Things to do in Garden Route
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Garden Route
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Summer is warmest and busiest, with school holidays filling Plettenberg Bay and Knysna and prices peaking.
Autumn is a sweet spot, warm and calmer with good hiking on Robberg and in Tsitsikamma.
Winter is cooler, greener and quieter with the best value outside the July Oyster Festival in Knysna.
Whale season runs June to November, with southern rights most reliable and peak months around August to October.
Spring brings wildflowers, whales still present and shoulder season prices before the December rush.
What's on
- Knysna Oyster Festival Usually ten days in early July
Ten days of oysters, food and wine, the Knysna Forest Marathon and cycle tour, when Knysna fills up.
- Plett Arts Festival Late September to October, check current year dates
Arts and wine focused spring events in Plettenberg Bay, with dates that move by year.
Best things to do in Garden Route
Knysna Heads
Two sandstone cliffs guard the lagoon entrance, and the East Head viewpoint gives lagoon, town and ocean in one frame.
Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex
The start of route history stop in Mossel Bay, with a replica caravel, the Post Office Tree and maritime exhibits.
Santos Beach
A sheltered, family friendly beach below Mossel Bay town, calmer than the surf beaches further east for a swim.
Featherbed Nature Reserve
A private reserve on the Western Head reached by boat, then a guided drive and walk with lagoon views.
Monkeyland
A free roaming primate sanctuary in forest at The Crags, visited on a guided walk over suspension bridges.
Birds of Eden
A vast free flight aviary in a forested gorge at The Crags, with boardwalks at canopy and ground level.
Knysna Elephant Park
An elephant sanctuary on the N2 offering guided encounters for travellers who will not get a full safari.
Harkerville Saturday Market
A Saturday morning market with farm food, crafts and plants, and the easiest cheap morning on the route.
Where to stay in Garden Route
Mossel Bay
first or last night bookend
The western start of the route, with the Dias Museum, Santos Beach and harbour hotels.
George
golf, airport and Cango Caves excursion
The largest town, with George Airport, Fancourt golf and the Outeniqua Pass road to Oudtshoorn.
Wilderness
quiet lakes, beach and canoeing base
A small village between George and Knysna, with the Touws River, lakes and a long beach.
Knysna
lagoon, oysters and all round central base
The most complete base, with the Heads, lagoon cruises, Thesen Island and the widest dining choice.
Plettenberg Bay
beaches, Robberg and marine trips
The beach and adventure base, with Robberg, whale boats and easy day trips to Tsitsikamma.
Storms River and Tsitsikamma
forest, gorge and early park starts
The eastern end inside or beside Garden Route National Park, best for hikers and adventure days.
Think twice about
- Township areas on town edges without local guidance
Do not base there as a visitor without local guidance, and do not wander quiet beach or forest paths alone at dawn or after dark.
- N2 at night, Plettenberg Bay to Storms River
Single carriageway sections, trucks, stray animals and coastal mist make night driving the main road risk on the route.
Best restaurants in Garden Route
Zinzi Restaurant
The route fine dining splurge near Tsala, with shared plates, South African flavours and a strong wine list.
Serendipity Restaurant
A small chef led fine dining restaurant on the Touw River, long regarded as one of the best tables on the route.
Emily Moon River Lodge
A relaxed riverside restaurant on the Bitou River, with wood fired pizzas and sunset views over wetlands.
The Fat Fish
The dependable Plett seafood favourite at Central Beach, serving line fish, sushi, calamari and platters.
Enrico Ristorante
An Italian seafood institution on the rocks at Keurboomstrand, famous for fresh fish, pasta and a sea terrace.
34 Degrees South
A lively lagoon side restaurant at the Knysna Waterfront known for oysters, sushi and seafood.
East Head Cafe
A cafe at the East Head viewpoint with coffee and breakfasts and one of the best views in Knysna.
Ile de Pain
A bakery cafe on Thesen Island celebrated for breads, pastries and breakfasts, best early before loaves sell out.
Outdoor things to do in Garden Route
Robberg Nature Reserve
The essential peninsula hike, with seal colonies below, fynbos and ocean on both sides of the circuit.
Storms River Mouth Suspension Bridge
Boardwalks through coastal forest to suspension bridges over the Storms River mouth, short and spectacular.
Bloukrans Bungy
A 216 metre bungy from the Bloukrans Bridge arch, one of the highest commercial bridge jumps in the world.
Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour
A zipline tour on platforms in giant yellowwood trees, about 30 metres above the forest floor with guides.
Untouched Adventures
A guided kayak and lilo trip up the Storms River gorge, past cliffs and a bat cave where boats cannot go.
Touws River
Paddle a rented canoe from the Ebb and Flow area into the Wilderness lakes, with forest banks and kingfishers.
Cango Caves
Large limestone caverns near Oudtshoorn reached over the Outeniqua Pass, a full half day excursion from George.
Fancourt
The headline George golf estate, with the Montagu and Outeniqua courses open to visitors by booking.
Best hotels in Garden Route
Protea Hotel by Marriott Mossel Bay
The reliable mid range hotel by the Dias Museum, with sea facing rooms and an easy walk to Santos Beach.
Santos Express Train Lodge
Sleep in converted train carriages right by Santos Beach, basic and characterful at an unbeatable price.
Fancourt Hotel
A large luxury resort at the foot of the Outeniqua Mountains, with gardens, pools, a spa and golf on site.
Oubaai Hotel Golf and Spa
A quiet coastal golf estate hotel near Herolds Bay, with space and sea views for travellers with a car.
George Lodge International
A simple, good value lodge in George with parking and breakfast and quick access to the N2.
Views Boutique Hotel and Spa
A small luxury hotel above Wilderness Beach, with ocean views, a spa and a quiet couples friendly feel.
Fairy Knowe Hotel
A historic riverside hotel on the Touws River, with gardens, a pool and direct access to nature trails.
Ebb and Flow Rest Camp
The SANParks camp on the Touws River, the best cheap base on the route for self drivers who book early.
Is Garden Route expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ZAR 1,100 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ZAR 2,800 a person |
| Splurge | ZAR 6,500 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Featherbed Nature Reserve: a few days ahead
- Knysna Elephant Park: a few days ahead
- Ocean Blue Adventures: a few days ahead
- Bloukrans Bungy: a few days ahead
- Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour: a few days ahead
- Untouched Adventures: a few days ahead
- Cango Caves: a few days ahead
- Fancourt: weeks ahead
- Book December, January and Oyster Festival stays, SANParks camps and top lodges and restaurants well ahead.
- Book Bloukrans Bungy, canopy, kayak and whale trips a few days ahead in season and keep a weather backup day.
Is Garden Route safe?
- Violent crime, including car related attacks, is a risk in South Africa's big city centres; the Garden Route towns are markedly calmer, but petty theft and car break ins happen.
- Avoid driving the N2 at night where you can, lock doors in slow traffic and keep valuables out of sight.
- Swim only at lifeguarded beaches between flags, as rip currents affect Wilderness and Plettenberg Bay surf beaches.
- Emergency numbers are 10111 for police and 112 from a mobile phone.
Garden Route travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Do not schedule Cango Caves and Tsitsikamma on the same day, as the detour inland is a half day each way in planning terms.
- Do not leave valuables visible in a parked car at Robberg, Tsitsikamma or beach parking areas.
Getting around Garden Route: public transport and more
- You need a car, as there is no useful visitor public transport between towns on this route.
- Mossel Bay to Storms River is about 220 km, so pick two bases instead of changing hotels nightly.
- George Airport is about 15 minutes from Wilderness and about an hour from Knysna.
Who Garden Route suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Garden Route your trip
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