Wildlife Wine & Garden Route, South Africa

Location: Oudtshoorn | Knysna | Albertinia | Hermanus | Cape Town
Duration: 6 Days | 5 Nights

South Africa is well known for its attractions that entice, and the Garden Route, a safari experience and the Cape Winelands are some of the most sought after. The Wildlife, Wine & Garden Route package combines the best elements for a journey beyond expectation.

This round trip begins in Cape Town and travels through Barrydale, Oudtshoorn and Knysna, where you will experience local life at a farm school, before enjoying the ‘ostrich feather capital’ Oudtshoorn and Knysna, a verdant paradise. Your safari will be reveled in at a private game reserve that is malaria-free and features the Big Five. The journey concludes with a trip to Hermanus, a whale-watching mecca (in season) and ending in Franschhoek, South Africa’s French corner, where wine and art create the ambience of a distinguished experience.

Tour Highlights:
• Explore the small towns long the famous Route 62 between Cape Town and Oudtshoorn
• Enjoy tea & scones at the Montagu Country Hotel, the only original Art Deco Hotel in South Africa
• Visit a rural farm school in the Barrydale area with the opportunity to interact with the children. This visit supports our Barrydale Farm School Development Fund that encourages local education of underprivileged children in rural communities
• Sample top quality Port style wines in Calitzdorp, a town well known for its fortified wines
• Guided tour of the Cango Caves and a guided tour of a working ostrich farm in Oudtshoorn
• Visit the ‘Map of Africa’ viewpoint in Wilderness, a unique sight that is quite literally a Map of Africa
• Immersive journey into the mythical Knysna Forests, discovering the legends build around woodcutters, elephants, steam trains and gold miners
• Enjoy a leisurely walk or swim at Victoria Bay, one or the smallest and most beautiful bays along the Garden Route
• Open vehicle game safaris in a malaria-free Big Five private game reserve
• Visit to Hermanus, famous for shore-based whale watching during the whale season (August – November)
• Visit to Franschhoek, a picturesque village in the Cape Winelands
• Drive past the Victor Verster prison where Nelson Mandela was released from in 1990
• Enjoy carefully chosen experiences that positively impact our travellers and the communities we visit

Day 1: Thursday Cape Town - Oudtshoorn
This morning you will be met at your hotel by your representative and depart for the ‘Little Karoo’, travelling via Montagu, a picturesque spa town. Enjoy tea and scones at the only original Art Deco Hotel in South Africa. Stop off in the town of Barrydale, where we will have the opportunity to visit a local farm school, interact with the children and teachers, spending time with them in the classroom, learning more about this rural community. A portion of the trip monies go towards our Barrydale Farm School Development Fund, that support local education of underprivileged children in rural communities. (The school visit is subject to the school being open). Sample top quality port style wines in Calitzdorp, before continuing to Oudtshoorn, the ‘ostrich feather capital’ and centre of the world’s Ostrich farming industry. Overnight in Oudtshoorn. Enjoy dinner at an Ostrich Farm, dining on local specialities.
[Dinner]
Distance travelled today: 418 kms

Day 2: Friday Oudtshoorn - Knysna
After breakfast take a tour of the spectacular limestone caverns of the Cango Caves, one of the world’s great natural wonders, sculpted by nature through the ages. Return to Oudtshoorn for a fun filled interactive tour and light lunch at an Ostrich Farm, including local specialities such as Ostrich Steak. Our journey continues over the scenic Outeniqua Pass to George, the administrative hub of the Garden Route area and then onto Knysna, known as the oyster box of South Africa, nestling on the banks of a beautiful lagoon in the heart of the Garden Route. Along the way, visit the ‘Map of Africa’, an extraordinary viewpoint in Wilderness. Overnight in Knysna. [Breakfast & Lunch]
Distance travelled today: 204 kms

Day 3: Saturday Knysna
After breakfast, journey into the magical Knysna Forests, the stamping ground of the elusive Knysna elephants. Discover the stories of the woodcutters who worked the forests, the elephants that were hunted to extinction and the discovery of gold. Our expedition into the forest starts with a visit to the Forest Legends Museum, that exhibits tools and household items used by the woodcutters, the colourful Old Suzie steam engine, that was used to generate power, and the stately Old Forester’s House, home of forester David Ernest Hutchins, who was the first person to manage the indigenous forest in a sustainable manner. Enjoy a delicious lunch, in the forest, of traditional cuisine and local treats at Totties Farm Kitchen. The afternoon concludes with a visit to the Dalene Matthee Big Tree Memorial. The enormous Yellowwood tree of over 880 years was named after Matthee, best known author of four books on the Knysna Forest.
[Breakfast & Lunch]
Distance travelled today: 100 kms

Day 4: Sunday Knysna - Albertinia
After a leisurely breakfast, travel via George and Mossel Bay to Albertinia, a town set against the backdrop of the majestic Langeberg Mountain Range. En route, enjoy a leisurely walk or swim at Victoria Bay, one of the smallest and most beautiful bays along the Garden Route. Join an afternoon open vehicle game drive, at a malaria free private game reserve, that is home to an abundance of animal and birdlife, including the Big Five. Enjoy a relaxed dinner of safari cuisine, discussing the day’s game viewing. Overnight in the region of Albertinia.
[Breakfast & Dinner]
Distance travelled today: 150 kms

Day 5: Monday Albertinia - Hermanus
Our safari adventure continues with an early morning open vehicle game drive. Our expert guide will endeavour to spoil us with sightings of the ‘Big Five’, general game and prolific bird life. Leaving the bush behind, our journey will take us to the picturesque Cape Dutch town of Swellendam. This charming town was founded in 1745 and is famous for its youngberries, eclectic architecture, and National Parks, as well as outdoor activities. Our journey further continues to the seaside resort of Hermanus, known as the heart of the whale route, offering the best land-based whale watching (August to November) in the world. Dinner at the Heritage Restaurant, one of the oldest fisherman’s cottages in Hermanus, where delectable dishes are created using seasonal, local produce. Overnight in Hermanus.
[Breakfast & Dinner]
Distance travelled today: 370 kms

Day 6: Tuesday Hermanus - Cape Town
After a leisurely breakfast depart Hermanus and travel to Franschhoek, a picturesque village surrounded by spectacular vineyards, where French Huguenots settled more than 300 years ago, bringing with them their age-old French wine and food culture. Our guide will take us on a tour through Franschhoek village, sharing with us the fascinating history of the French Huguenots, then drive past the Victor Verster prison, where Nelson Mandela was released from in 1990. Finally, onto Cape Town, the oldest city in South Africa, spectacularly set at the foot of Table Mountain where the tour ends on arrival. [Breakfast] Distance travelled today: 180 kms

Tour Price
• Price shown is for a person based on twin share accommodation.
• All prices displayed are subject to availability and can be withdrawn or varied without notice.
• Prices are guaranteed once booking is confirmed by us and paid in full by the due date.
• Depending on your needs and group size (individual, couple, family, group, etc.) we will provide the final pricing for your tour.

Inclusions:
• 10 Meals: 5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners including gratuities
• 5 Nights’ accommodation including porterage
• Transportation including toll fees in air-conditioned vehicles
• Services of a professional English-speaking tour guide
• Entrance fees as specified in the itinerary
• Bottled water in eco-friendly packaging

Please refer to our Standard Booking Conditions for booking terms and conditions.