A 5 days garden route itinerary
The garden route is a popular trail if you’re in South Africa with many things to do on it. Here’s a suggested itinerary to spend the most out of a short 5 days stint on this beautiful road. This itinerary is based on a return trip to Cape Town.
Day 1
Zip line in Mosel Bay
This town might not be the most picturesque but it’s 'the' place to be if you want to embark on the longest zip line over an ocean in South Africa. They love giving themselves world records for very specific things in this country. The zip line was great fun and it’s a good way to break the journey whilst driving too.
Book here
Sleep in Wilderness
If you’re making an overnight stay in Wilderness, yes this is the name of the town, I’m not literally speaking about Wilderness per se, make sure to stay at Debbie and Mark’s Treedom Villas and Vardos Lodge. Located in the middle of Wilderness’ wilderness they got some Africa burn artists and carpenter to design unique structures for their place such as half moon hanging seating. You can either choose to stay in the main villa or in some quirky trailer parks. There’s a heart shaped pool on site along with a sauna… They can also cook a delicious home cooked dinner for you upon arrival too, just make sure to book in advance.
Book here
Day 2
Wild Oats community Farmers market (day dependant)
If you end up here on a weekend make sure to check out this lovely market. Filled with organic food stalls it's a local's favourite. Nearby you'll also find an art & craft market if you fancy purchasing some souvenirs too.
Address: N2, Sedgefield, 6573, South Africa
Link to website
Bungee jump 216m
This is the second highest bungee in the world after the one in China. If you’re not afraid of heights treat yourself to a thrill of a lifetime at Bloukrans Bridge Bungy. I can’t say I was brave enough myself so it’s up to you if you’re in a mood for an adrenaline rush. No need to book, you can just turn up. You'll need to get a zipline to the bridge you're jumping off so if you don't want to do the big jump you can also just stick to the zipline and enjoy the views. If you're feeling very adventurous you can book several jumps in a row, it gets cheaper the more you add on. We met a guy who did it 5 times in a row, 5 different ways such as a superman jump or with his back facing the drop for example.
Cost: About £80
Address here
Tsitsikamma Waterfall hike
Make yourself to Storms river and stop to do the wonderful Tsitsikamma hike. It should take you 1hr-1hr return trip for this. This hike isn’t very challenging, there’s no ups and downs but you’ll have to do a bit of scrambling to get through. We went at the very end of the day, meaning we had the place to ourselves, it wasn't too hot and enjoyed the sunset as we walked back as well.
Sleep in Stormriver
We stayed at the 'Tube'n'axe boutique hostel’. I wouldn’t say it was very boutique but there is two hot tubs on site. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Overall it was an okay stay at a reasonable price.
Day 3
Kayaking & lilo
Go on this unique water sport adventure through the beautiful Storms river gorge. You'll start the trip on a kayak then hop on a lilo & go through some worm glowing caves. You can also opt to jump off some small cliffs too.
Cost: R695
Durations: 2.5h
Opening hours: 9am-2pm.
Booking: Untouched Advantures, Storms River small boat harbor (via entry gate to Tsitsikamma National Park office)
Link to website
Sleep in Plettenberg Bay
We stayed at The Bungalow by Raw Africa Boutique Collection. It's a lovely hotel with a bar restaurant on site and a pool. The best thing about it, is the beachfront location.
Book here
Day 4
Snorkel with seals
This was one of the best experiences on the trip, you get to swim within hundreds of 'the puppies of the sea', seals. Expect cold temperatures but they will give you a thick sweatsuit.
Lunch at the Plettenberg market
The Market on main Plett is open daily and offers lots of different types of food Enjoy some downtime at the local market where you’ll get to choose from various cuisines.
Robberg Beach Hike
This is a wonderful hike through a remote beach. It's not too tenuous, it just get a little hard working up hill on the sand dunes in the heat of the day. I would definitely recommend doing this and chilling on the beach. If possible, start or stay until the afternoon so you can walk back whilst the sun is settling down.
Sleep in Plettenberg Bay
We stayed at The Bungalow by Raw Africa Boutique Collection. It's a lovely hotel with a bar restaurant on site and a pool. The best thing about it, is the beachfront location.
Book here
Day 5
Rastafarians community walking tour
Brother Zebulon is an old Rastafarian tour-guide living in Knysna. His knowledge seemed great although it was hard to keep up with his chain of thought. He was probably a bit too high but you can't really blame him the whole town is dedicated to the Rastafarian way of life and smoking is high on the priority list. It's a quirky thing to do, not essential, but if you're into this culture worth the detour.
Soak up on views at The Knysna Heads
Enjoy some stunning views at this pit stop.
Dinner in Swellendam
We stopped in this small town for our last supper before heading back to Cape Town. It was a great way to break the journey and Christelle's Bistro was a lovely French restaurant. Expect french classics with delicious wines. The interior is a bit kitsh but they have a beautiful garden at the back you where you can dine too.
Address: 113 Voortrek St, Swellendam
Sleep in Plettenberg Bay
Make your way back to Cape Town and sleep there.