South Africa Tour with Cape Town and Garden Route

Meet and greet with a bottle of water at the Arrivals Hall in Port Elizabeth Airport. After we’ve made sure everyone have exchanged money and have their entire luggage with them, we depart from the airport to the Addo Elephant National Park. As the name would suggest, Addo is well-known for its herds of elephants, as well as other big game. It has recently become the first, unoffical, national park that boasts the Big 7 (with the addition of great white sharks and southern humpback whales). We enjoy a three-hour game drive through Addo.

Dinner is served at the lodge. Transfer time: 13h30 (Alternative transfers can be arranged if above time does not coincide with your flight times). Total distance:100 km. Approx. driving time: 4,5 hours (including game drive). Dinner included.

Enjoy a relaxing morning as we take in the wonderful surroundings while having breakfast. Today’s drive takes us along the breathtaking Garden Route. We pass various turn-off’s to holiday towns on the coast. One of the more famous is Jeffrey’s Bay – well-known as a great surfing spot and also host to an event on the international surfing circuit.

Our first stop is at the Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park. This must be one of the most beautiful sections of the South African coastline. It’s a rugged coastline where the waves crash into the forest-clad land with force. We stop here for lunch and a short walk to the hang-bridge across the Storms River. This is also the start of the famous Otter Hiking Trail – a five-day trail that takes the independent hiker along the coast in the direction of Nature’s Valley. Enjoy lunch at the Storms River Restaurant.

From here our next stop is at the Bloukrans Bungee site. This part of the route is characterised by deep incised river gorges. The gradient and the short distance from the mountain to the coast is responsible for these massive gaps in the earth. The national road that we are travelling on, the N2, traverses all these gorges and it is on the highest bridge along this route that the brave take the leap of faith. It is always a thrill to watch the adrenalin junkies going about their business.

Next we drive pass Plettenberg Bay before we reach the forested hills around Knysna right in the heart of the Garden Route. The town of Knysna is situated on the the Knysna Estuary where it finds its way to the ocean through an opening in the cliffs, called the Knysna Heads. Knysna is well-known for its oysters and its art community. On arrival in this picturesque town, we jump aboard the John Benn for a scenic sunset boat ride along the estuary and up to the opening to the Indian Ocean.

Dinner is at the Quay 4 Restaurant right on the Waterfront. Make sure to taste some of the succulent oysters on offer. Total distance: 350 km; Approx. driving time: 4,5 hours. All meals included.

Our route takes us along the Indian Ocean coastline pass the “lake district” to the city of George. From George we travel across the Outeniqua Mountains down into the the semi-arid Little Karoo. The change in scenery and climate is striking and easy to recognise. Where the area around Knysna receives a high rainfall (it is also the only area in the country that receives rain throughout the year) and is home to some of South Africa’s largest stretches of indigenous forests, Oudtshoorn is an arid area with low rainfall.

Our first stop this morning is the Highgate Ostrich Show Farm where we will be taken for a ride (on an ostrich – if you are brave enough…). The Highgate guide will show us around the facilities (which includes the incubator, learn more about gizzard stones and the ostrich anatomy, visit a breeding camp, feed an ostrich by hand and the world famous ostrich race).  After all this excitement, we enjoy lunch at Highgate – of course with some ostrich meat and eggs in the mix.

From here we depart to the Cango Caves situated in a limestone ridge that runs parallel with the Swartberg Mountains. The caves consists of the finest dripstone caverns. We undertake the Heritage Tour and visit Van Zyl’s and Botha’s Halls, Rainbow, Bridal and Fairyland Chambers as well as the Drum Room – at 500 metres from the entrance our turnaround point.

The largest town in this part of the Karoo, Oudtshoorn, well-known for the annual KKNK (national arts festival) and for its commercial ostrich farms. Our overnight accommodation and dinner is at your atmospheric hotel in town. Total distance:  180 km. Approx. driving time: 3 hours. All meals included.

This morning we depart on one of the most beautiful driving days one will ever live to experience. Our first stop is the small village of Calitzdorp – where we taste some of the finest Port Wines produced in the country. After this traditional South African welcome, we continue on our journey on Route 62 into the Little Karoo. We stop in Swellendam for lunch.

After lunch we drive along the Overberg area – one of the main grain growing areas – on beautiful roads to the coastal town of Hermanus. From Hermanus we follow the route along the Atlantic seaboard all the way to the Mother City. This must be one of the most beautiful coastal roads in the world – motorbikers will love this. We drive around False Bay with the sun setting behind Table Mountain.

We arrive at our hotel for the next four nights on the bustling Greenmarket Square at the foot of Table Mountain. Dinner tonight is a special occasion at Marko’s African Place located in the Bo-Kaap.  Marko’s has got a great vibe with live music where the diners are often moved to dancing between courses. We taste the best that African cuisine has to offer in this atmospheric restaurant. Total distance: 480 km. Approx. driving time: 8 hours (including photo stops). All meals included.

Our morning starts with breakfast after which we depart the hotel at 09:00. Our drive takes us through Kloofnek Road that crosses a ridge connecting Table Mountain to it’s smaller brother, Lion’s Head, before driving down into Camps Bay.  We are now travelling along the Atlantic Ocean seaboard. The Twelve Apostles looms up on our left. We reach the village of Hout Bay after thirty minutes where we embark on a boat trip to Duiker Island where we will view thousands of Cape Fur Seals in their natural habitat. Hout Bay is a traditional fishing village well-known for its freshly caught fish and chips – feel free to try a sample.

From Hout Bay we take the spectacular Chapman’s Peak Drive along the cliff face past the long beach at Noordhoek to Cape Point. Cape Point is part of the Table Mountain National Park and also home to the Cape of Good Hope (once called Cape of Storms). This is the most south-westerly part of Africa and not, as widely believed, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans’ meet. This collision happens further east at Cape Agulhas (Africa’s most southernly point), although the two oceans don’t meet in the way that we would think. It is more of a mixing of water and depending on currents can move further west, east and even south into the ocean.

We will take the funicular to reach the top of the path leading to the lighthouse at Cape Point where the most beautiful views of the southern ocean awaits.Our lunch is at the most stunningly situated Two Oceans Restaurant with views across False Bay. After enjoying the breathtaking views and delicious fresh food, we drive to the nearby Simon’s Town and Boulder’s Beach where a colony of African Penguins have made their home. We view them from the comfort of a raised wooden platform.

Dinner tonight is at Gold Restaurant – another of Cape Town’s culinary festivities. Total distance: 150 km; Approx. driving time: 3 hours. All meals included.

This morning we leave earlier to make use of the favourable early morning conditions on top of Table Mountain. The mountain’s weather is very unpredictable and we will judge the current weather conditions during our stay in Cape Town. We might change some of the days around to accommodate going up to Table Mountain. On arriving at the bottom cable car station, we embark on the earliest available car to take us up this iconic mountain. The ride on the rotating cable car affords us amazing views of the Cape Town city bowl and the cracks and wrinkles of the mountain face.

Once at the top, our guide will point out the interesting landmarks to be seen. There is an easy walkway that offer views to both sides of the mountain and the ocean. After an hour at the top, we descend with the cable car. We travel around to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens where we meet the famous Rupert Koopman. He is the expert on South African Fynbos – a vegetation type that is so formidable that it is classified as a floral kingdom (one of six in the world and the only one endemic to a specific country, and in this case a specific region). Nine-thousand plant species are found in 0,05 % of the earth’s surface. This makes up 3% of the world’s plants. It was declared as one of the 34 biodiversity hotspots in the world and also as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Koopman will show us around the impressive Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and give us his expert and personal guidance. Lunch is at the Moyo Kirstenbosch Restaurant in the beautiful gardens.

In the late afternoon we head to the V&A Waterfront where we board a sail yacht for a champagne sunset cruise around Greenpoint and Seapoint. This is an exciting way to end the day. From the yacht we have great views of Table Mountain, the Cape Town stadium and Lion’s Head. If champagne does not suit your palate, there will be cold drinks and water available.

Dinner tonight is at the V&A Waterfront. Total distance:  80 km. Approx. driving time:  2 hours. All meals included.

Today we head inland into the Boland – wine country. Our first stop is Stellenbosch: the second oldest town in South Africa (after Cape Town off course) and steeped in history – mostly concerning wine, students and rugby. Feel free to walk around town and experience the vibrant village life. Dorp Street houses some fine examples of the well-known Cape Dutch architecture. Don’t miss the Dutch Reformed Moederkerk (Mother Church).

From Stellenbosch we travel to the idyllic village of Franschhoek via the Helshoogte Pass. This road is absolutely stunning, especially on a motorbike. We visit the French Huguenote Museum and monument – in 1688 a group of French Huguenots and some Walloons from Belgium settled at the Cape of Good Hope. They prefected the wine industry that the Dutch brought to the Cape. We will be ever grateful to them. From here we drive up the Franschhoek Pass for a stunning view of the valley below.

From Franschhoek it is a short drive to Spice Route – a new addition to the great winefarms in the region of Paarl. Spice Route is more than a wine farm – it’s a great concept. In addition to the great wines that we will taste, they also offer the following: they have three different restaurants on the complex, an independent gin distillery, an independent craft beer brewery, chocholate “factory” and coffee shop. After the wine tasting, we will have lunch and then you are more than welcome to explore the Spice Route for any of the other offerings that you are interested in (own expense). On a clear day Table Mountain is clearly visible in the distance.

From Spice Route we travel back to the hotel for some free time – feel free to explore Long Street with its cosmopolitan feel, interesting shops and multitude of pubs. Depart at 18:30 for dinner at the intimate Kloof Street House restaurant for a farewell dinner. Total distance: 200 km. Approx. driving time: 3 hour. All meals included.

After breakfast we depart to the Cape Town International Airport in time for your flight home.Total distance: 50 km. Approx. driving time:  45 min. Breakfast included.