Garden Route & Wine Adventure 7D/6N

Duration: 7 Days

Departure Time: 06:00

Start with a morning pick-up from selected hotels in Cape Town city cantre (usually between +/- 6 and 8am, subject to the pickup route). 

This combo tour package may run in a different order. You may start by travelling to the Winelands, Cape Point or the Garden Route. If you start on the Garden Route tour portion; this is the itinerary guideline to follow:

Wind your way through mountain passes where lazy baboons line the roadside;  rolling farmlands and fertile microclimates with rows and rows of grapevines. 

Get ready for the famous Route 62, modeled after America’s Route 66, but with a distinctly local flavour and the longest wine route in the world. The Route 62 is more than just a leisurely drive – showcasing local culture, food, larger-than-life local characters and world-class wines. Wine lovers will be in their element with a Wine Tasting pit stop to sample some of the local produce about midway to your overnight stop. Few things are more beautiful to behold than the innate majestic beauty of this Valley of Wine with a glass of wine in hand. 

Complete the day with a journey through the landscape of rugged plains and towering cliffs to reach Oudtshoorn, the ostrich capital of the world, situated in the semi-desert Klein Karoo. Those seeking a close encounter with Mother Nature can join rangers on an optional Elephant Educational Observation in nature at the Buffelsdrift private game reserve. Follow these three rescued elephants; Jabari, Malaika and Bulelo. These gentle giants were orphaned when their parents were poached in the north of South Africa. In efforts to keep the family together, they were transferred to Buffelsdrift, bringing their boisterous personalities with them. You are free to take pictures from a distance and can ask the rangers as many questions.

You’ll spend the evening here at leisure in this countryside town of Oudtshoorn. Either ask your guide to help you book a restaurant or taste local delights - such as ostrich "sosaties" (kebabs) and "pot brood" (bread cooked on open flames) at an optional 'braai' bbq experience (subject to availability) and spend the evening around a crackling fire under the vast twinkling starry country sky.

Wake up in Oudsthoorn, where the ostrich reigns supreme. If you haven’t picked it up from the bird-filled paddocks and farms lining the highway or the colourful feather stalls on the way to town centre, you will from the many show farm signs and the palatial sandstone homesteads that hark back to an era when ostrich feathers were worth more than gold. The Cango Ostrich Show Farm gives you a glimpse into the farming industry, allowing you to observe the world’s biggest bird beak-to-beak and test the toughness of the shells. 

Head to the mountains to delve deep underground to the magical Cango Caves’ limestone chambers, alive with drip formation stalactites and stalagmites and remnants of Khoikhoi paintings. Opt for the easy-going Heritage Tour to test the cave’s acoustics and gain insights your guide provides into the formation and dripstone evolution. By contrast, the Adventure Tour (if available) allows would-be contortionists to squeeze, twist and wiggle their way through limestone chimneys on a rather more adventurous underground route.  

*Important notice for end of year peak season tours: For travel from 10 Dec to 10 Jan, this tour will overnight 2 nights at Jeffreys bay and not in Addo town.

Rise early to visit Addo Elephant National Park to see wildlife as the bush awakes.  Your guide will use local knowledge to pinpoint the whereabouts of the park’s big game animals while deftly navigating the maze of dusty dirt roads in search of some of the Big Five animals. Those who opt in to partake in the optional 4x4 Addo Safari in a large open-top truck get double the opportunity to spot animals. 

From safari to surf; after the morning of safari adventures the journey continues towards the coast. The large white caps (or seahorses as the locals call the surf break) of Jeffreys Bay herald your arrival into South Africa’s quintessential ‘Surf City’. Hang ten with the locals and slip into a relaxed frame of mind at the beach while enjoying the warmer Indian ocean waters. Shopaholics can visit the JBay’s surf wear shoppers village or if you’ve always fancied surfing at this world famous surf spot ; then put your goofy foot forward and go for it. Opt to fill your afternoon with a choice of the following optionals: book Surfing equipment (or surf lessons if time permits), Beach Horseback Riding or try Sandboarding as an alternative way to adventure along the sandy coastline.

End the day with dinner at the backpackers accommodation or a night out to a local seafood delicacy restaurant, listening to the sounds of the waves lap against the shore.

Lush green landscapes and adventure go hand in hand on this adrenaline-packed day... from ziplining over gushing river gorges, breathtakingly-beautiful ocean and river views atop Bloukrans Bridge and exploring dense forests along suspension bridges and footpaths in Tsitsikamma National Park - today is all about the "garden" of the Garden Route!

Calling all adrenalin junkies: get ready for the highest Bungy Bridge Jump in the world. The bungy bridge itself is fairly unassuming as you drive over it, but it’s pretty apparent from the squeals and screams that this isn’t your average photo stop. Here, seemingly normal people hurtle face first down the 216m drop only to spring back up on their elastic cord like a yo-yo. So if you're feeling daring, why not face your fears and have a go? 

For a more relaxed thrill, Waterfall Ziplining through dramatic scenery and over waterfalls in the nearby Tsitsikamma forest. You’ll complete about five individual slides (the longest is 211 meters in length), zip over three waterfalls and slide down one impressive gorge. 

This region is a playground for the outdoors, and for those who'd prefer to keep their feet on solid ground a visit to the lush forests of the Tsitsikamma National Park is sure to provide your essential forest fix. From birding to game spotting and waterfall chasing; your Tsitsikamma to-do list will be absolutely jam-packed.  A short but steep walk to Tsitsikamma’s suspension bridge is worth it for the views alone, but the abundant reptile and bird wildlife, secret waterfall and sandy beach is waiting to amaze and delight you along the forest footpaths. 

As you head along the coastal belt, the paradise-like coastal towns show off and display why this region is a favourite with holiday goers and locals alike. Stop for the obligatory photo op at Knysna Heads, a pair of rocky sandstone cliffs on the edge of the lagoon, to drink in the exquisitely scenic lagoon views surrounded by ancient forests.

Spend the evening soaking in the slow town way of life in Sedgefield, Wilderness. Take a walk along the uninterrupted sandy beach shores at sunset, this place oozes serenity, the ideal way to reset your inner calm. After your recharged stroll check out the rustic beach restaurant if you are in Sedgefield or venture into town for a more intimate dinner if you overnight in the Wilderness area. 

Today start off strong with another beautiful and exciting trip passing oasis-like coastal towns along the ocean-lined route hugged by forested national parks. 

Venture along the N2 national road as you return to the Cape.  Choose to do another optional Botlierskop 4x4 Safari drive at this private game reserve.

After all the excitement of the past 5 days along the Garden Route; ticking off the region's bucket list items and exploring the best spots of the region, you'll say your goodbyes as you reach Cape Town.

Join an outsourced Cape Winelands small group day tour

Subject to availability, a similar trip with a different supplier may be booked.

Your guide will collect you from selected hotels in Cape Town city area (around 7am-8am). Wine- and nature lovers alike are in for a treat on this tasting exploration of the Cape Winelands' best. Not only do you visit three esteemed wine farms for fine wine tastings and phenomenal pairings with cheese and chocolate in the Paarl, Stellenbosch, and Franschhoek regions; the extraordinary scenery along the way will also transport you back to yesteryear to reminisce among white gabled buildings and impressive manor houses flanked by the soaring mountain ranges.

Firstly you'll visit the cheese haven of Fairview for a farmer's tasting of their wine with local produce. Venture onwards to Franschhoek for a unique way to explore the region's wine valley by rail on a scenic one-way Franschhoek Wine Tram journey to taste fine wines at a local winery, either Rickety Bridge or Plaisir wine estate - subject to the day's tram route or availability.

For lunch, you can experience the self-proclaimed culinary capital of South Africa, Franschhoek and end your meander along the Winelands for the third wine tasting stop, before heading back to the Cape Town region late afternoon(± 5 to 6pm - subject to trafic or the group itinerary timings). 

Join an outsourced Cape Point small group day tour

Subject to availability, a similar trip with a different supplier may be booked.

Start with an early morning pick-up (±6 to 7am) from your Cape Town accommodation. Hout Bay, an unassuming fishing village on the northern side of Chapman’s Peak, is the first stop of the day and offers the chance to visit the seal colony of Duiker Island, just a short cruise from shore. For those without their sea legs, rather explore the local harbour market and snap Instagram-worthy pics of colourful fishing boats.

As you leave Hout Bay behind, you’ll take on a staggering 114 mind-blowingly beautiful bends – stretching over nine jaw-dropping kilometres. Chapman’s Peak road, or Chappies to the locals, is touted as one of the world’s most scenic drives – and with good reason. Rugged mountains face off with the Atlantic and the roadway, an incredible feat of engineering, cuts a swathe right through and provides unparalleled views of the Atlantic below.

Chappies sets the scene for the afternoon’s adventuring as you venture onwards to the Cape of Good Hope, the most southwesterly point of Africa. Here, water and wilderness literally collide and create a picturesque jagged shoreline adorned with greenish fringes of fynbos. This is a place to pay tribute to ancient seafarers of old like Bartolomeu Dias (who discovered the Cape of Good Hope back in 1488) and pioneers, like Vasco da Gama, who journeyed through these treacherous waters from Portugal to India.

Indigenous fauna lines narrow winding pathways en route to the Cape’s whitewashed lighthouse, with views well worth the climb. Local wildlife – ostriches, baboons, and various antelope species, including bontebok – keep the journey interesting and add plenty of postcard moments for the shutterbugs. On the hillside, an optional funicular eases the journey for those that want to reach the top of the lighthouse.

As the day lengthens, travel to Simon’s Town, perched on the shores of False Bay and the home of the South African Navy. Just a few minutes to the south lies Boulders Beach, a comely stretch of sand littered with granite. This hotspot is home to a large colony of African penguins who strut their stuff in their black and white feathered finery to the delight of the crowds that gather to watch. Boardwalks separate man from bird and provide the perfect vantage point to see these cute creatures.

You'll reach Cape Town by late afternoon