Today is an introduction to “the Mother City”, Cape Town.  Go for a tour in the city and surrounding area, including the city centre, Company’s Gardens, Cape Town Castle, the Bo Kaap, Signal Hill and the V&A Waterfront.  A big part of this tour is walking around the city with your guide getting to know the city, its different cultures, history and geography.  A highlight of the day is riding to the top of the famous Table Mountain in a cable car, for magnificent views over Table Bay, Robben Island, The Cape Peninsula and Lions Head.

Day 1 highlights

The Western Cape of South Africa is home to more than 500 wineries, and today we will visit a few of our favorites. The winelands offer more than just wine though – there is also beautiful scenery and interesting history to enjoy along the way.

We typically visit the following three wineries, but we like to consult with our clients on the day to tailor the stops to their tastes.

• Villiera is a family-run winery in the Stellenbosch region, well known for their excellent Cap Classique (sparkling wine), as well as their environmental initiatives.
• Babylonstoren is one of the oldest Cape Dutch Farms, with a fruit and vegetable farm of great diversity, inspired by the famous Company’s Garden of the Cape.
• Delaire Graff Estate is the ultimate in luxury, a world-class destination for wine in a stunning setting.

Day 2 highlights

Join us on a spectacular journey to the Cape of Good Hope. We will start by driving to the beautiful Atlantic seaside suburbs of Clifton and Camps Bay to see the Twelve Apostles mountains. We will then take the coastal road to the Hout Bay harbour, for a visit to the resident Cape Fur Seals. After Hout Bay, onto a scenic drive up Chapman’s Peak, for one of the best views in the region.  We will then travel into the Cape Point National Park to see the Cape of Good Hope, the furthest southwestern point in Africa.  In the afternoon, we will stop to see the endangered African Penguin colony at Boulders Beach, before finishing up our day with a wine tasting in Constantia.

Day 3 highlights

We depart from Cape Town in the morning for Hermanus.  You can spend the day in the seaside resort town of Hermanus, famous for hundreds of Southern Right Whales during the whale season (July to November) and many shops, restaurants and markets.  In the afternoon we will drive on to Cape Agulhas, the most southern tip of Africa, where we visit a viewpoint known as the “real” place where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet.

Day 4 highlights

We travel to Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo, known as the Ostrich Capital of the World, via the scenic and spectacular Route 62, which is South Africa’s longest wine route. You will be able to experience the subterranean beauty of the Cango Caves on a guided adventure tour, followed by a sampling of the local wine.

Day 5 highlights

After breakfast we head over the spectacular Outeniqua Mountain pass where we will explore Wilderness National Park with some canoes. Enjoy an easy paddle up the Touw River through indigenous forest, enjoying the abundance of birdlife. After about 40 minutes, the canoes will be left for a 2km hike along a boardwalk, which will take us to a lovely waterfall and rock pools. After the canoeing, we will head to the famous town of Knysna via the spectacular Lake District of the Garden Route. This up-market little town is filled with curios, restaurants and a waterfront, where you will be able to have lunch and do some shopping.  After Knysna we will head to the Knysna Heads viewpoint for some spectacular views over Knysna River estuary and the Indian Ocean.

Day 6 highlights

After breakfast, off to Tsitsikamma National Park. En route we will stop at Bloukrans Bridge to view the world’s highest bungee jump bridge (216 meters). There is plenty of time for the adventure seekers among you to test their courage. The afternoon will be spent in Tsitsikamma National Park with its unique combination of indigenous forest and beautiful Indian Ocean coastline. The park has a wide choice of activities for all, including hiking, crossing a suspension bridge and swimming. Late afternoon we will leave the Garden Route for Big 5 country, Addo.

Day 7 highlights

We will spend the morning exploring Addo Elephant National Park. We will spend up to 3-4 hours exploring the 28,000 hectare National reserve with over 600 elephant and some Cape buffalo, lion, black rhino, warthog, zebra, eland, kudu, hartebeest and many more animals. After an exciting morning of game viewing we will drive back to the heart of the Garden Route where we will overnight and have sundowners overlooking the spectacular Wilderness Beach.

Day 8 highlights

Today we will stop in Mossel Bay to spend some time on the spectacular beaches, hike the Cape St. Blaize trail along the cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean, and visit the famous Diaz Museum complex, commemorating the first known European exploration around the tip of Africa. The more adventurous can try a 10,000 foot tandem skydiving or sanding boarding on the longest dune in South Africa. We will arrive back to Cape Town in the early evening.

Cape Town Garden Route Tours – Day 9 highlights