Explorist
  • Badge of Excellence
  • Africa,Johannesburg
  • 9 days (approx.)

  • Mobile ticket

9 Day Garden Route, Karoo and Addo Wonders

Admire the open spaces of the Karoo; the vastness of Addo and marvel at the sights and sounds of the Garden Route’s coastal roads. HIGHLIGHTS • Valley of Desolation sundowners • Addo Elephant National Park • ‘Big 5’ open safari vehicle game viewing • Experience crossing the Storms River suspension bridge • Featherbed Nature Reserve • Sunset Knysna oyster cruise • Stand at the southernmost tip of Africa • Shore-based whale watching in season

What's Included

  • Entrance Fees Camdeboo National Park, Addo Elephant National Park conservation fee
  • Lunch
  • Dinner (2)
  • Breakfast (8)
  • Excursions: Ostrich farm tractor tour, Cango Caves heritage tour, Valley of Desolation tour
  • EntranceGarden Route National Park conservation fee (Storm’s River), Agulhas Lighthouse Museum Fees
  • Excursions: Full day open safari vehicle game drive, sunset Knysna oyster cruise
  • Gratuities
  • Travel insurance, flights, airport transfers, porterage,visa fees and personal expenses
  • 8 lunches, 6 dinners

Meeting And Pickup

Start time:

7:30 AM

What To Expect

    Day 1: CAPE TOWN to OUDTSHOORN via ROUTE 62 (Âą420km)
  • Oudtshoorn

    Guests travel inland via Route 62 to Oudtshoorn. This route introduces guests to the southern Cape, including the Cape Winelands region and the semi-arid Klein Karoo. Enjoy lunch and wine tasting (both for own account) en route. The tour arrives in Oudtshoorn, late afternoon, home to over 400 ostrich farms and several so-called ‘Feather Mansions’. Relax and take pleasure in Klein Karoo hospitality. Guests enjoy dinner in town (own account)

    Duration: 6 hours

    Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

  • Day 2: FULL DAY in OUDTSHOORN
  • Oudtshoorn

    An early dawn, guests take a short hike to a meerkat-burrow and be party first-hand to their social structures and behaviour (own account and weather dependant). After breakfast at the hotel, guests can enjoy the day in and around Oudtshoorn, visiting the famous Cango Caves, a primary school, witnessing a local upliftment success story (time permitting), and an ostrich farm. Guests enjoy lunch (own account) at the ostrich farm before boarding a tractor for a guided tour. Return to Oudtshoorn and visit the CP Nel Museum (own account), declared a National Monument in 1980. Spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying the sights and sounds of the Klein Karoo and its people. Savour dinner in town (own account).

    Duration: 6 hours

    Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

  • Day 3: OUDTSHOORN to GRAAFF-REINET (Âą320km)
  • Graaff-Reinet

    The tour departs for the historic town of Graaff-Reinet. Guests embark on a guided tour to the Valley of Desolation and experience the hauntingly beautiful “Cathedral of the Mountains” in the Camdeboo National Park. Guests overnight at the Drostdy Hotel; built on the site of the first magistrate’s court dating back to 1806, and enjoy dinner at the hotel (own account).

    Duration: 6 hours

    Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

  • Day 4: GRAAFF-REINET to ADDO (Âą238km)
  • Addo Elephant National Park

    Guests enjoy a leisurely breakfast followed by a walk in town, which boasts more proclaimed national monuments than any other town in South Africa. Guests enjoy lunch (own account) en route to the Zuurberg mountains, adjacent the Addo Elephant National Park. The park is home to more than 450 elephants, 400 Cape buffalo, over 48 endangered black rhino and other plains game. Lion and spotted hyena have recently been re-introduced to the area.

    Duration: 4 hours

    Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

  • Day 5: ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK
  • Addo Elephant National Park

    Following breakfast, guests depart for a full day game drive in the Addo Elephant National Park, stopping for lunch in the park. Guests return to the hotel for dinner before retiring for the night.

    Duration: 3 hours

    Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

  • Day 6: ADDO to KNSYNA via TSITSIKAMMA FOREST (Âą360km)
  • Storms River

    After breakfast the tour departs for the Garden Route, a region acclaimed for its diversity and extraordinary scenery. Guests will stop at Storms River and enjoy a short walk to the suspension bridge to take in the views.

    Duration: 3 hours

    Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

  • Tsitsikamma National Park

    Guests enjoy lunch (own account) in the mystical Tsitsikamma Forest renowned for its endemic diversity and dramatic coastline. Guests enjoy dinner at the hotel (own account).

    Duration: 3 hours

    Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

  • Day 7: FULL DAY AT LEISURE in KNYSNA
  • Knysna

    Guests can visit the Featherbed Nature Reserve (own account, including lunch). The local tour guide will share tales about Knysna whilst guests enjoy panoramic views on board the ferry and a Unimog-drawn trailer. An optional 2.2km guided nature walk, through the forest and along the coast, is recommended. Enjoy a buffet lunch at the Forest Restaurant, a unique outdoor restaurant under a canopy of milkwood trees, on the edge of the lagoon. In the late afternoon, guests board a boat and enjoy a relaxed and informative sunset Knysna oyster tour. The cruise goes to the Knysna Heads, where an amazing photo opportunity awaits. Guests are served with wine and fresh oysters on the return trip, while kept entertained and informed on the natural elements of the lagoon and the history of Knysna. Guests dine at the hotel (own account).

    Duration: 4 hours

    Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

  • Day 8: KNYSNA to HERMANUS via CAPE AGULHAS (Âą540km)
  • Hermanus

    The tour departs for Hermanus via Cape Agulhas and a brief stop in Swellendam. Swellendam is locally acclaimed for its youngberries, eclectic architecture, adventure activities and national parks. Enjoy lunch (own account) en route. The tour continues to the coast and Africa’s southern-most tip at Cape Agulhas. Guests visit the new map of Africa monument and the Cape Agulhas Lighthouse Museum, the third lighthouse to be built in South Africa and the second oldest still in operation today. Further west, the town of Hermanus on Walker Bay, affords guests unparalleled scenery, modern infrastructure and an upmarket shopping experience. Guests dine at the hotel or in town (own account).

    Duration: 6 hours

    Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

  • Day 9: HERMANUS to CAPE TOWN via FRANSCHHOEK (Âą190km)

Additional Info

  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

    This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Starting from

$28,015.00

Price varies by group size