Things to do in Oudtshoorn
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Oudtshoorn
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Summer is extreme heat, regularly over 35 degrees and sometimes over 40, with school holiday crowds in December and January.
Autumn cools and is the best all round window, with KKNK usually in late March or early April filling town.
Winter is dry and sunny by day with cold nights near freezing, clear skies and prime Swartberg hiking weather.
Spring warms with wildflowers after good rain and shoulder season prices before December.
What's on
- Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK) late March to early April, dates move yearly
A major Afrikaans arts festival filling town for about a week. Book stays months ahead.
- Klein Karoo Klassique August, check current year dates
A smaller classical music and arts festival in town in winter in past years.
Best things to do in Oudtshoorn
C.P. Nel Museum
The town museum for the ostrich feather boom story, in a sandstone building with period rooms and farming displays.
Safari Ostrich Farm
A working ostrich farm with tractor tours and feeding, which states it no longer offers visitor ostrich riding.
Cango Ostrich Farm
A smaller ostrich show farm on the Cango road, convenient to pair with the Caves on the same drive.
Cango Wildlife Ranch
A zoo style ranch on the edge of town with big cats and reptiles, popular with families on a hot afternoon.
Karusa Vineyards
A small Karoo winery in Schoemanshoek with garden tastings and lunch plates, a shaded break from the heat.
Where to stay in Oudtshoorn
Oudtshoorn town, Baron van Reede Street
walking to dinner, winter trips, practical base
The town centre strip with Rosenhof, Jemima's and Nostalgie, and the easiest base without night driving.
Schoemanshoek and the Cango Valley
farm quiet, couples, caves first
Farms and guest houses on the Cango road north of town, closer to the caves and under dark skies.
Farms south and west of town, R62 and R328
meerkats, game lodge stays, slow Karoo nights
Working farms and Buffelsdrift outside town, quieter and darker, with a drive to town dinner.
Think twice about
- Unlit farm roads and the R62 and R328 at night
Livestock, wildlife and unlit vehicles make night driving outside town the main road risk. Drive in daylight where you can.
- Quiet town side streets alone after dark
Walk the lit Baron van Reede Street area to dinner, and drive or use a host arranged lift rather than wandering dark streets alone.
- Swartberg Pass in rain, snow or at night
A gravel pass with steep zigzags and closures after bad weather. Check conditions and never drive it at night.
- Outlying areas without local guidance
Do not base in an outlying area as a visitor without local guidance. Ask your host where they would walk at night.
Best restaurants in Oudtshoorn
The Black Swan Restaurant & Cape Karoo Eatery
The town splurge table for South African and Karoo dishes including ostrich and game, best for a slow dinner.
Jemima's Restaurant
A long running house restaurant with garden seating, known for ostrich fillet, lamb and South African classics.
Nostalgie Restaurant
A guest house restaurant focused on Klein Karoo flavours, with ostrich, slow roasted lamb and early breakfasts.
Bello Cibo Restaurant
An Italian restaurant for pizza and pasta in town, the reliable change of pace from ostrich and lamb.
Beans About Coffee
A coffee shop and roastery for breakfast and light lunch, the cheap morning stop before the caves drive.
Outdoor things to do in Oudtshoorn
Cango Caves
Huge limestone chambers north of town, visited on guided Heritage and Adventure tours at a steady cool temperature.
Swartberg Pass
A gravel Bain pass to 1585 metres with dry stone walls and zigzags, the best drive in the Klein Karoo.
Five Shy Meerkats, Meerkat Adventure
A sunrise tour to sit quietly while a habituated wild meerkat family emerges, never fed or handled.
Rust en Vrede Waterfall
A short shaded walk to a waterfall in a kloof, a green break to pair with the Cango Caves drive.
Meiringspoort Waterfall
A waterfall and picnic site a short walk from the tarred Meiringspoort gorge road, the easier pass alternative.
Best hotels in Oudtshoorn
Rosenhof Country House
A five star boutique country house in town with gardens, a pool and a spa, the most polished in town stay.
Hlangana Lodge
A well kept town lodge with rooms facing gardens and a pool, the dependable mid range base in Oudtshoorn.
Protea Hotel by Marriott Oudtshoorn Riempie Estate
A Protea hotel in a farm style setting with rondavels and a pool, practical for families and groups.
Kleinplaas Holiday Resort
A budget resort in town with chalets and campsites and a pool, priced for road trippers and campers.
Buffelsdrift Game Lodge
A game lodge near town with luxury tents around a waterhole and drives on a small private Karoo reserve.
La Plume Boutique Hotel & Spa
A boutique farm hotel and spa in Schoemanshoek with wide Swartberg views, a quiet couples focused splurge.
De Zeekoe Guest Farm
A guest farm on the Olifants River with rooms and cottages, and the meerkat sunrise tours leaving from here.
Is Oudtshoorn expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ZAR 900 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ZAR 2,200 a person |
| Splurge | ZAR 5,200 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Cango Caves: a few days ahead
- Five Shy Meerkats, Meerkat Adventure: weeks ahead
- Rosenhof Country House: a few days ahead
- Kleinplaas Holiday Resort: a few days ahead
- Buffelsdrift Game Lodge: a few days ahead
- La Plume Boutique Hotel & Spa: a few days ahead
- De Zeekoe Guest Farm: a few days ahead
- The Black Swan Restaurant & Cape Karoo Eatery: a few days ahead
- Book Cango Caves tours ahead at all times, as numbers are capped for conservation.
- Book the meerkat sunrise ahead and keep a spare morning for weather cancellation.
- Book KKNK week and December stays months ahead.
Is Oudtshoorn safe?
- Crime is the main risk, including robbery and carjacking, with higher risk after dark and in isolated areas.
- Keep valuables out of sight in a parked car at the caves, farms and pass viewpoints.
- Carry water on every walk in summer, as day heat regularly passes 35 degrees and can pass 40 degrees.
- Emergency numbers are 10111 for police and 112 from a mobile phone.
Oudtshoorn travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Do not try the Swartberg Pass, the caves and a farm tour all before lunch.
- Do not drive the Swartberg Pass in rain to keep an itinerary.
- Do not pay for an ostrich ride without asking what it involves for the bird. Safari Ostrich Farm states it offers no riding.
Getting around Oudtshoorn: public transport and more
- You need a car, as the caves are about 30 km from town and farms and stays are spread along the R328 and R62.
- George Airport is about 55 km away over the Outeniqua Pass.
- Fuel up in town before the Swartberg Pass, as there is no fuel on the pass.
Who Oudtshoorn suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Oudtshoorn your trip
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