route for suggested itinereries.
• Stop in Calitzdorp for a glass of Port – Our host in Hermanus explicitly recommended stopping at De Krans , though there are a number of different options in the area for port wine.
• Hike through the Swartberg Pass – There’s literally a valley in this area called Hell ! If you want to see a side of South Africa most people miss, you can do a guided hike through Swartberg Nature Reserve .
• Go on safari – If you only have a day away from Cape Town, you can still go on a big 5 safari in the Klein Karoo, the Big 5 being lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards, and rhinos. Naturally, on safari, it’s not possible to ensure what you see, but the Klein Karoo is the only area near Cape Town that has all of the big five!

Safari in Klein Karoo

There are two main reserves in the Klein Karoo, both of which are home to the Big 5. If you drive yourself on this day trip from Cape Town you can save a lot of money on the transfer (which takes about two hours).

• Aquila Private Game Reserve (does not include transfer) – As you might know, sunset is one of the best times to see animals on safari. If you can, booking either a sunrise or a sunset safari a great idea, because that’s when the animals are most active.
• Inverdoorn Game Reserve (includes transfer) – You can go on a day trip to this game reserve, including a 3-hour game drive. Unlike many public drives, you only share the open-top jeep with up to 8 other people. Inverdoorn is unique because of its cheetah rehabilitation program!

Reach the Garden Route from Cape Town

While it’s possible to reach the start of the Garden Route from Cape Town on a day trip, your best option is to spend several days on the Garden Route. Personally, we loved driving ourselves down the Garden Route because it gave us a ton of flexibility. That said, driving in South Africa can be a little scary sometimes, and not just because of driving on the left. Roads aren’t always in the best condition and there is a lot of speeding. That said, we obviously survived 😉

As for guided tours, after a lot of research, I think the 5-day Garden Route + Addo Tour is the best value . You’ll have a better chance to see rare animals the more often you go on safari, and this tour gives you three safari opportunities. While it doesn’t visit Hermanus, you can easily do that as one of your day trips from Cape Town if you’re visiting in the whale-watching season from June to December.

Here are the pros and cons of the top two highest-rated Garden Route tours for different durations. Both of them have 4.9 out of 5 ratings or higher based on customer reviews.

Highlights not to miss: Addo Elephant Park (famous for having huge herds of elephants), Hermanus (best land-based whale-watching the world, June-Dec), Tsitsikamma National Park (kayaking and suspension bridge), Knysna (just plain beautiful).

How long does it take to drive the Garden Route?

The Garden Route itself (from Mossel Bay to Port Elizabeth) from a pure driving standpoint could be done in one day, but when you include stops, the main route requires at least 3 or 4 days to see it properly. That said, many people spend an entire week on the Garden Route and still do not see it all!

This Garden Route itinerary spends 3 days on the official route, plus one day in Hermanus and one day driving back to Cape Town through the Klein Karoo for a total of five days . If I were to do it again, I would spend more time in the Tsitsikamma National Park and more time in the Klein Karoo!

Best time to drive the Garden Route

We drove the Garden Route in early December, and it was warm enough to wear shorts and a t-shirt basically everywhere. It’s also really important, even in early Summer before peak season starts, to wear bug spray and sunscreen anytime you go outdoors. The peak season in South Africa is mostly the end of December through February, so be aware of that when booking accommodation!

Have you ever been to South Africa? Where’s the best place you’d like to visit in the Garden Route? Let me know in the comments if you have any extra tips for me!

About the author

Hi there! I'm Monica, an American expat living in Germany for over six years and using every opportunity to explore the world from my homebase in Berlin. My goal is to capture my memories in photos and posts that show how easy it is to start from scratch and travel the world by working abroad.

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The Ultimate Garden Route Itinerary (with map) (2023)

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Stretching from Storms River Mouth in the Eastern Cape to Mossel Bay in the Western Cape the Garden Route is one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the world and, having driven the Garden Route from Cape Town and Port Elizabeth on numerous South Africa trips, we’ve put together our recommended Garden Route itinerary. This is our guide to the Garden Route and includes things to do, where to stay and where to stop along the way. It’s the route we used when we visit South Africa and is the perfect guide for planning your Garden Route Itinerary.

Table of Contents

The Ultimate Garden Route Itinerary

We’ve listed our itinerary in a loop coming from and returning to the Cape Town/Western Cape. Reverse the order if you are starting the journey coming from Port Elizabeth or the east of South Africa !

How long for the Garden Route

Having driven the Garden route a number of times we recommend 2 weeks for exploring the Garden Route. We find 2 weeks to be the perfect length of time as you can explore everything the Garden Route has to offer at a leisurely pace, with short drives between each destination.

Best Stops on the Garden Route

The Garden Route begins at Storms River Mouth and the nearby Bloukrans Bridge is the perfect spot to brave one of the world’s highest bungy jumps! Plettenberg Bay, a beautiful coastal town on the Indian Ocean is the next stop followed by Knysna, famous for its sea cliffs, the Knysna Heads. The Map of Africa in Wilderness is the perfect short detour of the Garden Route followed by Mossel Bay where the Garden Route comes to an end.

Extending the Garden Route Itinerary

Most visitors join the Garden Route either from Cape Town or Port Elizabeth and there are some fantastic stops at either end to extend your Garden Route itinerary including safari, Route 62 and the Cape Winelands.

Renting a Car

Renting a car in South Africa is the best way to explore the country and the Garden Route, plus driving is relatively easy in the country. Having your own car gives you the flexibility to travel at your own pace a see place that are simply not possible on group tours or public transport.

We’re huge fans of road trips and have driven rental cars in almost 50 countries so we have a lot of experience renting cars in foreign countries. Book your car now with RentalCars.com , where you will find great rental car prices

Book your rental car for South Africa now

Garden Route Itinerary Route Map

Our recommended route for the Garden Route is as follow:

Cape Town (1) – Hermanus (2)/Gansbaai (3) – Cape Aghulas (4) and Mossel Bay – Wilderness (5) – Knysa (6) – Plettenberg Bay(7) – Storms River (8) – Addo Elephant Park  (9) – Amakhala Game Reserve (10) – Oudtshoorn (11) – Stellenbosch/Franschhoek (12) – Cape Town (1)

Click here for the Google Maps version of the route

Day 1 and 2: Hermanus/Gansbaai

Hermanus and Gansbaai are stunning stopovers en route from Cape Town to the Garden Route and their natural beauty is mesmerising. The rugged coastline is as spectacular as the sea life in its waters: whales, seals, penguins and sharks are abundant in the area and it’s known as the Great White Shark capital of the World.

Things to do: in Hermanus and Gansbaai

• Whale watching is a must do in Hermanus
• Gansbaai is one of the most popular spots for cage shark diving if you so desire!

Drive time: 90 mins Cape Town to Hermanus, 30 minutes from Hermanus to Gansbaai

Where to stay in Hermanus and Gansbaai

• Misty Waves Boutique Hotel – beautiful boutique hotel where it’s often possible to spot whales from the balcony! – check prices now!
• Bellavista Country Place – If you’re visiting the Garden Route you have to stay in this  – incredible –  check prices now!
• Bellamente Serene – A stunning hotel located right on the beach in Gansbaai –  check prices now!

  Click here for Hermanus Hotel prices

Day 2: Cape Aghulas (optional) and Mossel Bay

Cape Agulhas requires an optional detour down to the coast between Hermanus and Mossel Bay before driving to Mossel Bay to spend the night and explore the town the following morning.

Cape Aghulas

Cape Aghulas is the most Southern point in the African continent (it’s often touted as the Cape of Good Hope but it is the most South Westerly point in Africa) and marks the dividing point of the Indian and Atlantic Ocean. The rugged wilderness, the crashing waves where two oceans meet and the stunning African sunset took our breaths away – after all it’s not every day you stand at the most Southern tip of Africa!

The seaside town of Mossel Bay is a step back in time and our highlight was the Post Office Tree. The story goes that in 1501 a Portuguese sailor sought refuge in Mossel Bay during a storm and he left a written account, with an address, in an old boot. The report was found by the person it was addressed to and the tree then served as a post office – it’s still possible to post letters at the old tree today!

Drive time: 90 minutes from Gansbaai to Cape Aghulas and 3 hours from Cape Aghulas to Mossel Bay. Driving directly from Gansbaai to Mossel Bay will reduce the journey time to just over 3 hours.

Where to stay in Mossel Bay

• Bar-t-nique Guest House : panoramic views of the harbor and Outeniqua mountains with nice home made breakfast – check prices here!
• African Oceans Manor on the Beach – great guest house, rooms have beautiful views of the Indian Ocean – check prices here!

  Click here for  Mossel Bay hotel prices

Day 3: Wilderness

The coastal town of Wilderness is home to two of our favourite sights on The Garden Route, the Map of Africa and Kaaimans River Bridge. The sleepy little village of Sedgefield, close to Wilderness, draws visitors to its lagoon.

The Map of Africa is a viewpoint where the flow of the river has formed a piece of land shaped exactly like a map of the African continent. It has a spectacular view overlooking the Kaaimans River Basin and is as intriguing as it is beautiful. The mix of mountain, forest and river is a beautiful sight!

Close to the Map of Africa sits the Kaaimans River Bridge in Wilderness. The curved bridge passes over the amber coloured water at the mouth of an estuary and is a beautifully photogenic stop on the Garden Route. A steam train operated on the line until 2009 but the railway bridge is iconic even in its absence.

The sleepy little village of Sedgefield, about 20 minutes from Wilderness, is surrounded by lakes, vegetated sand dunes, an Estuary and the beautiful Indian Ocean. Its lagoon is popular for fishing, swimming, canoeing, bird watching and riverside walks and the Saturday morning Wild Oats farmers market is unmissable.

Drive time: 45 minutes from Mossel Bay to Wilderness, 20 minutes from Wilderness to Sedgefield

Where to stay in Wilderness

• Oceans Wilderness: a beautiful beachfront guesthouse with an amazing design, great breakfast and magnificent views, our favourite! – check prices here!
• Lodge on the Lake: amazing lakeside views, great rooms and an infinity pool – check prices here!

Click here for Wilderness hotel prices

Day 4 and 5: Knysna

Famous for its oysters Knysna, a waterfront town along the Garden Route, is home to the Knysna Heads and is a beautiful spot to relax for a few days on the Garden Route. The Knysna Heads are two imposing sea cliffs which protect the entrance to the Knysna lagoon from the unrelenting Indian Ocean. The boat journey to view the heads often results in a sea drenching but it’s spectacular to watch the sea thrash through the narrow gap amid the stunning scenery.

Things to do in Knysna:

• Take a boat trip on the lagoon and check out the Kynsa Heads
• Take the ferry to the Featherbed Nature Reserve with spectacular viewpoints and a nice hike

Drive time:  40 minutes from Wilderness to Knysna

Where to stay in Knysna

• Villa Afrikana Guest Suites:  Offering panoramic views across the bay this is one of the best options for staying in Knysna and close to the restaurants –  check prices now!
• Augusta Bay Guest House:  Beautiful guest hotels with views over Knysna Bay –  check prices now!

Click here for Knysna Hotel prices

Day 6 and 7: Plettenberg Bay

Plettenberg Bay, or Plett Bay as the locals refer to it, is a South Africa hidden gem overlooking the Indian Ocean and the perfect base for a few nights along the Garden Route.

The architecturally stunning Bloukrans Bridge is close to Plettenberg Bay and, at over 200 metres, is the highest in Africa and arches dramatically over the gorge below. As well as being visually stunning, it is also home to one of the highest bungy jumps in the world. Dave immediately signed up, leaped off that bridge like a pro and had the time of his life so if you’re feeling brave … bungy jump!!

Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary and the Birds of Eden free flight bird sanctuary are both great places to visit while in Plett Bay.

Drive time:  30 minutes between Knysa and Plettenberg Bay

Where to stay in Plettenberg Bay

• Singing Kettle Beach Lodge: We stayed at this gorgeous beach lodge and toasted the beautiful sunset from our balcony – check prices now!
• The Plettenberg Hotel: 5 star luxury on the Garden Route with infinity pools and ocean views – check prices now!

  Click here for Plettenberg Bay hotel prices

Day 8: Storms River

Storms River Mouth is the dramatic starting point of the Garden Route where the Storms River enters the Indian Ocean. Tucked away off the main road in the Tsitsikamma National Park sits this breathtaking stretch of coastline where the Indian Ocean relentlessly pounds the headland. There are some amazing hikes up through the gorge and a stunning rope bridge for the adventurous types!

Drive time: 45 minutes from Plettenberg Bay to Storms River

Where to stay in Storms River

• The Fernery Lodge & Chalets – located at the base of the Tsitsikamma Mountains, The Fernery boasts amazing views over the Sandrift River gorge –  check prices now!
• Misty Mountain Lodge and chalets – surrounded by ocean, forest and mountains this property is a real treat on the Garden Route –   check prices now!

Click here for Storms River hotel prices

Safari (Optional)

Safari is always a good idea in South Africa! Kruger and Sabi Sands are our safari favourites but they’re a long drive or a flight away. If you want to squeeze in some safari while exploring the Garden Route we’d recommend making extra stops at the Addo Elephant Park and the Amakhala Game Reserve.

Day 9: Addo Elephant Park

Addo Elephant Park, just outside Port Elizabeth, is home to one of the densest elephant populations on earth as well as rhino, lion, buffalo and leopard. With 450 elephants the elephant encounters can be truly magical – we will never forget the moment a family of elephants walked alongside our car in the setting sun.

Drive Time: 3 hours from Plettenberg Bay to Addo Elephant Park

Where to stay in Addo Elephant Park

• Gorah Elephant Camp – You can stay right in the park with the elephants at Gorah elephant camp –  check prices now!
• River Bend Lodge – another option for staying in Addo park itself! –  check prices now!

Day 10 and 11: Amakhala Game Reserve

A malaria-free safari option, just outside Port Elizabeth, the Amakhala Game Reserve is home to the safari big 5 of lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino as well as cheetah, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and plenty of antelope species.

Where to stay in Amakhala Game Reserve

• HillsNek Safari – on the banks of Bushman’s River the luxurious tented chalets have panoramic views of the plains – check prices now!
• Woodbury Tented Camp: in the heart of Amakhala, the accommodation comprises en suite canvas tents with views of the valley – check prices now!

Book your safari stay now

Returning to Cape Town

Many visitors return to Cape Town via Route 62 after exploring the Garden Route. Here are some extra stops to add some variety to the drive back.

Day 12 and 13: Oudtshoorn

Known as the ostrich capital of the world, Oudtshoorn is home to Ostrich Farms, the spectacular underground Cango Caves and the Swartberg Mountains which are part of the Cape Floral UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s also home to the Meerkat Adventures, a dawn tour to hopefully see some adorable meerkats waking up to a new day.

Be sure to stop at Ronnie’s Sex Shop in Barrydale en route to the Cape Winelands. Despite the name it is actually a famous dive bar with graffiti plastered walls on Route 62 and a fun stop for a cold beer and a stretch of the legs.

Drive Time: 4 hours 30 minutes from Amakhala Game Reserve to Oudtshoorn

Where to stay in Oudtshoorn

• Hlangana Lodge: a small lodge in a beautiful setting with great breakfast – check prices now!
• Earthbound B&B: quiet, well equipped and spacious guest rooms at an excellent price – check prices now!

Click here for Oudtshoorn hotel prices

Day 12 and 13: Cape Winelands – Stellenbosch and Francschhoek

The Cape Winelands are a collection of historic towns famous for their wine production and are the perfect stopover on the way back to Cape Town.  Wine tasting, delicious food, incredible landscapes and beautiful architecture are synonymous with the region.

Stellenbosh and Franschhoek are its two most popular stopovers and the heart of its wine industry. Stellenbosh, South Africa’s second oldest town, is a charming university town and Franschhoek a charming village filled with galleries, restaurants and wine shops. Hop on the wine trams to explore the vineyards and indulge in some wine tasting and admire the whitewashed Cape Dutch architecture prominent in the region.

Drive time:  4 hours 15 minutes from Oudtshoorn to Franschhoek and 4 hours 30 minutes from Oudtshoorn to Stellenbosh

Where to stay in Cape Winelands

• Asara Wine Estate, Stellenbosch: Beautiful location in the rolling hills of Stellenbosch, lovely rooms and good value for money with wine tasting on site – check prices now!
• The Corner House, Francschhoek: amazing value with excellent rooms and a great location – check prices now!
• La Residence, Franschhoek: set in a private estate, La Residence is the ultimate in luxury . Luxurious rooms and peacock’s roaming around the grounds, this is one for the bucketlist – check prices now!

Click here for Cape Winelands hotels

24 thoughts on “The Ultimate Garden Route Itinerary (with map) (2023)”

Hello, Fabulous itinary! Could you give a rough idea of budget please? Thx in advance

Hi Geraldine, I’m not sure how much we spent in total but, depending on the hotels you pick, food, drinks, gas etc are quite cheap so it was quite reasonably priced overall. We’re Europe based so have a strong exchange rate on our side at the moment!

We are planning a 4-day tour of the Garden Route in September and we are coming from the US. We are not sure if we should go with a tour company or rent a car and do it on our own. I think if we rented a car we would miss the cultural and historic info about the region. Would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks.

Hi Charmaine

We really enjoy the independence of having our own transport – we picked up some Cape Town and Garden Route guide books to give us the context and history which helped! It’s an awesome trip, hope you enjoy!

loved reading your itinary and we are going to base our own route loosely around yours as we have been to Cape own twice before and stayed in De Kelders and Pearly Beach we have been to Cape Aghulas we have bits we can change but your whole concept is one of the best I have seen

In reply to Geraldine once you are in South Africa everything is so cheap, Food, drinks, car hire, fuel and of course accommodation whale watching is a must a sight so worth seeing

In reply to Charmaine what Elaine has said the flexability of your own transport really cant be faulted being able to come and go as you please is so much better

Hi Kaz, so glad you found the itinerary useful. I hope you have an awesome trip, I can’t wait to return!

Good work guys. I am thrilled for my upcoming trip. Thanks very much

i love layout of your itinerary, im planning on using it for my upcoming trip in December with my family( spouse and 3 kids). we are planning a 15day trip and i was wondering if you can give to some advise on where we should stop and spend the night. For example are the places we should spend stay 3 nights in a lodge /resort and use that as a mini base to visit a couple of the stops at a time… it will be difficult sleep in a new hotel every night with kids…

any suggestions will be welcomed.

thanks alot.

delighted to hear you like the itinerary. You could base yourselves in Knysna and explore the Garden route from there for a few days. From here you could visit Mossel Bay, George, Oudtshoorn, Plettenberg Bay and Kysna itself. Knysna was one of our favourite stops on the route. Check out family friendly hotels here

Are 4 days enough for Garden Route?

We are planning to do the Garden Route from Cape Town. If we rent a car, are we able to return the car at George airport or should we drive back to Cape Town? Is driving your own car doable if coming from the States?

Any info will be useful.

4 days would allow you to do some of the Garden route and with that time we’d recommend returning the car the George airport. This will give you the most time on the route. With 4 days you could aim to see Mossel Bay, Kysna and Plettenberg Bay. The initial drive from Cape Town will take one day, with the rest for sightseeing. Driving a rental car in South Africa is very straight forward. We’ve driven in over 40 countries and the Garden Route in South Africa relatively easy. Check out our post here for tips on driving in South Africa

Hi, Really enjoying your blog we have found it really informative. We have 14 days booked in South Africa in April 2019. We have four nights in Cape Town which we are basing our itinerary on yours.We then have three nights in the wine region staying near Stellenbosch.

We have 3 days to plan before staying for the remainder of our holiday at Pettenberg Bay for the remainder of our holiday.

Of all the places that you have visited where would you recommend that we visit and stay for the days between Stellenbosch and Plettenberg. We have a rental car and fly home from Port Elizabeth.

Great to hear you are enjoying the content. Cape Town and Stellenbosch are fab, I hope you enjoy! I’d probably stop in Mossel Bay or George for 1 night to split the drive and see some of the sights. Then I’d follow up with two nights in Knysna. Safari would be another great option – you could spend two nights in somewhere like this Gondwana lodge on the way to the Garden Route and then spend one night in Knysna.

Hope that helps, have a great trip! Elaine

Hi, thanks for the great itinerary. We are planning a trip from PE to CT over 4 nights. Not as much time as we would like but that’s life! Just wondering if you’d recommend 1 night in Plettenberg Bay AND 1 night in Knysna or just 2 nights in Knysner, given they are so close? Both towns look great. Also, if we plan our last night to be in Hermanus, which town between Knysna and Hermanus you recommend for our 3rd night? Something like Wilderness or Mossel Bay?

Thanks very much

Hi Adam, glad the itinerary is useful! I’d spend two nights in either Knysna or Mossel Bay (to avoid having to pack up and move!). My personal preference is Plett Bay as it’s really nice and laid back but you’ll probably spend a whole day in Knysna so I’d actually stay there – you’ll have more choice of restaurants etc as it’s much bigger. Knysa is beautiful and has a really nice vibe for tourists. We’ve stayed in Swellendam to split the journey before (but definitely stop by Wilderness for the map of Africa en route!). We stayed in Arumvale Country House . Mossel Bay would also be fine but you still have a longish drive to Hermanus after.

Hope that helps Elaine

We are two ladies in our late 50’s planning on hiring a car to go from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth in June. We have heard lots of horror stories about hiring a car in South Africa and are a bit concerned. What is your opinion on our safety should we hire a car? Thanks

We found it quite safe, you can read our driving tips here . Avoid driving after dark for sure and don’t park anywhere remote. Don’t leave anything in your car. The tourist sites are usually busy in Cape Town and along the Garden Route.

Great blog, very helpful!

What time of year did you go? I am planning on going in mid July and I’m not sure if it will rain everyday.

Our trips have all been Christmas time or March, I’m not sure on July

Hi, everything here is really useful. We are trying to put together an itinerary.

Leaving Cape town With Stop at Oudtshoorn,then Plettenberg Bay and onto a safari,before returning to Cape Town. We had thought about then stopping at Knysna.

Are Plettenberg Bay and Knysna to close together and can you suggest another stop off point

They’re about 30 minutes drive – we’ve stopped in both on previous trips as they’re both lovely. From Plet Bay you can visit Storms River, Bloukran’s Bridge etc and the leave the Knsyna sights until you return. We stayed in a Protea in George before – it’s a little closer to Cape Town if you want to shorten the drive.

hi thanks so much for this information. We will be in Cape Town for three days in January, before an overland tour from Victoria Falls back to Cape Town. Then we have 12 days to do the garden route, probably self drive. Thanks for the ideas

So glad it was useful! Victoria Falls is one of the most magical places we’ve visited, I do hope you enjoy!

12 days is plenty of time for the Garden Route, you could maybe look into a safari or another few days in Cape Town depending on which you prefer.

Enjoy! Elaine

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• Wine tasting

3 Stellenbosch to Hermanus Cycle Tour

The service level of this tour was good in most aspects, and I especially enjoyed the input of and interaction with members of the guides team. Same with the route choice and the quality of food and accommodation. The one thing that Tourradar fell seriously short in was the choice of e-bikes. Although I had in advance indicated my length (1.95m) in the application, I was given a standard-size bike, and when complaining about the height of the handlebar I was told that there was no alternative. This seriously reduced the level of comfort when biking.

Garden Route Uncovered

Cape Town & the Garden Route

Reviews of small group tours to garden route.

With Gareth we had a great, well organized short week, too short but ful of information, entertainment, fun.

An excellent tour which we couldn’t fault. Our guide, Rochelle, was superb. She was knowledgeable, always helpful and cheerful. We did everything we wanted to do and more. Highly recommended.

We cannot speak more highly about Cape Xtreme!! we had a wonderful time on our 11 day tour of Cape Town and Safari. Tariq was our very experienced guide in Cape Town, and he did an excellent job, give this man a raise! He was always punctual, knowledgeable and fun! He definitely was a highlight of our trip to SA. The tour itself is action packed, with early mornings and non stop activities, but this definitely a good thing when travellers want to see as much as they can in a short period of time. We would 100% book again with Cape Xtreme and would recommend to any of our friends back home.

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Gems of Africa Safari and Tours

4-Day Garden Route Tour near Cape Town with Big 5 Safari

4.9 /5 – 98 Reviews

$632 pp (USD) This tour is offered in ZAR. Show rate in ZAR

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The Garden Route is a little piece of heaven tucked away on the East Coast of South Africa. Our 4-day tour incorporates the highlights of the area along with the splendid scenery. This is perfect for those who don't have much time but would like to experience the famous Garden Route in the Cape along with many of its activities.

Tour Features

Mid-range tour.

This mid-range tour uses lodges and guest houses.

Shared tour

On this shared tour, you will join a group of other travelers. Max 12 people per vehicle.

Scheduled departures

This tour starts on fixed start dates only.

Can be customized

You can request minor changes to the accommodations and destinations of this tour.

Suitable for single travelers

Single travelers can join this group tour.

Suitable for all ages

This tour is suitable for children of all ages.

Start Dates

• 03 May 2024
• 10 May 2024
• 17 May 2024
• 24 May 2024
• 31 May 2024
• 07 Jun 2024
• 14 Jun 2024
• 21 Jun 2024
• 28 Jun 2024
• 05 Jul 2024
• 12 Jul 2024
• 19 Jul 2024

Activities & Transportation

Accommodation & meals.

• Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour can be arranged for an extra cost
• Day Accommodation Meals

• 4 End of tour (No accommodation) – Breakfast Included Breakfast Included

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• We advise requesting quotes from 3 operators ( Learn why )
• Requests are sent directly to the tour operator
• If preferred, you can contact the tour operator directly

Best price guarantee

• This tour is offered by Gems of Africa Safari and Tours , not SafariBookings.
• This operator reserves the right to change rates advertised on SafariBookings.
• If you request changes to this tour, the advertised rates will likely change.
• The exact order, contents and rates of this tour are subject to availability.
• If an accommodation is fully booked, the operator will suggest a comparable alternative.
• This tour is subject to the terms & conditions of Gems of Africa Safari and Tours.

$632 pp (USD)

• This tour is offered in ZAR. Show rate in ZAR

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Customer Reviews

Our group of friends embarked on an unforgettable Safari experience thanks to the exceptional service provided by Gems of Africa Safari & Tours. From the initial booking to accommodating our last-minute changes, they went above and beyond...

Full Review

Focused Travels

Our 10 Day Garden Route Itinerary

There is often disagreement between people about where exactly the Garden Route in South Africa starts – some say it starts in Mosselbay, others believe it only begins in George. Similarly, people can also not agree on whether the Garden Route ends with the Stormsriver Village (still in the Western Cape) or with Port Elizabeth (in the Eastern Cape). To let you know what the Garden Route covers, we decided to share our 10-day Garden Route itinerary.

The Garden Route is not very long (450 kilometres – about 4,5 hours of driving) and can easily be driven in a day. BUT doing that would mean missing out on all the exciting things to see and do on the Garden Route. Not leaving anything to chance, we did the “full” Garden Route, all the way from Mosselbay to Port Elizabeth. Our road trip spanned 14 days with ten days spent exploring the Garden Route.

Our Garden Route itinerary

Here is our Garden Route itinerary and a short description of each place we visited.

Day 1: Mosselbay

Mossel Bay is one of the seaside cities in the world with the most moderate climate. We spend only one day in Mosselbay as there were not that many sights around. Also, it is one of the most popular towns in the Garden Route during South African school holidays,  meaning that accommodation can become scarce and pricey! There are a few things to do in Mosselbay apart from spending time on the beach. The Dias Museum is in Mosselbay, and there is also the Cape St Blaize lighthouse to see. Another highlight in Mosselbay is the many restaurants selling authentic South African food.

Day 2 – 3: George, Wilderness & Buffelsbay

Driving from Mosselbay past George , you arrive at Wilderness. George has several excellent attractions, such as museums and old churches, but Wilderness is easily one of the most beautiful places in the Garden Route. It is small, but there are plenty to see in and around Wilderness. The Dolphin Point Lookout is just outside Wilderness, and Buffels Bay beach is a 15-minute drive from there. The Map of Africa is in the mountains near Wilderness . For its size, it is a relatively expensive place. The beaches are lovely, but apparently not ideal for swimming because of the strong currents.

Day 4 – 5:  Knysna, Brenton on Sea

From Wilderness, you drive past Sedgefield (South Africa) before passing Brenton-on-Sea and eventually arriving in Knysna . Knysna is in the heart of the Garden Route. An expensive place, very popular with foreign tourists. Knysna annually hosts the Oyster Festival in the winter, which is attended by thousands of people. There is also a marathon held at the same time as the Oyster Festival. Knysna is an essential part of any trip to the Garden Route and as such should be one everyone’s Garden Route itinerary.

Day 6 – 7:  Plettenberg Bay, Nature’s Valley

From Knysna, it is about an hour’s drive to Plettenberg Bay , another city that is very popular, but to a different crowd. Every year in December, after finishing their final exams, the grade 12 students go to Plettenberg Bay for their first adult trip without their parents. Plettenberg Bay has a very central location with lots of activities and sights in the surrounding areas. It is another of the more expensive places in the Garden Route as it is very popular with foreigners, so we stayed near Nature’s Valley which is more isolated and much smaller. There are lots of excellent restaurants in Plettenberg Bay, and the beaches are fabulous too!

Day 8: Stormsriver mouth and Village

The Stormsriver Village is a tiny town in the Garden Route. Just before getting to the village, you can see the Stormsrivier , which to me was the most beautiful scenery of the entire Garden Route.

I felt like the Stormsriver Village should be the end of the Garden Route as it was the last town on the Garden Route that is located in the Western Cape. Near to Stormsriver Village, you enter the Eastern Cape and the landscape changes completely.

Day 9-10: St Francis Bay, Port St Francis, Jeffrey’s Bay & Port Elizabeth

We passed several towns on our way to Port St Francis, Saint Francis Bay and Jeffreys Bay . Although slightly off of the main route, we had heard that these towns were gorgeous, unique and had lots of shells on the beach.

After spending some time in Jeffrey’s Bay, we eventually made our way to Port Elizabeth . Port Elizabeth is the capitol city of the Eastern Cape Province. South Africans call it the windy city, the friendly city or PE. Plenty of lovely beaches, nice restaurants on the beach and much more affordable accommodation compared to the other towns and cities in the Garden Route. There are several museums and other sights to explore. Despite the wind, it has a lovely mild climate most of the time (in summer).

There you have it – our Garden Route itinerary. Overall, I was satisfied with the time we spent at each location. If I had to make any changes, I would probably add more time for Plettenberg Bay and Port Elizabeth. However, my favourite places were the quiet and small towns of Nature’s Valley and Stormsriver Village.

Have you ever been to the Garden Route? What was your favourite place to visit there?

2 thoughts on “Our 10 Day Garden Route Itinerary”

Reading this part ” Day 9-10: St Francis Bay, Port St Francis, Jeffrey’s Bay & Port Elizabeth ” is my favorite! thanks for sharing!! great article! cheers!

Those are the places with the best beaches!

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