This adventure-filled Cape Town, Garden Route & Addo Safari takes you on a scenic 5-day journey to discover unforgettable forest, bush and beach destinations in South Africa. Explore the famous Garden Route and go game viewing in the malaria-free Addo Elephant National Park.
Ideal for the free-spirited traveller, this fun backpacking tour visits the Cango Caves, the dramatic southern coastline, beautiful beaches and majestic mountain ranges of the Western and Eastern Cape provinces. Highlights include the Whale Route, the Small Karoo, the Garden Route, Jeffrey's Bay and Addo Elephant Park.
The Cape Town to Garden Route & Addo Tour includes great activities, such as canoeing, hiking, game viewing and beer tasting. You also get the chance to try plenty of exciting optional activities, ranging from a treetop adventure tour to bungee jumping.
During this trip, you are likely to come across activities that encourage tourists to participate in lion, elephant or other wildlife interaction. This includes walking with lions, riding elephants and any other tourist operation putting travellers in close contact with animals that would normally live wild and separate from human contact.
We do not encourage or endorse this type of wildlife interaction operation. For more information on why this is not good for Africa's wild animals, please see our detailed blog post on the subject.
Our Cape Town, Garden Route & Addo Safari starts in the beautiful city of Cape Town. Leaving Cape Town at 8:30 am, we drive through the famous Cape Winelands, pausing in the iconic student town of Stellenbosch at 9:30 am to collect any travellers beginning their journey here. We have a laid-back day of sightseeing ahead, ideal for getting comfortable with your travel companions and taking in the first remarkable scenes of South Africa.
From Stellenbosch we head to the coastline to travel along the renowned Cape Whale Route via the gorgeous harbour town of Gordons Bay. Following the beautiful R44 we drive over a steep, picturesque mountain pass, taking in the sweeping views over False Bay. Our first destination for the day is Hermanus, a vibrant coastal town that is world-famous for its exceptional whale watching (in season) and where a whale crier alerts people of the whereabouts of the whales by blowing on his horn. This stop is a great photo opportunity, keep an eye out for whales coming in close to the shore and enjoy capturing the lovely coastal scenery. After lunch at one of the excellent restaurants with a sea view, it's off to the Birkenhead Brewery where you can taste some fine, locally produced beers or wines. After our beer and wine tasting we travel to Cape Agulhas National Park, located on the southernmost point of Africa. We visit the lookout point, pausing to appreciate the significance of the official meeting point of two oceans, the Atlantic and the Indian, very special indeed. The "pretty as a picture" Cape Aughulus lighthouse, 150 years old, is the second oldest working lighthouse in South Africa and has its place of pride on this extreme point of Africa.
After our time at the lookout, we will continue our journey to our backpackers' lodge in the village of Struisbaai, famous for its wonderful fishing and situated in a beautiful sheltered bay with a small harbour. Here we stretch our legs and take a stroll along the exceptional " Die Plaat" beach, with white sands and clear inviting, turquoise waters - said to be the longest uninterrupted beach in the Southern Hemisphere. A safe, blue-flagged beach, popular for swimming and whale watching as well. A day in which to unwind and settle into the comfortable and exciting routine of touring and taking in beautiful sights.
Day two of our South Africa backpacking tour begins with a leisurely breakfast before we set off through the Overberg Region to explore the stunning Garden Route, one of the most scenic routes in the world. Our first stop will be in the beautiful town of Wilderness with wide open beaches and lagoons, fronted by the sea and with a backdrop of the green and majestic Outeniqua Mountains - an area of great natural beauty.
The highlight activity today is a canoe trip that takes us down one of the many tranquil rivers in the area, fed by water from the Outeniqua Mountains. After the canoe trip, there will be a short scenic hike to a nearby waterfall. After our adventures, we drive on to the relaxed town of Sedgefield where we'll overnight at a backpacker. Sedgefield or "Slow Town" is the understated jewel of the Garden Route and is situated on the Swartvlei Estuary that winds its way to the Atlantic Ocean. A wonderful coastal setting for the end of an adventurous day.
Today we travel through the buzzing town of Knysna and further on to The Crags, a gorgeous area called the Eden of the Western Cape. Rugged mountains in the background, wildlife sanctuaries, stunning flora and lots of high-quality arts and crafts are among the many attractions. Here you can choose one of the following activities;
1. Visit a sanctuary for orphaned African elephants where you can learn fascinating facts about these gentle giants and go for a guided Elephant Bush Walk. A unique experience where you can get up close to these magnificent animals.
OR
2. Visit a monkey and primate sanctuary, home to about 550 primates, where rescued monkeys roam free in a large jungle-like or forest area. They have won quite a few awards for the excellent work done here to improve animal welfare and for providing responsible and enjoyable tourism.
Next is the Bloukrans Bungy Jump station, at 216 meters, the highest commercial bridge Bungy Jump in the world! A must-do if you'd like to experience the ultimate adrenalin rush. Friendly and experienced guides will assist you in preparing for this incredible free fall. A bonus is the breathtaking view over the Bloukrans River Gorge below. The experience of a lifetime!
After this adrenalin rush, we take a tranquil walk through the indigenous Tsitsikamma National Park, South Africa's oldest and largest marine reserve, a protected coastline where dolphins and whales love to swim and play. Fynbos and mystical forests stretch over 5km to the sea and rugged, rocky shores. On this walk, our destination is the Storms River mouth suspension bridge, an exhilarating 77 meters long and just 7 meters above the churning waters of the river mouth below.
From here we drive to the famous surfing town of Jeffreys Bay fondly known as J Bay, where we'll overnight at a backpacker directly on the beach. A surfer's dream, home to the best right-hand surf break in the world! A paradise with sunshine, good waves, dolphins, shells, and fun all year round. The bustling town is bordered on both sides by nature reserves and rivers, a haven for nature lovers.
Day four of our Cape Town, Garden Route & Addo Safari offers two exciting options:
1. Take it easy and sleep in, rested and ready to go and explore the many surf factory shops, stock up on beautiful, cool clothes by Billabong, Rip Curl, Roxy, Quicksilver and others at excellent prices. Be adventurous and go for a surfing lesson in one of the most famous surfing spots on the planet, called Supertubes. Spend time on the unspoiled beaches, soaking up sun, swimming or beachcombing for shells. Or you can rent a board and wetsuit and hit the waves, trying out the impressive waves at the top surfing spots. Walk into the town to visit the shell museum or hunt for some authentic souvenirs at the many quaint and interesting shops, like the 60-year-old shell shop.
OR
2. Wake up early and get ready for an exciting game drive in the Addo Elephant National Park (the third largest national park in South Africa). Home to one of the highest concentrations of African elephants in the world, Addo hosts about 550 elephants as well as the rest of the Big 7. Being a marine reserve that stretches to the Indian Ocean, southern right whales, and great white sharks can be found here as well. This national park has an unrivaled natural diversity, home to about 100 mammal species which includes endangered black rhinos. Landscapes of vast grasslands, thick bush and Spekboom that the elephants favour.
Driving back to Sedgefield provides another opportunity to take in the natural beauty of this part of the delightful Garden Route. If time allows we'll stop at the famous Knysna Heads - a pair of tall sandstone cliffs, sentries standing guard, 300 meters apart - they separate the Knysna Lagoon from the Atlantic Ocean beyond. A historic point where many a ship sank, passing through the 90-meter passageway to the ocean. The eastern head has many spectacular viewpoints from which to take in the breathtaking, dramatic view of surging waters below and outlying areas around.
At the end of another day filled with wonderful experiences and visual delights, we return to our backpackers on the beach.
The famous Route 62 is also known as the Wine Route meandering through Wellington, Tulbagh, Worcester, Robertson, and on through the more arid region of the Klein Karoo. It's known as one of the longest wine routes in the world and follows the majestic Langeberg mountain range, a patchwork of beautiful scenery with rivers, mountain passes, vineyards and orchards. We head over the rugged, towering Outeniqua Mountains to the historical town of Oudshoorn, widely known as the Ostrich Capital of the world. You'll find about 200,000 of the world's biggest birds on hundreds of farms in this semi-arid area.
We drive through this famous town to get to the largest show caves in South Africa - the 20 million-year-old old Cango Cave system, situated in the foothills of the Swartberg. An iconic historical sight is the oldest tourist attraction in the country with spectacularly lit-up limestone formations. The colossal main chamber, roughly the size of a soccer field will leave you in awe as well as the 33-foot dripstone stalactite. Visitors have access to about one-quarter of the 5 km-long interlinking tunnel system. One can choose between the Standard and Adventure cave tours - if you choose the adventure tour be prepared to squeeze through some very narrow spaces in the magical caves.
If caves are not your thing you have the alternative of visiting an internationally recognised endangered wildlife sanctuary nearby. Over 90 species of wildlife to observe and interact with - a large crocodile population, cheetahs, lions, tigers, and exotic birds all thrive in this world-class sanctuary. One of the five biggest cheetah centres in the world with the highest survival rate of surviving cubs. A safe haven for animals, visitors can experience fun encounters with wildlife and learn about the priceless ways the sanctuary contributes to the conservation of critically endangered species.
After another day of adventurous and amazing experiences, we head back to Cape Town on the scenic R62 through the Klein Karoo.
Unless otherwise requested you'll be dropped off at your original pick-up point in Cape Town.
Stay at hand-picked backpacker lodges in dorm accommodation, or upgrade to a private room with, or without, an en suite bathroom. The selected backpacker establishments provide clean accommodation with bedding and offer warm hospitality.
For more details about upgrading your accommodation, see the full tour pricing.
This backpacking tour is available as a four-day trip ending in Port Elizabeth. Contact African Budget Safaris for details.
You can offset your carbon footprint on this tour by purchasing a “green seat" at R55
For up-to-date and confirmed pricing info for optional items, please drop us an enquiry.
This tour does not take children.
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