One Week Garden Route Itinerary in South Africa

The Garden Route just sounds like a nice place, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t love a garden?  I didn’t even have to really know what it was but I was ready to go! I imagined streets lined with flowers everywhere you went. Turns out, the Garden Route in South Africa is a 300 km stretch of land along the southwestern coast of South Africa between Capetown and Port Elizabeth. It gets its name from the lush and ecologically diverse vegetation and numerous lagoons and lakes scattered about the coast. Some will argue that the Garden Route really starts from Mossel Bay or even past it but for the sake of my article it’s easier to imagine starting in Cape Town because that’s what most tourists do! From Port Elizabeth further east to Durban is known as the Wild Coast which locals will say is “real Africa” and less touristed. I’m sorry I missed that part but I didn’t want to rush. Here is a guide for a one week Garden Route itinerary.

Basics

Language

South Africa has 11 official languages but the ones you will hear the most in this part of the country are English and Afrikaans. Tribal languages such as Zulu and Xhosa may be encountered.

Currency

South African Rand (ZAR)       15 ZAR = $1 USD

ATM machines are easy enough to find and credit cards (VISA and Mastercard) are widely accepted.

Size

For those who may not be geography experts, it is easy to glance at the map of Africa and think that South Africa isn’t that big. Don’t be fooled and think you can zip around the country and see everything. It is roughly twice the size of Texas or France. It’s big y’all!   I spent 3 weeks there and need at least another 3.

Safety

South Africa has many political problems and there is some racial strife stemming from decades of apartheid and exploitative economic policy. Much of this isn’t really felt in Cape Town or the Garden Route, but visitors should be aware that there is a huge distinction between “haves” and “have-nots” in this country. Avoid wearing flashy jewelry and keep your camera packed away unless using it. Only go to the ATM machine in busy areas and during the day. Most hostels have a locked gate, a large wall or a security guard (or all of the above).

You will get different opinions on what is safe depending on who you speak with. I am a solo female and therefore my safety is a bit different than those in a group. I was told by the staff at my hostel in Wilderness that walking at night alone from the town to the hostel was fine. However, the waitress at a restaurant was appalled that I planned to do this and offered me a ride home. So sweet right?

Overall, I would not advise women to walk alone at night. Also, if you carry a backpack, you will stand out as a tourist and should exercise vigilance. I was told by some locals that tourists are often targeted for robbery. For the record, I didn’t have any problems.

Climate

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it has the 2nd most mild climate in the world after Hawaii with mild summers and winters. There is rain possible year round. I was there in late March which is the end of summer/beginning of fall and I experienced rain and cooler temps, much cooler than usual according to locals. I was regretting that I didn’t have warmer clothes but I was ready with a waterproof jacket!

How to Get There and Get Around

By Air

Cape Town and Johannesburg both have international airports. If you are planning to visit parts of Africa such as Kruger Park or Durban and the Wild Coast, you could potentially fly into Johanessburg and see these things, end with the Garden Route and then Cape Town. If you are like me and just visiting Cape Town and the Garden Route, it makes more sense to fly to Cape Town.

Port Elizabeth is a larger town on the Garden Route that has an airport. You can travel along the Garden Route to Port Elizabeth and either fly from there back to Cape Town (flights are reasonable) or onto your next city. So many options!

 By Land

Once you’ve decided how far along the route you will go and where you will start, you can get around by rental car (keep in mind you will be driving on the left side of the road or as we Americans say, the “wrong” side) or by bus. There are several bus systems that enable you to travel along the Garden Route, stopping wherever you want.

The Baz Bus

One popular option that I really enjoyed was the Baz Bus. It is known as the “backpacker bus” but anyone can use it. You can buy a pass for a period of time (one week, two weeks, etc) and use the bus in both directions as much as you want during this time or you can pick a destination one way or round trip and the time is unlimited.

Examples

One Week pass is 3300 ZAR ($225 USD)

From Cape Town to Johannesburg is 7000 ZAR ($480 USD) and roundtrip is 10,000 ZAR ($680 USD)

From Cape Town to Port Elizabeth (which I did) is 2900 ZAR (a p$200 US)

If you have the time you can Baz Bus all the way from Cape Town to Johannesburg or in the opposite direction.  They have tons of stops and within each town, there is a list of hostels, guesthouses, and hotels that they will take you to. I made sure to stay in places on their list so that I got a door to door pick up and drop off.

Read More:  One Week Guide Cape Town

Garden Route Cities

How to choose? Well, research each city and decide which ones have the things that interest you. Some cities are close enough to others that you can see all of them from one base. Some places require only one day, some require two or more.  Look at the Baz Bus schedule. Often times the bus doesn’t come until late afternoon or early evening so that helps with the planning. I decided to start in Mossel Bay and then I talked to others and decided the rest after that.

My Itinerary

Cape Town-Mossel Bay (1 night)-Wildnerness (1 night)- Knysna (1 night)- Plettenberg Bay (2 nights) – Storm’s River (2 nights) – Port Elizabeth (1 night) -fly back to Cape Town

The map below shows my route with the stops.

Also, there are some activities that are pretty much available in all these places so I won’t list them individually except when notable. Horseback riding, canoeing, kayaking, scuba diving, bungee jumping, paragliding, cycling and skydiving are just some of the many outdoorsy things to do along the Garden Route. Whale watching is possible during the month of June to November (their Winter and Spring)

Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay, originally called “Bay of Mussels” is a picturesque harbor town. This is about 5 hours from Cape Town and a good starting point for a Garden Route trip. Situated 400 km in each direction from Cape Town (and the Cape Winelands) and Port Elizabeth where there are many game reserves, Mossel Bay is a popular stopping point for many holiday travelers, domestic and foreign.

 

St. Blaize Hiking Trail

This is a beautiful coastal hike starting in the town. There are dramatic sea views, a chance for whale and dolphin watching and you may encounter some cute little dassies (photo above). Beware of snakes (especially puff adders) in the summer. Water and a hat/sunscreen needed because there is little shade. Be cautious in wet weather or high winds because there isn’t any barrier to prevent falling.

Other Things to See

• Cape St. Blaize Lighthouse
• Cape St Blaize Caves (These are under the Cape St. Blaize Lighthouse and home to one of South Africa’s oldest archaeological excavations)
• Maritime Museum
• Cultural History Museum
• Garden Route Casino

There are also shark diving operations here. I didn’t do this because I don’t think it’s ethical but I’ve been told there ARE ethical shark diving operations that don’t bait the sharks or chum the water, but this is not something I can really speak about. Really great article about the Ethics of Shark Diving here if you’re interested.

Also you will see walking with lions advertised. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT ETHICAL. Baby lions are bred to cuddle with humans and take selfies (or “selfishies” as I call them), then they grow up to be “walked with” and eventually sold for canned lion hunts. That’s when some rich western d-bag like Trump Jr. drives up to a friendly tame lion that grew up being cuddled by humans and shoots it. Don’t support this!

The Karoo

This is a semi-desert natural region that has been compared to New Mexico, the Outback and the Gobi. This vast “Dry Place” is the size of Germany. It is sort of on the Garden Route but a little north. If you have time and want to see a different landscape, the Karoo is there for you. There are many game lodges and places to have a safari. It looks really beautiful although I did not visit.

Oudtshoorn

This is about 47 km (29 miles) north of George and Wilderness. It is part of the Karoo and is famous for an Ostrich Farm, which I didn’t visit since I’m not a fan of farmed animals. There is also a Meerkat Sanctuary that seems cool if you want to see those cute little guys.

There are many advertisements for animal “sanctuaries” up and down the Garden Route,  most of which showed people petting cheetahs, lions, etc. I am EXTREMELY SKEPTICAL about the ethics of these places and you should be too. South Africa’s conservation efforts did not impress me and don’t feel that they adequately protect their animals. This is being said after I visited at least 6 other African countries with wildlife and can make this comparison. I urge you to seek out more natural animal interactions such as wildlife reserves with game drives. They are not hard to find in South Africa.

Wilderness

I just like the name of this town. It sounds so…wild. And it kind of is. It’s really beautiful with a cute village.

Kingfisher Trail

You can hike or kayak along the Kingfisher Trail which leads to a waterfall. Unfortunately, there was flooding from rain and the footbridge was down. Therefore on the hike, I couldn’t cross to see the waterfall. The kayakers were still able to see it. All I got was this amazing view.

Wilderness Lagoon Sunset Canoe Ride

This is a beautiful and relaxing way to end the day. Ask your hotel or hostel to set up a tour for you.

Knysna

The K is silent by the way. Pronounced “Nize-na”.  Knysna is a laid-back forested gem on the Garden Route with a charming waterfront area with shopping and dining. Nestled on the banks of a lagoon that is a protected marine reserve, home to a unique type of seahorse and over 200 types of fish. There are many things to do in Knysna but I will highlight the more unique ones that you can’t do in other parts of the Garden Route.

Garden of Eden Forest Hike

The Garden of Eden is a walking route set in the lush, green Knysna indigenous forest.

The Knysna Heads

The “heads” are a dramatic geological feature made up of two cliffs lying at the mouth of the lagoon, flanking a channel of treacherous waters that flow into the lagoon. You can see them from below and more dramatically from above.

The Rastafarian Village

Knysna is home to the largest Rastafarian community in South Africa who reside in Judah Square.

I did a day tour with a local woman that the Island Vibe Hostel set me up with and I LOST HER CARD and it’s killing me not to be able to recommend her properly! Ugh.  She was really cool and had a very interesting personal history plus she really knew the area and the locals. I will continue to search for her information. She can take you biking, hiking or drive you around.

Be aware that on Sundays many things are closed including Thesen Island and Mitchell’s brewery.

 

Plettenberg  Bay

This is one of the bigger towns on the list. There are restaurants, shopping, a great beach and one of my absolute favorite hikes! I also loved where I stayed. I will describe in the “Where to Stay” section.

Robberg Peninsula

This is one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve ever done. The Robberg Hiking Trail is a circular loop along a peninsula with  3 options increasingly longer hikes. It is challenging but not advanced. It has the kind of views that literally dazzle you and make you stop to take a photo every 5 minutes. Plus there are colonies of Cape fur seals in several places. Some visitors even see sharks hunting the poor seals.  There is a beach where you can take a dip as well.

The water here is not as cold as in Cape Town since it’s on the Indian Ocean.  It was still too cold for me but the Egyptian, German and Australian that I hiked with all enjoyed it. Miami totally spoiled me for life with water temperatures. I just put on a dress and frolicked in the surf instead.

There is a 30 ZAR entrance fee and this will take most of the day so start early. It is really a special hike.

Here is a guide to Hiking the Robberg Nature Reserve

Other Things to Do

• Sky Diving
• Dolphin and Whale Watching (in the winter)
• Monkeyland Sanctuary:  I did not visit because I was doing plenty of safaris on my Africa trip and prefer a more natural animal interaction but I did hear from some volunteers that this is an ethical sanctuary. As always, please do your research!
• Horseback riding    I was told that it is very ethical here and horses are treated well.
• Tenikwa Big Cats is one of few places I was told is ethical for big cats.

The Crags/Nature Valley/Storms River

These are all together because they are all part of the Tsitsikamma area. I stayed in Storm’s River which has a little village with a couple of restaurants. The pizza was really good! They also had an old-timey American style diner which I found amusing.

Tsitsikamma National Park

Tsitsikamma (pronounced “Tit-zi-comma”)is a Khoisan word meaning, “place of much water”.  The Tsitsikamma National Park is a protected area known for indigenous forests, spectacular coastline and the Otter Trail.

You can do many activities here including bungee jumping from the Bloukran’s Bridge, the highest bungee bridge in the world at 210 meters. I passed on that.  You could also go black water tubing. There is no shortage of things to do but most of them require nice weather!!!

The Otter Trail

This trail is regarded as one of the finest in the world. It is 44km stretching from Storm’s River to Nature’s Calley. It would take 5 days and 4 nights to walk the entire trail. There are plenty of beaches and river mouth to swim in along the way.  Many people just do a segment of it called the Waterfall Trail from Storm’s River. The Otter Trail mostly hugs the coast providing great views but is challenging, often steep and rocky. You can also encounter wild baboons on this trail. Never engage them and keep your distance. Never ever feed them!

You have to pay an entrance fee at the  Storm’s River Park Reception area regardless of how far you will hike. I only went to the waterfall and back. It was harder than expected because of rain which made the rocks really slippery. The 18-year-old German girls I found myself with thought it was fun but I was secretly terrified! It was still a beautiful hike and we had a laugh while hiding in a cave being stared at by baboons.

For more info read here: Hiking the Otter Trail

Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours

A series of zip lines through the forest over rivers and waterfalls. It was really fun and beautiful, even with crap weather.

Jeffrey’s Bay

Just 75 km southwest of Port Elizabeth, this former sleepy hippy town has become the 5th most famous surfing spot in the world. Also famous for the Kabeljou Nature Reserve.

Port Elizabeth

I really only spent the night here and flew out the next morning. Most people visit Addo Elephant Park. I heard it was very nice. If you are not planning any other safaris, this is a nice way to see some Ellies! It is malaria free and they have an endangered black rhino

Where to Stay and Eat

These are all places I stayed or knew of others who stayed. I only recommend places to eat that stood out since I am not a regional dining expert.

Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay Backpackers

Mile Crunchers

I stayed here. It was really cozy and had a nice kitchen were they provided eggs and bread and you could make your own breakfast. The staff were incredibly nice and helpful. There is a liquor store pracitcally next door.

Hotel Portao Diaz

Places to Eat

Gannet Cafe (upscale seafood) I had amazing oysters

Seagypsy Cafe  (more casual and on the water)

Blue Shed Coffee

How cute is this place?

Knysna

Island Vibe Backpackers

I stayed here and it was fine and well located but didn’t love it. They do have a brai in the evenings.

Jembo’s Knysna Lodge

Knysna Glampackers

The Russel Hotel

Places to Eat

Knysna is famous for oysters here but I didn’t have any. Sad. I had Italian and Thai. Cravings are real.

Cafe Mario (Italian on the waterfront)

Thai Eatery Restaurant (near Island Vibe Backpackers)

Wilderness

Beachhouse Backpackers

Da Rosa Guest House

Moontide Guest House

Fairy Knowe Hostel OR Hotel

I stayed in the hostel and loved this place. Super cool bar hang out area, good breakfast and great staff. They have a little farm and a great hippy vibe.

Where to Eat

Roxi’s On the Square (this was the place where the waitress drove me home!)

Flava Cafe

You must try Bunny Chow sometime on the Garden Route or while in S. Africa. It is the most famous in Durban but the one I had in Wilderness was very good. It’s essentially and Indian curry inside yummy doughy bread.

Plettenberg Bay

Plett Beachfront

I wanted to stay here because it is right on the beach and reasonably priced but it books fast.

Albergo

Even though it wasn’t my first choice I was so happy I ended up here. I adored this place. Run by a lovely Dutch couple that often visit with their dog and made dinner for their staff. The outdoor area with hammocks and a nightly brai where guests could grill whatever they wanted made for a fun communal vibe. There is a bar as well. The beach views from the balcony weren’t too shabby. It was a quick walk into town.  Don’t miss the homemade pies from a shop a few feet away!

The Crags/Tsitsikamma/Nature’s Valley/Storm’s River

Wild Spirit Lodge

Everyone raved about this place. It was situated in a forest with a tree house hang out area. What’s not to like about that?

Djembe Hostel

I stayed here because I heard they had delicious food and a pet goat. They indeed had both, plus a cute dog. The goat’s name is Baz. Nobody really knew where she came from.

Cool hippy vibe here (like many Garden Route places). There was an African woman who worked here and cooked dinner every night. It was phenomenal and her homemade bread was legendary. We all stalked the kitchen to get some as soon as it came out nice and warm.

Tube N Axe

This was next door to Djembe and everyone who stayed there loved it.

Jeffrey’s Bay

Island Vibe Backpackers

My bus stopped here to drop people off and this was clearly THE place to be.

Find A Place to Stay on the Garden Route Here

Booking.com

Have you visited the Garden Route? What was your favorite place? What activity do I need to add to the list?

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