Compare The Garden Route tour - 7 days by Encounters Travel

Day 1 : Arrive in Cape Town Your tour starts with your arrival at Cape Town International Airport, from where you are transferred to your accommodation. This will be in the form of either a comfortable, high-quality backpacker lodge, or a more luxurious deluxe guesthouse or boutique hotel, depending on your choice. You will be free to spend the rest of the day, as well as the next day, exploring Cape Town on your own. Included activities: Airport transfer Approximate driving time: /- 30 minutes, 25 km | OVERNIGHT: Cape Town Backpackers or Deluxe Guesthouse | EXTRAS: Extra day in Cape Town - pre-tour Day 2 : Free Day in Cape Town Today is your chance to experience the sights and sounds of Cape Town, the famous Mother City. Home to many important historical landmarks, as well some gorgeous natural sites, Cape Town has so much to offer. Table Mountain, Signal Hill, Robben Island, Hout Bay, Camps Bay, Clifton Beach, the V&A Waterfront, Constantia… your day will be action-packed and memorable! We recommend booking a tour on the city sightseeing bus; alternatively, you can try out a Cape Peninsula Tour or Cape Winelands Tour. We can assist with booking these. Optional Activities: Group Cape Winelands day tour, From R 880 per person, Group Cape Peninsula day tour, From R 1100 per person | OVERNIGHT: Cape Town Backpackers or Deluxe Guesthouse | MEALS: Breakfast Day 3 : Cape Coast- Hermanus, Betties Bay, Cape Agulhas, Shark Cage Diving Day 3 of the tour is spent along the scenic Cape coastline. We depart Cape Town early, heading towards Hermanus. Guests who have chosen to do the shark cage diving activity depart separately and join up with the rest of the group later in the day. En-route to Hermanus, we make a stop at Betties Bay, where a marvelous sight awaits us: a colony of endangered African penguins. When we reach Hermanus, we are able to explore the charming seaside town’s shops and restaurants. We may also be able to see the famous Southern Right Whales, if we visit during the whale season (July to November). We then continue onto out next stop: Cape Agulhas. This is the southernmost point of the African continent, and is also where we can see the famous meeting place of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Included activities: Penguins at Betties Bay Optional activities: Shark cage diving - R2550, Whale watching boat trip (in season, July - November) - R900 Travel route, distance & time: Cape Town – Hermanus – Cape Agulhas: /- 249km /- 3hours | OVERNIGHT: L'Agulhas Backpackers or Deluxe Guesthouse | MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner Day 4 : Wine Tasting and Cango Caves Tour Today we travel along a famous route in South Africa: Route 62, the longest wine route in the country. This area is famous for its wine production, and we stop off a local winery for a chance to experience a wine-tasting, along with our lunch. We then visit a truly spectacular place: the legendary Cango Caves. These underground caverns feature breathtaking stalactite and stalagmite formations, and a guided adventure tour gives us the ultimate Cango Caves experience. Included activities: Local wine tasting, Cango Caves tour Travel route, distance & time: Cape Agulhas – Route 62 – Oudtshoorn: /- 330km /- 4 hours | OVERNIGHT: Oudtshoorn Backpackers or Deluxe Guesthouse | MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner Day 5 : Wilderness National Park and Knysna We have an adventurous and exciting day ahead of us today. We begin by crossing the magnificent Outeniqua Mountain Pass into Wilderness National Park. We explore this beautiful landscape in a unique way- by paddling down the Touw River in canoes. This is a truly enchanting way to experience the beauty of the park, and our journey takes us through the forest, which is abundant with life. After our boating excursion, we enjoy a short 2km hike to a lovely waterfall and rock pool area. We then leave the park and head for the well-known town of Knysna. The restaurants and shops give us a chance to refuel and explore, before we visit the Knysna Heads viewpoint, where we are treated to stunning views of the Knysna River estuary and Indian Ocean. We then depart for the town of Sedgefield, our overnight stop, where the pristine beaches are a lovely place to end the day. Included activities: Canoeing and hiking in Wilderness National Park Travel route, distance & time: Oudtshoorn – Wilderness – Knysna – Sedgefield: /- 144 km /- 2 hrs | OVERNIGHT: Sedgefield Backpackers or Deluxe Guesthouse | MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner Day 6 : Tsitsikamma National Park and Bloukrans Bridge Bungee Jump Our destination today is Tsitsikamma National Park. En-route, we stop at the world-famous Bloukrans Bridge, the site of the highest bungee jump in the world. While the thrill-seekers in the group enjoy this must-do experience, the rest of us continue onwards to the park. Tsitsikamma National Park’s delightful combination of forest and unspoiled coastline provides a variety of activities for all. Go hiking and swimming, and cross an awesome suspension bridge across a river mouth. In the afternoon, we depart and head towards Addo. Included activities: Entrance to Tsitsikamma National Park Optional activities: 216 M Bloukrans bungee jump - R1350, Treetop canopy tour - R660 Travel route, distance & time: Sedgefield – Tsitsikamma – Addo area: /- 320km /- 4.5 hours | OVERNIGHT: Addo Backpackers or Deluxe Guesthouse | MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner Day 7 : Safari in Addo Elephant National Park, Transfer to Port Elizabeth Today is the last day of the tour, and what better way to spend it than on safari? We spend the morning exploring the vast wilderness of Addo Elephant National Park, home to an incredible diversity of wildlife species. The park is true to its name, and houses approximately 600 elephants. Also look out for zebra, kudu, eland, warthog, and, of course, the other members of the famous Big 5. We depart Addo and reach Port Elizabeth in the early afternoon. Those catching international flights will have ample time, as many depart in the early evening. Guests who wish to extend their stay may certainly do so. There is a number of options available- you can book extra nights in PE, at a lodge outside Addo, or even at a private game reserve. Please contact us for more information. Safari extension: If you wish you can also add on as many days as you would like at a private game reserve in the Eastern Cape, with round-trip transport from Port Elizabeth at the end of your tour with us. Please contact us for more information, options and prices. Included activities: Entrance and 2-3 hour drive with tour vehicle through Addo Elephant National Park Optional activities: 2-hour open vehicle game drive with Addo field guide - R390 Travel route, distance & time: Addo – Port Elizabeth: /- 40 km /- 30 minutes | OVERNIGHT: N/A | EXTRAS: Departure airport transfer in Port Elizabeth