Cape Town & the Garden Route

Upon arrival at Cape Town International Airport you will be met and transferred to our centrally located start hotel, for a three night stay. Spend the rest of the day at leisure in South Africa's enchanting Mother City.

After breakfast set out on a scheduled half day guided tour of Cape Town. Our drive through the city centre takes us past famous landmarks such as the Castle of Good Hope, City Hall and the Grand Parade. As we follow the city’s main thoroughfare, Adderley Street, we see St. George’s Cathedral, the Anglican Diocese of Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu. We will also pass the Company Gardens and the Malay Quarter. Then we visit at Diamond Cutter to learn about the art of diamond cutting and the history of the Diamond and Gold Trade in South Africa. The final stop of the tour is Table Mountain, where you can ascend to the top by revolving cable car (weather permitting; cable car fee not included). See wildflowers, the famous silver tree, and marvel at a birds-eye view of the city and its beaches. On a clear day it is even possible to see Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on one side and Cape Point on the other.

Enjoy the afternoon at leisure, independently exploring the city. We recommend a visit to Robben Island (weather permitting) or a stroll around the V&A Waterfront, which offers an abundance of shops and entertainment.

Embark on a full day Cape Point and Peninisula tour after breakfast today. Travel along the Atlantic Seaboard to Hout Bay, a quaint village and fishing harbour with magnificent mountain views and beach. Carry on over Chapman’s Peak, one of the world’s most breathtaking coastal drives, to beautiful Cape Point and the Good Hope Nature Reserve. Then travel on to Simon’s Town, a village with charming Victorian architecture, a naval base and a large penguin colony at the beautiful Boulders Beach. Wooden walkways allow visitors to view the penguins in their natural habitat. Before our return, we'll stop for afternoon tea & cake and a visit to Rhodes Memorial, situated on the slopes of Table Mountain offering spectacular views across the city.

Cape Town - Knysna. Bidding farewell to Cape town we travel along South Africa's beautiful Garden Route to the picturesque coastal town of Knysna, where we spend the next two nights. The forested town of Knysna lies at the end of the Garden Route and surrounds a lagoon of the same name. Knysna's most famous attraction is the Knysna Heads, two rugged sandstone formations that mark the treacherous entrance to the Knysna Lagoon, where many an ancient sailing vessel met its doom. This evening there is an optional boat trip across the lagoon and out to The Heads.

Today we head inland to Oudtshoorn on another full day of touring, taking in the beautiful rugged Garden Route scenery en route. We visit the world-famous Cango Caves, with their impressive ancient stalagmites and enjoy animal encounters at the Cango Wildlife Ranch, which is home to cheetahs, leopards and ring tailed lemurs. Travelling on to Oudtshoorn we visit an Ostrich Farm in the ostrich capital of the world before returning to Knysna for the night.

Knysna - Hermanus. After breakfast we travel on to the quaint fishing town of Hermanus, where the rest of the day is free to independently explore or enjoy some of the local activities on offer.

Built along the beautiful shores of Walker Bay, Hermanus is the official Whale Watching Capital and offers the best land-based whale watching in the world. The Southern Right Whales visit Walker Bay from July until December every year and tourists are often treated with close-up displays as these creatures often come to within 10 meters of the coast. Besides whale watching, there are a variety of activities on offer; from horse riding, paragliding, kayaking, shark cage diving, fishing, hiking, plane trips to simply swimming and sunbathing at one of many gorgeous beaches.

Knysna - Stellenbosch. Bidding farewell to Hermanus we travel along the N2 over Sir Lowry’s pass to Stellenbosch, the second oldest town of South Africa. En route to this pretty university town in the heart of South Africa's wine region, we stop for a spot of wine tasting.

Stellenbosch - Cape Town. After breakfast, check out and transfer to Cape Town International Airport for your onward flight.