Cape Town, Garden Route & Safari - 11 Days

Welcome to South Africa. On arrival at Cape Town International Airport, you will be met and transferred to our hotel in the city. The rest of your first day is at leisure.

You will meet your guide in the hotel reception before we set off on a half-day Cape Town tour, designed to introduce you to the city’s layered history and lively mix of cultures. We begin with a cableway ride to the top of Table Mountain (cableway ticket not included), one of the world’s natural wonders and Cape Town’s most iconic landmark. From the summit, we follow a few of the walking trails and take in the sweeping viewpoints over the City Bowl, Table Bay, the Atlantic Seaboard and the Peninsula.

After our time on the mountain, we return to the city to explore the colourful Bo-Kaap, known for its bright houses and Cape Malay heritage. We continue with a gentle walk through the Company Gardens, originally laid out in the 1650s to supply passing ships, and still a calm green space in the heart of the city. An orientation drive follows, giving us a look at several key historical sites, including the Castle of Good Hope, South Africa’s oldest surviving building, as well as City Hall, the Grand Parade and Adderley Street.

The remainder of the day is at your leisure. You can choose from a wide range of optional activities and excursions to experience more of what Cape Town has to offer.

Meet your guide in the hotel reception before we set off on a full-day Cape Peninsula tour. Often celebrated as one of the world’s most beautiful regions, the Peninsula offers dramatic scenery, remarkable biodiversity and a route packed with memorable viewpoints. Today we travel along its coastline and through the Cape Floral Kingdom, a recognised World Heritage Site.

We begin by driving along the Atlantic Seaboard, passing the beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay, with a photo stop at Maidens Cove for views of the Twelve Apostles, Camps Bay Beach and Lion’s Head. From here we continue to Hout Bay, a busy working harbour, where you have the option to take a boat ride to Duiker Island to see the Cape Fur Seals (not included).

The journey then takes us along Chapman’s Peak Drive, regarded as one of the world’s most scenic coastal roads, before we enter the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Here we visit Cape Point and the most south-western point of Africa, an area known for its rugged coastline and sweeping ocean views.

We return along the False Bay coast, keeping an eye out for whales between June and November. A visit to Boulders Beach follows, where you can see the colony of African penguins up close. We then pass through Simon’s Town, home to South Africa’s naval base, before enjoying the picturesque drive past Kalk Bay and Muizenberg with its colourful beach huts. Back in Cape Town, the rest of the day is at leisure.

Enjoy a day at leisure in Cape Town or embark on an optional tour of the Cape Winelands (bookable locally).

If choosing the tour, we set off at 9:00 for our full-day Cape Winelands tour. Just 45 minutes from Cape Town, the Winelands are framed by rugged mountains, rolling vineyards and classic Cape Dutch architecture. The region centres on the historic towns of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl, and is home to more than 150 wine estates producing world-class wines. It is also renowned for its award-winning restaurants, making it one of South Africa’s most celebrated food-and-wine destinations. During the tour, we'll enjoy three included wine tastings at different estates, as well as a chocolate or cheese tasting session. After the tour, we head back to Cape Town for a final night.

Cape Town - Barrydale - Oudtshoorn. Say farewell to Cape Town as we depart at 09:00 for the stunning Garden Route.

We follow the famous Route 62 from the Cape Winelands to Oudtshoorn, a journey of roughly 420 km with an approximate driving time of 5 hours, or around 7 hours with stops. Once named the world’s best road trip destination by CNN, Route 62 is known for its dramatic landscapes, farm stalls and small towns, as well as its reputation as the world’s longest wine route. About halfway through the journey we reach Barrydale, a pleasant spot to pause for lunch (not included).

On arrival in Oudtshoorn, we check in at our accommodation and settle into the peaceful setting of a working ostrich farm. Dinner (not included) can be enjoyed either at your accommodation or at a restaurant in town.

Oudtshoorn - Knysna. At 09:00 we embark on a full day of exploring Oudtshoorn's surroundings. Our first stop is the Cango Caves, located about 30 km from Oudtshoorn. Here we join the 11:00 Heritage Tour, an easy walk through six of the largest and most impressive chambers before continuing to the African Drum Room. The tour begins with insight into the early discoverers and inhabitants of the caves, then leads us through a series of majestic limestone halls. The experience lasts around an hour and is guided by knowledgeable cave specialists who bring the site’s cultural and geological history to life.

Next we visit the Safari Ostrich Farm for a guided tractor tour, where we learn about the town’s long association with ostriches and their economic importance. This one-hour tour also gives you the opportunity to browse the shop for ostrich leather products.

After the tour, we travel 120 km to Knysna, a drive of around 2 hours that takes us over the scenic Outeniqua Pass and onto the Garden Route. Arriving at the hotel in the late afternoon, the rest of the day is at leisure.

Knysna - Plettenberg Bay - Knysna. Today we travel to the nearby town of Plettenberg Bay for a visit to Monkeyland, a free-roaming primate sanctuary where we learn about the conservation of several species in a natural forest setting. After the tour, the afternoon is at your leisure and you can choose from a number of optional activities in and around Knysna. You might enjoy kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding on the lagoon, join a whale-watching boat excursion, or take a relaxed sunset cruise or sunset sail. A champagne and oysters cruise is another popular option, as is a gentle lagoon cruise.

Knysna - Tsitsikamma - Bellevue Forest Reserve. Leaving Knysna, we travel into the Eastern Cape Province to reach our safari destination. En route we stop at Storms River Mouth, part of the Tsitsikamma area, for a walk through the forest before continuing to the reserve.

On arrival check in to your luxury tent at Bellevue and enjoy your first afternoon game drive, with dinner served back at the camp. Bellevue Forest Reserve offers an authentic Eastern Cape safari experience in a malaria-free private reserve a short drive from Addo Elephant National Park. Here you can look forward to Big 5 game drives, intimate giraffe tracking walks and guided Addo safaris in open vehicles.

This morning we join a giraffe tracking safari on foot in the 2,500-hectare private reserve. Walk among these gentle giants in their natural environment. Accompanied by a qualified guide and conservation ranger, we begin with a short game drive before continuing on foot, learning about giraffe behaviour, feeding patterns and their conservation significance while keeping a respectful distance.

Later, we head out on another game drive in search of lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino.

Bellevue Forest Reserve - Addo Elephant National Park - Bellevue Forest Reserve. Today we head to nearby Addo Elephant National Park, just a short drive from Bellevue Forest Reserve. We explore Addo in open game-viewing vehicles on our half-day safari, travelling through a range of landscapes that support an impressive variety of wildlife, including the park’s famous elephant herds, as well as zebra, kudu, warthog and plentiful birdlife. Throughout the experience, expert guides share insight into the park’s history, ecology and its important conservation role, making this an engaging and rewarding way to delve deeper into the Eastern Cape’s wildlife heritage. After the safari, it's back to our accommodation in Bellevue for a final night.

Bellevue Forest Reserve - Port Elizabeth. Enjoy a final included game drive in Bellevue this morning (time permitting) before an included transfer takes you to the airport in Port Elizabeth for your onward flight.