Discover South Africa's Garden Route
Experience Overview
The Garden Route, the greatest road trip in South Africa, deserves an adventure to match. So, join this activity-packed itinerary for a showcase of its greatest experiences, handpicked by the local experts. You’ll discover the wonders of Cape Town and the glorious Cape Peninsula, ride the wine tram to legendary wine estates, marvel at mischievous meerkats, cruise the beautiful Knysna waterfront and hike through the dramatic landscapes of Tsitsikamma National Park. It ends with an unforgettable safari through the African bush, spotting beasts big and small with the help of an expert ranger.
Profile
— Accommodation: 6 Superior nights (hotels), 3 Classic nights (hotels) — Travel by private minibus — Group normally 4 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16
At a Glance
— Accommodation: 6 Superior nights (hotels), 3 Classic nights (hotels) — Travel by private minibus — Group normally 4 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16
Trip For You
This trip is graded Activity Level 1 (Easy). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.
Walks: This is primarily a vehicle-based adventure, although we can take walks in Tsitsikamma National Park, Meiringspoort Waterfall, Hermanus and the Cape Peninsula. These are generally along good paths and boardwalks and take about one to two hours.
Drive times: These can vary but the maximum amount of driving in one day is approximately five hours with stops throughout. On most days, we are on the road for less than three hours (not including stops or game drives).
Legal note: All group members joining this tour are asked to sign an indemnity form at the start of the trip. It’s a requirement of the South African Tourism Service Association, of which our local supplier is a member. As a client of Exodus Travels Ltd, your rights under the Package Travel Regulations (1992) are unaffected, and Exodus remains liable for the actions of our sub-contractors.
Eating Drinking
Food on this trip is very similar to the kind of food you are used to at home, though there may be the opportunity to try local meats such as ostrich, kudu or eland. Vegetarians and vegans can be well catered for – please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests so our local team can be well prepared.
Transportation
We use a minibus for this trip. Each is fitted with forward-facing seats and tows a luggage trailer. They have large windows for good views while touring.
Joining Instructions
Key information
Start hotel: Protea Hotel Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge, Portswood Rd, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, 8001
Phone: +27 21 406 1911
Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today. There will be a welcome briefing around 6pm.
Airport: Cape Town (CPT)
Getting to the start hotel
We provide one group transfer from the airport to the hotel, which you can join at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the transfer times or to arrange a private transfer.
Flying via Johannesburg
If you are travelling on flights via Johannesburg, please note that you will need to collect your baggage in Johannesburg, even if your bag has been checked all the way through to Port Elizabeth (and even if you are told you do not need to pick it up). After collecting the bag, you are required to clear customs, and you should then drop it off at the bag drop for the onward flight. This only applies to the outbound flight – you do not need to do this at the end of the trip on the return flight.
Catching your return flight
There’s one group transfer to Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport (PLZ), which you can join at no extra cost. Please speak to your sales representative for the time of the transfer. If the group transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative.
Weather Information
Summer is from October to April and the average daytime temperature is 25C-30C (77F-86F). The average night-time temperature is 10C-20C (50F-68F). Winter is from May to September and average temperatures are colder. In general, however, the Cape Town climate is quite mild. Summer is typically dry and warm, but the southeasterly wind can blow up to 43mph (70kph) at least a few times a month. This helps to cool things but can be a little unpleasant if one is walking in exposed areas. Most of the rainfall is in winter but it is frontal rain off the Atlantic. Therefore, it can rain solidly for two days, and in between there will be warm, sunny days. It is fairly common to experience tabletop clouds on the higher mountains. Our programme is flexible enough to accommodate any major changes in weather and still make it enjoyable.
Spending Money
For meals not included, average costs are:
— Dinners: 340-510 rand (US$20‐US$30) — Lunches: 135-220 rand (US$8-US$13) — Incidentals: Allow about 170 rand (US$10) per day
Tipping
Our local staff are paid fairly for their work; however, tipping is part of the culture in South Africa.
For suggestions on how much to tip, we recommend:
Tour leader: 180 rand (US$10) per dayDrivers: 100 rand (US$5.50) per dayRangers: 180 rand (US$10) per dayHotel staff: 80 rand (US$4.50) per dayRestaurants: 10% of the bill
Highlights
— Experience the very best of the Garden Route, guided by an expert tour leader — Tour the highlights of Cape Town, including a cable car ride up Table Mountain — Explore the South African winelands on the iconic wine tram — Take your adventure underground at the 20m-year-old Cango Caves — Marvel at meerkats and penguins - South Africa's lesser-known wildlife experiences — Spot lions, elephants and more on an African bush safari with a keen-eyed ranger
Trip Details
Product Code: 35610
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: touring.
Guide Language: English
Tour Operator:
Exodus Travel
Supplier Code: AHO
Starts: Cape Town, Cape Town
Finishes: Cape Town, Cape Town
Duration: 10 days
Departures: Not Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Unknown
Includes
— All breakfasts, two lunches and three dinners — All accommodation — All transport and listed activities — Tour leader throughoutAccommodation
A selection of hotelsWe aim to secure locally owned accommodation that is well located, offers good value for money, and plenty of comfort. To help you find your ideal adventure, each trip is given a Comfort Level rating, which indicates the overall standard of accommodation. For more on our ratings, see our Comfort Level guidelines. Tailor your trip: Extend your adventure by securing extra hotel nights before or after the main itinerary. Speak to your sales representative to book. Private rooms: Like most tour operators, we room solo passengers together. If you’d prefer to have a private room, it’s normally possible to do this for a supplement. Speak to your sales representative to book.
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $5,130 ($513 /day)
Itinerary
Begin your adventure in cosmopolitan Cape Town, undeniably beautiful, culturally rich and a gateway to the Garden Route. Around 6pm, say howzit to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. Your tour leader then ensures a big South African welcome by arranging a group dinner. Want to explore Cape Town further? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative. Accommodation: Protea Hotel Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge (or similar)
Discover the wonders of Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula today. It starts with a driving tour around the city, our tour leader showing us the key landmarks, including the Castle of Good Hope, Grand Parade and St George’s Cathedral. We then head to the iconic Table Mountain, where we ascend to the top by cable car, weather permitting, for glorious views over Cape Town, Robben Island and the Twelve Apostles. After, drive to the Cape Peninsula, where we visit the Cape of Good Hope, a spectacular promontory jutting into the Atlantic, and take a funicular to the lighthouse, before returning to the hotel. Accommodation: Protea Hotel Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge (or similar)
Depart Cape Town, taking the 2hr 20min coastal road to Hermanus, stopping en route at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens and Stony Point to view the resident African penguins. The beautiful seaside town of Hermanus offers some of the best shore-based whale watching in the world during the whale season (August to November), particularly of the southern right whale. Enjoy free time to explore and eat lunch, before returning to Cape Town. Accommodation: Protea Hotel Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge (or similar)
We’re off to Franschhoek today (a 1hr 45min drive), labelled the wine capital of South Africa, to tour picturesque vineyards on the legendary wine tram. This hop-on, hop-off experience provides an entertaining and leisurely way to explore the Franschhoek Valley. The combination of tram and tram bus transports us around a loop, allowing the group to jump off at some of the oldest and most-distinguished wine estates in the world, while also discovering the history of the region and wine cultivation with two tastings. Accommodation: PH by Marriott Stellenbosch Dorpshuis and Spa (or similar)
Bid farewell to the Winelands and transfer (five hours) to one of South Africa’s greatest natural treasures: the Cango Caves. Formed over 20m years, this extensive complex of caverns is home to magnificent stalactites and stalagmites, which we learn all about from a local guide. After, we gather for an essential South African experience: a braai! It's as much a social occasion as it is a barbecue, with everyone coming together to enjoy each other's company, the beautiful scenery and a delicious meal. Accommodation: De Opstal Country Lodge (or similar)
Wake early this morning for our 6.15am transfer to Buffelsdrift Farm. Joined by a trained ranger, we head into the farm’s Klein Karoo landscape of arid semi-dessert to observe the resident meerkats as they forage and frolic around their burrows. Leaving the farm, we transfer (45 minutes) to Meiringspoort Waterfall, where a stream tumbles down a smooth rock face into a deep pool. Bring your swimwear, it may be possible to take a dip in the pool beneath the cascade. After, we continue (2hr 25min) to Knysna, where we spend the next two nights. Accommodation: aha Rex Hotel (or similar)
Enjoy a morning at leisure, with the opportunity to book optional activities, such as zip lining, quad biking or a monster scooter tour. At midday, we leave the hotel and board the Featherbed ferry for a 30-minute cruise along the scenic waterfront. Our journey takes us to the Featherbed Nature Reserve, where we ride a 4x4 to spectacular viewpoints and learn all about the local history, flora and fauna from a specialist guide. You can also join an optional guided walk (1.2mi/2km) through coastal forest, fynbos and ancient sea caves. After, we enjoy a delicious buffet lunch under a canopy of milkwood trees. Returning to Knysna Waterfront, take time to explore, enjoying the mix of leisure, shopping and dining activities, before heading back to the hotel for a relaxing evening. Accommodation: aha Rex Hotel (or similar)
After breakfast, we transfer (three hours) to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Along the way, we visit Bloukrans Bridge (home to the highest commercially operated bungy jump in the world) and Tsitsikamma National Park, where we visit Storms River Mouth (weather permitting), the end point of the Garden Route. Accommodation: The Kelway Hotel (or similar)
Spend your final full day in South Africa exploring Amakhala Game Reserve, riding an open Land Rover in search for iconic safari animals. We’re joined by an experienced game ranger, who knows all the animals’ favourite hiding spots, with the chance to see wildebeest, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras and antelopes. After returning to the hotel to refresh, we head out together for a farewell dinner, the ideal opportunity to recount tales from the adventure. Accommodation: The Kelway Hotel (or similar)
The adventure ends today, and we begin our return journeys home. If you’d like more time to explore Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.
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Tour Operator
Exodus Travel
It’s all about adventure That is what Exodus was founded upon 50 years ago, and what the company is still all about. Discovering countries, cultures, environments, cities, mountain ranges, deserts, coasts and jungles; exploring this amazing planet we all live on. At Exodus, we know what makes you tick when it comes to holidays. It’s a desire shared by so many others. A yearning to visit new places and come home with a real sense of what they’re all about. This means delving into local traditions, cultures, cuisine, lifestyles – anything that contributes to its unique identity. At the same time, we always remember that we are only guests. So we travel courteously and respectfully, in smaller groups to minimise our impact, to ensure that every Exodus holiday is a beneficial experience for everyone involved. This is a philosophy we take with us around the world, helping you reach some incredible destinations on 500 itineraries across over 90 separate countries. We also strive to provide as much flexibility and choice as we possibly can, making it simple for you to experience a very different holiday. Exodus started life on 4 February 1974 when two friends got together to provide an overland truck to travel to the Minaret of Jam, deep in the heart of the Hindu Kush, the most inaccessible of the world’s great monuments. See our history page for more details about how we began and how we have grown over the past 50 years. Never travelled with Exodus before? Visit our New to Exodus page for some useful, first-timer information.
In Business Since 1974
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