Garden Route Budget Safaris & Tours

Get on the Garden Route

The Garden Route is one of the most scenic coastal areas of South Africa, stretching from the Heidelberg in the west to the Tsitsikamma Forest and Storms River in the east. The Garden Route is a popular tourist destination attracting a variety of visitors to its beautiful beaches, lagoons, mountains and indigenous forests. Several charming coastal towns and quaint inland villages dot the Garden Route, including George, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn, Sedgefield, Glentana, Hartenbos, De Rust, Great and Little Brak River and more.

Why Visit the Garden Route?

The Garden Route is an ideal travel destination, lying within easy reach of the cosmopolitan city of Cape Town in the picturesque Western Cape and not far from the rustic Eastern Cape and Wild Coast leading on to Durban in KwaZulu Natal on the East Coast of South Africa. The Garden Route is a particularly appealing holiday destination as it has a mild climate, breathtaking scenery and an excellent tourist infrastructure. The Garden Route boasts excellent roads, plenty of accommodation to suite all tastes and budgets and a wide variety of adventure activities. It is a diverse area of striking natural beauty with something unique to offer adventure seekers, families and couples in search of a romantic getaway.

Garden Route Safaris

The Garden Route tours we offer range from 5 days to 42 days in length, and vary from Budget Lodge to Camping Overland and Self-drive safaris and more, so there is something for everyone visiting this picturesque part of South Africa. Our Garden Route tours include Budget Lodge Safaris, Camping Overland Tours, a Western Cape Motorbike Safari, Self Drive Tours, Exclusive Overland Safaris, Accommodated Overland Tours and Exclusive Budget Safaris.

Garden Route Highlights & Towns

The Garden Route covers the southern coastal belt of South Africa that encompasses ten nature reserves embracing a variety of ecosystems, as well as several unique marine reserves. The main towns on the Garden Route are Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Oudtshoorn, Plettenberg Bay and Nature's Valley.  Highlights of the Garden Route include the world’s highest Bungee Jump at Bloukrans Bridge, top golf courses in George, ostriches and the Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn, the beaches of Plettenberg Bay and Wilderness, Knysna’s oyster festival and the indigenous Tsitsikamma forest. 

George – Golfing Gem on the Garden Route

George is the largest town on the Garden Route and one of South Africa’s oldest. George is the official start of the Garden Route, known as "The Gateway to the Garden Route. The town is set on a fertile coastal plateau at the foot of the Outeniqua Mountains and is best known for its superb golfing. George is home to three of the top golf courses in South Africa, amongst them the famous 18-hole course at Fancourt Golf Estate, designed by Gary Player.

George is one of the most convenient entry points to the Garden Route boasting a domestic airport. Although George does not lie on the coast it is close enough to Victoria Bay to offer swimming, surfing, scuba diving and whale watching as activities, in addition to mountain biking and hiking in the Outeniqua Mountains.

Oudtshoorn – Ostrich Capital near Cango Caves

Oudtshoorn is the ostrich capital of South Africa with one of the largest ostrich populations in the world, which means that this is the place to see the big birds, buy ostrich feathers and eggs, ride them and taste ostrich biltong and so on. The small town of Oudtshoorn lies in the Little Karoo or “Klein Karoo” as it is known in Afrikaans, not far from the Cango Caves. The Cango Caves are considered one of the top natural wonders of South Africa, consisting of giant underground caverns and narrow passageways. Those who are not too claustrophobic can take a walking tour through the well-lit stalagmites and stalactites in the extensive limestone chambers of the Cango Caves.

Mossel Bay  - Museums meet Adventure Sports

Mossel Bay is the place for museums and sporting, boasting several interesting museums and sandy beaches. Activities to keep the traveler enthralled include shark cage diving; shipwreck diving; snorkeling; power boating and golfing, bungee jumping, quad biking and more.

The Wilderness – Watery Birding Haven of the Garden Route

Wilderness has become a sought after holiday destination on the Garden Route with its long white beach and watery lagoons. Wilderness is a particularly good choice for surfers, birders and fishing enthusiasts. 

Activities in Wilderness include hiking, hang-gliding, paragliding, horse riding, and mountain biking. There are lots of water related activities too, such as ferry cruises, angling, boating and dolphin and whale watching amongst others. The wetlands and fynbos of the Wilderness National Park attract 250 species of birds including kingfishers and the striking Knysna Loerie. 

Tsitsikamma National Park – Hiker’s Paradise on the Garden Route

The Tsitsikamma National Park is renowned for its indigenous forests, superb hiking trails and rugged coastline. Tsitsikamma is a popular hiking destination, boasting excellent trails such as the Otter Trail, as well as playing an important role in conservation as one of the oldest marine reserves in Africa. Tsitsikamma is an excellent Garden Route stop for nature lovers as it offers spectacular scenery where the forests and dramatic cliffs meet the ocean in an area rich in fauna and fauna. Tsitsikamma is also a good choice for birders being home to various coastal and forest species, including the knysna Loerie.

Plettenberg Bay – the Seaside Resort Town

Plettenberg Bay is a holiday resort town with sweeping beaches, rivers and forests. Known as Plett this is a good stop for the active and adventurous, offering plenty of sporting activities and a lively nightlife.  You can choose between fishing, hiking, mountain biking, horse riding, canoeing, surfing and scuba diving to name a few. The Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary where primates roam freely through the forest lies near Plettenberg Bay. You can take a guided forest walk in this natural environment to encounter various primates ranging from gibbons to lemurs to capuchins to squirrel monkeys.

The Outeniqua Choo Tjoe Steam Train

The last scheduled passenger steam train operating in Africa, the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe, is one of the most popular day trips on the Garden Route. The Outeniqua Choo tjoe runs from George and Knysna, passing through spectacular coastal scenery and providing excellent photographic opportunities travelling at its leisurely pace.

Getting Active on the Garden Route

The climate of the Garden Route is mild all year round making it an ideal destination for outdoor activities including:

Hiking, swimming, diving, fishing, golfing, ostrich riding, whale-watching, bird watching, bungee jumping, paragliding, canoeing, surfing, cycling, horse riding and much more.

Find out more with our Garden Route budget travel guide page.