Overview

The 6-day scheduled group Garden Route Tour from Cape Town is a safe and affordable way to explore the Western Cape, Little Karoo, Whale Route, Addo Elephant National Park and Route 62. Tour the Garden Route while experiencing a good mix of nature, culture and adventure. This trip will give you a taste of some of the best things the spectacular Garden Route has to offer.

• This tour starts & ends in Cape Town and departs every Monday.
• Minimum of 4 persons required to confirm departure.
• Tour is suitable for adults over the age of 18. Teens between the ages of 14-18 may join the tour if accompanied by an adult. Please ask about private tours for children aged 13 and under.

*Please note that this Garden Route tour can operate in two different orders. The routes are called the Overberg Route and the Klein Karoo Route.  Both routes include the exact same destinations and attractions, but are conducted in a different order to avoid overbooking the accommodation establishments. For this sample tour we use the Overberg Route.

Itinerary

Day 1 – Monday, Cape Town – Hermanus – Cape Agulhas

We depart from Cape Town early on Monday morning for Hermanus. (Shark cage diving clients will be picked up very early in the morning by the diving operator, and will miss the first half of Day 1 which includes the visit to the African Penguin Colony and Hermanus). We follow the scenic coastal road and stop at Betties Bay to view a colony of endangered African penguins. You can spend the afternoon in the seaside resort town of Hermanus, famous for hundreds of Southern Right Whales during the whale season (July to November) and many shops, restaurants and markets. In the afternoon we will drive on to Cape Agulhas, the most southern tip of Africa, where we visit a viewpoint known as the “real” place where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet.

Included meals:  Dinner

Included activities:  Penguins at Betties Bay

Optional Activities:  Extra costs per person

• Shark cage diving
• Whale watching boat trip (in season, July – November)

Approximate driving time:  Cape Town – Hermanus – Cape Agulhas: ± 249km (±3 hours)

Overnight:  Cape Agulhas/ Struisbaai

Day 2 – Tuesday, Cape Agulhas – Oudtshoorn

We travel to Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo, known as the Ostrich Capital of the World, via the spectacular Route 62, which is South Africa’s longest wine route. We will have a lovely lunch and wine tasting at a local winery, before experiencing the subterranean beauty of the Cango Caves on a guided adventure tour.

Included meals:  Breakfast and dinner

Included activities:  Local wine tasting & Cango Caves tour

Approximate driving time:  Cape Agulhas – Route 62 – Oudtshoorn: ± 330km (±4 hours)

Overnight:  Oudtshoorn

Day 3 – Wednesday, Oudtshoorn – Knysna – Sedgefield

After breakfast we head over the marvellous Outeniqua Mountain pass where we will explore Wilderness National Park with some canoes. Enjoy a paddle up the Touw River through indigenous forest and enjoy the abundance of birdlife. After about 40 minutes, the canoes will be left for a 2km hike along a boardwalk, which will take us to a lovely waterfall and rock pools. After the canoeing, we will head to the famous town of Knysna via the lavish Lake District of the Garden Route. This up-market little town is filled with curios, restaurants and a waterfront, where you will be able to relax and do some shopping.  After Knysna we will head to the Knysna Heads viewpoint for some magnificent views over Knysna River estuary and the Indian Ocean. Late afternoon you can spend exploring Sedgefield with its expansive views and beaches.

Included meals:  Breakfast and dinner

Included activities:  Canoeing and hiking in Wilderness National Park

Approximate driving time:  Oudtshoorn – Wilderness – Knysna – Sedgefield: ±144km (±2 hours)

Overnight:  Sedgefield

Day 4 – Thursday, Sedgefield- Tsitsikamma – Addo Elephant National Park

After breakfast, off to Tsitsikamma National Park. En route we will stop at Bloukrans Bridge to view the world’s highest bungee jump bridge (216 meters). There is plenty of time for the adventure seekers among you to test their courage. The late morning will be spent in Tsitsikamma National 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. Early afternoon we will leave the Garden Route for Big 5 country, Addo Elephant National Park.

Included meals:  Breakfast and dinner

Included activities:  Entrance to Tsitsikamma National Park

Optional activities: 216 M Bloukrans bungee jump, ZAR1,400 & Zipline Adventure, ZAR695

Approximate driving time:  Sedgefield – Tsitsikamma – Addo area: +/- 320km +/- 4.5 hours

Overnight:  Addo Elephant National Park area

Day 5 – Friday, Addo Elephant National Park – Port Elizabeth

We will spend the morning exploring Addo Elephant National Park. We will spend up to 2-3 hours exploring the 28,000 hectare National reserve with approximately 600 elephant and some Cape buffalo, lion, black rhino, warthog, zebra, eland, kudu, hartebeest and many more animals. After an exciting morning of game viewing we will drive back to the heart of the Garden Route where we will overnight in Wilderness or Mossel Bay.

Included meals:  None

Included activities:  Entrance and 2-3 hour drive with tour vehicle through Addo Elephant National Park

Optional activities: Extra costs per person

• 2-hour open vehicle game drive with Addo field guide

Approximate driving time:  Addo – Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) – Wilderness/Mossel Bay: +/- 415 km +/- 5 hours

Overnight:  Wilderness/Mossel Bay

Day 6 – Saturday, Wilderness / Mossel Bay – Cape Town – Last Day

After breakfast, we will stop in Mossel Bay to spend some time on the spectacular beaches, hike the Cape St. Blaize trail along the cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean, and visit the famous Diaz Museum complex, commemorating the first known European exploration around the tip of Africa. The more adventurous can try a 10,000 foot tandem skydive or sandboarding on the longest dune in South Africa. We will arrive back to Cape Town in the early evening.

Included meals:  Breakfast

Optional activities: Extra costs per person

• 10,000 foot tandem skydive (and ask for video)
• Sandboarding the longest dune in South Africa

Approximate driving time:  Wilderness / Mossel Bay – Cape Town: +/- 450km +/- 4.5 hours

END OF TOUR