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Garden Route Private Tour, South Africa: Port Elizabeth + Cape Town + Addo

South Africa: Garden Route + Cape Town - Private Guide

15 NIGHTS FROM:

$5,101

Per person sharing

Scheduled flights quoted separately

SPB15P

• Garden Route Private Tour

• Port Elizabeth

• Addo Elephant Park

• Tsitsikamma & Storms River

• Plettenberg Bay

• Knysna

• Featherbed Nature Reserve

• Cango Caves

• Whales in Hermanus

• Cape Town, South Africa

This Garden Route Private Tour explores this scenic region of South Africa, travelling from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town (or visa versa) with your own driver/guide. Ideal for special interests such as photography, birding or family groups. Visit Addo Elephant Park, Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, Oudtshoorn & Hermanus - ending in beautiful Cape Town. English speaking guide, all park fees & activities included,

Detailed itinerary ▶

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Day 1

You will be met at Port Elizabeth Airport and transferred to your hotel in this coastal city.

Check in and relax in this warm and friendly holiday city with its many magnificent beaches.

Day 2

Today transfer 2-hours from Port Elizabeth to your malaria-free private game reserve near Addo in the beautiful Eastern Cape.

After checking in to your lodge enjoy an afternoon game drive, where game viewing opportunities should present themselves almost immediately. Hopefully see several species of antelope, zebra, wildebeest and maybe even giraffe - as well as several of the Big Five - before dining under the stars in your warm African surroundings!

Day 3

Rise at dawn to take advantage of the best game viewing conditions of the day and enjoy a thrilling shared open-top game viewing safari with your lodge ranger in your Private Game Reserve which is home to all the Big Five - Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard and Rhino. Hope to see many interesting species before returning to your lodge for breakfast.

The rest of the morning is free to relax by the lodge swimming pool, before setting out again in the late afternoon for another game drive. Hope to see giraffe, hippo, kudu, antelope, waterbuck, warthogs, baboons and many other interesting animals. With hundreds of different bird species, outstanding bird watching is also guaranteed!

After a beautiful African sunset, enjoy the balmy evening and pristine stars of the Milky Way as you have never seen them before – as well as the spectacular Southern Cross.

Note: If travelling with a child < 6 please request a family lodge that allows young children on open top game drives.

Day 4

This morning your guide will collect you from your game lodge and transfer you 1-hour to Addo Elephant Park.

After checking into your lodge situated near the entrance to the park, enjoy a late afternoon open-top game drive into Addo Elephant Park, where game viewing opportunities should present themselves almost immediately. Hopefully see several species of antelope, zebra, wildebeest and giraffe - as well as several of the Big 5 including elephants, before dinner.

Day 5

This morning we leave Addo and travel 4-hours to the oyster capital of Knysna in the heart of the scenic Garden Route.

We travel past the Tsitsikamma Forest and across the dramatic Storms River Gorge where, time permitting, we can make a 2-hour detour to the Storms River Mouth.

We then continue driving past the beaches of Plettenberg Bay to Knysna. Check in to your hotel in this area of outstanding natural beauty.

Note: In season we recommend booking Knysna restaurants online in advance of your visit, to avoid disappointment.

Days 6 To 7

This morning we take the ferry from the Knysna Waterfront to Featherbed Nature Reserve situated on Knysna's Western Head, one of two magnificent sandstone cliffs guarding the entrance to the vast Knysna Lagoon.

This spectacular nature reserve is only accessible by ferry, followed by a short trailer ride to the top of the reserve which offers panoramic views. Most visitors choose to return on foot along a 1-mile guided nature walk through natural coastal forest onto the cliffs, through caves and along a scenic coastal path, followed by an included seafood buffet lunch served under the old Milkwood trees.

The remainder of the afternoon is free to explore Knysna. This lively town is famous for its oysters, which are grown in the lagoon. It offers good shopping opportunities and many interesting craft shops.

Day 8

Today we travel 2-hours from Knysna, driving past the lakes of Sedgefield and the beaches of Wilderness on the beautiful Garden Route.

We continue through the spectacular Outeniqua Pass to the ostrich capital of Oudtshoorn in the arid Little Karoo. Here we visit the world-renowned Cango Caves – a vast series of underground halls and caverns formed over 20 million years ago in the foothills of the Swartberg Mountains. The caves, which extend for over 3 miles, contain spectacular stalagmites and stalactites and offer relatively easy access.

Day 9

Weather permitting, early this morning enjoy a Meerkat Tour to view these creatures in the wild on a farm outside Oudtshoorn. We will drive 15-minutes to the meeting point at sunrise, as these inquisitive creatures sun themselves outside their burrows (pay locally - no children < 10 years).

Afterwards we visit an Ostrich Farm to view these huge flightless birds in their natural surroundings.

Then enjoy more of the dramatic and contrasting beauty of South Africa on our scenic 4-hour drive along spectacular Route 62. During our journey we enjoy wine tasting at two Wine Estates, one renowned for its port and the other for its wine.

We continue to the small seaside town of Hermanus where, from July to November, southern right and humpback whales come to breed and considered the best location for land-based Whale Watching in the world. Once severely endangered, these magnificent creatures of the deep are now breeding successfully in the area due to a major international conservation effort. Check in to your hotel in Hermanus and enjoy the natural beauty of the coastline.

Day 10

We drive 2-hours today from Hermanus to Stellenbosch in the beautiful Cape Winelands.

Along the way we visit the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens, which is renowned for its fine collection of fynbos (meaning "fine bush"). Situated between the mountains and the sea, in the heart of the Cape Fynbos region, it lies in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve and comprises 10-hectares of cultivated fynbos garden and 190-hectares of natural fynbos shrubland vegetation. The walk through the gorge and down to the waterfall is particularly rewarding.

We also visit the Stoney Point Penguin Colony near the small coastal town of Bettys Bay.

On arrival in Stellenbosch check in to your hotel in this famous wine producing area, relax under the giant oak trees and savour the fine food and wines of this region.

Day 11

Today enjoy a full day private tour to the renowned Cape Winelands, travelling through the scenic Franschhoek Valley where a handful of French Huguenot refugees started South Africa’s now famous wine industry.

We visit two wine estates, with included wine tastings, as well as the historic university town of Stellenbosch before enjoying a picnic lunch at a wine estate (own account).

In the afternoon we visit Franschhoek and drive past Drakenstein Prison (formerly Victor Verster - the prison from which Nelson Mandela was finally released), where there is a statue to this iconic leader.

Day 12

Transfer 1-hour through the Stellenbosch Winelands to the beautiful city of Cape Town.

Check in to your hotel within sight of Table Mountain, settle in and relax in your magnificent surroundings.

Day 13

Today enjoy a full day private tour of the beautiful city of Cape Town.

Weather permitting, we start by ascending Table Mountain by cable car to see one of the world's most famous views (alternatively we will drive up Signal Hill). We then drive around the city to see the key sights including the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, City Hall, Greenmarket Square, Houses of Parliament, Bo Kaap, Castle of Good Hope, District Six and Sea Point.

After lunch (own account) we continue to beautiful Kirstenbosch Gardens, nestled on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. Bequeathed to the nation by Cecil John Rhodes, the garden was established 1913 and is regarded as one the most beautiful botanic gardens in the world. There is an avenue of camphor trees, a beautiful protea and fynbos garden, useful plants garden, sculpture garden and a dell garden as well as a world class collection of indigenous South African flora. Don’t miss the magnificent steel and timber Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway (fondly known as the 'Boomslang' - or tree snake) that winds around the mountainside. Wonderful summer sunset concerts are held in the gardens on Sunday evenings from December to March.

Day 14

Today enjoy a full day private tour around the beautiful Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve peninsula.

We travel to Hout Bay, where we take a short boat trip to view Cape Fur seals at Seal Island and continue along Chapman’s Peak Drive to spectacular Cape Point, where you may see baboons, ostriches and perhaps even dolphins or whales in season (July/November). The funicular up to the Old Lighthouse is included.

On the return journey we pass through naval Simons Town and visit the resident penguin colony at Boulders Beach.

Note: Lunch is for your own account today.

Day 15

Today make your own way to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.

Walk through the pedestrianised area to the Clock Tower in good time to board the ferry to Robben Island, the infamous prison home of Nelson Mandela.

The rest of your day is free to explore the shops and restaurants of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.

Note: You will need to take your passport for identification, when visiting Robben Island.

Day 16

Transfer to Cape Town Airport for your flight home.

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