A drive covering the Garden Route in South Africa has no doubt been one of the most picturesque drives of our lives. There is so much to see and experience on this route that it’s difficult to stick to an itinerary. Depending on time in hand you can spend anywhere between 5 to 10 days to cover this route. Geographically the Garden Route is a 300 kms stretch between Mossel Bay to the Storms River. Most likely you will either start or end your Garden Route drive in South Africa at Cape Town. We started this amazing road trip from Cape Town and ended in Port Elizabeth.
Looking back at our 9 days South Africa itinerary, there is nothing we would want to delete from it. But there’s a lot we would want to add to it (if only we had few more days in South Africa). For our South Africa Garden Route highlights read Top 6 must do things on Garden Route, South Africa.
Tips and tricks to master the South Africa Garden Route self-drive
- Flexible Itinerary is the key: To keep your South Africa Garden Route itinerary simple just plan where you want to be each night and during the day just go with the flow. Keep your itinerary flexible and stop at as many places as you want, soak up the sun, take diversions, get lost at times, enjoy the endless supply of amazing food and wine in South Africa.
- Popular Towns along the Garden Route: There are many towns between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth like Hermanus, Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn, George, Knysna, Tsitsikamma National Park, Plettenberg Bay, Jeffrey’s Bay, Addo.
- Road conditions and Weather in South Africa: We did the trip in January and at that point in time the roads were not busy, the weather was pleasant. Except sea water being slightly cold for a swim everything else was just perfect.
- Safety in south Africa while being on the road: Many locals we talked to told us that driving the Garden Route in South Africa is like driving in France, it is not real Africa. If you are concerned about safety in South Africa then the Garden Route is absolutely safe to drive.
- Travelling to South Africa from India: If you are travelling to South Africa from India like us then the cheapest sector to fly into South Africa is Mumbai to Johannesburg. If you are not on a budget then you can opt to fly directly into Cape Town (it would save a lot of time and energy).
- Is South Africa expensive to travel? Except for the air tickets from most cities in India, South Africa is not an expensive travel destination. You can enjoy gourmet meals, fine wine, engage in adventure activities and stay at nice B&B’s and still not burn a hole in your pocket.
South Africa Garden Route Cost
Here are some basic costs to help plan your self-drive itinerary better.
- Table Mountain cable car fare: 300 ZAR for a return trip (cable car fare updated in January 2020)
- Sky diving in Mossel Bay: 3300 ZAR per person for a 10000 feet jump
- Car rental in South Africa: We booked our rental car in Cape Town at the last moment and paid around 1300 ZAR per day for a 7 seater car. The cost also included additional fees for dropping our rental car in Port Elizabeth.
- Addo National Park entrance fees: 328 ZAR per person (national park gate tariff updated in January 2020). Note that the tariff is lower for South African residents
South Africa Garden Route itinerary
Day 1 &2
Cape Town
Day 3
Cape Town to Cape of Good Hope and then back to Cape Town
Day 4
Cape Town to Franschhoek
Day 5
Franschhoek to Gansbaai to Mossel Bay
Day 6
Mossel Bay to Knysna
Day 7
Knysna to Tsitsikamma National Park to Port Elizabeth
Day 8
Port Elizabeth to Addo Elephant National Park and back to Port Elizabeth
Day 9
Port Elizabeth
Day 1 & 2 in South Africa : Cape Town
Our South Africa garden route road-trip began with 2 days of exploring Cape Town. We had an amazing time shaking our legs to some African music, enjoyed some of the finest tasting menus in Cape Town and witnessed the most beautiful sunset at the Table Mountain. I really wish we had a few more days in Cape Town.
Our guide for best food in Cape Town: Two restaurants in Cape Town which we can’t recommend enough are Chefs Warehouse & Canteen (tasting menu) and Kloof Street House (eclectic cuisine with a great bar).
Day 3 in South Africa : A day trip to the Cape of Good Hope
On day 3, we rented a car and drove towards the Cape of Good Hope. For our day trip from Cape Town to Cape Point, we opted for different routes for our onward and return drives. While going we drove along the eastern coast and made pit stops at Muizenberg Beach, Fish Hoek and Boulders Beach. For our return drive, we took the Chapman’s Peak Route. To say that this return journey was scenic would be an understatement. We ended our perfect day trip to the Cape of Good Hope with dinner at Camps Bay.
Day 4 in South Africa: Head to Franschhoek
Filled with beautiful wine estates Franschhoek is ideal for a day trip from Cape Town or a stayover. We spent a perfect day in the beautiful town of Franschhoek sipping wine at a few estates and absorbing the scenery. A drive along Franschhoek Pass is also highly recommended. We booked a cosy cottage just outside the main town for the night. Next day we left early in the morning (around 5.30 AM) for shark cage diving at Gansbaai.
Day 5 in South Africa : Shark cage diving at Gansbaai
Since we were staying in Mossel Bay for the night we started our day really early and went for the first shark cage dive for the day. For the 140 kilometre drive from Franschhoek to Gansbaai, it took us close to 2.5 to 3 hours since it was dark and a little foggy in the morning when we started.
We opted for Marine Dynamics Shark Tours for the shark cage diving in South Africa. Our experience with them as a company was good.
Was shark cage diving worth it? To be frank, we didn’t find shark cage diving as adventurous as we had expected. The visibility inside water was not that great. The view of so many huge whales circling around our boat from the upper deck was far more exciting and worth the trip compared to the dive itself.
Day 5 continues: Gansbaai to Mossel Bay
We continued with our garden route self-drive post lunch and the 300 kilometres drive between Gansbaai and Mossel Bay was a breeze with excellent roads. With a few pit stops, we managed to reach Mossel Bay before sunset. On our way, we did divert into a town called Riversdale (just because the name sounded interesting) and another slightly bigger town after that (can’t recall the name) to buy some fruits and snacks. Mossel Bay is a coastal town. We opted for a sea facing apartment close to Point Road and loved it.
Where to eat in Mossel Bay?
If you want to have a meal with a sea view then Delfinos (pizza, fish and chips), Kingfisher (seafood) and Kaai 4 Braai (ideal for carnivores) are good options for food in Mossel Bay.
Day 6 in South Africa: Sky diving in Mossel Bay
Next morning we booked ourselves for our first ever skydive. This was a real adventure for us and gave us an adrenaline rush. I have a strong feeling that I blacked out for a few seconds while jumping. Sky diving in Mossel Bay was a lifetime experience. If sky diving is in your bucket list then South Africa is a good place for it since sky diving in South Africa is comparatively cheaper when compared to other countries.
Day 6 continues : Mossel Bay to Knysna
It is a short 110 km drive which gives you a chance to stop at many towns along the way. If you are driving this route then do stop for some time at a small town called Wilderness. We found this town so pretty that for a moment we were contemplating if we should stay the night. But once we reached Knysna and looked at the view of the lagoon it was instant love.
Wondering what to do in Knysna in the evening? Roam around the waterfront in Knysna and enjoy the sunset. We had also considered going to an ostrich farm at Oudtshoorn but later chose sky diving in South Africa over ostrich.
Day 7 in South Africa: Knysna to Plettenberg Bay
The main stops on our South Africa garden route drive from Plettenberg Bay to Port Elizabeth were Storms River Bridge and Tsitsikamma National Park. We did a small hike at Storms River Mouth (Tsitsikamma National Park) till the suspension bridge (its called the Mouth trail). We only wish that we had more time here to go kayaking. Again the views were breathtaking and worth a stop. The Tsitsikamma National Park was one of the highlights of the garden route drive. If you are a nature lover then we would highly recommend spending a full day at Tsitsikamma National Park. We also stopped for a bit to enjoy the view of the Storms River Bridge. It is known to be the world’s highest commercial bungee bridge.
Our final stop for the night was Port Elizabeth. Since we had so much to cover on the way we reached Port Elizabeth only in the night.
Where to stay in Port Elizabeth?
We had booked our stay in the Summerstrand area in Port Elizabeth. Summerstrand is a safe locality in Port Elizabeth and is popular amongst expats.
Day 8 in South Africa: Port Elizabeth to Addo Elephant National Park
One of the prime reasons to visit Port Elizabeth is Addo Elephant National Park. Next morning we set on our first ever self-drive safari and it was totally worth it. If you are planning to visit then it would be a hectic day but Addo Elephant National Park can be easily covered in a day trip from Port Elizabeth. These tips helped us a lot in making our one-day self-drive trip to Addo Elephant National Park memorable.
For food in Port Elizabeth, there are many good restaurants in and around Stanley Street. One place which we loved was Mellas Dim-Sum & Noodles Bar. If you are looking for brunch options then we had a good time at Friendly Strangers (now called Baakens Bistro).
Are you still wondering if South Africa is your type of travel destination?
We would highly recommend the Garden Route in South Africa to travellers who like nature, excellent driving roads, food porn and small towns. If South Africa has been on your bucket list then book your tickets and you’ll have etched memories of beautiful landscapes for life.
