Garden Route Holidays
A holiday to South Africa wouldn’t be complete without experiencing the natural beauty of the Garden Route. Stretching 300 kilometres along the south-western coast, and cloaked with lakes, mountains, golden beaches and dense, indigenous forests, the Garden Route is truly mesmerising.
Meandering from the small coastal town of Mossel Bay to Port Elizabeth and Storms River in the Eastern Cape, you'll venture through stunning landscapes on the road trip of a lifetime. On a route dotted with spectacular viewpoints, take your time to stop off to hike, bird watch, canoe on the waters and soak up your surroundings. Explore Knysna, at the heart of the Garden Route, famed for its oysters, lagoons, walking trails and golf courses.
Travelling the Garden Route is sure to leave you with memories to last a lifetime, but why not extend your break and explore more of South Africa? Round off your adventure with a safari in Kruger National Park, spotting the Big Five. Or you might opt to bookend your road trip with a few days in Cape Town beforehand and then finish in Namibia, crossing the golden sand dunes and gazing on grazing giraffes on the plains.
Destination Highlights
Great sample itineraries
Here's a selection of popular itineraries to give you some ideas. But almost anything's possible so call us now and we'll create an amazing holiday just for you.
Garden Route and Eastern Cape Safari
Guide Price £3,589 pp
This 12-day self drive holiday gives you the opportunity to explore the vibrant city of Cape Town and its surrounding scenery, including Table Mountain and Robben Island, as well as stunning beaches and pretty coastal villages. Leaving Cape Town, you'll...
Wildlife holidays
South Africa - Cape Town and Eastern Cape Multi Centre
Guide Price £2,899 pp
One of the most popular South Africa itineraries twins a visit to the cosmopolitan city of Cape Town with the game reserves in the Eastern Cape province. Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa and has been voted...
Escorted tours
Garden Route Highlights Tour From Cape Town
One of the most magnificent and awe-inspiring stretches of landscape in South Africa, the Garden Route offers majestic mountains, breathtaking beaches, valleys and lakes. Our compact tour departs from Cape Town and will take you along the Western Cape, giving...
Escorted tours
South Africa - Cape Town, Cape Winelands and Eastern Cape Multi Centre
Guide Price £4,599 pp
Your trip begins in Cape Town – a destination which routinely wins the award for best city in the world. Dominated by the imposing crag of Table Mountain, Cape Town offers you a full spectrum of experiences from a dazzling...
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Plettenberg
First named Bahia Formosa or 'beautiful bay' – and it's easy to see why – Plettenberg is home to stunning beaches and wonderful coasts, making it the perfect stop-off for some relaxation and sunset-chasing. Located just 600 kilometres from Cape Town, you'll find attractions such as the Robberg Peninsular Nature Reserve and the Birds of Eden aviary here, along with the chance to embark on a whale-watching or sea kayaking trip. Be sure to make a pitstop in Plettenberg for outdoor thrills and beautiful views.
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Knysna
So perilous to seafarers that it never became a major port, the entrance to Knysna's blue-green lagoon is guarded by the towering natural defences of the Knysna Heads. Like buttresses of sandstone, they funnel the Indian Ocean through their narrow channel, sheltering the waters in their rocky embrace. Spend time on the lagoon on a catamaran tour or soak up the views from the hiking paths above.
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![Oudtshoorn]( "Oudtshoorn")
Oudtshoorn
Holidays in Oudtshoorn offer fantastic up-close encounters with nature. From the semi-desert Karoo and Cape thickets to the Fynbos, there's a spectacular diversity of flora and wildlife spread throughout the unique natural landscape of this Garden Route town.
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Tsitsikamma National Park
Dramatic river gorges, indigenous forests and stunning coastline make Tsitsikamma National Park absolutely beautiful. With adventure activities that will see you soaring with birds and diving with dolphins, explore the serene wonderland high above the forest on a canopy tour, gently gliding from treetop to treetop amid the giant Outeniqua Yellowwoods with Knysna loeries, Narina trogons and vervet monkeys.
Our Garden Route destinations
Types of Garden Route holidays
Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend that you allow at least 4 –5 days to travel the Garden Route and stop off to explore. However, this is dependent on what you want to do and your overall itinerary.
In short, no – it's not necessary to travel from west to east. Cape Town is a natural starting point for the tour if you're flying in from the UK but it's just as likely that you might want to depart from there. You might also fly into George airport via Johannesburg (from elsewhere in South Africa) which is at the eastern end of the route.
We recommend you pack sunscreen, a hat or cap, binoculars, comfortable walking or hiking shoes and a good camera to capture your adventure. A jacket or lightweight rain coat is also a good idea – just in case there's a light shower.
