5-Day Garden Route & Addo Safari Tour from Cape Town

Route 62 and Oudtshoorn, the ostrich capital

The first day follows Route 62, the scenic inland alternative to the coastal highway, which winds through fruit orchards, mountain passes and the semi-desert of the Little Karoo. The road passes small towns with Cape Dutch houses and dramatic gorges, with stops for photos and a break on the way, about six hours of travel in total.

Oudtshoorn, at the end of the day, is a quiet town that grew rich in the late nineteenth century on the trade in ostrich feathers, when they were fashionable in Europe. The grand sandstone houses built by feather merchants still stand, and ostrich farms dot the surrounding valley. The town is the base for the Cango Caves and the first overnight stop of this Garden Route tour from Cape Town.

The Cango Caves in the Swartberg foothills

The Cango Caves lie in the limestone foothills of the Swartberg mountains, about half an hour north of Oudtshoorn. They have been known since the late eighteenth century and are the most visited show caves in Africa. A guided tour leads through vast underground halls filled with stalactites, stalagmites and flowstone formations that took many thousands of years to grow, lit to reveal their colours.

The included tour follows the main halls on comfortable paths and takes about an hour; the caves stay at a pleasant temperature all year. Are the Cango Caves worth visiting? They are a highlight of the region and a great contrast to the coast and the bush. After the caves the route continues east, with a stop at a farm stall to taste traditional South African treats.

Addo Elephant National Park safari

Addo Elephant National Park, near Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, was created in 1931 to protect the last elephants of the region and is now the third-largest national park in South Africa. Its dense valley thicket and waterholes are home to large elephant herds, as well as buffalo, zebra, kudu, warthog, black rhino, lions and spotted hyena.

On day three you rise early for the best chance of wildlife, then join the included two-hour game drive with your guide. Elephants are seen on most visits, while the other animals need patience and luck; sightings are never guaranteed. Addo is malaria-free, which makes this Garden Route safari easy for every traveller.

Jeffreys Bay, the surf town

Jeffreys Bay, known simply as J-Bay, is a relaxed coastal town famous worldwide for its long right-hand wave at Supertubes, a magnet for surfers. After the safari morning the group drives here for free time on the beach, a walk along the shore or a visit to the surf shops in town.

If you want more action, optional surfing lessons or horse riding on the beach can be booked locally at extra cost, depending on the weather. In peak season, from mid-December to early January, the group may spend two nights in Jeffreys Bay instead of one in Addo, and the guide explains the plan at the start of the tour.

Tsitsikamma National Park and the Storms River Mouth

Tsitsikamma, part of the Garden Route National Park, protects a wild coastline of cliffs and indigenous forest with giant yellowwood trees. At the Storms River Mouth a trail leads through the forest to a suspension bridge swinging over the river where it meets the ocean, with views of a secret pebbled beach below. Entry to the park is included.

Nearby, the Bloukrans Bridge is home to the highest commercial bridge bungy jump in the world, and there is a zipline over the forest waterfalls; both are optional and paid locally. Travellers who prefer a calmer day can spend more time in the park instead. The forest trail to the bridge takes about an hour return on wooden boardwalks and steps.

Knysna lagoon and the private reserve safari

Knysna sits on a wide lagoon guarded by the Knysna Heads, two sandstone cliffs where the lagoon meets the ocean through a narrow channel. The tour stops for photos on the lagoon before reaching Sedgefield for the last night. On day five the road leads back west along the coast to a private game reserve near Mossel Bay for a two to three-hour game drive in an open 4x4 vehicle.

In the reserve you search for elephants, rhinos, lions, buffalo, giraffes and antelope in the native bushveld, a final safari before the drive home. Leopards are rarely seen in the Western Cape, and no sighting can be promised. The group reaches Cape Town between about eight and ten in the evening.