5 Days Perfect Picturesque Garden Route Tour and Safari in South Africa

Day 1: Cape Town to Mossel Bay

After pickup between 7 and 8 a.m. from your Cape Town or Stellenbosch hotel, you’ll travel in a comfortable vehicle to our first stop at Spier Wine Estate where you will have a taste of two premium wine ranges, plus Spier’s flagship wine, Frans K Smit.

Completing this appetizer, you'll drive for approximately five hours to the town of Mossel Bay where you'll visit the Bartolomeu Dias museum complex to see the famous 500 year old Post Office Tree, the life-size replica of the Dias Caravel, the Shell Museum and Aquarium, and Ethno-Botanical Garden.

Now off to the town of Wilderness, where you will overnight at the five-star Views Boutique Hotel & Spa. The lounge is the perfect place to laze or sip sundowners, spot dolphins and whales, or watch spectacular sunsets. The hotel is also the winner of the Les Nouvelle Esthetiques Award for Best Boutique Spa.

Day 2: Kaaimans River Gorge Reserve to Jeffrey's Bay

After breakfast, you will be taken to the Kaaimans River Gorge Reserve, located between the towns of George and Wilderness. The Kaaimans Waterfall is accessible by rowing boat or canoe. It is approximately a ten-minute row to get to the waterfall.

The lead up to the waterfall is through a narrow and extremely high Kloof. It is perhaps five meters across and 70 meters high and only 150 metres long, where you will paddle on a calm river that wind through lush forests and mountains with canoes and stand the chance to see the brilliantly colored Knysna Loerie or one of the five Kingfisher species.

A drive through Knysna take you to the town of Plettenberg Bay, where you can take a boat ride for a “Dolphin Encounters” excursion of 1.5 to 2 hours at Ocean Blue Adventures.

You can go to the world’s highest bungee jump at Bloukrans Bridge. Standing 709 feet (216 meters) above the Bloukrans River, the arch bridge is the ideal place to bungee jump. This is an optional activity (own expense), and you are free to watch the bungee jumpers take the plunge.

Alternatively, you can do one of the optional activities at Stormsriver Adventures: a Tsitsikama Woodcutters Journey or a Tsitsikama Canopy Tour. A short drive takes you to the 1000-year-old Big Tree in the Tsitsikama Forest.

From there, you will go to the five-star Dio Dell Amore Guest House for an overnight stay. Experience the opulence and charm of Tuscan life along the shores of the Kabeljauws River Mouth in Jeffrey’s Bay. Eight stylish rooms have each been individually decorated and furnished with everything you’ll need for a comfortable and relaxing stay. Equipped with air-conditioning, DStv, mini bar, WiFi, and tea and coffee facilities, as well as a balcony or patio from which to enjoy the stunning sea, lagoon, garden and mountain views.

Day 3: Addo Elephant National Park

You will have an early morning start for a day trip to Addo Elephant National Park, the third largest national park in South Africa. Home to elephants, lions, buffalo, black rhino, spotted hyena, leopard, a variety of antelope and zebra species, this park host the largest remaining population of wild elephants on the planet. You’ll enjoy a safari tour with knowledgeable park guides and get the opportunity to see buffalo and other big animals.

You will return to Jeffrey’s Bay in the afternoon to try surfing in one of the world's most famous surf spots, or just relax on the beach. Overnight is at the five-star Dio Dell Amore Guest House. Experience the opulence and charm of Tuscan life along the shores of the Kabeljauws River Mouth in Jeffrey’s Bay.

Day 4: Oudtshoorn

After breakfast, you’ll travel approximately four hours on the famous Route 62 to get to Oudtshoorn for a Heritage tour at the Cango Caves. Located in a limestone ridge parallel to the picturesque Swartberg Mountains, the caves include over 2.5 miles (four km) of drip stone caverns with vast halls and towering formations of stalactites and stalagmites. You’ll walk through some of this subterranean wonderland with your guide on a two-hour tour of the caves.

From there, you'll go to an Ostrich Farm where the largest fowl in the world can be studied. You'll be driven to the overnight farm at De Zeekoe, which is surrounded by the Swartberg and Outeniqua mountains, and one of the world’s 17 “hot spots” with three overlapping flower zones, which is located between the lush green Garden Route and the wide-open spaces of the Klein (Little) Karoo with the Outeniqua and Swartberg mountain ranges as backdrop.

Here, you can take part in a wild meerkat tour which offers you the unique opportunity to see these animals that are part of the shy five in their natural environment. Meerkats are part of the so-called Shy Five which also includes the bat-eared fox, the aardvark, porcupine, and aardwolf.

Alternatively, you can take a game drive or go on a Khoi San Cultural Trail. More than one activity for your cost. You will spend the night at the four-star De Zeekoe outside Oudtshoorn.

Day 5: Return to Cape Town

After you chose to do more of the activities (optional) on this farm after breakfast, you will return to Cape Town along Route 62, the world's longest wine route. You’ll pass through breath-taking scenery and have plenty of rest stops. Also to be visited is Ronnie's Sex Shop which had visitors from all over the world, judging by the graffiti on its wall. There will be more stops for wine tasting before reaching Cape Town to end your tour.

This safari will take you from Cape Town to Mossel Bay, Kaaimans River Gorge Reserve, Jeffrey's Bay, Addo Elephant National Park, and Oudtshoorn in South Africa.

All meals included will be provided at your accommodation. Other meals are eaten at fantastic restaurants of choice, and might be limited to a certain amount.

There are optional activities that you can book during this safari. Go on a Tsitsikamma canopy tour, a Tsitsikamma woodcutter's journey, or go bungee jumping at Bloukrans Bridge.

Optional treatments are available at the first night's accommodation at Views Boutique Hotel and Spa, the 2018 winner of Les Nouvelle Esthetiques Award for Best Boutique Spa.

Awaken your senses and soothe your soul at our fully equipped on-site spa, a tranquil oasis designed to uplift, revive, and refresh. Indulge in a therapeutic massage, nourish your body with one of their revitalizing skincare treatments. With a fully equipped with a gym, a hydrotherapy bath, a Vitality Pool, and a Tylarium Sauna, Views Spa welcomes you to enjoy a world of well-being.

• Safari tour to Addo Elephant National Park
• A wild meerkat tour
• Wine tasting in Spier Wine Estate
• A visit to the Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex
• Canoeing to the Kaaimans Waterfall at the Kaaimans River Gorge Reserve
• Plettenberg Bay excursions
• Surfing on Jeffrey’s Bay
• Heritage tour at the Cango Caves
• A visit to a working ostrich farm
• A visit to Ronnie's Sex Shop pub
• Driver / guide
• A professional guide at specialist venues
• Transport by private vehicle
• Entrance fees
• National park fees
• Welcome pack
• Free use of smartphone and data
• 4 nights' accommodation
• All meals

• Activities indicated as optional
• Flights
• Airport transfers (possible please inquire)
• Excess luggage charges (where applicable)
• Alcoholic drinks and other additional drinks
• Gratuities (recommended)
• Travel insurance
• Porterage
• Visa fees

• A reservation requires a deposit of 40% of the total price.
• The deposit is fully refundable if the booking is cancelled up to 60 days before the arrival date.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 60 days before arrival.