The Garden Route is an amazing area with many highlights and things to do. The suggested top 10 places based on our experience (we’ve travelled the Garden Route 4 times including 1 time with our toddler daughter). Every trip added new favorite places. Your list of top places might be different from ours. If you have any suggestions or places to add, don’t hesitate and comment at the end of the post.
The easiest way of traveling the Garden Route is by car. If you don’t want to rent a car you can join a small group tour or use hop-on-hop-off bus.
Table of Contents
St.Blaize hiking trail, Mossel Bay
Hiking the trail along the rugged cliffs from Mossel Bay to Point of Human Origins Cave is a great way to start your Garden Route adventure. St.Blaize is a 13 km linear trail. You can walk it as a return hike or take an Uber to get back to Mossel Bay. The route starts/ends (it can be walked either way) at Cape St.Blaize Lighthouse in Mossel Bay. The entire 13 km are on a footpath along the cliffs with spectacular views of the coast.
Make sure to take enough water (1,5l per person) and snacks, wear a hat, and comfortable shoes. There is no place to stop for food or water between the start and the end of the trail. The route finishes at Point of Human Origins Cave, next to Pinnacle Point Golf Club. If you want to visit the cave you have to make a booking.
Places to stay in Mossel Bay
- Low-end | Baylight Accommodation Room | Aloe @ the Sea |
- Mid-range | 3ColoursBlue Guest House | Ana’s Place Apartments |
- High-end | Aquamarine Guest House | Betty’s Boutique Hotel |
Botlierskop Private Game Reserve
A visit to South Africa is not complete without a safari drive. If you don’t have time to visit Kruger National Park or Addo Elephant Park you can include in your Garden Route itinerary a visit to one of the game lodges on the Garden Route.
Botlierskop Game Reserve is one of the most famous on the Garden Route. This family-run reserve occupies 4500 ha. On a safari trip you can see free roaming African animals such as elephants, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, lions, cheetahs, and more. Guides usually know where to find different animals. Your chances of seeing most of them are high. You can do a traditional drive in an open safari vehicle, a horseback safari, or a guided walk.
The game farm is a malaria free area which is great especially if you travel with small children.
You can visit the reserve for a day or stay here overnight.
Ebb and Flow, Wilderness
Ebb and Flow Rest Camp is the Wilderness Section of the Garden Route National Park. It’s one of our favourite campsites on the Garden Route. Don’t worry, it’s open to day visitors. You don’t have to stay here though camping is highly recommended by us.
The rest camp is situated on the banks of the river, surrounded by the hills covered in lush green forest. The place is a real paradise. During your visit you can do several hiking trails, swim or kayak in the river, or have a picnic with the amazing view.
If you like good coffee go to Green Shed Roastery which is on the way to Ebb and Flow.
Admission fee – ZAR 209/US$11 (adults), ZAR 105/US$6 (children). Nationals pay a reduced fee.
Things to do
- Hiking. You can follow one of the forest trails. We highly recommend the Bosduif Loop and the Kingfisher Trail.
- Swimming in the river
- Kayaking and paddling on the river
Places to stay in Wilderness
Another personal recommendation from us to stay in Wilderness is AfriCamps at Oakhurst, an amazing glamping place hidden in the forest.
- Low-end | Wilderness Beach House Backpackers Lodge |
- Middle price | Amber Light Wilderness Beach Cottage | Tranquil Shores |
- High-end | Haus am Strand – on the Beach | Pearl Moon Boutique Suites |
Beaches of Sedgefield
Garden Route has many amazing beaches but the ones in Sedgefield are our favourites. Long white-sand beaches with dunes are just perfect. If you’re looking for a tranquil place to spend a couple of days Sedgefields is a perfect option. The town is very small; it has a couple of nice coffee shops and restaurants. In Sedgefield you have everything; sandy beaches and ocean for tanning and swimming, a picturesque lagoon for kayaking and paddling, and green forest and mountains for hiking.
The three main beaches in Sedgefield are Cola Beach, Myoli Beach, and Swartvlei Beach. All three are spectacular. Watching the sunset from the beach in Sedgefield is one of the highlights of the Garden Route.
Things to do in Sedgefield
- Surfing and SUPing in the ocean
- Relaxing on the beach
- Kayaking on the lagoon
- Fishing
- Paragliding
- Horseback riding
Places to stay in Sedgefield
- Low-end | Sedgefield Huts | Haven on Hoopoe |
- Middle price | Eastbrook River Lodge | The Gull |
- High-end | Kambaku @ Sea |
Cango Caves, Oudtshoorn
Visiting Cango Caves is a unique unmissable experience on the Garden Route especially for travellers with children. The network of caves ranging from big halls to tiny spaces is truly impressive. Gigantic stalactites and stalagmites, bizarre rock formations, shinning minerals, and remains of prehistoric animals can be seen in the caves.
You can do a standard walking tour that takes you through the bigger caves or an adventurous tour where you have to squeeze through narrow passages and tunnels. Remember to wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
You can book your tour in advance.
After the caves you can visit an ostrich farm, another fun place for kids. Several farms in Oudtshoorn offer interactive tours. Kids can learn about the natural habitat of ostriches, feed them, see gigantic ostrich eggs and their little chicks. Safari Ostrich Farm offers a tractor tour.
Knysna Heads
Knysna is a beautiful town known for fresh seafood and spectacular views of the lagoon from the Knysna Heads. The headlands of two peninsulas separated by the Knysna River make for perfect lookout points. East Head View Point is the best place for taking photos.
Knysna Heads and Leisure Island are the best areas to stay in the town. You can swim in the tranquil waters of the Knysna Lagoon and relax on the beach.
Knysna Forest is another amazing place to visit here. It’s an ancient forest that once was inhabited by the Knysna elephants. You can explore the forest following several hiking trails, visit King Edward VII Big Tree, and get breathtaking views from Spitzkop Viewpoint (you might need a jeep to get there).
Popular tours in Knysna
Places to stay in Knysna
Our personal recommendation for Knysna is Under Milkwood Resort, a fantastic place with a private beach and cozy wooden chalets in the forest.
- Low-end | Island Vibe Knysna | 12onParkesLane |
- Mid-range | The Nest | Knysna Pearl View Guest House |
- High-end | TwoAngels |
Robberg Nature Reserve, Plettenberg Bay
Robbers Nature Reserve is another highlight of the Garden Route with fantastic hiking routes and spectacular views. Robberg means “seal’s mountain” in Afrikaans. You can guess from the name that you can see seals there. There are many seals in the water and on the rocks along the cliffs. For a closer encounter you can swim with seals or do a boat tour to see them in the water.
The reserve is a World Heritage Site. Rocks found in the area date back 120 million years. Needless to say that the scenery is breathtaking; rugged cliffs, fynbos vegetation, dramatic drops, and sandy beaches.
I highly recommend staying at Fountain Shack inside the Nature Reserve. It’s only one wooden house on the side of the hill overlooking the ocean. After closing time you’ll have the entire peninsula for yourself.
Conservation fee – ZAR 64/US$4 (adults); ZAR 45/US$2 (children).
Popular tours in Plettenberg Bay
The town has many amazing things to do.
Places to stay in Plettenberg Bay
- Low-end | Nothando Backpackers Lodge | Castleton Plettenberg Bay |
- Mid-range | Dolphin Circle Bed and Breakfast |
- High-end | La Vista Lodge |
Bloukrans Bridge
The famous bridge is one of the highlights of the trip. The height of the bridge is 214 m. It’s known as the highest bungee jumping bridge in the world. Bungee jumping from Bloukrans Bridge is probably the most thrilling thing to do on the Garden Route. We did it once but are thinking of doing it again. The free fall with spectacular views of the canyon and ocean is something to remember.
Even if it sounds too extreme for you, the bridge is worth a stop. The view of the bridge and the canyon from the restaurant are impressive. As an option you can do a skywalk on the bridge and watch others jumping. You’re not allowed to stop or walk on the bridge, the skywalk is the only way to see the views.
Birds of Eden and Monkeyland
The two places are situated next to each other. It’s easy to combine them. Both places are great for travellers with children. We visited the parks with our daughter when she was 2 and she loved it.
Monkeyland is a park with walking trails in the forest. It’s a free roaming sanctuary with different kinds of primates living in the forest. Some of them are native to the area, some not. 3 kinds of lemurs, squirrel monkeys, vervet monkeys, howler monkeys, and capuchin are just some of the species you can see here.
You can visit the place only with a tour. Guides are very knowledgeable and know how to spot and where to find monkeys. The tour is not long so the kids don’t get tired.
Birds of Eden is a peace of paradise filled with tropical birds in the lush green jungle. It’s a free-fly aviary. There are no cages, just a big net-ceiling (to prevent birds from flying away) that covers the entire area of the forest. You walk on wooden bridges and boardwalks that go through the jungle.
If you visit both places with small children a carrier or a backpack will work better. The grounds at Monkeyland are not nice for pushing a stroller nor stairs at Birds of Eden.
You can buy a combined ticket and visit two sanctuaries (Monkeyland and Birds of Eden).
Storms River Mouth, Tsitsikamma
The Storms River Mouth Section of the Garden Route National Park is one of our favorite places on the Garden Route. The scenery in the park is spectacular; lugged cliffs, hills covered in lush green forest, unspoiled sandy beaches, breathtaking lookout spots, deep river canyons, big and small waterfalls, and rocky pools. The park has plenty of things to do for the whole family.
Things to do in Storms River Mouth
Hiking is a popular activity here. Several short routes and one multi-day trek takes visitors to the most picturesque parts of the park.
Walking on the suspension bridges with amazing views is a not-to-miss thing on the Garden Route.
Kayaking and lilo in the Storms River Gorge is an exciting thing to do. The gorge is spectacular; high cliffs, lush green forest, small caves, and pools.
Snorkelling can be done alone or with a tour. If you’re inexperienced and don’t have a wetsuit it’s better to join a tour. Currents can be strong and water is cold.
Watching wildlife which includes otters, dolphins, whales (during the season), genets, bats, and a variety of birds. These are the animals we saw there on different occasions. The official list of mammals is longer.
Swimming in rocky pools or the ocean. The best pool for swimming is at the end of the waterfall trail. It’s a big fresh water pool with a beautiful waterfall.
Places to stay
Camping or staying at one of the cabins is the best way to experience the park. Camping spots are situated at the seafront. You can watch dolphins and even whales (if you’re lucky) sitting in your tent. Wooden cabins and bungalows offer great views and more comfort. They sit behind the camping spot. Book your accommodation online.
Admission fee – ZAR 326/US$18 (adults), ZAR 163/US$9 (children). Nationals pay a reduced rate.
The pretty half of Stingy Nomads, responsible for all our land adventures (hiking, climbing, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves walking since she was a child, she prefers to walk 1000 km with a backpack rather than to do a 10 000 km road trip (actually any road trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Every time we go away she desperately misses our dog Chile.
Tiago
Thursday 20th of March 2025
Amazing tips!
Is it ok to go with a 4 years old child to Wilderness Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp? We will be at the Garden Route in May this year.
I was checking the forest cabin suites.
Tks!
Stingy Nomads
Saturday 22nd of March 2025
Hello Tiago. The Ebb and Flow campsite is family friendly. It's quiet, spacious, has some easy hiking trails and close to the town where you can find supermarkets and restaurants. We traveled the Garden Route with our daughter when she was 1,5 yo and it was a great experience. I can recommend visiting the Monkey Land and Birds of Eden and maybe do a game drive in one of the game parks. Safe travels!
Puneet
Saturday 25th of January 2025
Is may a good time for garden route in Africa ..
Stingy Nomads
Monday 3rd of February 2025
Hello Puneet. The Garden Route is always amazing. May is a god time because it's not very busy. As for the weather you might get some rain. The average temperature is around 20-22C. Cheers
Dan
Saturday 10th of February 2024
What an incredibly informative article, thank you!
I am busy planning my November SA trip with our 10 month old baby. Being a new parent, I’m slightly more sensitive than usual to the safety aspects, in particular road-side crime.
After a couple of days in Cape Town I was planning on flying to Port Elizabeth and picking up a rental car before heading to Addo (the Africamps Addo looks amazing!) however I understand we need to be careful about which route we pick leaving PE? Which may significantly lengthen our journey.
After a couple of nights in Addo with self-drive safari I intend on heading towards Storms River (2 nights) then Kysnya (2 nights) before Wilderness (1 night), Hermanus (1 night) and finally Franschhoek (2 nights). I’m sure we’ll miss some stuff but don’t want to drive every day with a baby!
Given the above routing is there anything we could do, or any roads we should avoid, to minimise our risks whilst travelling?
Thank you!
Stingy Nomads
Monday 19th of February 2024
Hello Dan. Thank you for the comment. We did a similar trip with our daughter last year when she was 1,5 years. We stayed inside the park at one of the chalets at the main entrance. It was very nice and convenient. Afri Camps is not inside the park it's a short drive away. We stayed at two different Afri Camps and absolutely loved it. Our daughter liked the Monkey Forest and the Birds of Eden but she was a bit older than 10 months. I'd say for that age choose things and places you want to see and do. Staying somewhere with a lot of grassy space for crawling is what our daughter liked when she was that age. The Duck Parade at The Vergenoegd Wine Estate in Stellenbosch and goats at Fairview might be a fun thing to do with a 10 mo. It's better to take a longer route around PE we followed the route suggested by our GPS and drove through some doggy areas. Make sure you don't drive through PE at night time. Don't give your child tap water or anything with ice and maybe stay away from splash fountains. Due to power supply problems the water quality is not good. Our daughter had a very bad stomach bug (she stayed in a hospital for 2 days) after playing in a splash fountain and drinking from it. Good luck
Aastha
Tuesday 23rd of January 2024
Hello Alya
Thank you for such an informative blog!! We are planning to visit on Aug 15 and have about 12-14 days. This is my second time in SA, we did Cape Town and Hermanus so whale watching is tick marked. We would like to do the garden route, wanted to get your input if it will be good time since it does rain. We didn't mind the cold, but the rain might stop the other activities along the garden route. Also, what 2 places would you recommend to stay along the route. We have a 17 year old with us. And last question, is there a game reserve that we can add in along the route or would you recommend doing one of the Big 5 ones from Cape Town before starting the garden route? Thank you!
Aastha
Tuesday 30th of January 2024
@Stingy Nomads, thank you for your prompt response! Very helpful indeed :) we are planning to add a night at Schotia game reserve. Any feedback on that?
Stingy Nomads
Monday 29th of January 2024
Hello Aastha. Thank you for the comment. You are likely to get some rains in August on the Garden Route. It's not that cold though, around d 20C during the day, at night it does get colder. If your son likes adventurous activities I'd suggest staying in Plettenberg Bay where you can do snorkeling with seals, canyoning, hiking, etc. I'd definitely suggest bungee jumping at Bloukrans Bridge. We like stopping in Sedgfield or Wilderness, it's a quiet area with beautiful beaches and some activities e.g. kayaking, paragliding, etc. If you're looking for a special place to stay I can recommend looking at AfriCamps. They have glamping places in Western Cape including a couple on the Garden Route. We stayed at two of their campsites on our last trip to South Africa and loved it. As for Big 5 there are two well-known safari places on the Garden Route where you can see the Big 5 Botlierskop Reserve and Plettenberg Game Reserve. Good luck
Kapil
Wednesday 6th of December 2023
Hi,
We are planning to make a garden route trip for 6 days starting and return to capetown. We want to stay at max 2 places as we have kids with us so prefer not changing hotels too much but can drive back and forth. We want to do Kysna, Cango caves, Tsitsikama park, Monkeyland +Birds of eden, Bloukrans Bridge
Would Knysna be a good place to stay or George town or plattenberg bay? Also, what route should be take to get good scenic drive
Stingy Nomads
Friday 8th of December 2023
Hello Kapil. Thank you for the comment. We did the Garden Route road trip recently with our 2-year old daughter and stayed at Under Milkwood Chalets in Knysna. The place is Knysna has a sandy beach with nice water for swimming, you can take kayaks and paddle around. Our daughter enjoyed it. We like staying in the Tsitsikamma Park as well. You can camp there or stay in a cabin. There are several hiking trails, a beach, two suspension bridges, waterfalls. You can see otters, dolphins, monkeys, do on a lilo tour, etc. Bloukrans Bridge, Birds of Eden, and Oudtshoorn you can visit on the way. Driving along the coast is the most scenic route. Especially the part from Sedgfield towards Gorge. Don't miss the map of Africa lookout point there. The drive along the coast between Hermanus and Strand (especially the part from Kleinmond to Strand) is one of the most scenic drives in Cape Town. Enjoy your trip