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Garden Route From Cape Town - Compare 26 Tours

One of South Africa’s most popular holiday spots, the Garden Route is a beautiful 200km/120mi stretch of coast that runs east from Mossel Bay to Tsitsikamma. The region is famed for its scenic variety, which includes sandy swimming beaches, picturesque lagoons and towering cliffs along with natural forests, protea-studded meadows and soaring mountains. Perfectly suited to self-drive trips and included in many tour packages, the Garden Route also hosts some of South Africa’s most attractive small towns, notably Plettenberg Bay, Knysna and Wilderness. Cape Town is a useful starting point for visiting the Garden Route, whether you do so as a round trip, or continue east to the city of Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth).

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5 Questions About Garden Route Tours From Cape Town

1. How long is the drive from Cape Town to the beginning of the Garden Route?
2. Can you fly from Cape Town to the Garden Route?
3. Can I do a safari on the Garden Route?
4. What other parks and highlights can be visited on a Garden Route tour from Cape Town?
5. Are Garden Route tours guided, or can I do a self-drive tour with pre-arranged stops?
 
 

5 Questions About Garden Route Tours From Cape Town

Answered by Philip Briggs

How long is the drive from Cape Town to the beginning of the Garden Route?

“The quickest route from Cape Town to Mossel Bay, at the western end of the Garden Route, entails following the N2 east via Swellendam for 390km/240mi, a 4½-hour drive. A variation used by some Garden Route tours from Cape Town follows the N1 northeast as far as Worcester, then turns southeast onto the R60 to connect with the N2 at Swellendam. Unless you’re staying in Mossel Bay, you’ll need to continue east along the N2 for some distance to reach your destination. From Mossel Bay, it takes around 45 minutes to get to George or Wilderness, one hour to Sedgefield, 1½ hours to Knysna, two hours to Plettenberg Bay and three hours to Tsitsikamma. If you want to break up the drive from Cape Town to the Garden Route, recommended stops include Hermanus (for seasonal cliff-top whale watching) and Bontebok National Park outside Swellendam. A very popular alternative route from Cape Town to the Garden Route is the scenic R62 via Oudtshoorn, which is renowned for its ostrich farms and as the site of the spectacular Cango Caves. This route completely bypasses Mossel Bay to arrive at the Garden Route at George. The distance from Cape Town to George using the R62 is around 500km/310mi, as opposed to 430km/265mi along the N2, and the total driving time is about one hour longer.”

1

Can you fly from Cape Town to the Garden Route?

“Yes. There are several flights daily between Cape Town and George, the largest town along the Garden Route and second largest in the Western Cape. Located on the town’s western outskirts, George Airport is also serviced by regular flights from Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport and Bloemfontein. Several car rental companies are represented at George Airport, and all flights are met by taxis.”

2

Can I do a safari on the Garden Route?

“The Garden Route is better known for its beaches, forests and lakes than it is as a safari destination. However, two very good private safari reserves can be found at the base of the Langeberg Mountains near Mossel Bay. These are Gondwana Game Reserve and Garden Route Private Game Reserve, both of which now harbor all of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) and offer an all-inclusive upmarket safari experience. If you’ll be continuing east along the N2 from the Garden Route, there are several excellent safari options near Gqeberha. Addo Elephant National Park is a cheap self-drive Big Five destination where you’re likely to encounter plenty of elephants and also stand a fair chance of seeing buffalo, black rhino and lion. There are also several top-notch private Big Five reserves near Gqeberha: Kwandwe Game Reserve has the most exclusive wilderness feel, Shamwari Game Reserve is known for its luxurious accommodations, and Amakhala Game Reserve is more affordable and down-to-earth.”

3

What other parks and highlights can be visited on a Garden Route tour from Cape Town?

“The Garden Route is home to several excellent parks and reserves that don’t offer a standard safari experience. For scenic cliff-top day hikes that provide a good chance of seeing seals, whales, great white sharks and other marine wildlife, a recommended highlight is Robberg Nature Reserve near Plettenberg Bay. For canoeing, bird watching and more gentle hikes, the Wilderness Section of Garden Route National Park is outstanding. The same national park’s Tsitsikamma Section protects some wonderful coastal scenery including a thrilling suspension bridge across the Storms River mouth. The Garden Route also offers a diverse range of other attractions. These include one of the world’s tallest bungee jumps at Bloukrans Bridge, the magnificent drip formations in the cathedral-like Cango Caves, and Mossel Bay’s fascinating Dias Museum (where, in 1488, the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to set foot on South African soil). The Garden Route is a great venue for foodies. The lagoonside town of Knysna is famous for its oysters, craft beers and gin, while Wilderness and Sedgefield are full of owner-managed and defiantly non-corporate restaurants. Herold Wines, on the misty slopes of the Outeniqua Mountains, is one of the few estates in South Africa to specialize in Pinot Noir. And while the Garden Route is renowned for its seafood, it is also a great place to try free-range ostrich meat, which is cholesterol-free and farmed around nearby Oudtshoorn.”

4

Are Garden Route tours guided, or can I do a self-drive tour with pre-arranged stops?

“The Garden Route is included on many countrywide guided tours and it is also possible to book guided local tours out of Cape Town or George. But the Garden Route is also well suited to, and popular with, self-drive visitors. Roads are mostly excellent and there is no shortage of hotels and restaurants catering to independent visitors. Once there, activities such as ostrich farm tours, bungee jumps and game drives in private reserves must be undertaken with a local guide. But these are the exceptions: it is possible, indeed normal, to do activities such as coastal walks, canoeing and wine farm visits on an unguided basis.”

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