Cape Town & the Garden Route

12 days
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4.7/5 Excellent
100+ reviews  
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Small Group Tour
Discover the Garden Route − ‘the greatest road trip in South Africa’ – on a journey from Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) to Cape Town. This highlight-packed trip is designed for those who want iconic South African experiences: a safari in Addo Elephant National Park; a cellar tour in Stellenbosch; a visit to the penguins of Simon’s Town; and free time in C...
$3,537
From$2,620
See departure dates

Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Discover the spectacular Garden Route, the greatest road trip in Africa
    • See iconic African wildlife, including elephants, lions, penguins and whales (in season)
    • Explore diverse nature from the forests of Tsitsikamma to the drylands of the Little Karoo
    • Experience culture from quaint communities to cosmopolitan Cape Town and nearby wineries
    • Walk through the ancient limestone Cango Caves

What's this trip about?

    Discover the Garden Route − ‘the greatest road trip in South Africa’ – on a journey from Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) to Cape Town. This highlight-packed trip is designed for those who want iconic South African experiences: a safari in Addo Elephant National Park; a cellar tour in Stellenbosch; a visit to the penguins of Simon’s Town; and free time in Cape Town, the most absorbing city in South Africa. For an extra-special experience, join the trip between June and November for a chance to spot migratory southern right whales as you stand on the shore.Experience icons of South Africa: safari animals, dramatic coastal roads, electric cities and unforgettable landscapes

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeSmall Group - max of 16 people
Age range16 years and up
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityPort Elizabeth
End CityCape Town

Travel Themes

  • Cultural
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • Culinary & Wine
  • National Parks

Destinations

Attractions

  • Cape Town
  • Garden Route
  • Oudtshoorn

Activities

  • Culture
  • History
  • Nature

Min Group Size

  • Min Group Size: 4

Max Group Size

  • Max Group Size: 16

Trip includes

    • All breakfasts and 2 dinners included
    • All accommodation
    • All transport and listed activities
    • Tour leader throughout

Popular Trips

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1 Start Port Elizabeth; transfer to Sundays River Valley

Welcome to South Africa! Our tour begins in Port Elizabeth, colloquially known as PE, but officially Gqeberha, a Xhosa name for the river that runs through the city. We have a welcome briefing in the evening to discuss the adventures to come. If you have time before,...

Day 2 Game drives in Addo Elephant National Park

This morning, we head to Addo Elephant National Park, home to some 550 elephants (up from just 16 when the park was formed) plus black rhinos, leopards, lions, buffalos, hyenas, zebras, various antelopes and dung beetles. We enjoy a 45-minute game drive in our own veh...

Day 3 Drive to Storms River; explore Tsitsikamma

Today, we head west to the official start of the Garden Route at Storms River in Tsitsikamma National Park. Stretching along the coast, the park, which comprises rocky coastlines, fairytale forests, waterfalls and rivers, gets its name from a local Khoekhoe language m...

Day 4 Free day to relax, walk or explore the region

We spend the day at Tsitsikamma, where several adventures await. Options include kayaking on the Storms River, zip-lining through the forest or swimming in the ocean. There are also several self-guided walks available, the easiest of which is the suspension walk. The...

Day 5 Morning visit Knysna Heads; afternoon to Oudtshoorn

We start our day with a visit to Knysna Heads, two tall sandstone cliffs that form a channel through which the turbulent Indian Ocean enters the calmer Knysna Lagoon. We have a bit more time to relax in town before leaving for Oudtshoorn after lunch. As we head inla...

Day 6 Visit Cango Caves and Meiringspoort Waterfall

We spend today discovering Oudtshoorn and the surrounding highlights. We start by visiting the Cango Caves, an extensive complex of caverns with stalactites and stalagmites. A local guide takes us on an hour’s journey through the limestone caves, which are millions of...

Day 7 To Hermanus via Mossel Bay

Returning towards the coast, we stop at Mossel Bay and the Dias Museum Complex, which reveals the influence of early Portuguese sailors on South Africa. It’s also home to the Post Office Tree (a 500-year-old milkwood, where seafarers once left letters to be taken home...

Day 8 Free day; whale watching in season

Today is a free day to relax and enjoy Hermanus. From June to November, southern right whales are easily spotted from shore as they frolic in Walker Bay. A whale crier sounds his kelp horn when he spots whales off the coast. Those who want can also do a boat-based wha...

Day 9 To Stellenbosch; afternoon wine tour and on to Cape Town

Our next destination is the much-celebrated wine region of South Africa. The industry here, which dates to the 17th century and was heavily influenced by French Huguenots, produces some of the best wines in the world. We have free time to explore the oak-lined streets...

Day 10 - 11 Two days exploring Cape Town, Table Mountain, the Cape Peninsula and Simon's Town penguins

We spend the next two days in and around Cape Town, the most exciting city in South Africa. Our activities in Cape Town will, to some extent, be dictated by the weather as visits to the top of Table Mountain, which has its own micro-climate, are determined by cloud co...

Day 12 End Cape Town

On our final day, we have the option of doing a township tour, strolling along the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront or exploring various other parts of Cape Town.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $2,620
Price per day$218
Last Updated: 4/8/2025
Departure Date
Finish Date
Shared Room
Single Room
Availability
13 Apr 2025
24 Apr 2025
$2,395
$2,995
8 spots left
27 Jul 2025
07 Aug 2025
$2,545
$3,145
8 spots left
21 Aug 2025
01 Sep 2025
$2,845
$3,445
4 spots left
07 Sep 2025
18 Sep 2025
$2,770
$3,370
8 spots left
11 Sep 2025
22 Sep 2025
$2,920
$3,520
4 spots left
21 Sep 2025
02 Oct 2025
$2,995
$3,595
8 spots left
25 Sep 2025
06 Oct 2025
$2,845
$3,445
8 spots left
28 Sep 2025
09 Oct 2025
$2,620
$3,220
Sold Out
05 Oct 2025
16 Oct 2025
$2,770
$3,370
8 spots left
09 Oct 2025
20 Oct 2025
$2,770
$3,370
8 spots left

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Check current availability, prices, specials & more.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Exodus Adventure Travels Reviews & Ratings

4.7/5  Excellent
Excellent
13,502
Great
3,265
Average
609
Disappointing
146
Terrible
190
A

Anonymous

Oct 2018

Garden Route

We had a great holiday and would recommend South Africa as a holiday destination. Justin our guide was excellent and showed us the best bits of the Garden Route. ...

A

Anonymous

Oct 2018

Justin's Garden Route

We had an amazing time travelling the Garden Route with Justin as our Guide and Driver. He was very knowledgeable about the local wild life and countryside. The lo...

A

Anonymous

Oct 2018

Enjoyed every minute!

The itinerary for this trip gives a good variety of activities at a reasonably relaxed pace. We stayed in each accommodation for a minimum of 2 nights which meant ...

A

Anonymous

Oct 2018

One of our best holidays ever

The linear nature of the journey, flying into Port Elizabeth and out of Cape Town rather than in and out of Cape Town added outward time but importantly ruled out ...

A

Anonymous

Oct 2018

Cape Town and the Garden Route

A highly enjoyable tour of the beautiful Garden Route in South Africa culminating in the cosmopolitan hub of Cape Town bestraddled by the breathtaking vistas of Ta...

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Other Exodus Adventure Travels Reviews

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Sheila Bissell

Apr 2025

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Excellent service

Excellent service

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Roger hil

Apr 2025

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Roger

They were very helpful, polite and knowledgeable

G

Gill Barber

Apr 2025

Written on
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Quick invoice receipt sent...prompt

Quick invoice receipt sent...prompt, good service

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • Travel insurance
    • Single accommodation (available on request)
    • Visas or vaccinations

Accommodation

9 nights hotels and guest houses and 2 nights chalets. Travel by private minibus No long drives
We spend 11 nights in a range of hotels and guesthouses, each well located for our activities and to keep the drives between destinations relatively short. The normal accommodations used on this trip are on the day-to-day itinerary; however, below are a couple of the notable places we stay. De Rust: Housemartin Guest Lodge (nights 5-6) In the small Karoo town of De Rust is the quaint Housemartin Guest Lodge. Owners Theresa and Jan personally welcome every Exodus group that comes to their home and they take great pride in making guests as comfortable as possible. The property has 12 rooms, each with a private veranda leading into the garden. There is also a swimming pool plus beautiful indoor and outdoor dining areas. The meals at the guest lodge are a particular highlight with seasonal ingredients sourced from local farms to create classic South African dishes. Hermanus: Windsor Hotel (nights 7-8) The 120-year-old Windsor Hotel in Hermanus sits opposite Walker Bay, one of the best whale-watching destinations in the world when southern right whales migrate to the bay to breed (July to November). Whale-watching is even possible from the comfort of the hotel restaurant. However, the location of the property is also ideal out of season with a central setting within town and quick access to the 7.5mi (12km) Hermanus Cliff Path.
Cancellation policy

The cancellation policies of this trip when booked through Travelstride are determined by the stated policies of the tour operator - Exodus Adventure Travels.

If you or any other member of your party decides to cancel a confirmed booking you must notify Travelstride in writing. Your notice of cancellation will only take effect when it is received in writing by Travelstride and will be effective from the date on which we receive it.

Period before departure in which you notify us

From the date your Booking Confirmation is issued up to, and including, 90 days prior to the departure date specified on the Booking Confirmation.

  • 89 to 52 days (inclusive) prior to the departure date specified on the Booking Confirmation.
  • 51 to 31 days (inclusive) prior to the departure date specified on the Booking Confirmation.
  • 30 days or less prior to the departure date specified on the Booking Confirmation, or after the booking has started

Cancellation charge

Deposit can be transferred to a new booking which must be made within 3 months of the date the original booking was cancelled, and depart within 12 months of the new booking date. If a new booking is not made within this period then the deposit will be forfeited. Any remaining balance will be refunded excluding any non-refundable costs.

  • 50% of the total holiday cost. Any remaining balance will be refunded excluding any non-refundable costs.
  • 75% of the total holiday cost. Any remaining balance will be refunded excluding any non-refundable costs.
  • 100% of the total holiday cost.

For Polar holidays, the following cancellation charges will be made:

Cancellation period (before departure) - Cancellation Fee (per person)

Outside of 180 days - No fee if cancelled within 15 days of booking date. US $1,250 cancellation fee if cancelled 16 days or more of booking date.

179 to 120 days - Loss of deposit.

119 to 90 days prior to departure - 50% of the holiday cost.

89 to 60 days prior to departure - 75% of the holiday cost. 

59 to 0 days prior to departure - 100% of the holiday cost.

For more additional details, see the booking conditions of Exodus Adventure Travels at the following web address: https://www.exodustravels.com/us/about-exodus/exodus-booking-conditions

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included
All breakfasts and two dinners are included. Food on this trip is very similar to the kind of food you are used to at home, though there may be the opportunity to try local meats such as ostrich, kudu or eland. Vegetarians and vegans can be well catered for on this trip – please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests so our local team can be well prepared. The provided water is safe, clean drinking water, normally from boreholes. It is not bottled water, however. If you would rather have bottled water then this will be at your expense, though we would encourage you to make use of the safe drinking water provided as this helps diminish plastic consumption.
Age Requirements
16 years and up
Additional Information
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Trip ID
exodus-AZW

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