Experience the Garden Route, Winelands, and safari at your own pace
This self-drive tour combines the highlights of the Western Cape with a safari in the Gondwana Game Reserve and plenty of time to explore the Garden Route.
Travel at your own pace and enjoy the flexibility to adjust activities and the duration of your stay.
Personalized and diverse
Daily departures
This route can be started on almost any date you choose.
Safari included
Enjoy guided game drives at the Gondwana Game Reserve.
Flexible itinerary
Stages and accommodations can be customized to your preferences.
Cape Town, safari, and the Garden Route
Cape Town & Franschhoek
The city, the Cape Peninsula, and the wine region provide a delightful start to your journey.
Gondwana Safari
Big Five wilderness set within the Fynbos landscape.
Knysna & Garden Route
Lagoons, forests, and coastal landscapes invite you to explore and unwind.
Day by day on your journey
Arrival between two oceans
Depending on your flight, you will arrive in Cape Town during the day. After landing, pick up your rental car and drive to your accommodation. The rest of the day is yours to settle in: take a stroll, soak up the city's unique atmosphere, and perhaps enjoy a nice dinner paired with a South African wine.
Discover Cape Town
You have a full day to explore Cape Town. A hop-on hop-off tour provides a great overview and can be flexibly combined with your own stops. Depending on the weather and your interests, Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront, or the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden are also excellent options.
The Cape Peninsula
Today is the perfect day for an excursion to the Cape Peninsula. Spectacular coastlines, steep cliffs, long beaches, and extraordinary flora and fauna will accompany you all the way to the Cape of Good Hope. The penguins at Boulders Beach are another highlight of this day trip.
One more day for the Mother City
Another free day in Cape Town gives you time for the things you haven't gotten around to yet. Explore more neighborhoods, enjoy the coast and the local cuisine, or use the day for an extra excursion into the surrounding area.
Into the Cape Winelands
Leave Cape Town and head towards the Winelands. On the way, it is worth stopping in Stellenbosch, a vibrant university town nestled among the vineyards. Your destination is Franschhoek, one of the most beautiful towns in the Cape Winelands. Numerous wine estates and excellent restaurants make this town a delightful stop on your journey.
Wine, indulgence, and leisure time
Enjoy a day off in Franschhoek. The Wine Tram is a particularly convenient way to explore the vineyards, allowing you to leave your rental car behind. Alternatively, you can go for a hike in the valley, stroll through the town, or simply spend a relaxing day surrounded by the vineyards.
Via Franschhoek Pass to the coast
Drive over the Franschhoek Pass towards Villiersdorp and continue on to Hermanus. Along the way, the Theewaterskloof Dam offers opportunities for nature watching. Hermanus is best known for whale watching; there is a good chance of spotting southern right whales off the coast, particularly between June and November. However, this coastal town is a worthwhile destination even outside of whale season.
Marine life around Hermanus
Today is all about the fascinating coastline around Hermanus. Depending on the season, whale watching may be the highlight. Other options range from coastal hikes and boat trips to activities in the Gansbaai area. You can plan your day according to your interests and the current conditions.
From the coast to the bush
You will leave the coast and drive via Swellendam towards Mossel Bay. Just before reaching the coast, you will turn off towards the Gondwana Game Reserve. Depending on your arrival time, you can join your first guided game drive in an open safari vehicle shortly after you arrive.
Safari between fynbos and mountains
The first game drive of the day begins early in the morning. Many animals are particularly active in the light of the rising sun. After breakfast, there is time to relax at the lodge. In the afternoon, you will head out on safari again with experienced rangers; the drive often ends with a sundowner in the bush and continues for a while into the twilight.
To the Garden Route
Today you will reach the Garden Route proper and the Indian Ocean. You will drive via Mossel Bay, George, and Sedgefield to Knysna. The town is picturesquely situated on a large lagoon and serves as an ideal base for exploring the coast.
Lagoons, forests, and coastline
Knysna is the perfect base for numerous excursions. You can head towards Tsitsikamma National Park and Storms River, visit Plettenberg Bay, or explore the area around the Knysna Lagoon. The famous Knysna Heads and the town's excellent dining scene are also well worth a visit.
Over the mountains into the Little Karoo
Travel along winding mountain roads as you leave the subtropical coast behind and reach the arid Little Karoo. Your destination is Oudtshoorn, famous for its ostrich farms. The impressive Cango Caves are also among the region's top attractions.
Return journey and end of trip
Today you will drive back towards Cape Town. Drop off your rental car at the airport. If you have not booked any follow-up arrangements, your varied self-drive tour through the Western Cape ends here.
More about this journey
Want to see more journey details?
The digital itinerary includes accommodation, maps, images and further information.
Your Garden Route road trip
Die Darstellung dient der Orientierung; der tatsächliche Reiseverlauf kann je nach örtlichen Bedingungen geringfügig abweichen.
Good to know what’s included.
INCLUDED
- 13 nights
- Rental car as per quote
- Breakfast or meals as provided by the accommodation
- Safari activities at Gondwana Game Reserve
- Digital travel documents and emergency hotline
NOT INCLUDED
- Flights
- Fuel, tolls, and parking fees
- Activities and meals not mentioned
- Personal expenses and gratuities
Clearly planned. Transparently priced.
Trip price: from €2,199 per person in a double room
DEPARTURE DATES
Daily arrivals possible; pricing is calculated individually based on the season.
Tour code:
CPTSD002
Good to know.
Is this trip suitable for first-time visitors?
Yes. Cape Town, the Winelands, Hermanus, the Garden Route, a safari, and the Little Karoo offer a very diverse introduction to the Western Cape.
Is a safari included in the route?
Yes. Guided game drives are included at the Gondwana Game Reserve.
Can the trip start on any day?
Generally, yes. The route is calculated individually based on the season and availability.
How much free time will I have for my own activities?
As a self-drive traveler, you set your own daily pace and choose many of your own activities.
Can the route be extended?
Yes. Additional nights in places like Cape Town, the Winelands, or along the Garden Route can easily be added.
Damit Sie gut informiert reisen.
Pricing and accommodations are calculated individually for your specific travel dates.
For your booked journey, we provide a personal digital itinerary with the detailed route, accommodation information, driving directions and further travel guidance.
The digital travel documents are provided through our partner Wetu B.V., based in Cape Town, South Africa. Wetu B.V.’s privacy policy applies when you use the service. Further information is available in Wetu’s privacy policy.
Diese Reise ist in ihrer beschriebenen Form nicht für Menschen mit eingeschränkter Mobilität geeignet. Das bedeutet jedoch nicht zwangsläufig, dass eine Reise für Sie nicht möglich ist.
Bitte sprechen Sie uns an. Wir beraten Sie persönlich und prüfen gemeinsam, ob und wie wir den Reiseverlauf und einzelne Leistungen an Ihre individuellen Bedürfnisse anpassen können.