4-Day Garden Route Adventure

Day 1: Route 62 > Viljoensdrift River Cruise > Buffelsdrift Safari Lodge, Oudtshoorn

Travel time: ±3.5 hrs / ±250 km

Your 4-day tour through South Africa’s very own Emerald Isle starts with an early morning pick-up from your Cape Town or Stellenbosch accommodation.

You’ll cruise along Route 62, South Africa’s most scenic and longest wine route, known for its open skies, winding roads, and rural sights and sounds, enjoying the fresh air and the almost indescribable views along the way.

You’ll stop in the Breede River Wine Route, an area between the Lanegberg and Riviersonderend Mountain ranges, and well-known for its unique and utterly gorgeous flower-edged roads and wines.

During a stop at Viljoensdrift, you’ll board a flat-bottomed boat on the Breede River and enjoy award-winning vintages as you gently drift past yellowwood trees, birdlife, and wild olive-lined riverbanks. You can add a picnic basket (optional) for the ultimate lunch with a view.

Next, you’ll drive over the Outeniqua Mountains to Buffelsdrift Game Lodge, just outside Oudtshoorn, where a twilight Shy 5 Safari awaits.

As the sun dips, seated in an open-air vehicle, you’ll explore the sparse Karoo bush in search of lesser-seen wildlife like meerkats, caracals, honey badgers, and aardvarks.

After the safari, it’s time for dinner out under the stars overlooking the waterhole, where hippos laze, and the sounds of the wild become your soundtrack for the night.

Overnight Stay: Buffelsdrift Luxury Glamping Tent or similar

Day 2: Wilderness National Park > Sunset Sail in Knysna

Travel time: ±2 hrs / ±150 km

You’ll awaken to the sounds of the bush all around your glamping tent, and after a delicious breakfast next to a waterhole, you’ll leave the Klein Karoo and travel towards the lush coastline of the Wilderness region.

Here, you’ll explore Wilderness National Park on a peaceful hike through fern-covered trails, reed-lined riverbanks, and dappled forest paths. You’ll want to keep your camera ready for birdlife, especially the elusive Knysna loerie.

By afternoon, you’ll arrive in Knysna, a coastal town famed for its lagoon and dramatic sandstone cliffs, the Knysna Heads.

You’ll then board a luxury catamaran for a 2-hour sunset cruise, sipping bubbly as you sail across the lagoon and, if the seas are calm, out to the open ocean. Afterwards, there’ll be a casual onboard braai (South African BBQ) to cap off the perfect day.

After docking, you can enjoy time at leisure exploring the Knysna Waterfront, where you can buy some souvenirs and try the local oysters before heading to your accommodation in town.

Overnight Stay: Protea Hotel Knysna Quays or similar

Day 3: Botlierskop Safari OR Mossel Bay > Cape Agulhas

Travel time: ±5.5 hrs / ±400 km

After breakfast and a lazy walk on the beach, you’ll be travelling to Botlierskop Private Game Reserve.

At this 4 200-hectare sanctuary, you’ll set out on a 4×4 game drive, after lunch, through undulating hills and take in the views of the Outeniqua Mountains and Indian Ocean.

The game reserve is home to 4 of the Big 5, and during the game drive, you can spot rhinos, lions, giraffes, hippos, zebras, and more in their natural habitat.

If you’ve already been on a safari during your holiday and would like to do something else, you can instead go on a cultural visit to Mossel Bay and the Bartolomeu Dias Museum, where you can learn about both the Portuguese maritime history and local cultures.

You’ll then travel to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa, where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. You can take a walk to the plaque which marks the spot where the oceans meet and take the must-have “feet in two oceans” photo, as there are very few places on Earth where you can do this.

As the sun begins to set, it is time to relax and enjoy a seafood dinner.

Overnight Stay: Agulhas Ocean House or similar

Travel time: ±4 hrs / ±300 km

You’ll ease into your final day by waking up to ocean views and sea breezes. After breakfast, you’ll travel to Hermanus, a small town known for its cliffside trails and, in whale season (June–November), it has some of the best land-based whale watching in the world. You can walk the coastal paths, which are, during the off-season in particular, lined with art, craft stalls, and beautiful views that stretch to the horizon.

After leaving Hermanus, the laid-back 2 hour drive will take you to the Harold Porter Botanical Garden in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. If there is enough time, you can take a peaceful stroll, admiring the fynbos and enjoying the sights and sounds of the birdlife.

Then it’s time to buckle up for one last scenic road trip, this time up Clarence Drive, a winding mountain road skirting cliffs above the Atlantic. With False Bay sparkling to one side and mountain peaks to the other, this drive is the ultimate curtain call to your 4-day adventure.

You’ll return to Cape Town by the late afternoon or early evening, reaching the city between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm. You can find out more about the drop-off times online at https://hotspots2c.co.za/agent#dropoff