Garden Route

With spectacular scenery, flora and fauna, a Garden Route holiday is one of South Africa’s most popular tourist destinations offering an endless spectacle of lush forests, imposing mountains, lakes and dramatic coastline. The route officially begins in Mossel Bay and ends in Port Elizabeth, but we recommend you start out from Cape Town with a chance to see the migrating whales from the cliff tops at Hermanus.

The Lake District between George and Knysna offers a variety of adventure pursuits including water sports, paragliding, scuba diving, canoeing and abseiling. Knysna, situated on a beautiful lagoon, is one of South Africa’s most popular tourist spots with quayside restaurants and arts and crafts shops. For those who like to indulge, Knysna is the country’s Oyster capital!

A great way to enjoy the area is a boat trip on the Knysna Lagoon, choose from a lunch cruise, a sunset cruise or a half day trip which includes a guided walk in the Featherbed National Park with views of the Indian ocean.

The best beaches in the Garden Route can be found at the upmarket holiday resorts of Plettenberg Bay and St Francis Bay. Long sandy beaches and crystal clear water, and if you’re lucky, you’ll see dolphins that inhabit these bays year round. St Francis Bay has a series of canals that wind through the picturesque thatched properties in the area.

The route officially ends at Port Elizabeth, also well known for its sandy beaches and lively casinos, but just a short drive further east, there are a number of game reserves, such as Shamwari and Pumba. An ideal way to incorporate a safari if you don’t have time to move on to some of the other better known game areas.

We can arrange either an escorted tour with a qualified tour guide or a self-drive option. We use only known brand car rental companies with a fleet of new vehicles and an extensive infrastructure in case you have difficulties. We will supply maps, information about places of interest, as well as arranging all your Garden Route accommodation in advance.

Choose from B&B, safari lodges, 5 star accommodation or a mixture of all of them. We can plan a route to suit your time and budget. You’ll love it!

If you would like to discuss a Garden Route holiday, call our South Africa holiday experts on +44 208 249 5919. Alternatively fill out our contact form.