Garden Route Self Drive: Cape Town to Port Elizabeth

Arrive in Cape Town
On arrival into Cape Town Airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.

Cape Town's most distinctive feature is its stunning setting: it lies on a dramatic coastline of pristine white beaches and ice waters, overlooked by the iconic flat-topped Table Mountain. Its attractions cover the natural world and the country's fascinating history in equal measure.

Cape Town City Tour
Departing between 8 and 8.30am, experience the highlights of the city as your drive through the city centre takes you past famous landmarks such as the Castle of Good Hope, City Hall and the Grand Parade. As your guide follows the city’s main thoroughfare of Adderley Street, you will see St. George’s Cathedral, before passing the Company Gardens and then the Malay Quarter (also known as the Bo-Kaap).

Continue to join a sparkling tour, during which you’ll witness the art of diamond cutting while discovering the history of the diamond and gold trade in South Africa. You will then be offered the option of continuing to Table Mountain, where you can ascend to the top (weather permitting) by revolving cable car (cost excluded and for your own account). See wildflowers, the famous silver tree, and marvel at a birds-eye view of the city and its beaches. On a clear day it is even possible to see Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on one side and Cape Point on the other.

* Please note that the Table Mountain Cableway tends to close for annual maintenance usually from mid July until the beginning of September. If this happens again in 2025, during the closure, we can include a drive to Signal Hill to take in the amazing views of Table mountain from there. Table Mountain has not released their 2025 Maintenance dates yet.

Cape Point & Peninsula Tour
The tour commences with a pick up at your hotel between approximately 8:00am and 8:30am. Travel along the Atlantic Seaboard via Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay, stopping at a Llandudno look-out point before continuing to Hout Bay, a quaint village and fishing harbour with magnificent mountain views and beach. On through Chapman's Peak, one of the world's most breathtaking coastal drives, to Cape Point and the Good Hope Nature Reserve, which has magnificent fynbos vegetation, birdlife, endemic antelope species and zebra, historic lighthouses and shipwrecks. Cape Point is perceived to be the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

After lunch at a nearby restaurant (not included in cost), go on to historic Simon's Town, a village with charming Victorian architecture, a naval base and a large penguin colony at the beautiful Boulders Beach. Boulders Penguin Colony is home to a growing colony of the vulnerable African Penguin. Wooden walkways allow visitors to view the penguins in their natural habitat and there is also a new information centre.

You then make your way to visit the well-known Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. The Garden is one of eight National Botanical Gardens covering five of South Africa's six different biomes. When Kirstenbosch, the most famous of the gardens, was founded in 1913 to preserve the country's unique flora, it was the first botanical garden in the world with this ethos. The garden is world-renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape Flora it displays and for the magnificence of its setting against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. You will be returned to your hotel at approximately 17:30.

Self Drive: Winelands Tour
An easy drive from Cape Town, the Winelands dramatic mountains stand guard over a quilt of working vineyards, elegant Cape Dutch estates and quaint towns boasting top restaurants, hotels and spas. Sample some of the regions award-winning wine offerings, stroll through exquisitely maintained gardens or explore art galleries and antique shops in the oak-lined streets of the local towns. The buzzing university village of Stellenbosch was named after the Governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel and, as the historic hub of the Winelands it is surrounded by around 200 wineries.

Franschhoek, a charming town with French Hugenot heritage is arguably the culinary headquarters of the country and home to the creative genius of a number of resident chefs. Framed by a majestic backdrop of the Helderberg Mountains, Paarl lies peacefully nestled amongst vineyards laden with the harvest's finest offerings. Enjoy gourmet meals lovingly prepared by experienced chefs and served in lush gardens, or stylish restaurants. Sample local wines and explore the cellars of well-established wine farms. The Winelands is all about stepping back from the hectic pace of modern living, and appreciating the finer things in life in some of the most gorgeous and tranquil locations this country has to offer.

Breakfast included.

Self Drive: Winelands - Hermanus
Today you will drive to Hermanus for a one night stay. Enjoy beautiful scenery along the way. Experience the delightful local culture, small restaurants and perhaps hear the sounds of the 'Whale Crier' signalling the arrival of a Southern Right Whale in the bay.

Self Drive: Hermanus - Oudtshoorn
Travel along the scenic Route 62 to the Klein Karoo town of Oudtshoorn, passing towns such as Montagu, Barrydale, Ladismith and Calitzdorp. Oudtshoorn is the "Capital" of the semi-desert area known as the Karoo.

Breakfast included.

Free Day
Today spend the day exploring. Oudtshoorn is also known as the Ostrich Capital of the world playing host to 90% of the world's ostrich population. Stop at an Ostrich Farm, where you can enjoy an informative tour (not included). Drive through to the Cango Caves for a tour of the caves (not included) or take a Meerkat Safari (not included) - go out before sunrise and encounter meerkats in a non-invasive way gaining a real insight into their lives, within their natural habitat.

Breakfast included.

Self Drive: Oudtshoorn - Knysna/Plettenberg Bay
Today you will day we will continue our journey towards Knysna/Plettenberg Bay, also known as the pearl of the Garden Route and Millionaires Playground. Knysna is surrounded by a natural paradise of lush indigenous forests, tranquil lakes and golden beaches, making it a real natural wonderland. Plettenberg Bay is tranquil and charming, hospitable and rather beautiful, with its exceptional climate, and beautiful views over the Indian Ocean, Plettenberg Bay is perfect for exploring, watching or just lazing.

Self Drive: Knysna/Plettenberg Bay - Port Elizabeth
Today we will head to Port Elizabeth. Why not stop en route at the Storms River Bridge to take in the magnificent views over the gorge.