Before embarking on my Garden Route road trip, I set out to research the perfect itinerary. I ask locals (my tour guides, employees at hostels) and I check in with other travelers I’ve met on tour. I pour over maps and comb through a dozen posts written by bloggers who have covered this route before me. By and large the stops are the same, it’s just a matter of how to divvy up time between them — and make sure I’m not missing any attractions along the way.

I decide to focus my attention on the stretch from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. But in case you’re planning your own trip here, I will flag a few additional days of driving you may want to consider before and after — for example, right at the start, I tack on two days near Cape Town to get more time exploring Stellenbosch and driving around Cape Point. Since those are doable as day trips from Cape Town, you might knock them off the list before beginning a Garden Route road trip in order to maximize your time with a rental car (though personally, I liked having the freedom to drive those areas myself). Then after Port Elizabeth I’ll flag three additional days of driving if you’d like to extend your trip up the Wild Coast — this is a stretch I covered using a hop-on, hop-off bus service called Baz Bus, and the scenery is really spectacular. If you choose to add those extra days your trip will end in the city of Durban.

Let’s do this!

OPTIONAL DAY A: Stellenbosch

HIGHLIGHTS: drinking wine, eating excellent food, wandering around town, shopping

I’ve written about this gem of a town — I first encounter Stellenbosch on a wine tour but decide to return because there wasn’t enough time to properly explore the downtown area and soak up its ambiance. So I go back to spend half a day visiting restaurants, walking around to admire homes and gardens, and sipping wine while reading a good book. I stay overnight in a hostel and then depart early the next morning for Optional Day B…

OPTIONAL DAY B: Cape Point

HIGHLIGHTS: penguins at Boulders Beach, lighthouse at Cape of Good Hope

I wrote three posts detailing my day trip to Cape Point — driving around Camps Bay, Hout Bay, and Chapman’s Peak, then checking out frolicking penguins at Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town, and finally walking to the Cape of Good Hope lighthouse. This is must-do for Cape Town visitors — the coastal views are spectacular.

Okay, now let’s get this party started. Here’s the meat of my Garden Route itinerary.

DAY 1 – Cape Town to Hermanus

HIGHLIGHTS: an epicly scenic drive, whale watching, charming downtown Hermanus

After leaving Cape Town, I opt to take the scenic route along the shore (skipping Route 2 and going south to the coast) instead of booking it to Hermanus. It definitely takes longer but the views are stellar — I pull over a few times along this first stretch, like when I snap the above photo. The main road is so close to the ocean.

I take this next shot of Gordon’s Bay. There are plenty of places to stop for lunch or coffee here and admire the view.

Next up is my very favorite view along the Garden Route — it’s an unnamed stretch of coast along R44 between Gordon’s Bay and Pringle Bay (Kogel Bay Resort is the closest landmark I can find on Google Maps). UPDATE: a reader pointed out in the comments that this stretch of coast is called Clarens Drive! Thank you, Ali!

Here’s my exact location when I reach the above viewpoint:

Next up is a lovely city called Hermanus. I’d recommend having dinner here (lots of great restaurants to pick from) and spending maybe 1-2 hours walking around town soaking up the views. I happen to be here in late September, which is the height of whale season — many companies offer whale watching cruises; if you time your arrival early enough, you can squeeze one in around 3pm and then get dinner.

Although if you don’t get on a whale watching cruise, you’ll likely still see these magnificent creatures splashing around as they swim right along the coast. Or you might get lucky and spot them up close while on a boat en route to shark cage diving in Gansbaai the following day… which is when I take this next photo of two Southern Right whales, distinguished by the callouses on their heads:

After dinner, drive a short while longer to overnight in Gansbaai. It’s fine if you get here late and crash, because you’ll want to wake up early in the morning to go shark cage diving…

DAY 2 – Gansbaai to Swellendam

HIGHLIGHTS: shark cage diving, pretty inland views

Gansbaai is smaller than Hermanus, and there’s less to see here. But it’s the gateway to Shark Alley — and trust me, you’ll want to wake up early to go cage diving with Great White Sharks. (You can also do this tour as a very long day trip from Cape Town; the companies here provide transport for an added cost.)

The captain steers us towards the sharks and spreads chum (blood and guts of fish) on the surface to attract Great Whites.

This activity is awesome — Great White Shark Tours hosted my trip and the experience does not disappoint.

Eight people at a time go into the cage (it’s narrow and long so everyone has their own viewing area) and the captain waves a foam board shaped like a seal over the water. When he yells, “DOWN!” everyone in the cage takes a deep breath and ducks underwater to watch the Great White sharks swim by. Occasionally they pop out of the water like this, mouths open to reveal a menacing set of chompers:

Both breakfast and lunch are provided, so when the experience wraps up around lunchtime, I’m already fed and ready to hit the next stretch of road — onwards to Swellendam!

I expect this afternoon’s trip to be rather uninspired compared to the previous day’s coastal drive but it turns out to be scenic in its own way. The farmland stretches on forever, with endless blue skies to match.

I hit a big storm later that afternoon, but it just adds drama to an already impressive landscape.

After staying in hostels thus far, I decide to try something new in Swellendam — I scope out bed and breakfasts. This comes about because when I attempt to book accommodation at Swellendam Backpackers, I find out they don’t have dorm beds anymore so I’ll have to splurge on a private room (around $25). But that room is not attached to the main structure, so to use the bathroom I’ll have to walk outside… and it’s raining. An inside room is $35 which is about three times as expensive as a typical dorm room bed in South Africa. This is enough of a deterrent that I begin calling nearby bed & breakfasts, asking if they have a room for the night and what’s their best price for a single female traveler who doesn’t need breakfast? I get a bite right away — the kind owners of Impangale Guest House offer to let me stay in their Giraffe Room for $25 (this is cheaper than their normal rate because it’s last-minute). Isn’t it cute? And I have my own private bathroom… which I don’t have to venture outside in the rain to use! Since this works out so well, I continue this method for the remainder of my Garden Route road trip and score awesome B&B stays for around $25 per night. I never play the travel blog card; each time it works out because it’s last-minute and the hosts are happy to discount a room if they have one available. It’s an unorthodox way to book accommodation but since I’m traveling in the off-season, it works.

In addition to finding high-value accommodation, I am so impressed with the meal options throughout South Africa. Most nights I eat a filet of meat (springbok, ostrich, beef, etc.) with a glass of wine for under $15. This particular meal is from Koornlands in Swellendam, recommended by my gracious B&B hosts.

Admittedly, I don’t do very much in Swellendam. Part of the reason is the rain, otherwise I might be up for hiking or some other outdoor activity in the morning on Day 3 before I depart for Oudtshoorn. Instead, I sleep in and edit photos before grabbing coffee in town and going on my way.

DAY 3: Swellendam to Oudtshoorn

HIGHLIGHTS: ostrich riding, Cango Wildlife Ranch, Cango caves

On day 3 I drive towards Oudtshoorn, opting for the mountainous stretch through Karoo along Route 62. One notable stop is Ronnie’s Sex Shop just outside Barrydale, a quirky bar / cafe with undergarments on display. I don’t go inside but its Trip Advisor reviews are colorful and it sounds like the food is quite good. Instead I eat an early lunch on the main drag in Barrytown, then press onward towards Oudtshoorn.

There are three attractions I would recommend Oudtshoorn. I’d suggest doing one or two in the afternoon when you arrive, and the rest the next morning.

The first is Cango Ostrich Farm, where you can ride an ostrich if the weather is good (it’s not during my visit) and take a quick tour to learn more about these powerful and stupid birds (seriously, their brains are tiny and they often eat pebbles by accident). The woman who leads the tour asks if I’d like to feed the ostriches while she snaps my photo… and I make the above face while my life flashes before me. I’m sorry for thinking you’re dumb, ostriches! Thank you for not pecking my eyes out!

The second attraction is Cango Caves — tours are quite cheap (around $8) and last 60 minutes. I’ve visited many caves before, but I find this series of caverns to be especially impressive.

The next morning I visit Cango Wildlife Ranch. This place rocks and both kids and adults will have a blast here. The hour-long tour is excellent and there’s an option to add animal encounters with species like cheetahs, lemurs, crocs, tigers, and snakes. I really want to go cage diving with crocs — my friend Robin did this at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and his photos were so neat.

Visitors get into a metal cage and then they lower you into the water next to the crocodiles. Since these cold-blooded animals aren’t very active in cooler temps, this activity is only offered seasonally… and I happen to be there on the very first day it’s back on offer. The crocs are a little sluggish, but they swim by me when I’m underwater…!

Then I dry off and grab lunch in Oudtshoorn. Day four is already half over by the time I climb into the car and begin the (relatively) short drive to Knysna.

DAY 4 – Oudtshoorn to Knysna

HIGHLIGHTS: scenic beaches

On the way to Knysna I stop briefly at Myoli Beach in Sedgefield. The weather is gloomy but there aren’t many people here and I contentedly stroll along the shore for awhile.

I spend the next two nights at the lovely Hide Away Guest House in Knysna. The owners very kindly agree to offer me a lower rate — again, booked last-minute (a few hours before arrival) in the off-season, and I ask for breakfast to not be included so they’ll be more inclined to offer a better deal. I think I pay either $30 or $35 a night for this room with private bathroom. A girl could get used to this kind of luxury after so many years of hostels!

I get dinner at a lovely restaurant on the waterfront and buy a bottle of wine to bring back to the room. Super relaxing night.

DAY 5 – Knysna

HIGHLIGHTS: viewpoint of The Heads, boat tour to Featherdale Nature Reserve, sunset boat cruise, eat oysters

The boat tour to Featherbed Nature Reserve is a little pricey so I opt instead to drive myself to a viewpoint overlooking The Heads (name of two bluffs — one on the east, one on the west — that sit at the entrance of the Knysna Lagoon).

Speaking of the Knysna Lagoon… check out this shot!

I spend time walking around Thesen Island, enjoying the seaside views and eating oysters.

In the evening I venture down to the waterfront to take a sunset cruise around the Lagoon. But it’s less spectacular than I hoped because the sun sets quickly and then I’m stuck on a boat selling overpriced food and drinks for an hour. If I had to do it again, I’d skip the sunset cruise and spend that money on dinner at the waterfront… there are so many excellent restaurants here.

DAY 6 – Knysna to Tsitsikamma National Park

HIGHLIGHTS: coastal views, bungy jumping, waterfall hike

The next morning I reluctantly depart Knysna. I drive to Plettenberg Bay to get coffee at this place (it’s outstanding) and then stop at a viewpoint near the center of town to snap the above photo.

I arrive at the Bloukrans Bridge, home to the world’s highest commercial bungy jump at over 700 feet (215 meters) above the Bloukrans River. A company called Face Adrenaline operates here and, despite the fact that I’ve never been more terrified, I take the plunge.

Oh man, can’t wait to show you that video.

After I get over the adrenaline shock of jumping off a bridge, I keep driving towards Tsitsikamma National Park. There’s just enough daylight hours left to do the waterfall hike, which overlaps with the first stretch of the longer Otter Trail. This trek involves a fair amount of rock scrambling but the views are stellar.

Sunset along the coast is glorious. Then I drive to nearby Storms River for the night.

DAY 7 – Tsitsikamma National Park to Port Elizabeth

HIGHLIGHTS: kayaking

I wake up early to drive back into the park for a kayak tour with Untouched Adventures — they offer a Kayak & Lilo tour that sounds awesome. Unfortunately my rental car is due in Port Elizabeth by noon, so I only have enough time to do the kayak portion. And guess what? It’s still worth it — this area is GORGEOUS. I love Tsitsikamma National Park and wish I had more time here.

OPTIONAL DAY C: Port Elizabeth to Cinsta

HIGHLIGHTS: lounge at hostel overlooking the beach, ride horses on the beach, kite surf

I have to confess that I almost skip Port Elizabeth entirely — Addo Elephant Park is probably worth tacking onto your itinerary, but since I’ve just spent three months on safari watching pachyderms up close in Kenya and the Serengeti and Zambia, I decide to skip Addo. And I consider going to the Nelson Mandela Stadium to watch a sports event or just take a tour, but there aren’t any games during my stay and tours only happen on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. So instead I spend an afternoon chilling out at various coffee shops and restaurants on Stanley Street near Hippo Backpackers.

Since I’ve returned my rental car, I plan to visit the next stretch of coast with Baz Bus. This is a hop-on, hop-off bus service that stops at major hostels in each city. I pick this option instead of driving myself because the next few days will cover a lot of miles — it’s almost the same distance I’ve drove the entire previous week along the Garden Route. So it’ll be nice to sit back and listen to podcasts or read while someone else does the driving — plus gas is pricey so I’m glad not to have to pay to refuel every day.

I’m going to write about the next three stops as if each one takes a day, but the fact is that the Baz Bus only operates these routes a few times per week so it will take longer to complete (unless you are driving yourself). For example, I have to stay overnight in Cinsta for two nights before the next bus comes along — it’s a very pleasant place to stay so I don’t mind this at all — but then I get screwed with my visit to Coffee Bay (more on that in a moment). So just beware when planning your travels that the bus schedule is not daily.

I snap the above photo from the main balcony at Buccaneers Lodge & Backpackers. It’s a relaxing place to stay and you can’t beat the views. Originally they assign me to a dorm bed inside a free-standing house, but it’s clearly ’the party house’ so I request a dorm bed elsewhere and they accommodate me. Warning: their wifi is slow to the point of non-existence (and you have to pay for it), but there is a cafe in town that has internet. Just check the tidal schedule because you can only access town by crossing a stream on the beach that is sometimes ankle-deep and other times hip-deep. Be sure to check out the kite surfers who frequent this area; they do all sorts of tricks and cool moves over the water.

OPTIONAL DAY D: Cinsta to Coffee Bay

HIGHLIGHTS: hike to Hole in the Wall

So this area proves to be a bust for me. I’ve come here specifically to hike to Hole in the Wall — a stunning island just off the coast with a tunnel cutting through it — but the main town is 9km away from that landmark. So when I inquire at the front desk of Coffee Shack hostel (they offer a day-long hike to Hole in the Wall), they tell me there’s no way I can hike there and back before the Baz Bus is scheduled to depart at 2pm. And since there’s no bus scheduled the following day, my options are to either stay one night and skip the hike entirely, or stay THREE nights and do the hike. I can’t justify padding my itinerary by two extra nights (and there isn’t much else to do in the area except surf) so I have to forfeit the hike. Bummer! At least the breakfast and coffee are good…

OPTIONAL DAY E: Coffee Bay to Durban

HIGHLIGHTS: waterfront walk, coffee shops, restaurants, aquarium

The city of Durban is so much more fun than I expect. I thought I’d be here 2-3 days to keep my head down and do work — edit photos, blog, and plan the next stretch of my South African travels (Drakensberg and Lesotho). But instead I meet really cool people at the Happy Hippo Hostel and eat at several awesome restaurants.

And that, my friends, is the full story of my Garden Route itinerary — seven essential days, plus five additional days of worthwhile stops.

If you come to South Africa and only do this 7-day trip (plus spend a few extra days in Cape Town), your trip will more than be worth it.

Oh, one random thing — anytime you park your car in South Africa, it will be looked after by a local dude. This sounds sketchy but these guys are part of a self-appointed group of individuals who act as security guards on each block. He will expect some form of tip when you get back into your car to leave; I usually tip the equivalent of 50 cents. It’s not a bad deal as it keeps crime down… though it feels weird to essentially pay someone to NOT break into my car.

One final note: I found driving the Garden Route to be very safe. I typically arrived at my destination before sunset, but then I’d take the car out for dinner, and I never felt unsafe. If you plan to drive in big cities like Cape Town or Johannesburg, take extra caution and definitely don’t drive at night (especially in Joburg) — carjackings are common. But the smaller stops along the Garden Route are very touristy and, by and large, safe.