Home Cape Town and Garden Route Splendour
9-Day Private Cape Town & Garden Route Tour

Cape Town &
Garden Route Splendour

Eight nights, four-star guesthouses — from Table Mountain to the Garden Route and back to the Mother City.

Duration

8 Nights, 9 Days

Tour Type

Private

Group Size

1–13 guests

Pickup

Cape Town International Airport or preferred Guest House / Hotel

Duration

8 Nights, 9 Days

Tour Type

Private — just your group

Group Size

1–13 guests

Pickup Location

Cape Town International Airport or preferred Guest House / Hotel

About This Tour

The Best of Cape Town & the Garden Route

The full picture in nine private days — the icons of Cape Town, the Cape Winelands, the whale coast, and the wonders of the Garden Route, ending back in the Mother City. We don’t run scheduled tours; this is yours alone, so you stop and go at your pace with a guide whose local knowledge unlocks the places most visitors miss.

Four nights at the V&A Waterfront set the tone before you head east through the Karoo to Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, staying in four-star guesthouses chosen for their position and service throughout.

The Journey

Your Route:

Day by Day

The Itinerary:

DAY 01

Arrive in Cape Town

Tonight

4★ Waterfront Hotel, B&B, Deluxe Room (4 Nights)

A warm welcome to the Mother City and, weather permitting, a first look at it from the top of Table Mountain.

  • Meet your guide at Cape Town International Airport and transfer to the V&A Waterfront
  • Cable-car trip to the top of Table Mountain (weather permitting, cable car own account)
DAY 02

The Cape Peninsula

Tonight

4★ V&A Waterfront Hotel · B&B

A full day around the peninsula where the oceans meet — beaches, Cape Point, penguins and a botanical garden.

  • Scenic Atlantic Seaboard drive via Sea Point and Camps Bay to Hout Bay
  • Boat trip to Seal Island (weather permitting)
  • Cape Point via Chapman’s Peak and the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve
  • Lunch (own account), then historic Simon’s Town with its penguin and seal colonies
  • Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden on the slopes of Table Mountain
 
DAY 03

Hermanus & the Whale Coast

Tonight

4★ V&A Waterfront Hotel · B&B

Over the mountains to the whale capital of the world, returning along one of the Cape’s most beautiful coastal roads.

  • Sir Lowry’s Pass to the apple-and-vine country of the Elgin Valley
  • Houwhoek Pass to Hermanus, the whale capital of the world (whale watching optional, in season)
  • Lunch (own account) at Bientang’s Cave
  • Stony Point penguin colony at Betty’s Bay
  • Scenic Clarence Drive coastal road back to Cape Town
 
DAY 04

The Cape Winelands

Tonight

4★ V&A Waterfront Hotel · B&B

A day of wine, cheese, chocolate and history through Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch.

  • Cheese-and-wine tasting at a historic Paarl wine estate (established 1699)
  • Chocolate, beer or tea tasting at Spice Route
  • The Drakenstein “Walk of Freedom” where Nelson Mandela was released in 1994
  • Franschhoek, the Gourmet Capital, with time to explore its boutiques
  • Helshoogte Pass to Stellenbosch, ending with a tasting at Delaire Graff
DAY 05

Cape Town → Oudtshoorn

Tonight

4★ Oudtshoorn Guesthouse · Dinner, B&B (luxury room)

East over the mountains and along Route 62 into the Klein Karoo and ostrich country.

  • Klein Drakenstein Mountains to Worcester in the Breede River Valley
  • Tasting or food-and-wine pairing at Four Cousins
  • Route 62 through Barrydale and Calitzdorp towards Oudtshoorn
  • Lunch (own account) at a Karoo restaurant
  • Overnight in Oudtshoorn — dinner included
 
DAY 06

Oudtshoorn → Knysna

Tonight

4★ Knysna Guesthouse · B&B (lagoon-facing, 2 nights)

Meerkats, the Cango Caves and an ostrich farm, then over the Outeniqua Pass to the coast.

  • Sunrise meerkat experience
  • Explore the Cango Caves after breakfast
  • Visit a working ostrich farm
  • Lunch (own account) at the award-winning Jemima’s
  • Scenic Outeniqua Mountain pass to Wilderness and the coast
  • Overnight at a four-star, lagoon-facing guesthouse in Knysna
 
DAY 07

Knysna at leisure

Tonight

4★ Knysna Guesthouse · B&B (2nd night)

A lagoon day — the Featherbed ferry, buffet lunch in the forest, and the Knysna distilleries.

  • 10h00–14h00 ferry across the lagoon to Featherbed, a National Heritage Site
  • 4×4 trailer ride, guided walk and buffet lunch in the Milkwood Forest
  • Leisure time at the Knysna Waterfront
  • Visit Knysna distilleries — traditional gin made with nine botanicals
  • Return to your guesthouse and time at the lagoon
DAY 08

Plettenberg Bay & the Furry Five

Tonight

4★ Plettenberg Bay Guesthouse · B&B (1 night)

A wildlife day in Plett — rare cats, free-roaming primates or birds, and a long lunch among the vines.

  • Scenic viewpoints around Plettenberg Bay and the story behind its name
  • Meet the Furry Five at the Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre
  • Your choice of Monkeyland or Birds of Eden
  • Lunch (own account) at Bramon Wine Estate — mezze, cheeses, tapas and a glass of wine
  • Afternoon at leisure; overnight in Plettenberg Bay
DAY 09

Choose → Your Ending:

Ending

In Cape Town or Port Elizabeth

Today: Return to Cape Town · or onward to Port Elizabeth

A Garden Route safari back to Cape Town, or an adventurous Tsitsikamma finale towards Port Elizabeth.

The Itinerary:

  • 4×4 game drive at Botlierskop Private Game Reserve (4 of the Big 5, rare antelope, rich birdlife)
  • Lunch (own account) at the game reserve
  • Continue to Cape Town for transfer to the airport or a destination of your choice

Onward to Port Elizabeth:

  • Bloukrans Bridge, the world’s highest commercial bungee at 216m (jump optional, own account)
  • Kayak & Lilo adventure up the Storms River Gorge (optional extra)
  • Segway forest tour through the indigenous Tsitsikamma forest (optional extra)
  • Forest walk to the Tsitsikamma suspension bridge, followed by lunch (own account)
  • Transfer to Port Elizabeth Airport for your flight home
2026 Rates — Per Person Sharing

Prefer 3-Star or 5-Star?

This itinerary is priced on four-star luxury guest houses throughout. We will happily quote it in three-star or five-star accommodation — simply mention your preference when you enquire and we will put together a tailored quote.

3★ Comfort

4★ Luxury — Included

5★ Premium

What's Covered

Included &: EXCLUDED

What's Included
Excluded
What's Covered

Rates & Enquiry

2026 Rates — Per Person Sharing
1 October – 30 April (peak season)

Starting From R45,220

Per person · Private departure

1 May – 30 September (green season)

Starting From R39,360

Per person · Private departure

Guest Experiences

What Guests Say

"Nine days covered everything from Table Mountain and the Winelands to the Cango Caves and Knysna without feeling rushed."
Robert Sinclair
Edinburgh, UK
"Cape Point, Hermanus and Franschhoek in the first days, then the Garden Route — honestly the trip of a lifetime."
Aisha Patel
Birmingham, UK
"Staying four nights at the V&A Waterfront before heading east was the perfect way to begin our African adventure."
Thomas Berg
Oslo, Norway
Practical Information

Frequently Asked

The first four are based in Cape Town (peninsula, whale coast, winelands) from the V&A Waterfront, then you head east through Oudtshoorn, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay before your chosen day-nine ending.

There’s scenic driving between regions, but days are broken into manageable stops and short, easy walks. As a private tour, the pace flexes to suit you.

The rate covers 8 breakfasts, 1 buffet lunch (Knysna) and 1 dinner (Oudtshoorn). Other lunches, drinks and personal items are for your own account.

Things like the Table Mountain cable car, Hermanus whale watching (in season), the Bloukrans bungee, and the Storms River kayak and Segway activities. Your guide can arrange them on the day.

Yes — it’s fully private. We can adjust the pace, swap emphasis (more wine, more wildlife), quote different star ratings, or extend your stay.

More Garden Route Tours

You May Also Enjoy

From Cape Town to the Splendour
Cross Route 62 to Oudtshoorn's caves, then Knysna's lagoon and a game reserve.
The Classic Garden Route Tour & Safari
Five days through Oudtshoorn, Knysna and Plett, ending with a Garden Route safari.
Cape Town, Garden Route & Safari
Eleven days from Cape Town to a malaria-free Big 5 Eastern Cape safari.

Ready to
see it all?

From Table Mountain and the Cape Winelands to the heart of the Garden Route — nine unforgettable days, one private guide. Let’s build your itinerary.