The Garden Route - 8 Days Tour

You arrive at Cape Town International Airport, and are transferred to your accommodation. This will either be a lovely backpacker lodge, a deluxe guesthouse, or a charming boutique hotel. You have the rest of the day, as well as the next day, free to explore the Mother City on your own.

Included activities: Airport transfer
Approximate driving time: +/- 30 minutes, 25 km

Today and tomorrow are left free for you to explore Cape Town independently. There are many interesting sites to visit in this historic yet modern city. Highlights include Robben Island, Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront, Signal Hill, Camps Bay and Clifton beaches, Hout Bay and the Constantia wine region.

The city sightseeing bus tour is an excellent way to experience Cape Town and we highly recommend trying it out. We also offer assistance with booking optional day tours (joining other travellers in Cape Town not booked on this trip) - these include a Cape Peninsula Tour or a Cape Winelands Tour.

Since there is so much to do in and around Cape Town, we've given you a second free day here, to do and see what you didn't have chance for yesterday.

After the last 2 days of free time in Cape Town, the group joins together today to leave Cape Town for a lovely day along the stunning coast towards towards Hermanus. We leave Cape Town early, heading for the beautiful seaside town of Hermanus. Travellers who have booked the optional shark cage diving activity will depart even earlier, and will miss this first half of the day, rejoining later. The rest of us will drive along the picturesque route to Hermanus, stopping at Betties Bay on the way. Here we will see a colony of endangered African penguins. When we arrive at Hermanus, we may be able to see the famous Southern Right Whales for which the town is famous (whale season is from July to November). The charming little town also has many markets, shops, and restaurants for you to visit. In the afternoon, we will depart for Cape Agulhas. This is Africa’s most southerly tip, where we are also able to see the meeting point of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

Included activities: Penguins at Betties Bay
Optional activities: Shark cage diving - R2950, Whale watching boat trip (in season, July - November) - R1050
Travelling: Approx. 249km; 3 hours

Today we leave Cape Agulhas and travel along the famous Route 62 towards Oudtshoorn. This is the longest wine route in South Africa, and we take full advantage by stopping at a local winery for lunch and a wine-tasting. We also visit the famous Cango Caves. These caves, which house towering, spectacular underground formations, attract thousands of visitors every year. We then continue onto Oudthsoorn, a famous town in the Klein Karoo that is known as the Ostrich Capital of the World.Our accommodation for the night is on a working game farm.

Included activities: Local wine tasting, Cango Caves tour
Travelling: Approx. 330km; 4 hours

We have a thrilling day out in the wilderness ahead of us today. We make our way towards Wilderness National Park, crossing through the Outeniqua Mountain Pass as we do so, a stunning sight. We arrive at the national park, which features a variety of habitats and an abundance of biodiversity. We explore this natural wonderland by boat and on foot. First, we make our way down the Touw River via canoe, a unique and tranquil experience. We then go for a short 2km hike along a boardwalk up to a wonderful waterfall and rock pool area.

After this memorable morning, we head to the famous town of Knynsa, where the restaurants and shops offer a chance to refresh and explore. We visit the viewpoint at the Knysna Heads, where we can enjoy a glorious view of the Knysna River estuary and the Indian Ocean beyond. We then depart for Sedgefield, where the pristine beaches are perfect for rounding off the adventures of the day.

Included activities: Canoeing and hiking in Wilderness National Park
Travelling: Approx. 144 km; 2 hrs

Today’s destination is Tsitsikamma National Park. On our way, we make an important stop: Bloukrans Bridge, where we find the world’s highest bungee jump. The adrenaline junkies in our group will have the chance to experience this once-in-a-lifetime activity; the rest of us continue on towards the park. Inside Tsitsikamma National Park, there are a variety of exciting activities on offer. Explore the beautiful beaches and forests, go hiking and swimming, and walk across the famous suspension bridge, which spans a river mouth. Later, we depart for Addo.

Included activities: Entrance to Tsitsikamma National Park
Optional activities: 216 M Bloukrans bungee jump - R1400, Treetop canopy tour - R695
Travelling: Approx. 320km; 4.5 hours

Day 8, the last of a truly amazing week, is spent on safari in the African bush. Addo Elephant National Park is a vast wilderness that is home to a stunning diversity of habitats and wildlife species. Here you will find the famous African Big 5, including approximately 600 elephants, as well an abundance of smaller game species including some Cape buffalo, lion, black rhino, warthog, zebra, eland, kudu, hartebeest and many others. After a thrilling 2-3 hour game safari, it is time to leave for Port Elizabeth. We arrive in the early afternoon, in time for the early evening departures of many international flights.

We offer a longer version of this tour which spends a couple of days returning to Cape Town. Or you can extend your stay in Port Elizabeth, at lodges outside Addo, or at private game reserves. Please enquire with us for more information.

Safari extension: If you wish you can also add on as many days as you would like at a private game reserve in the Eastern Cape, with round-trip transport from Port Elizabeth at the end of your tour with us. Please contact us for more information, options and prices.

Included activities: Entrance and 2-3 hour drive with tour vehicle through Addo Elephant National Park
Optional activities: 2-hour open vehicle game drive with Addo field guide - R440
Travelling: Approx. 40 km, 30 minutes