Garden Route Itinerary

• Departs every Sunday

• Cape Town back to Cape Town

• Leisurely pace

• Small personal groups and expert guiding

• Intimate accommodation of a very high standard

• Highlights include Winelands, Oudtshoorn, Knysna and Tsitsikamma

• Dinner or lunch daily

Day 1 – Winelands

Your guide will collect you from Cape Town this morning at 09h00 and you will set off for Stellenbosch, the second oldest settlement in South Africa after Cape Town. Its oak lined streets and famed Cape Dutch architecture make it one of the most charming towns in the country. You continue from here to Paarl, where you stop at the impressive Afrikaans Language Monument, that offers awe inspiring views of the Winelands and the Hottentots Holland Mountains, before enjoying lunch and a wine tasting at one of the nearby wine estates. Continue to Franschhoek, where you enjoy another wine tasting, before checking in to your accommodation, Maison Chablis (or similar) and giving you an opportunity to explore this French Huguenot town with its charming pavement cafes on your own.

Day 2 – Oudtshoorn

You join Route 62 today - an inland road that travels through the stark beauty of the Little Karoo, a semi desert region, passing towns such as Barrydale and Montagu. Stop at the little village of Calitzdorp, famous for its Haanepoort grapes for port tasting, before arriving at Oudtshoorn, the ostrich farming capital of the world. You have lunch and a tour of an ostrich farm before visiting the Cango Caves, the largest accessible caverns in Africa. Overnight in Oudtshoorn at De Opstal (or similar).

This morning of Day 3 you travel over the Outeniqua mountains, leaving behind the dry Little Karoo and entering the lush greenery of the Garden Route. At George, you board a steam train to travel the coastal route in nostalgic fashion (seasonal September - April), before joining up with your guide at Sedgefield. This whole area is characterised by sweeping white beaches, deep rivers and indigenous forest. Travel on to Knysna where you join the ferry on Knysna Lagoon and set off for Featherbed Nature Reserve, where you are met by all terrain vehicles that will take us up to the top of the cliffs for breathtaking views of the area. Lunch is served on the edge of the lagoon, before you check into Waterfront Lodge (or similar) for overnight.

Day 4 – Tsitsikamma

You drive east after breakfast to the thick indigenous Forest of Tsitsikamma, where you head towards the coast at Storm's River Mouth. Here the Storm's River meets the Indian Ocean amidst dramatic cliffs and gorges, bordered by the forest - an inspiring sight. Your tour continues with a stop at a monkey sanctuary, where rescued apes and monkeys run wild in a protected area of the forest, before you drive to the holiday village of Plettenberg Bay, and famed Lookout Beach. You return to Knysna, with time at leisure this afternoon to enjoy the artistic shops and crafts of the town. Dinner and overnight in Knysna.

Day 5 – Cape Town

After breakfast, you head west via the historic town of Swellendam, with its 18th century architecture, to the coastal town of Hermanus, world famous for its excellent land based whale watching. Whales are in the bay between May and November, but even out of whale season, the location and views makes this a special place to visit. You enjoy lunch here at the Relais and Chateaux hotel, the Marine, a beacon of elegance on the coast. This afternoon, you continue to Cape Town via Sir Lowry's Pass where you will be dropped off at your chosen accommodation or at the airport (arrival approximately 17h30).

* Cape Town extension: You may also choose to extend your stay in Cape Town with our Cape Town extension package. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information on this.

* Safari extension: On the morning of Day 5, you will leave the group and transfer from Knysna to the Eastern Cape, where you will check in for 2 nights at Shamwari Game Reserve, a Big Five game reserve. You will be transferred on the last day to Port Elizabeth Airport for your onward flight home. Extra nights are available – please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.