WESTERN CAPE

Garden Route

Seven hundred kilometres of coastal forest, lagoons and passes between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. The drive is the destination.

Best time to visitOctober to April

The Garden Route runs east from Mossel Bay to Storms River along a strip of coast where indigenous forest reaches almost to the sea. Knysna sits on a lagoon behind sandstone cliffs, Wilderness is a string of lakes, and Tsitsikamma is old-growth forest with suspension bridges over river mouths.

Most people try to do it in three days and regret it. Five to seven days lets you drive the passes rather than the N2, stop at Nature's Valley, and add Addo Elephant Park at the eastern end — which, being malaria-free, is the practical safari option for families with young children.

It is a self-drive route by nature, but the passes are demanding and the distances deceptive. A good number of our clients take a chauffeur for the driving days and keep their attention on the view.

Key Route Points & Sights in Garden Route

Explore the signature stops, coastal lookouts, and landmarks included across our private Garden Route itineraries.

1Coastal Gateway & Heritage
2–3 hours
Mossel Bay & Cape St. Blaize Lighthouse
Mossel Bay, Western Cape
The western gateway to the Garden Route. Visit the 1864 Cape St. Blaize Lighthouse perched above Indian Ocean cliffs, the Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex with its 500-year-old Post Office Tree, and the dramatic St. Blaize coastal trail.
Tip: A great stop for cliffside ocean coffee and spotting southern right whales in winter/spring.
2Scenic Mountain Pass
1–1.5 hours
Outeniqua Mountain Pass & Four Passes Viewpoint
Outeniqua Mountains, George
One of South Africa's great mountain engineering passes, winding through the misty peaks of the Outeniqua range between George and the Little Karoo with sweeping lookouts over coastal valleys.
Tip: Having a private chauffeur here lets you enjoy the dramatic mountain hairpins and photo bays stress-free.
3Lakes, Forest & Viewpoint
2–3 hours
Wilderness Lagoon & Map of Africa Viewpoint
Wilderness, Garden Route National Park
Where indigenous forest meets serpentine rivers, lakes and endless golden beaches. Stand at the famous Map of Africa viewpoint where the Kaaimans River bends naturally into the exact shape of the African continent.
Tip: Don't miss Dolphin Point lookout above the old railway bridge entering Wilderness.
4Signature Lagoon & Cliffs
Half day
The Knysna Heads & Knysna Lagoon
Knysna Heads & Waterfront, Knysna
Two towering sandstone cliffs guard the narrow channel where the Indian Ocean surges into the tranquil Knysna Estuary. Enjoy East Head clifftop viewpoints, fresh coastal oysters, and sunset catamaran cruises.
Tip: The East Head viewpoint deck offers the best close-up photography of waves crashing through the channel.
5Peninsula Reserve & Beaches
2–4 hours
Plettenberg Bay & Robberg Nature Reserve
Robberg Peninsula, Plettenberg Bay
A rugged World Heritage peninsula jutting into the ocean south of Plettenberg Bay. Walk coastal boardwalks above turquoise bays teeming with Cape fur seals, bottlenose dolphins and seasonal whales.
Tip: Choose between the easy 2 km Gap circuit or the scenic 5.5 km Witsand sand-dune loop.
6Wildlife Sanctuary
2–3 hours
Birds of Eden & Monkeyland Sanctuary (The Crags)
The Crags, Plettenberg Bay
Walk beneath the world's largest two-hectare free-flight forest dome housing over 3,500 exotic and African birds including Knysna turacos and flamingos, right next door to a free-roaming primate forest.
Tip: Ideal for families and wildlife photographers — all ethical, non-interaction sanctuaries.
7Adventure & Engineering Icon
1–2 hours
Bloukrans Bridge & Gorge Viewpoint
Bloukrans River Gorge, Tsitsikamma Border
Standing 216 metres above the Bloukrans River on the border of the Western and Eastern Cape, this dramatic concrete arch is home to the world's highest commercial bridge bungee jump and SkyWalk.
Tip: Even if you aren't jumping, the cliffside viewing deck over the gorge is a thrilling stop.
8National Park & Suspension Bridge
2.5–3.5 hours
Tsitsikamma & Storms River Mouth Suspension Bridges
Storms River Mouth, Tsitsikamma National Park
Walk through ancient Afro-temperate yellowwood forests to cross three dramatic suspension bridges spanning the churning mouth of the Storms River where dark forest waters meet the Indian Ocean.
Tip: The 77-metre main suspension bridge is the most iconic photograph on the entire Garden Route.
9Caverns & Klein Karoo Route
Half day
Oudtshoorn, Cango Caves & Route 62 Loop
Swartberg Foothills, Oudtshoorn (Route 62)
Cross the mountains into the Klein Karoo to explore the 20-million-year-old Cango Caves — vast underground limestone chambers lit to showcase towering stalagmites — alongside historic Oudtshoorn ostrich farms.
Tip: Pairs perfectly as the inland return leg to or from Cape Town via scenic Route 62.
10Malaria-Free Big Five Safari
Full day
Addo Elephant National Park (Eastern Finale)
Sundays River Valley, near Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
South Africa's third-largest national park and the malaria-free Big Five safari finale at the eastern end of the Garden Route, famous for over 600 free-roaming elephants, lions, buffalo and black rhino.
Tip: Hapit Dam and Main Camp waterholes offer extraordinary close-up elephant herd sightings.