Garden Route Explorer Graaff-Reinet Tour

Package Overview

Explore Cape Town & the Eastern Cape in depth on this self drive holiday. Highlights include the Stellenbosch Winelands, Tsitsikamma Forest with its many adventure activities, Addo Elephant Park & the dramatic Valley of Desolation in the Great Karoo. Complete your holiday with a thrilling Big-5 safari in a malaria free game reserve, with open top game drives included.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Cape Town • Table Mountain • Cape of Good Hope • Stellenbosch Winelands
• Oudtshoorn • Knysna • Addo Elephant Park • Tsitsikamma Forest
• Valley of Desolation • Big 5 Safari

Day wise Itinerary

• Day 1 : Arrival

  You will be met at Cape Town Airport and transferred to your hotel in this beautiful city, within sight of Table Mountain.
  
  Check in and relax in your magnificent surroundings.
• Day 2 : Cape Town

  Today is free for independent sightseeing in Cape Town.
  
  We recommend you purchase a day pass onboard the convenient Hop-Off Bus, which stops at all Cape Town’s key sights and beaches. The "Red Route" bus stops at the Table Mountain base station, where you can buy a ticket to ascend by cable car and enjoy one of the world’s most famous views. Continue to Camps Bay beach and the many attractions of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.

  • Hotspots Camps Bay
• Day 3 : Cape Town

  At leisure to relax and explore the 'Mother City' of Cape Town.
  
  Many optional activities are available in this beautiful city. You can visit Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned (advance booking essential in season), Kirstenbosch Gardens and the vibrant Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.
  
  Golf and deep sea game fishing are available, or you can or simply relax on Camps Bay beach – the choice is yours.

  • Hotspots Camps Bay
• Day 4 : Hout Bay

  This morning your hire car will be dropped off at your hotel.
  
  We recommend you spend the day exploring the beautiful Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve peninsula. Start with an optional short boat trip from Hout Bay to view Cape Fur seals at Seal Island and continue via Chapman’s Peak Drive to spectacular Cape Point where you may see baboons, ostrich and perhaps even dolphins or whales in season (July/November).
  
  On the return journey we recommend driving through naval Simons Town and visit the resident penguin colony at Boulders Beach. You can also make a short stop at the world famous Kirstenbosch Gardens, before returning to your hotel in the late afternoon.
• Day 5 : Stellenbosch Winelands

  Drive 45-minutes to the beautiful Stellenbosch Winelands.
  
  Along the way we recommend stopping at the Cheetah Outreach project in Somerset West, a community-based programme seeking to raise awareness of the plight of the cheetah and campaign for its survival.
  
  You can also stop at one or more wine estates along the famous Stellenbosch wine route. Check into your hotel in this famous wine producing area, relax under the giant oak trees and savour the fine food and wines of this region.
• Day 6 : Stellenbosch Winelands

  At leisure to relax in beautiful Stellenbosch, surrounded by its mountains and vineyards.
  
  Explore this old university town with its many street markets, craft shops and museums, including the Modern & Contemporary Art Gallery, or visit Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens.
  
  You can also self-drive the wine routes of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl with many opportunities for wine tasting at famous wine estates. Alternatively use the Vine Hopper hop-off bus to explore these winelands (note: the bus does not operate on Sundays) or book an optional small group tour.
  
  In the evening there are several fine dining restaurants in the area (advance booking strongly recommended).
• Day 7 : Ostrich Farm

  Drive for 5-hours today along the scenic Route 62 and through the arid Little Karoo to Oudtshoorn.
  
  On arrival we suggest visiting an Ostrich Farm to see these huge flightless birds in their natural surroundings (pay locally), before checking into your hotel.
• Day 8 : Knysna

  We suggest that today you visit the famous Cango Caves – a vast series of underground halls and caverns formed over 20 million years ago in the foothills of the Swartberg Mountains. The caves, which extend for over 3 miles, contain spectacular stalagmites and stalactites and offer relatively easy access.
  
  Afterwards drive 2-hours to Knysna on the beautiful Garden Route. If you are adventurous and enjoy driving on steep gravel mountain passes, you can detour across the Swartberg Pass (about 1-hour) towards Prince Albert, returning the same way if the end of the pass is closed. If the pass is open, you can return by travelling eastwards around the base of the mountain, returning to Oudtshoorn via the Meiringspoort Pass (about 2-hours) - both offering spectacular views. Then continue through the magnificent Outeniqua Pass to Knysna.
  
  Drive past the beaches of Wilderness and the lakes of Sedgefield to Knysna. Check into your hotel and relax in this area of outstanding natural beauty.
  
  Note: In season we recommend bookings Knysna restaurants online in advance of your visit, to avoid disappointment.
• Day 9 : Knysna

  Today we recommend making your way to the Knysna Waterfront for the ferry to Featherbed Nature Reserve situated on Knysna's Western Head, one of two magnificent sandstone cliffs guarding the entrance to the vast Knysna Lagoon.
  
  This spectacular nature reserve is only accessible by ferry, followed by a short trailer ride to the top of the reserve which offers panoramic views. Most visitors choose to return on foot along a 1-mile guided nature walk through natural coastal forest onto the cliffs, through caves and along a scenic coastal path, followed by a seafood buffet lunch served under the old Milkwood trees.
  
  In the afternoon we recommend a visit to Knysna Elephant Park where you will have the opportunity to feed one of these gentle giants (pay entrance fee locally). The remainder of the afternoon is free to explore Knysna. This lively town is famous for its oysters, which are grown in the lagoon. It offers good shopping opportunities and many interesting craft shops.
• Day 10 : Garden Route

  Today drive 1.5-hours along the beautiful Garden Route to Tsitsikamma.
  
  After driving past the beaches of Plettenberg Bay, you can stop at the Monkeyland and/or Birds of Eden sanctuaries, or at Tenikwa Wild Cat Centre (pay entrance fees locally). Then continue northwards across the dramatic Storms River Gorge where, time permitting, we recommend a 2-hour detour to the Storms River Mouth.
  
  Check into your Tsitsikamma accommodation and enjoy the flora and birds of the Tsitsikamma Forest.
• Day 11 : Tsitsikamma Forest

  At leisure to relax and explore the scenic beauty of the Tsitsikamma Forest.
  
  At Storms River Mouth there is a scenic Marine Walk & Snorkelling Trail. The Crags (near Plettenberg Bay) offer many optional wildlife activities - including the Elephant Sanctuary, Tenikwa Wild Cat Sanctuary, Monkeyland and Birds of Eden. Bird watching is also outstanding.
  
  If you are looking for adrenalin adventures, at Storms River Village you can find exciting tree-top canopy tours; thrilling zip-ling; black water tubing; abseiling and bungy jumping from Bloukrans Bridge - the highest commercial bungy jump in the world.
• Day 12 : Tsitsikamma

  Today drive 3-hour from Tsitsikamma to Addo in the beautiful Eastern Cape.
  
  After checking into your hotel situated near the entrance to Addo Elephant Park, enjoy a self drive safari, where game viewing opportunities should present themselves almost immediately. In addition to the elephants, you can hope to see antelope, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe and plains game, as well as several of the other Big Five, before dining in your warm African surroundings (park entry fee for own account).
• Day 13 : Camdeboo National Park

  Today drive 3-hours from Addo to the small town of Graaff-Reinet, with its interesting Cape Dutch architecture.
  
  Surrounded by Camdeboo National Park, Graaff-Reinet is situated in the heart of the Great Karoo – "Place of Thirst". This is a vast area of sheep and game farms, with magnificent broad plains rolling away into the distant mountains. Check into your hotel in this area of awesome vistas and amazing night skies.
• Day 14 : Graaff - Reinet

  At leisure to relax and explore Graaff-Reinet, with its fascinating local history.
  
  A visit to the nearby Valley of Desolation is highly recommended. Here you can listen to the silence, enjoy superb vistas over the town and see awesome rock formations from centuries of erosion.
• Day 15 : Graaff - Reinet

  Today drive 3-hours from Graaff-Reinet to your malaria-free game lodge near Addo in the beautiful Eastern Cape.
  
  After checking in to your lodge enjoy an afternoon game drive, where game viewing opportunities should present themselves almost immediately. Hopefully see several species of antelope, zebra, wildebeest and maybe even giraffe - as well as several of the Big Five - before dining in your warm African surroundings.
  
  Note: Ensure you arrive at your lodge in good time (preferably by 2.30 pm latest) so you do not miss your game drive.
• Day 16 : Day at Leisure

  Rise at dawn to take advantage of the best game viewing conditions of the day and enjoy a thrilling open-top game viewing safari with your lodge ranger in your Private Game Reserve which is home to all the Big Five - Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard and Rhino. Hope to see many interesting species before returning to your lodge for breakfast.
  
  The rest of the morning is free to relax by the lodge swimming pool, before setting out again in the late afternoon for another game drive. Hope to see giraffe, hippo, kudu, crocodiles, antelope, waterbuck, warthogs, baboons and many other interesting animals. With hundreds of different bird species, outstanding bird watching is also guaranteed!
  
  After a beautiful African sunset, enjoy the balmy evening and pristine stars of the Milky Way as you have never seen them before – as well as the spectacular Southern Cross.
  
  Note: children < 6 are not allowed on open top game drives.
• Day 17 : Departure

  Enjoy some final early morning game viewing, before driving 2-hours to Port Elizabeth Airport for your flight home.

Inclusions

• Hotel
• Sightseeing

Price & Rates

Package Start From

• Cape Town, South Africa, Africa

Terms & Conditions

This Tour is Offered by

• Ancient Olympia Ilias, 270 65, OlympiaGreece
• XXXXXX9527 View Contact
• XXXXXXXXXX@gmail.com View Mail ID

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