South Africa - Garden Route
Prices quoted are correct as of June 2026
The Garden Route is one of the highlights of South Africa, stretching from Storms River in the Eastern Cape through to Mossel Bay in the Western Cape it is one of South Africa’s biggest tourist attractions.
Storms River forms the eastern edge and is located about 125 km (78 miles) west of Port Elizabeth and it also forms the eastern edge of the Tsitsikamma National Park. The park is a combination of 50 miles of rugged coastline and dense forestation. The main centre is at the Storms River end of the park. As well as a visitor centre and restaurant there are a series of trails starting here, the most popular one is along the side of the cliffs before descending to a series of suspension bridges crossing river estuaries and crashing waves – not for those with vertigo – the experience is amazing. Another trail takes in the woodland and culminates at a viewpoint from where visitors may be able to whale watch.The “grand daddy” of the trails is the 41km (24 mile) Otter Trail. The trail takes five days to complete, including some very steep climbs.
Knysna is said to be the most stunning resort on the Garden Route. It is home to a large lagoon, the entrance of which is guarded by very narrow straights, formed by two headlands. Knysna used to be a thriving port until Lloyds of London deemed it too dangerous to navigate and refused to insure ships to pass through. Now it is a home to migratory birds and human residents wanting somewhere with a stunning view. The more westerly headland is home to the Featherbed Nature reserve, reached by a boat trip across the lagoon. Once at the reserve a 4x4 land train takes visitors to the top of the headland, from where there are stunning views. Most visitors choose to take the stunning 2.2km (1.3 mile) trail back to the bottom. The trail can be steep in places but it offers stunning views and there are marker boards throughout. Once at the bottom the path follows the lagoon, vis sea caves, back to the jetty and the restaurant. For those who do not fancy the hike the land train will return them to the bottom where they can relax or take a less strenuous coastal stroll. The cost, including boat crossing from Knysna, a tour guide and an excellent buffet lunch (duration 4 hours) is 540 rand (£27) for adults, 255 rand (£12.50) for 11-15 year olds and 120 rand (£6) for 4-10 year olds. Without the buffet the costs are 380 rand (£19), 130 rand (£6.50) and 60 rand (£3) respectively and that tour lasts three hours.
Go slightly north of the coast and across the Cape Fold Mountains and you find the Great Karoo, a semi-desert area with some great attractions. There is plenty of farming in this area with the lamb a speciality but the biggest farming effort is the ostrich industry and many Ostrich farms welcome visitors and have café’s / restaurants selling ostrich meat, which is very lean and healthy and has a taste and texture similar to beef, with a hint of turkey. A word of advice, if you’re going to try the ostrich meat, and I thoroughly recommend it, make sure you eat it before you visit the farm as you may not be so keen once you’ve seen the doe eyed ostrich’s.
The Cango Caves, near Oudtshoorn, are quite spectacular and are the only show caves in South Africa to offer two different types of tours.The Heritage Tour, every hour on the hour, takes an hour and costs 85 rand (£4.25) for adults and 50 rand (£2.50) for children and it takes in the main chambers and is led by a guide.
The adventure tour, every hour on the half-hour, 105 rand (£5) for adults and 65 rand (£3.25) for children goes deeper into the caves through some very narrow passages, some of which involve having to hang upside down. There are size and health restrictions in place for the adventure tour.
Both tours are very popular and because the caves are a conservation area numbers are restricted, therefore advance booing for both tours is essential.
Oudtshoorn itself is a delightful town with a colonial feel to it and is well worth a visit.Most of the Garden Route is covered by Route 62, South Africa’s version of Route 66. Keep on the route and you will see stunning scenery but it’s also worth diverting off to visit some of the treasures.
Route 62 continues beyond the Garden Route well into the Western Cape and one worthwhile diversion is to Cape Agulhas, the most southern point of the African continent and where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet.
During the late winter / early spring (July to November) Hermanus becomes a major tourist attraction as the bay attracts whales and people flock to watch them basking or breaching.There are some interesting sculptures along the coastline, although it has to be said the town is a bit touristy. There are plenty of restaurants, many seafood, and the quality varies from sublime to questionable.
If you’re a book lover then Hemingways Bookshop in Hermanus is a must, it‘s a quirky treasure trove and you will need a cast iron will not to buy a book here.
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