Quick Guide to the Garden Route, South Africa

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Intro

The Garden Route is the iconic stretch of coast along South Africa’s southern coastline. It is a very popular road trip destination that officially starts at Tsitsikamma National Park and ends in the town of Mossel Bay. The drive is famous for its diversity in wildlife and absolutely stunning views. This is a perfect destination for nature-lovers, outdoor enthusiasts and photographers.

Good to know

Language: English and Afrikaans are the primary languages spoken along the Garden Route

Currency: Rand (ZAR)

Type of travel: road trips

Best time to visit: Jan – Apr

Budget: Inexpensive to Mid Range (Lodge 600ZAR, Meal 100ZAR, Coffee 22ZAR)

Airport: Port Elizabeth (PLZ) or George (GRJ)

Electrical outlets: most places have type D outlets and type C adapters available; voltage is 230V

5-Day Itinerary (from east to west)

Day 1: Port Elizabeth (recommend: spend night 1 in Port Elizabeth)

• Explore Addo Elephant National Park

Day 2: Tsitsikamma National Park (recommend: spend night 2 in Sedgefield)

• Storms River Mouth at Tsitsikamma National Park
  • walk the suspension bridge
  • kayaking excursion
• Bloukrans Bridge
  • (bungee jump – optional)

Day 3: Plettenberg Bay & Knysna (recommend: spend night 3 in Sedgefield)

• Robberg Nature Reserve (read more about the experience here)
  • Hike
  • Swim
  • View the seals
• Knysna Heads viewpoint
  • Stop at East Heads Cafe
  • Take in the view

Day 4: Sedgefield & Wilderness (recommend: spend night 4 in Sedgefield)

• Wild Oats Community Farmers Market
  • (Saturdays only) Buy rusks, coffee and crafts
• Timberlake Organic Village art market
  • Buy local crafts and artwork
• Map of Africa viewpoint
  • Quick stop to view the landscape
• Kaaimans River Railway Bridge
  • Spend time on the beach
  • Stop to view the railway bridge

Day 5: Still Bay & L’Agulhas (recommend: spend night 5 near Still Bay)

• Southern Tip of Africa Monument 
  • Short walk and viewpoint in the national park
• Inverroche Distillery
  • Gin tasting and tour

Got additional time? Add a beach day! Visit any of the many beautiful beaches at Plettenberg Bay, Myoli, Wilderness, Herolds Bay, Still Bay or Struis Bay. 

Other activities to try out

1. Taste Amarula, local gin and local wine
2. Tandem paraglide along the coast
3. Try Nando’s – an iconic South African fast food chain
4. Go whale watching in Hermanus
5. Swim with the seals at Plettenerg Bay
6. Hike one of the many trails in Knysna or Outeniqua Pass
7. Take a surfing lesson
8. Rent canoes or stand-up paddle boards
9. Practice your nature photography skills
10. Cage dive with sharks with an eco-friendly tour company

Eats

Restaurants (East to West along the route)

• Muse, Port Elizabeth
• Golden Palm, Plettenberg Bay
• East Head Café, Knysna (recommend: for the view)
• Route 57 Restaurant, Mossel Bay (recommend: the burgers)
• Coffee & Cream, Still Bay (recommend: for breakfast or brunch)

Reliable chains along the way

• Nando’s, cheap and fast 
• Pili Pili, mid-range and located beach-front
• Fat Fish, mid-range and in city/town centers

Cocktails with a view

• Project Bar
• Featherbed Beach Bar
• The Lookout Deck
• Kaaimans Restaurant
• Salinas Beach Restaurant
• Blue Oyster Cocktail Bar 

Lodging

On a budget

• Lyell’s B&B, Plettenberg Bay
• Seals Backpackers, Cape St. Francis
• Pelican Lodge Guesthouse, Sedgefield

Mid-range

• Harmony Game Lodge, Port Elizabeth 
• Amelia’s by the Sea, near George
• De Doornkraal Historic Country House, near Still Bay

Splurge

• Nova Boutique Hotel, Port Elizabeth
• Pezula Resort, Hotel & Spa, Knysna
• Escape to the Beach, Wilderness

Travel tips

1. Rent a car. The main road (the N2) is easy to drive, renting is not too expensive, and driving yourself simplifies logistics a ton.
2. Drive the speed limit. Traffic cameras will catch you if you go more than 10kmh over – plus, it’s beautiful the whole way so no need to rush.
3. Always have water and sunscreen. With so many beautiful beaches and views, you’ll spend a lot of time in the sun. We ended up making a lot of unplanned stops, even some impromptu hikes!
4. Stay in Sedgefield a few nights. It’s centrally located right in the middle of the Garden Route and you can easily reach the main stops from Storms River all the way to Mossel Bay from there. Recommend: 1 night in Port Elizabeth, 3 nights in Sedgefield, 1 night in Still Bay to reach the Southern Tip of Africa on day 5.
5. Book two separate round-trip flights. On a tight budget? Save some cash by booking an international round-trip flight to JNB separately from round-trip domestic flights to either Port Elizabeth (PLZ) or George (GRJ).

Best advice

Go to the nearest beach and watch the sun set every night. This stretch of coastline has an endless number of stunning viewpoints. Don’t over think it – just head for the beach with a bottle of wine and a blanket after an early dinner. Sunset is around 7:45pm in January. It’s a perfect way to end the day and because the main road runs along the coast, odds are you aren’t more than a 15-minute drive from a beautiful sunset over the ocean.

Want to know more?

I went into more depth (with more photos) of my favorite stops on the Garden Route in a separate post, here. It includes an embedded map of some of the stops we made along the way. The post also includes some of the places we stopped near Cape Town, in case you’re considering extending the trip beyond the official Garden Route.