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Garden Route beach by Jauretsi

6 Day South Africa Safari - Garden Route Small Group Tour

Tour Length6 days
Priced from pps $1295 R24500 £1026 1200 A$1988 C$1753 NZ$2168 Full pricing info
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Summary of this Lodge Safari

  • Max. Group Size 12 Travellers
  • Departs from Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), South Africa
  • Ends at Cape Town, South Africa
  • Accommodation Lodge / Safari Lodge
  • Transport Small Overland Vehicle
  • Wildlife Big 5, Elephant, Leopards, Lions, Rhino & More
  •  See Departure Dates

Quick Itinerary Overview

A well-priced Garden Route Tour of South Africa, traveling by luxury overland truck in a small group and staying at high-quality lodges. 

This overland South Africa Safari explores the Garden Route, Klein Karoo, and Western Cape in a small group of 12 guests at most. Travel from Addo Elephant National Park to Cape Town in a custom-built 4x4 overland vehicle with air-conditioning, an onboard toilet, reclining leather seats, extra legroom, and other luxury features.

Accommodation is in en-suite rooms at unique and charming lodges. Enjoy a well-curated selection of included activities, from game viewing in Addo Elephant National Park and hiking in Tsitsikamma National Park to exploring Cango Caves.

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Itinerary for this Tour

Day 1: Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) to Addo Elephant National Park – South Africa

This budget South Africa Safari starts in the coastal city of Gqeberha, formerly called Port Elizabeth, where we will spend the first night. Get acquainted with your fellow travelers this morning before we head north out of town into the rugged Eastern Cape landscape.

We will spend the first day of our tour enjoying a wildlife adventure in Addo Elephant National Park, third largest national park in South Africa and a vast and diverse wildlife conservation area near Gqeberha. The park is renowned for its population of over 600 elephants. Our tour vehicle gives us an elevated view perfect for spotting animals. Keep a lookout for lions, buffalos, black rhinos, leopards, spotted hyenas and an array of interesting antelope species including red hartebeest, eland, and kudu.

We return to Gqeberha late afternoon to relax at the lodge and enjoy a hearty dinner.

  • Included Activities: Addo National Park Game Drive (in safari truck)
  • Meals included: Dinner

Day 2 & 3: Gqeberha to Jeffreys Bay & Tsitsikamma National Park - South Africa

The Garden Route Small Group Tour makes an early start today, setting off west along the beautiful Garden Route, a breathtaking 300-kilometre (190 mi) stretch along the south-eastern coast of South Africa. The route offers a delightful contrast as it meanders between the Indian Ocean and the Tsitsikamma and Outeniqua mountain ranges covered in unspoiled indigenous forests. We make a stop along the way to visit the popular surfing destination of Jeffreys Bay (fondly known as J-Bay) which attracts top surfers from all over the world. The town has a beautiful beach and some quaint local stores to explore.

Our destination for the next 2 nights is the Tsitsikamma National Park, located where the Garden Route crosses into the Western Cape Province. It is a stunning destination known for its dramatic coastal scenery, lush forests, and delicate Fynbos vegetation. Among its top attractions are the Suspension Bridge over the Storms River mouth, and popular walking trails. For the next two nights of our South Africa Safari, we will stay in comfortable en-suite rooms at a historic hotel in Storms River Village, a stone's throw from the magnificent Tsitsikamma National Park.

Day 3 is ours to explore the Tsitsikamma National Park at our leisure. In the morning, your guide will take you out on the Waterfall Trail, a beautiful walking trail that follows the coastline and makes up the last section of the very popular Otter Trail hike. The walk is fairly challenging, so you may opt to stay closer to the lodge and explore the Storms River mouth. You may opt to take the Woodcutters Journey Tour later in the afternoon to learn more about the forests and the Tsitsikamma biome. There are also a host of other adventure activities available, like a tree top canopy zipline tour or bungee jumping the highest commercial bungee-jumping bridge in the world, at 216 meters (709 feet) above the Bloukrans River.

  • Included Activity: Jeffreys Bay Visit, Tsitsikamma National Park Entry Fees & Hike with your Guide
  • Optional Activities: Woodcutters Journey Tour, Treetop Canopy Tour, Bungee Jump
  • Meals: Breakfast, Dinner x2

Day 4: Tsitsikamma to Knysna, Oudtshoorn & Cango Caves (Klein Karoo) - South Africa

Today we continue west along the coast past scenic seaside villages of the beautiful Garden Route. We make a stop in the town of Knysna to explore this charming seaside town that lies at the side of a beautiful lagoon. Our drive then heads inland over spectacular mountain passes into the Klein Karoo (Little Karoo) region. We make our way towards the town of Oudtshoorn, known as the "ostrich capital of the world" and famed for its ostrich farms.

We pay a visit to the famous Cango Caves located at the foothills of the Swartberg Mountain range near Oudtshoorn. We take a tour of the caves, estimated to be around 20 million years old, exploring a series of hidden chambers carved deep into the limestone and admiring the fascinating rock formations sculptured by nature over time.

  • Included Activities: Knysna Visit & Cango Caves Tour
  • Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5: Oudtshoorn along Route 62 to Barrydale - South Africa

On the morning of day 5, our South Africa Overland Small Group Tour follows the popular Route 62 through the wide-open spaces of the Klein Karoo. Our first stop is an encounter with a family group of cheeky meerkats. These small mammals live in a large community of burrows. They spend their time congregating around the burrows, standing on their hind legs to keep watch. They will keep you entertained with their amusing antics.

Then we continue along Route 62, the historic scenic inland route between Cape Town and Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), passing through a collection of charming towns including Barrydale, Ladismith, and Calitzdorp, each offering quirky shops and unique attractions. We will stop to browse the produce at some of the farm stalls that dot the route. Our destination for the night is Barrydale, a quaint village nestled amidst the beautiful Langeberge and fertile Tradouw Valley. We overnight in a historic Karoo hotel.

  • Included Activities: Meerkat Experience, Route 62 & Farm Stalls
  • Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6: Barrydale to Cape Agulhas, Cape Whale Route & Cape Town - South Africa

The final day of our South Africa Safari continues through farmlands and rural villages of the Cape Overberg before heading down towards the south coast. Our first stop of the day is the southernmost point in Africa, Cape Agulhas. Here we stop to watch the merging of the mighty Indian and Atlantic oceans, taking photos to capture our moment at the southernmost tip of the African continent.

Next, our tour takes us along the Cape Whale Coast Route, headed to popular whale-watching destination, Hermanus. We take a walk along the boardwalk watching the crashing ocean and keeping a lookout for whales in season (July to November) and other marine life. Then we continue east through seaside villages and past dramatic rocky cliffs, bays, rivers, and farmlands. At Betty's Bay, we stop to visit the Stony Point Nature Reserve to view a large breeding colony of African Penguins. Then its onward to Cape Town and the iconic Table Mountain.

With the last leg of our Small Group South Africa Safari complete, our memorable journey finishes in the beautiful city of Cape Town.

  • Meals included: Breakfast
  • Included Activities: Cape Agulhas, Hermanus visit, Stony Point Penguin Colony

Pre & Post Safari Accommodation

We recommend booking a night of pre-tour accommodation in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) for the night before this South Africa Safari departs, and a night of post-tour accommodation in Cape Town after the safari ends.

To book affordable pre-tour and post-tour accommodation at recommended lodges/hotels in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Cape Town simply ask our friendly travel advisors to add extra nights to your safari booking.

More South Africa Safari Options

This southbound South Africa Safari from Addo to Cape Town is also available in the reverse order as the Cape Town to Addo Safari which travels north, starting in Cape Town and ending in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). The northbound safari is also a small group tour conducted in a luxury overland vehicle. It visits the same places but travels in the opposite direction.

Both of these small group tours are also available as cheaper Overland Lodge Safaris traveling in larger tour groups (of max 20 guests) in standard overland trucks. These regular overland safaris are also available as even cheaper Camping Overland Tours. For more details contact African Budget Safaris.

Luxury Overland Safari Vehicle

This small-group South Africa Safari is conducted in a state-of-the-art 4x4 overland vehicle. The custom-built luxury overland tour vehicle comfortably accommodates a maximum of 12 guests. These specially designed overland vehicles provide extra space and amenities, offering a more luxurious safari experience with all the adventure, but in added style and comfort.

Features include an onboard toilet and a water filtration system for purified drinking water throughout the journey. The luxury vehicle has reclining leather seats that rotate 180 degrees and lock into your preferred position (for example, window or front-facing). Each seat has overhead air-conditioning vents that can be independently operated for individual control of airflow and temperature.

Every seat also features a USB port panel for charging your electronic devices and there is a reading light above each seat. Each seat has a safety deposit unit with individual key code access, for storing your passports, phones, and smaller valuables.

Optional Extras and Excursions

For up-to-date and confirmed pricing info for optional items, please drop us an enquiry.

  • Tsitsikamma Woodcutters Journey Tour & Treetop Canopy Tours
  • Bungee jumping at Bloukrans
  • Storms River adventure tours
  • Ocean Safaris
  • Sea Kayaking

Child Policy

This tour does take children.

There is a minimum age limit of 8 years of age, for travellers on scheduled departures, however, children aged 8 to 12 years of age are accepted on a request basis only.
A maximum of 2 children, aged between 13 - 15 years will be allowed per scheduled tour departure date.
Should there already be 2 children confirmed on a tour, any further children requests will be dealt with on a request basis only.

Age restrictions may apply to certain items listed in the respective tour activities and it is important that you are aware of these restrictions prior to confirming children on tour.

Please contact African Budget Safaris for further information.

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+Optional Activities & Day Trips
For confirmed pricing on these optional items, please drop us an enquiry
  • Tsitsikamma Woodcutters Journey Tour & Treetop Canopy Tours
  • Bungee jumping at Bloukrans
  • Storms River adventure tours
  • Ocean Safaris
  • Sea Kayaking
+Included in the Tour Price
  • Transport in a 12-seater luxury 4x4 overland vehicle 
  • Twin-share lodge accommodation in en-suite rooms
  • Qualified safari crew
  • All meals (as per itinerary)
  • Filtered drinking water
  • Safari activities (as per itinerary)
  • Entry fees to national parks
+Not Included in the Tour Price
  • Personal items & souvenirs
  • Snacks & drinks (alcohol, bottled water & soft drinks)
  • Optional activities & entrance fees
  • Flights & visas
  • Travel insurance
+Departure Dates

Scheduled Tour Departures
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If you do not see departures listed for your dates, please do contact us for further info.

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