How long is the recommended stay?
There are numerous routes to pick from as a self-drive destination, depending on your time constraints! A common question from our visitors is how long the perfect Garden Route journey should last. Here are our ideas and recommendations to get things started!

Two Weeks or More

You have enough time to travel the road both ways and visit many of the major towns and sites when visitors have up to two weeks. Starting in Cape Town, we typically suggest traveling to Robertson or Swellendam, taking in the Route 62, stopping in Oudtshoorn, and then continuing on to George to join the Coastal Route. After that, we advise spending a few nights at Plettenberg Bay before traveling to an Eastern Cape game reserve. We would suggest seeing the Tsitsikamma, Knysna or Wilderness, staying along the Whale Route, and then visiting Stellenbosch or Franschhoek before returning to Cape Town.

A Week or More

If you only have a week, we suggest taking a drive along the Coastal Route, stopping in Knysna or Plettenberg Bay, and then making a day excursion to Oudtshoorn. You can go on a safari in the Eastern Cape from here. To save time, we advise leaving the car and taking a plane from Port Elizabeth back to Cape Town or your next destination.

Three or Four Nights

We would generally suggest a guided tour if your schedule only permits three or four nights on the Garden Route. Our guided tours allow you to see a lot of things quickly and relieve the worry of driving. (We also like to imagine that they serve as a preview for your upcoming vacation!)

Not Two Nights

The Garden Route takes at least three or four days to traverse. Our advisers will recommend a two-night stay in Hermanus or even some time in the Winelands if you only have two nights. The Garden Route is best appreciated at leisure, and a whistle-stop tour is not enjoyable due to the distances.

What Happens When Traveling the Garden Route?
The majority of the action occurs outdoors in a location that is encircled by nature reserves, mountains, woods, rivers, lagoons, estuaries, and stunning sandy beaches.

During the mating and calving seasons, which run from July to November, whale-watching is a popular activity. Cliff walks and other coastal viewpoints are also great. Cruises with dolphins and whales provide some extremely close-up views of these amazing animals. Not to mention that daring visitors can dive into shark cages.

The Little Karoo that envelops Oudtshoorn is home to olives, ostriches, crocodiles, meerkats, and enormous caverns.

Amazing hikes, mountain bike trails, horseback trails, and canoeing trips are available in a number of environmental reserves. Equitrailing for horses, the Robberg Nature Reserve peninsula at Plettenberg Bay for trekking, and the Harkervile woodland for bicycling are the best of the lot. Since we have done it all ourselves and can speak from personal experience, we are the experts.

At 216 meters, Bloukran’s Bungee Jump was formerly the highest in the world for those looking to get their heart racing. If you can keep your eyes open, it offers a unique perspective of the breathtaking gorge! In addition, zip-lining through the Tsitsikamma Forests near Storms River is a noteworthy activity that slightly increases heart rate.

Monkeyland’s primates are a must-see experience and a great illustration of an ecotourism endeavor gone right. There are trails and shaky footbridges between old yellowwoods, and 23 hectares of forest are open to numerous rescued primate species.

The Elephant Sanctuary, Birds of Eden, Tenikwa, and the Crags are all excellent options for a full day of recovered animal adventure.

It is in such breathtaking surroundings that traditional sports assume unusual qualities. We could list a lot of activities including swimming, running, hiking, horseback riding, mountain climbing, canoeing, cycling, archery, fishing, diving, and surfing.

Golfers are especially well-served because the courses are of a high caliber, frequently award-winning, and offer breathtaking views. Fancourt, Pezula, Oubaai, Pinnacle Point, and Simola are among the most notable of these.

Which locations along the Garden Route are the highlights?
Cape Town to Cape Agulhas and inland to Swellendam are the destinations of the Whale Route and Overberg region. With some of Africa’s most breathtaking coasts around it, our Whale Route is well worth a visit. Hermanus has earned the reputation of “greatest land-based whale viewing” in the world because Southern Right and Humpback Whales choose our coastlines to calve every year between July and November. Walking along its stunning coastal promenade is the ideal way to wind down after a hearty breakfast. Savor the cool coastal wind while keeping your camera ready to record the local wildlife playing in the water.

With the little coastal town of Gansbaai providing world-renowned cage diving and boat-based shark viewing, the shoreline is also known as great white shark country.

With charming settlements like Stanford, Swellendam, and its botanical gardens, Harold Porter, situated ideally between mountains and the sea, the inland region is just as breathtaking. Consider making a stop at Cape Agulhas, where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet, at Africa’s southernmost tip, if you have the time. Remember that the Hemel en Aarde valley, which is home to several award-winning properties, is a fantastic wine route in Hermanus.

The best route for self-drive travel is 62. Between Cape Town and Oudtshoorn, Route 62 winds through numerous tiny rural settlements. Its route winds through numerous exquisitely maintained little “dorpies,” or settlements, as well as breathtaking mountain passes. The inland route that is closer to our southern coastline than the N2 is Route 62. The path flows gently through the Breede River Valley and Klein Karoo, passing through picturesque passes, vineyards, fruit orchards, and magnificent mountains. Most of the settlements along the route provide hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and 4×4 routes; others provide fly fishing, kayaking, and rock climbing. Then there are the many wine cellars and estates that combine to make road 62 the longest wine road in the world.

The Oudtshoorn is the ideal basis. Celebrating “Afrikaans” culture by providing country and farm-style living through tiny, charming, and frequently eccentric properties that give you the time and proximity to enjoy the region’s famous ostriches, crocodiles, caverns, meerkats, and olives.

Coastal Route, Emphasizing Plettenberg Bay and Knysna

Our Garden Route coastal driving segment often begins in Mossel Bay and continues to George, which is renowned for its renowned Fancourt Golf Course and is just a little bit inland. Just down the road from George is Wilderness, which is well-known for its untamed and striking stretch of white sand beach. Sedgefield and Knysna (pronounced NIZE-na), which is tucked away on the banks of an estuary and encircled by lakes, beaches, and forests, come next.

Plettenberg Bay, a beach location just 25 minutes away, with breathtaking landscape and a bay so lovely that the Portuguese named it Bahia Formosa, or “beautiful bay.” These days, people call it Plett. Plett is a traditional sun, sea, and sand vacation spot with its white beaches and bay surrounded by the Keurbooms estuary in the north and the protected Robberg peninsula in the south.

Situated on a tiny shelf between the towering Tsitsikamma Mountains and a sizable lagoon is Knysna. Two massive cliffs known as “The Heads” shield Knysna Lagoon, and a boat-sized opening goes out into the Indian Ocean. With its stunning vistas, the other arm is home to several of our most recommended boutique properties, while the western arm is a nature reserve where you may reach it by ferry.

At the very end of the Garden Route in the Eastern Cape, take pleasure in a safari free of malaria. The Garden Route officially ends in Port Elizabeth, where early people established themselves, drastically reducing animal populations.

To save the last of the elephants in the region, the Addo Elephant Park was created in 1930. It is now a bright spot in the area and was the catalyst for the gradual acquisition of additional private farms nearby and the subsequent repopulation of wildlife. Some of South Africa’s most renowned lodges are currently located in the region. The lodges are highly regarded since they are situated in an area free of malaria and offer the closest “genuine safari” experience to Cape Town.

At the eastern end of the Garden Route, near Port Elizabeth, are reserves such Kwandwe, Shamwari, Lalibela, Kariega, and Addo Elephant Park. This offers you a wide range of choices to fit any budget and is a special way to cap off the most amazing Garden Route journey.

The Garden Route’s weather and accessibility
Accessing and traversing the Garden Route

The majority of travelers arrive in South Africa via international flights that land at Johannesburg or Cape Town Airport. If necessary, daily flights are available from here to and from George and Port Elizabeth, which are also along the route.

Renting a car is the most interesting and adaptable method to experience the Garden Route. This gives you the freedom to move at your own speed, enjoy spontaneity, and pause as often or as infrequently as you choose to take pictures! Because you do not have to pay for a guide, their transportation, or lodging, it is also a more affordable way to explore our nation. It is also the ideal location for vacationers who prefer self-driving cars! The roads have excellent signage, are in outstanding shape according to international standards, and provide plenty of opportunities for rest stops and fueling stations. Naturally, our scenery also makes the trip itself enjoyable! If time does not permit exploration with a return trip, some visitors opt to drive one way and fly the other way.

For individuals who would rather not drive or have limited time, a guided tour is an excellent way to see the area. We have some amazing and extremely knowledgeable guides available.

A booked shared trip, in which you travel with other guests, is the most economical tour choice. These consist of planned additions and adhere to predetermined checkpoints along the way. We can customize a private tour to fit your interests, time, and budget if you would rather have one. Because you do not have other people to think about, the latter allows for greater spontaneity. Additionally, you have the luxury of choice, which naturally makes it a more expensive alternative.

The weather

The Mediterranean maritime climate of the Garden Route features warm to cold winters and moderately hot summers. It is among South Africa’s most fertile rainfall regions. Due to the humid sea winds from the Indian Ocean, the majority of the rainy season falls during the winter. It rains largely at night along the Garden Route, which keeps the area consistently green due to its moderate climate, which is between two climatic regions of summer and winter rainfall.

By the end of August and the beginning of September, spring is in the air. Because another cold front rolls in right when you think summer has arrived, October can be pretty unpredictable.

Summer (November to March): November to March is the warmest month, with midsummer daily temperatures ranging from 24 to 30 degrees Celsius (75.2 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit) in December through February.

Autumn (May): Although it can still be quite pleasant until June, temperatures begin to drop around April.

Winter (Jun to Aug): Although the days are sunny and warm, the evenings can be chilly and the nights can be rainy (8 -17ºC / 46.4-62.6ºF).

Is the Garden Route a Good Place to Play Golf?
Definitely, definitely! Along the Garden Route and Cape, golfers have an abundance of options. We have plenty of room to “play with” when it comes to designing some of the most amazing championship courses because our tiny piece of the earth is home to so many stunning landscapes, diverse biomes, and plenty of open space.

Many of these are also renowned resorts and destinations in general, where guests may stay on-site and enjoy access to the best home courses in addition to the chance to experience the activities available outside the expansive grounds. Pearl Valley, Fancourt, and Pezula are prime examples of these and well-liked by discriminating golfers. Notable features include the southernmost golf course in Africa and courses created by Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. Just a heads up: the beauty of the mountains, vineyards, and ocean will distract you from the game!

Situated just outside of Paarl, the breathtaking Pearl Valley is part of our Cape Winelands and is a great place to stay and play. It will usually be around the beginning of your journey if you book this place as part of a Garden Route itinerary, and what a wonderful way to start!

Toward the center of the Garden Route, in the center of George, is Fancourt. Although it has three championship courses, The Links is its most notable feature. We advise staying at The Manor on-site. We advise staying at least three nights if you are a serious golfer, especially if you want to play on two of the three courses.

The phrase “high up with the gods” refers to Pezula, which you should at least visit. This course is appropriately titled because it is located on Knysna’s Eastern Head, the peninsula that separates the town’s tranquil lagoon from the most untamed ocean.

Oubaai (stay in George, Mosselbay, or Wilderness), Simola (stay in Knysna or Plett), Pinnacle Point (stay in Mosselbay), and Arabella (stay in Hermanus) are other noteworthy courses along the road that merit consideration.