6 Day South Africa Safari - Garden Route Small Group Tour

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

This budget South Africa Small Group 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. 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 to relax at the lodge for the rest of the day.

• Included Activities: Morning Addo National Park Game Drive (in tour vehicle)
• Meals included: No Meals Included

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 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 (Day 2), Breakfast (Day 3)

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 brief stop in the town of Knysna to admire 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 Cape Agulhas & Arniston/Hermanus - 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. Pass 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.

We then head south to Cape Agulhas, southernmost point of the continent of Africa, and watch in awe at the spot where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. We overnight at a lodge in the charming coastal towns of Arniston or Hermanus.

• Included Activities: Route 62 Pub, Cape Agulhas southernmost point
• Meals: Breakfast

Day 6: Hermanus, Cape Whale Route & Cape Town - South Africa

The final day of our South Africa Safari begins with a stroll along the boardwalk of popular whale-watching town, Hermanus, alongside the crashing ocean. Keep 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 of the Cape Whale Route. 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 to finish off under 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: 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.

South Africa Safari Tour Vehicle

This tour operates with maximum 12 passengers in a 12-seater mini-bus.

For more details contact African Budget Safaris.