6 Day Garden Route & Addo Group Tours

Day 1 highlights: tour the Garden Route

We depart from Cape Town early on Monday morning for Hermanus. (Shark cage diving clients will be picked up very early in the morning by the diving operator, and will miss the first half of Day 1 which includes the visit to the African Penguin Colony and Hermanus). We follow the scenic coastal road and stop at Betties Bay to view a colony of endangered African penguins. You can spend the afternoon in the seaside resort town of Hermanus, famous for hundreds of Southern Right Whales during the whale season (July to November) and many shops, restaurants and markets. In the afternoon we will drive on to Cape Agulhas, the most southern tip of Africa, where we visit a viewpoint known as the “real” place where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet.

Day 2 highlights: tour the Garden Route

We travel to Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo, known as the Ostrich Capital of the World, via the spectacular Route 62, which is South Africa’s longest wine route. We’ll have a lovely lunch and wine tasting at a local winery, before checking into our accommodation, which is on a working game farm in the Little Karoo. As the sun goes down, we can enjoy a tour of the ostrich farm, taking in the views of the Outeniqua and Swartberg mountain ranges in the background.

Day 3 highlights: tour the Garden Route

After breakfast we head over the marvellous Outeniqua Mountain pass where we will explore Wilderness National Park with some canoes. Enjoy a paddle up the Touw River through indigenous forest, enjoying the abundance of bird life. After about 40 minutes, the canoes will be left for a 2 km hike along a boardwalk, which will take us to a lovely waterfall and rock pools. Late afternoon you can spend exploring Sedgefield, with its expansive views and beaches.

Day 4 highlights: tour the Garden Route

Today, we will head to the famous town of Knysna via the lavish Lake District of the Garden Route. We will visit the Knysna Heads viewpoint, for some magnificent views over the Knysna River estuary and the Indian Ocean. After Knysna, we will stop at Bloukrans Bridge to view the world’s highest bungee jump bridge (216 meters). There is plenty of time for the adventure seekers among you to test their courage. Midday will be spent in Tsitsikamma National Park, with its unique combination of indigenous forest and beautiful Indian Ocean coastline. The Park has a wide choice of activities for all, including hiking, crossing a suspension bridge and swimming. In the afternoon, we will leave the Garden Route for Big 5 country, Addo.

Day 5 highlights: tour the Garden Route

We will spend the morning exploring Addo Elephant National Park. We will spend up to 2-3 hours exploring the 28,000 hectare National reserve with approximately 600 elephant and some Cape buffalo, lion, black rhino, warthog, zebra, eland, kudu, hartebeest and many more animals. After an exciting morning of game viewing we will drive back to the heart of the Garden Route where we will overnight in Wilderness or Sedgefield.

Day 6 highlights: tour the Garden Route

After breakfast, we will stop in Mossel Bay to spend some time on the spectacular beaches, hike the Cape St. Blaize trail along the cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean, and visit the famous Diaz Museum complex, commemorating the first known European exploration around the tip of Africa. The more adventurous can try a 10,000 foot tandem skydive or sandboarding on the longest dune in South Africa. We will arrive back to Cape Town in the early evening.

Highlights on Day 1

We depart from Cape Town early on Monday morning. Traveling to Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo, known as the Ostrich Capital of the World, via the spectacular Route 62, which is South Africa’s longest wine route. We will have a lovely lunch and wine tasting at a local winery, before checking into our accommodation, which is on a working game farm in the Little Karoo. As the sun goes down, we can enjoy a tour of the ostrich farm, taking in the views of the Outeniqua and Swartberg mountain ranges in the background.

Highlights on Day 2

After breakfast we head over the marvelous Outeniqua Mountain pass where we will explore Wilderness National Park with some canoes. Enjoy a paddle up the Touw River through indigenous forest, enjoying the abundance of bird life. After about 40 minutes, the canoes will be left for a 2 km hike along a boardwalk, which will take us to a lovely waterfall and rock pools. Late afternoon you can spend exploring Sedgefield with its expansive views and beaches.

Highlights on Day 3

Today, we will head to the famous town of Knysna via the lavish Lake District of the Garden Route. We will visit the Knysna Heads viewpoint, for some magnificent views over the Knysna River estuary and the Indian Ocean. After Knysna, we will stop at Bloukrans Bridge to view the world’s highest bungee jump bridge (216 meters). There is plenty of time for the adventure seekers among you to test their courage. Midday will be spent in Tsitsikamma National Park with its unique combination of indigenous forest and beautiful Indian Ocean coastline. The Park has a wide choice of activities for all, including hiking, crossing a suspension bridge, and swimming. In the afternoon, we will leave the Garden Route for Big 5 country, Addo.

Highlights on Day 4

We will spend the morning exploring Addo Elephant National Park. We will spend up to 2-3 hours exploring the 28,000 hectare National reserve with approximately 600 elephant and some Cape buffalo, lion, black rhino, warthog, zebra, eland, kudu, hartebeest and many more animals. After an exciting morning of game viewing we will drive back to the heart of the Garden Route where we will overnight in Wilderness or Sedgefield.

Highlights on Day 5

After breakfast we will stop in Mossel Bay to spend some time on the spectacular beaches, hike the Cape St. Blaize trail along the cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean, and visit the famous Diaz Museum complex, commemorating the first known European exploration around the tip of Africa. The more adventurous can try a 10,000 foot tandem skydive or sandboarding on the longest dune-ride in South Africa. In the afternoon we will drive on to Cape Agulhas, the most southern tip of Africa, where we visit a viewpoint known as the “real” place where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet.

Day 6: Cape Agulhas – Hermanus – Cape Town

Highlights on Day 6

We depart from Cape Agulhas after breakfast. We’ll visit the seaside resort town of Hermanus, famous for hundreds of Southern Right Whales during the whale season (July to November) and many shops, restaurants and markets. Our day will finish off on the scenic coastal road, stopping at Betties Bay to view a colony of endangered African penguins. We arrive back in Cape Town in the early evening.