A road trip along the Garden Route in South Africa with kids is a wonderful journey. We spent over a month in South Africa and our time in Cape Town and along the Garden Route was a highlight, along with our time on safari in Kruger National Park.
The Garden Route stretches 200 kilometres, from Mossel Bay in the west to Storms River in the east. However, being so close to Cape Town, most trips to the Garden Route will either start or end in this city. Our itinerary includes the entire route from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth.
ROAD TRIP ALONG THE GARDEN ROUTE IN SOUTH AFRICA WITH KIDS
WHAT IS THE GARDEN ROUTE IN SOUTH AFRICA?
The Garden Route is a 200 kilometre stretch of coastline along the southern coast of South Africa which extends from Mossel Bay in the Western Cape to Storms River in the Eastern Cape. The name comes from the verdant and ecologically diverse vegetation encountered here and the numerous lagoons and lakes dotted along the coast. As the Garden Route is so close to Cape Town, most trips will either start or end in this city.
Here is our 7 day itinerary along the Garden Route in South Africa with kids.
ITINERARY:
Day 1: Cape Town
Day 2: Scenic drive to Hermanus for whale watching or shark cage diving
Day 3: Scenic drive to Oudtshoorn
Day 4: Animal Encounters in Oudtshoorn
Day 5: More Animal Encounters on the Garden Route
Day 6: Hike the Robberg Peninsula
Day 7: Knysna to Port Elizabeth
DAY 1: CAPE TOWN
Today is spent exploring Cape Town. Things to do here include climbing Table Mountain, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Robben Island, and a trip to Boulders Beach and the Cape of Good Hope.
Read Also: Top Ten Things To Do in Cape Town with Children
DAY 2: HERMANUS
Drive to Hermanus, just an hour and a half from Cape Town.
Between the months of June and December, southern right whales can be seen from Hermanus right from the coastline. There are many spots to watch the whales from along the coast.
If you want to see more than whales, then consider Great White Shark cage diving. Gansbaai, just a short drive from Hermanus, is the Great White Shark cage diving capital of the world.
Most shark cage diving excursions last three to four hours and go first thing in the morning (although tide dependant) so this would be done early on day three. Bear in mind that the sea on this coastline is often choppy, so the boat rides can be very up and down. We were booked for Great White Shark cage diving but cancelled due to the weather and large sea swells. This is not something to do with younger children unless the conditions are perfect.
DAY 3: OUDTSHOORN
From Hermanus, it is a four hour drive to Oudtshoorn. You have the option to stop in Mossel Bay to break up the journey but there are prettier towns along this stretch of coastline.
If you have time you may want to consider a visit to Cango Caves when you arrive in Oudsthoorn. We didn’t do this as we ran out of time but the caves get rave reviews from other travellers. Here you can do either a regular sightseeing tour or an adventure tour which involves lots of crawling, climbing and wriggling!
DAY 4: ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS IN OUDTSHOORN
This will be a fun day on the Garden Route. It is time to get up close to some animals.
Oudtshoorn is well known for its ostrich farms, with several ostrich farms in town. We visited Highgate Ostrich Show Farm and had a great time. The five of us were laughing throughout the two hour tour. Firstly we learnt all about ostriches, and watched our guide demonstrate various crafts using the ostrich’s exquisite feathers, eggs, and leather. We then moved on to feeding ostriches by hand. We held food in our hands and the ostriches proceeded to violently grab it with their large beaks.
After learning all about ostriches and feeding them it was time to ride an ostrich! This is absolutely hilarious and had us all in fits of laughter. The ride is very short, lasting seconds rather than minutes and is super fast. You have to cling on to the ostriches wings and grip its neck with your legs to prevent yourself falling off!
After meeting the ostriches, it’s time for lunch. And what better place than an ostrich farm for an ostrich burger. Delicious.
Spend the afternoon at Cango Wildlife Ranch. This is the place for yet more animal encounters. This centre specialises in native animal species and you have the chance for personal up close experiences with several animal species. We opted to meet the cheetahs and lemurs.
DAY 5: MORE ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS ALONG THE GARDEN ROUTE
Knysna or Plettenberg Bay are both options for the next two nights. Both have a variety of accommodation and restaurants, and are great places to stay to explore this part of the Garden Route. They are just thirty minutes apart by car. We chose to stay at the Panorama Lodge, Knysna, and were really happy with our choice. There are however, more things to see and do in Plettenberg Bay, if time is paramount and you don’t want to spend unnecessary time in the car.
From Oudtshoorn, it is 1.5 hours (120 km) to Knysna and just over 2 hours (150 km) to Plettenberg Bay.
Many unique African experiences are on offer around Plettenburg Bay where there are numerous animal sanctuaries. For a charge these places allow you to get up close to the animals.
We visited Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary, a centre for wild cat species, but the list goes on. Get up close with monkeys at the Monkeyland Sanctuary, snakes at the Lawnwood Snake Sanctuary, or birds at Birds of Eden.
Spend the late afternoon and evening in Knysna. A must-do in Knysna is to see the view of the lagoon from the viewpoint at the East Knysna Head.
DAY 6: ROBBERG PENINSULA HIKE
Hiking the Robberg Peninsula is a fantastic family hike. With amazing coastal scenery, beautiful beaches, a giant sand dune and the chance to spot many sea animals, including seals and whales, it is the perfect hike for all ages and abilities.
This hike is located next to Plettenberg Bay at the Robberg Nature Preserve. It takes between four to six hours, so take a picnic lunch to have on the giant sand dune at the centre of the peninsula.
Read Also: Hiking the Robberg Peninsula with Children
DAY 7: DRIVE TO PORT ELIZABETH
Leaving Knysna or Plettenburg Bay behind, drive east to Bloukrans Bridge. This is the site of the world’s highest commercial bungy jump at 216 metres. Give it a try if you’re feeling adventurous. We didn’t do this!
Next is Storms River, spend a little time here exploring the Tsitsikamma National Park, a maritime reserve with walking trails, suspension bridges, and a stunning beach. This is the perfect place to spend a few hours wandering the various trails.
From here it is about 180 kilometres, two hours of driving, to Port Elizabeth.
Check out our video of our road trip along the Garden Route.
IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME…
Add days in Cape Town. Cape Town is a glorious city with so much to see and do. We spent five nights in the city, and could easily have spent more.
Spend some time on safari. South Africa is the perfect place for safari. Head to Kruger National Park for a few nights to enjoy an amazing safari experience.
Read Also: Family Safari in Kruger National Park
WHEN TO VISIT THE GARDEN ROUTE IN SOUTH AFRICA
A road trip along the Garden Route is good all year long. During the summer months, November to April, temperatures are at their highest and rainfall is low. The Garden Route gets very crowded during Christmas and Easter. Winters are mild, although there is a higher chance of rain. This is also the best time for whale watching. We were here during late summer, in March. From our experience, this is a great time to road trip along the Garden Route.
Have you visited the Garden Route in South Africa? What are your recommendations?
FOR MORE ON SOUTH AFRICA READ:
Twelve Reasons to Visit South Africa with Kids
The Best of St Lucia with Kids (St Lucia in South Africa!)
Swimming with Oceanic Black Tip Sharks
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39 Comments.
What a fab post lots of tips and advice if I ever get the chance I’d love to take my little one to South Africa. Fab photos looks like you had a journey of a lifetime!! Mandy xxx #ExplorerKids
It was our first time in South Africa and we loved it.
Oh my gosh – that looks (and sounds) amazing. I love the photo of your son riding the ostrich! You guys must have had an amazing vacation. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
~Jess
#ExplorerKids
Riding the ostriches was one of the funniest things we did on our whole trip. I was literally crying with laughter watching the boys as they clung on for dear life! It was definitely a once in a lifetime ride.
What an amazing trip – fantastic post. I must admit ostriches frighten me – I can’t imagine riding on one. I’m so jealous that you got to stroke a cheetah too. South Africa is somewhere I’d love to see. Sarah #ExplorerKids
It was our first time in South Africa and we loved it. The ostriches were quite vicious but great fun to ride.
Oh Wow! What a trip! I had absolutely no idea that you can actually ride on an ostriches. I thought that was a myth! You have open my eyes! What a great family trip together. Thank you so much for linking up with us on #FabFridayPost
Ostrich riding is one of the funniest experiences we’ve ever had! Looks of shock, horror and delight passed across the boys faces. You do have to be light to ride ostriches, less than 65kg perfect for kids!
What an amazing trip! South Africa is such a beautiful country, you’ve definitely piqued my interest and made me want to visit. It’s on our bucket list of places to travel as a family. Thanks for sharing your tips, definitely a gold nugget of a share x #familytraveltips
South Africa is a fantastic family destination.Great that you found the post helpful.
What an amazing trip to take! Riding the ostrich looks so cool (and cute)!!
We had a great time throughout South Africa. Ostrich riding was great fun!
I couldn’t agree more, I adore South Africa. I think the drive to Hermanus and through the Garden route is just stunning. Seeing the whales is an absolute treat. #familytraveltips
We didn’t see whales this time Carrie…something for our next visit.
Oh, thank you so much for this, it has brought back some wonderful memories. We stayed in Somerset West, just outside of Cape Town and explored some of the wine route. I did a shark cage dive from Hermanus. Oh my goodness what an experience. I can’t wait to go back there with my children, it is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. In Cape Town, we visited the botanical gardens which are beautiful in themselves, but from here you can also hike up Table Mountain. It doesn’t take an inordinate amount of time and it’s a lovely walk up an almost deserted part of the mountain. Thanks for linking up to #FamilyTravelTips
Nat.x
Thank you for enjoying and sharing my post. We loved South Africa, it is an amazing place to visit with children. We were lucky to spend a month touring much of the country. So many highlights all from one country.
There are some beautiful places in South Africa, I can’t wait to take my little one there, particularly to see the wildlife. I was amazed that cheetahs purr like regular domestic cats! #wanderlustkids
They do indeed! South Africa is a definite wildlife destination.
That looks great (tho maybe a little mean for the ostrich? What are you holding onto?) #FarAwayFiles
You hold onto the ostriches wings.They are super strong. We were assured that it didn’t hurt the ostrich in any way.
We have just arrived back from Sth Africa where we drove from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. On the way east we took Route 62 (mostly) and came back on the Garden Route. We just loved it. David and I are in our early 60s and we found the Robberg Peninsula hike a challenge. We managed it okay but it was tough and it took us a few days to recover. Unless you are young or fit or both I would recommend the shorter hike which cuts across the peninsula about half way and doesn’t go all the way to the point.
It is a fabulous country isn’t it? Agree that the Robberg Peninsula hike is for those used to hiking although as you said there is a much shorter version.
Oh. My. Goodness. This looks incredible! Such an informative post and full of wonderful pictures which really make me want to go! #wanderlustkids
Thank you. A fantastic trip to do with kids.
I really enjoyed this post, as we visited many of these places on our gap year (many moons ago). I can’t wait to take my kids to South Africa! #Farawayfiles
Your family always has the best adventures, Nicky! Riding ostriches, spotting whales and cuddling cheetahs all sound pretty amazing to me. Wait until I show my boys! Thanks for sharing on #FarawayFiles
Clare, we were incredibly lucky to be able to do a family round the world trip for nine months visiting fifteen countries so managed many great adventures over that period. Our kids are animal lovers so animal encounters featured heavily.
Despite living in South Africa for 5 years as a child, I never got to Cape Town or the Cape for that matter. I do want to visit with our son when he is older and love your itinerary for exploring the Garden Route, so I’ve pinned it for future reference. I think we’d have to combine Cape Town with a visit to Kruger. I was lucky enough to visit when I was 7 but have no real memories of it. Hence wanting to go when our son is older! Thanks for linking up to #wanderlustkids
We were lucky enough to do a month in South Africa and loved it. We did get to the Kruger where we did the most amazing safari towards the end of that month. It was our first family safari and it was very special.
Wow, what absolutely fabulous scenery. This will be one road trip you won’t forget in a hurry. #wanderlustkids
Will definitely always be remembered. I still laugh out loud when i think about us riding the ostriches!
We loved the garden route but weren’t brave enough to shark dive
It was my eldest son’s wish to swim with sharks as part of our round the world trip. It was the most amazing experience and one which we’ll remember for years to come.
What a great itinerary! It looks absolutely amazing and a great experience. #fearlessfamtrav
The Garden Route is such a fun, family friendly road trip. We had a great time doing it.
This is such a great itinerary post! I loved this area when we travelled pre-kids and you’re making me wonder if I can fit it at the end of our African adventures….
Thanks for linking up to #fearless am travelling
Try and squeeze it in. It’s an amazing road trip with kids. I’m sure your boys (and you) would love it.
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