The Garden Route stretches 300 kilometers along the south-western coast of Southern Africa. Accessible from three major airports, the garden route is easily combined with the vibrant city of Cape Town and a Big Five safari experience in Port Elizabeth. Most commonly explored as a self-drive, this beautifully scenic route consists of several major attractions including ostrich farms, pristine coastlines, natural forests, wildflowers, lagoons, hiking trails, whale watching, top golf courses, and an array of adrenalin activities.
The Garden Route is a popular tourist destination all year round.
Peak season is regarded to be in the summer between mid-December and early January. Due to the long December school holidays, the coastlines do tend to get very busy.
February to April are the ideal summer months for travelers planning a beach vacation, however, it is important to note that unlike Cape Town, the Garden Route can experience rain at any time of the year.
The winter wet season is predominantly from June through August. This is ideal for travelers with an interest in whale watching, as the season generally runs from June to October. Hiking is great in winter as well as the famous Knysna Festival which runs for 10 days in the month of July.
The Garden Route is a 300 kilometer stretch of the south-western coast of Southern Africa. Accessible from three major airports, the garden route is easily combined with the vibrant city of Cape Town, a safari in Port Elizabeth or with the commercial hub of the Garden Route known as George.
Most commonly explored as a self-drive, this beautifully scenic route consists of several major attractions.
Mossel Bay is a coastal village situated between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. This popular holiday town is surrounded by a sunbathed peninsula and the refreshing waters of the Indian Ocean. It is a busy summer destination as well as an ideal winter retreat, offering travelers an array of activities that include shark cage diving, hiking trails, abseiling, whale watching, and golfing.
Oudtshoorn is home to one of the world’s great natural wonders; the limestone Cango Caves. Oudtshoorn is also well known for its ostrich farms. Amidst the 400 ostrich farms surrounding the town, three have distinguished themselves worthy to be named " show farms". Become exposed to this exotic bird species, the largest in the world. Gaze with the awe at slithering crocodiles from all over the world. Imagine more than 400 crocodiles and alligators in their prehistoric unattractiveness.
George is the sixth oldest town in South Africa and is the Capital of the Southern Cape. The town is very centrally situated: halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth and is the center of the Garden Route - ideal from where to explore the areas many variants and diverse scenic wonders.
Wilderness is an all year round destination renowned for its warm hospitality and natural beauty. It is a great spot for water sports enthusiasts, who flock there regularly. There is 2500 hectare National Park with five rivers, five lakes, two estuaries and 18 kilometers of coastline. Wilderness sports many types of wildlife, in particular birds, making it the ideal location for bird-watchers. The many other types of recreation include hiking, dolphin and whale-watching, hang-gliding, paragliding, horse riding, mountain biking, scenic drives, Wilderness Lakes Art Route, day tours, ferry cruises, angling, boating and other water sports.
Sedgefield is a resort town located between Knysna and George and is the ideal location for outdoor enthusiasts and bird watchers. There are many hiking trails and bird hides established for just that pleasure. You can also marvel at the beautiful and colorful wildflowers and fynbos. To the west lies Swartvlei, forming a safe estuary for bathing. The estuary provides for good fishing for the enthusiastic angler and near Gerickes Point there are beautiful rock formations and a popular spot for spearfishing.
Knysna is renowned for its oysters and the Heads; which is the most striking geological feature along the entire southern African coastline. They flank a deep but potentially treacherous channel through which the sea pours in to flood the wide and breathtakingly pretty lagoon at the mouth of the Knysna River. Knysna has many attractions in the surrounding area including the Knysna Forest and Featherbed Nature Reserve.
Plettenberg Bay is a sporting paradise and boasts fabulous trails for hikers, mountain bikers, horse riders, and canoeists. The highlight of the area is undoubtedly the rivers, beaches and the bay with its ideal conditions for all facets of watersports, including sailing in the safe waters of the Bay, superb rock and surf fishing and scuba diving spots. Other popular attractions include the Plettenberg Elephant Park and Monkeyland.
Stormsriver / Tsitsikamma is the Khoi-San word for a place of many waters. The Tsitsikamma National Park is internationally recognized for its forests which harbor and conserve the giant Outeniqua yellowwood. Tsitsikamma is also Africa's oldest and largest marine reserve, playing a vital role in the preservation and conservation of marine fauna and flora. The region has many wonderfully scenic hiking trails including the world-renowned Otter Trail which is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Other activities include canopy tours, whale watching, and bungee jumping.
May 9, 2024
Great experience- very well organised…
Great experience- very well organised and trustworthy. 5 Stars
May 9, 2024
professional service
professional, courteous and prompt service from Heleen at all times.
May 9, 2024
Patient help and guidance to find just…
Patient help and guidance to find just what I wanted.
May 8, 2024
Pascal is a travel angel! Highly recommend him.
We started planning for our safari trip contacting a bunch of different travel advisors but Pascal's service truly stood out to us as the best in the industry. He took care of planning everything from start to finish for our very last minute honeymoon trip (literally a month out and during the busiest safari season). He is extremely meticulous and very responsive to our 100 questions. He shared first hand experiences at each of the different lodges, personal pictures and gave us solid recommendations within our budget. He hopped on a call with us initially to explain all the differences to us first time safari goers, and continued to be very flexible and patient with us as we couldn't decide! We are very excited for our trip and cannot thank Pascal enough for being our first interaction on our upcoming trip.
May 8, 2024
Tanya was very efficient with helping…
Tanya was very efficient with helping ME get the correct booking.
May 8, 2024
Pascal was so responsive
Pascal was so responsive, informative and delightful!! I am grateful for Pascal’s expertise!! Many thanks!! 🙏🏽🦋☮️
May 7, 2024
Very helpful even with ever changing trip!
Anja was very helpful in getting our tour booked for our group. With date changes, time changes, even up to the last minute flight changes, she was on top of things! We will use Safari.com in the future for our Kenya safari trips.
May 7, 2024
Wonderful experience with Safari.com
Wonderful experience with Safari.com. My Safari Agent, Dolan, has 20+ years of experience in booking a memorable safari. He guided me in picking the right lodging and safari within my budget. He offered several options and answered all my questions. His response time was fast, regardless of the international time difference, and we were able to make quick decisions. Highly recommend.
May 7, 2024
Dorothy was very helpful and courteous
Dorothy was very helpful and courteous. Very patient and kept me at ease. One thig did not work she offered something else. Amazing problem solving skills , communication and something I do not see a lot of today.. Great customer service!!!