This tour offers the best of Cape Town, the Garden Route and a safari experience in the Addo Elephant National Park. In Cape Town, you will be exposed to the rhythm and the soul of the “Mother City” as she is affectionately known. Enjoy meeting the people, sampling local cuisine and tasting award winning wines. Take in the beauty of the Garden Route as we head east from Cape Town. The Garden Route offers a kaleidoscope of stunning scenery with plenty to see and do along the way. Spend time in Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Outshoorn and two nights on safari in the malaria free Addo Elephant National Park. End off with an overnight stay at a working farm in the Langeberg Valley of the Western Cape of South Africa.
Contact us for pricing and departure dates
Tailor made holiday
You can extend your stay or combine this itinerary with another of your choice Contact us for details.
Included in this tour
- 11 nights in accessible accommodation as described in itinerary
- All meals (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
- All transfers
- Entrance fees on day tours & excursions as specified in itinerary
- Appropriate vehicle with air conditioning, relevant equipment ( eg hydraulic lift), permits operating licences and insurances
- Services of a qualified English-speaking safari guide and accompanying tour escort as outlined in itinerary
- Luggage handling at all hotels and at the airport upon arrival and departure
- Local taxes
Excluded from price
- International flights outside Africa
- Transfers not specified in the itinerary
- Single supplement charges
- Drinks and Beverage
- Comprehensive insurance (luggage, personal liability abroad etc)
- Optional activities
- Laundry
- Gratuities & items of a personal nature
- Tipping and gratuities to Chauffeur & Local guides
- Passport & Visa fees
Detailed Itinerary
Day 01: CAPE TOWN - TABLE MOUNTAIN
On arrival at Cape Town International Airport, you will be met and transferred by a local English-speaking tour guide to your hotel for check-in.
Transfer to the vibrant Victoria & Alfred Waterfront for lunch. After lunch, enjoy an afternoon of sightseeing which includes and excursion to the top of Cape Town’s most famous backdrop - Table Mountain (weather permitting). No visit to Cape Town would be complete without a cable car ride to the top of the mountain. Photo opportunities from the top of this massif provide one with unequalled panoramic views of Cape Town.
Return to your hotel in the late afternoon. Time to relax and freshen up before dinner at a stunning local restaurant.
Overnight in accessible 3 star Hotel – Cape Town – B/L/D
Day 02: CAPE TOWN – CAPE OF GOOD HOPE
Today we explore what British navigator Sir Frances Drake described back in 1579 as: “the fairest cape and most stately thing we saw in the whole circumference of the globe”. Our scenic drive follows the Atlantic coastline south passing through the sun drenched suburbs of Bantry Bay, Clifton, Camps Bay and Llandudno. In Hout Bay we take to the sea on a short boat cruise and view the Cape Fur Seal colony on Duiker Island. At the tip of the Cape Peninsula we visit Cape Point by funicular and the Cape of Good Hope, the South Western tip of the African continent. These are situated within the Cape Peninsula National Park which is the most visited park in South Africa. Also included in today’s outing will be a visit to Boulders Beach to view our resident African Penguin colony. A light lunch will be enjoyed en route.
Return to the hotel via quaint fishing villages along the False Bay coastline. Dinner at an eclectic city restaurant.
Overnight in accessible 3 star Hotel – Cape Town – B/L/D
Day 03: CAPE TOWN – WINELANDS OF THE CAPE
Today we visit the beautiful Cape Winelands. Apart from its natural beauty, this area is steeped in South African history. Some of the finest examples of Cape Dutch architecture can be seen as we drive through Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. These towns date back to the Dutch occupation in the late 1600’s and are situated within the heart of South Africa’s successful wine industry. En route we have the opportunity to enjoy a cellar tour and wine-tasting on one of our award winning wine estates. This will be followed by lunch. Return to our hotel in the late afternoon.
Dinner will be at a local restaurant this evening.
Overnight in accessible 3 star Hotel – Cape Town – B/L/D
Day 04: CAPE TOWN – WEST COAST
After breakfast we make our way along the West Coast in a Northerly direction. Just inland from the secluded harbour of Saldanha Bay one finds the azure waters of the Langebaan Lagoon, focal point of the West Coast National Park. Thousands of seabirds roost on sheltered islands, pristine golden beaches stretch endlessly into the early morning mist and brooding salt marshes are home to vast concentrations of migrant waders from the northern hemisphere. During the spring the strandveld is embroidered with a tapestry of multi-hued flowers, while in the Postberg section many antelope are to be seen in a setting that is as unique as it is idyllic (open September and October). Lunch will be served inside the Park in a very characteristic local restaurant.
On your way back to Cape Town, if time and inclination permits, we stop for wine tasting a historic 18th century farm, where age old winemaking traditions have been revived by the Pentz family. are produced to reflect the uniqueness of their vineyards. Return to Cape Town in the late afternoon. Dinner in the hotel or one of the many stylish city restaurants this evening.
Overnight in accessible 3 star Hotel – Cape Town – B/L/D
Day 05: GARDEN ROUTE - HERMANUS
After breakfast we check out and head for the”Riviera of the Cape”, the coastal village of Hermanus. Year around, this town is most popular as a weekend getaway for people from Cape Town. The Walker Bay region is also pitted as the world greatest land based whale-watching area. Between the months of July and November, Southern Right whales follow the sea currents from the South Pole and find their way into these sheltered waters to mate and spawn. This creates an awe-inspiring spectacle as these massive creatures cavort in close proximity to the sea cliffs on which the town is located. After lunch, check into our guest house and enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure. Time to explore this quaint town with its the shops and cliff paths overlooking the bay and the majestic Overberg mountains as a backdrop. Dinner will be served at a local restaurant this evening.
Overnight in an accessible Guest House, Hermanus – B/L/D
Day 06: GARDEN ROUTE - KNYSNA
After breakfast, we depart Hermanus for the start of our journey along the scenically beautiful Garden Route. Your route will take you via Mossel Bay and George to the coastal holiday village of Knysna – this quaint town has been voted South Africa’s favourite town. It is the place of adventure, with everything from adrenaline-thumping extreme sports to the more relaxing pleasures of arts, crafts and culture. The Waterfront at the Knysna Quays is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, and offers unusual restaurants, bookshops, clothes, gifts and jewellery stores. Lunch will be enjoyed at Knysna’s popular Waterfront. There are plenty of local restaurants to choose from as dinner venues.
Overnight in accessible 3 star Hotel, Knysna - B/L/D
Day 07: GARDEN ROUTE – KNYSNA AND SURROUNDS
After breakfast, we will make our way through the Outeniqua mountains, to the Karoo town of Oudtshoorn, the ostrich capital of the world. Here we enjoy a visit to the ever popular the Cango Wildlife Ranch and observe local and exotic predators like cheetah, lion, jaguar, puma and white Bengal tiger (optional)
The Cango Wildlife Ranch and its breeding centre is carefully designed so that its more than 47 species of animals and reptiles can roam peacefully in comfortable natural enclosures, giving visitors the opportunity to closely observe, and in some cases, interact with a wide variety of unusual and sometimes endangered animals.
Here you will also have the unique opportunity to stroke a live cheetah!! We return to Knysna in time to join a sunset cruise on the Knysna Lagoon on board the ‘John Benn’ ferry. A highlight will be the spectacular Knysna Heads. Dinner will be enjoyed at a local restaurant.
Overnight in accessible 3 star Hotel, Knysna - B/L/D
Day 08: GARDEN ROUTE – ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK
Today we continue our journey along the Garden Route via Plettenberg Bay, Tsitsikamma indigenous forest, and the friendly city of Port Elizabeth. 72kms from Port Elizabeth in the Sundays River Valley and Zuurberg Mountain range, we arrive at the Addo Elephant National Park – the best place in the world to get up close and personal with the biggest land mammal. This park is sanctuary to over 420 elephants, 450 Cape buffalo, black rhino, and a variety of antelope species.
Overnight accessible chalet, Addo Elephant National Park – B/L/D.
Day 09: GARDEN ROUTE – ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK
Enjoy a full day at leisure in the Addo Elephant National Park. There are various optional activities available including breathtaking horse-riding trails between herds of elephant, 4x4 adventure rides, nature and walking trails through pristine bush and of course game-viewing which guarantees close encounters with the parks’ main inhabitants. One can also enjoy guided night drives within the park, which offers an exhilerating experience of nocturnal landscape of the Addo bushveld.
Overnight accessible chalet, Addo Elephant National Park – B/L/D
Day 10: GARDEN ROUTE – PLETTENBERG BAY
Today, after breakfast, we check out and begin our journey west in the direction of our final destination, Cape Town. Do not despair, the fun is not over! We make our way to Plettenberg Bay which is arguably the most beautiful Garden Route town and a holiday makers and beach lovers paradise.
Afternoon at leisure.
Lunch and dinner will be served at local restaurants.
Overnight in accessible 3 star Hotel, Plettenberg Bay – B/L/D
Day 11: GARDEN ROUTE – KLEIN KAROO
After breakfast we leave Plettenberg Bay and drive through the Klein Karoo to Heidelberg. Nestling between the Langeberg Mountains and the Indian Ocean, this haven of tranquility bears no resemblance to the site back in 1899, where the rattle of gunfire heralded a battle fought between "Boer & Brit".
A warm welcome now awaits at this working farm, a 1 200-hectare ostrich, grain and sheep farm located between Swellendam and Heidelberg. Enjoy panoramic views over the rolling landscape and Langeberg mountains. Experience farm life at its best on a “hands on” farm tour with Neels the owner. Feed ostriches, observe sheep dogs in action and take part in a host of other farm activities. Then enjoy a home-cooked candlelight dinner at the family dining table.
Overnight in accessible room, Skeiding Guest farm, Swellendam - B/L/D
Day 12:
After breakfast, we depart and take a leisurely drive to Cape Town, stopping for lunch en route. Arrive in Cape Town in time to connect with your outbound flight or continue with onward journey.