South Africa Garden Route Tour Itinerary
12-Day South Africa Tour: (Garden Route and Karoo)
Tour Dates: October 10, 2025 to October 21, 2025
Highlights: Table Mountain, Cape Point, Gaansbaai, Ocean Safari, Most Southern Point of Africa, Arniston, Addo Elephant Park, Cango caves, Robertson, Franschhoek. Wine Tastings - Constantia, Benguela, Windfall, and Tram wine tour Franschhoek.
12-Day Tour Cost:
$4,200 per person for double occupancy ($1000 per person non-refundable deposit)
$4,700 per person for single occupancy ($1000 per person non-refundable deposit)
Please see the Inclusion/Exclusion section below for detailed information.
Airport: Cape Town International Airport (CPT), South Africa
Arrival on Day 1 - before noon
Departure on Day 12 - late afternoon
Day 1: Cape Town
Cape Town International Airport arrival. Free time to get settled before dinner in the evening.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Cape Town Lodge and Hotel
Day 2: Cape Peninsula
You will have an early morning breakfast followed by sightseeing at Table Mountain, Cape Point National Park (where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet), Boulders Beach (Penguin colony), and Constantia Winery Region (the oldest winery in South Africa).
From Constantia, we will make our way back to the city and then to dinner in the Bo-kaap area with bright-colored homes and cobblestoned streets. Bo-Kaap is the home of the Cape Malayan people.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Cape Town Lodge and Hotel
Distance traveled for the day: 130 km
Day 3: Cape Town to Peninsula
Leaving Cape Town, the tour takes you through the winelands of the Hermanus area. We will stop along the way and your guides will inform you of interesting parts of the Western Cape, such as whale watching and whale migration pathways. Our next wine tasting will be at Benguela wine farm, which has its vineyard ocean-facing with stunning views.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Wine Tasting at Benguela wine farm included.
Accommodation: Arniston Spa Hotel
Day 4: Arniston
Today, we will explore the surrounding parts of the south coast in the Arniston and Cape L’guhlas area. There is lots to do and to explore in this part of the country. Our day starts with a hike down to the caves where stranded explorers once lived. This may change as we need a low tide to go down to the caves, so we may do it later on that day depending on the tide. We will then visit the fishing village with timewashed and thatched roof houses.
A visit to the harbor is also a must to see the sting rays that you can feed when the times are suitable.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Arniston Spa Hotel
Distance traveled for the day: 167 km
Day 5: Arniston to KnySNA
We will leave Arniston and make our way down to the Garden Route, through Mossel Bay and Wilderness before reaching Knysna.
Knysna, also known as “the jewel of the Garden Route,” is a busy small town located along the Knysna estuary or lagoon. It is known for its oysters and its wooden furniture. You may wish to check out Knysna's nightlife this evening.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Knysna Log-Inn Hotel
Distance: 364 km
Day 6: Knysna
Explore the town of Knysna today. Knysna was once a small inland coastal town that was used for exporting indigenous wood to the outside world by the Rex family. Your guides will take you on a morning tour of the town and show you some of the historic places and also drive you to the points that open up to the sea from the estuary.
Late afternoon there will be a sunset cruise on the estuary.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Knysna Log-Inn Hotel
Distance: 20 km
Day 7: Knysna to Addo Elephant National Park
We will leave Knysna and make our way to Addo Elephant National Park. We will stop at various interesting points, such as the Bloukrans River Gorge. Bloukrans Bridge is the world's highest bridge bungee jump, located close to Nature's Valley, along South Africa's Garden Route. Bungee jumping anyone?
Addo is the only wildlife park in South Africa that also includes a Marine reserve. It currently ranks third in size after Kruger National Park and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Addo National Park
Distance: 269 km
Day 8: Addo Elephant National Park
Explore Addo Elephant Park with park guide experts during your safari game drive today. Addo Elephant National Park, the third-largest national park, is not only home to the traditional Big Five but also the Big Seven, which includes the Southern Right Whale and Great White Shark in its marine environment.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Addo Elephant National Park Chalets
Day 9: Oudtshoorn
Located along the well-known Route 62 in South Africa’s beautiful Klein Karoo, the charming town of Oudtshoorn is known as the ostrich capital of the world. It is surrounded by numerous ostrich farms and the golden arid landscape of the Karoo. Visitors can enjoy the locally produced wine and port; sample ostrich meat and biltong; learn about the ostrich feather boom at the C.P. Nel Museum; and visit the world-renowned Cango Caves, the largest cave system in Africa featuring ancient rock formations and sparkling stalactites and stalagmites. Other popular activities include mountain biking, paragliding, horse riding, and taking a day trip to the quaint town of Prince Albert over the scenic Swartberg Pass.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Oudtshoorn Inn
Distance: 375 km
Day 10: Oudtshoorn to Robertson
We will leave after breakfast to make our way through the Karoo to one of South Africa’s best-known wine areas. Robertson is well known for its wines and also brandy. On our way, we stop at a few well-known places.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Grand Hotel Robertso
Distance: 261 km
Day 11: Roberston to Franschhoek
After a late morning and time to do some of the activities in the area, we depart for the small town of Franschhoek.
Franschhoek's original inhabitants are the Khoisan peoples, who continue to live in this place. In 1688, French Huguenot refugees began populating the valley establishing farms and businesses, bringing with them their experience in agriculture. The name of the area soon changed to le Coin Français ("the French Corner"), and later to Franschhoek (Dutch for "French Corner"). Many settlers named their new farms after the areas in France from which they came. La Motte, Champagne, La Cotte, Cabrière, La Provence, Bourgogne, La Terra de Luc, and La Dauphine were among some of the first established farms.
This afternoon you will have a last wine tasting at some of the wine farms in the Franschhoek area before going out for a last dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Auberge La Dauphine Guest House
Distance: 119 km
Day 12: Cape Town
After breakfast, we have a short drive to the Cape Town International Airport. Your guides will make sure you arrive at least three hours before the departure of your flight back home.
Meals: Breakfast
Distance: 69 km
What’s included in the price:
Transport
Services of a driver/guide
Meals as specified in the itinerary
Accommodation as specified in the itinerary
What’s NOT included in the price:
Flights, visas (if required), required personal travel and health insurance
Meals & drinks not specified in the itinerary
Items of a personal nature
Gratuities