Garden Route South Africa: The Complete Guide with Top Tips

What is the Garden Route?

Before we get into our specific tips for the Garden Route, let’s first clarify what the Garden Route actually is. It’s not as straightforward as you might think, and different sources say very different things.

So let’s cut through the confusion.

The Garden Route is a section of the national highway N2 in South Africa that runs along the coast — and a particularly beautiful section at that. It’s no coincidence that the Garden Route is one of the most popular travel destinations in South Africa and, in our view, one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Where does the Garden Route run?

Exactly where the Garden Route runs is a matter of debate, though it’s actually quite simple: the official, historic Garden Route starts in Mossel Bay in the west and ends just past the Tsitsikamma National Park at the Paul Sauer Bridge (sometimes also called the Storms River Bridge).

Internationally, there’s pretty broad agreement on this. You’ll find many other definitions floating around, but we’ll stick with the official one.

Often the Garden Route gets extended eastward to Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), and in the western direction it’s sometimes stretched all the way to Cape Town — which is a stretch, to say the least.

How long is the Garden Route?

The distance from Mossel Bay to the Storms River is 204 km. That’s the length of the official Garden Route.

Garden Route Map

What makes the Garden Route so special?

So why is the Garden Route so popular? The region is above all scenically stunning. Along the route there are several national parks with sometimes breathtaking landscapes.

Another factor is that the Garden Route probably feels more like Europe than anywhere else in South Africa. The region has long attracted emigrants — Germans and English speakers in particular are drawn here.

Take that however you like, but it’s a fact: on the Garden Route, you don’t feel like you’re in Africa. Especially for first-time visitors to the continent, the Garden Route is a very easy destination to ease into.

The top attractions along the Garden Route

What shouldn’t you miss on the Garden Route South Africa? Out of the countless things to see, there are 5 highlights we would never skip in your shoes.

We’ve sorted our top 5 Garden Route picks by location, from west to east.

Wilderness Beach: The most beautiful beach on the Garden Route

There are many beautiful beaches on the Garden Route. Our absolute favorite was Wilderness Beach.

The wide sandy beach sits right at the town of Wilderness and stretches on seemingly forever. You can take wonderful walks and swim safely at designated spots.

Knysna Lagoon

The Knysna Lagoon is without a doubt one of the standout highlights on the Garden Route. The lagoon covers 20 square kilometers — incredible!

From various viewpoints on the Knysna Heads — as the surrounding hills are called — you get a one-of-a-kind panorama of the lagoon.

Afterward, grab some fresh oysters at the Waterfront in Knysna, which are farmed right in the lagoon itself.

Robberg Nature Reserve

Robberg Nature Reserve is a small national park on the outskirts of Plettenberg Bay. Of all the must-sees on the Garden Route, this is our absolute favorite.

There are three hiking trails through Robberg Nature Reserve; we recommend the 5.5 km Witsand trail. On your loop you’ll see impressive cliffs, a seal colony, and a massive sand dune. Seriously stunning nature!

Bloukrans Bridge

The Bloukrans Bridge is a massive bridge you cross on your drive from Plettenberg Bay to the Tsitsikamma National Park. It’s well worth stopping here.

The bridge is absolutely impressive — and even cooler: at 216 meters, it’s the highest bungee jumping site in the world. Even if you’d never throw yourself off the edge, it’s exciting to watch the brave (or crazy) ones for a while.

Tsitsikamma National Park

The Tsitsikamma National Park is one of the absolute must-sees on the Garden Route South Africa. There are various hiking trails through the park.

Particularly impressive and easy to reach is the Suspension Bridge — actually three suspension bridges strung together — over the Storms River.

Towns on the Garden Route

Now let’s walk you through the most important towns on the Garden Route. You’re guaranteed to come across these names when planning your trip, so here’s our honest take on whether each one is worth your time. We’ve sorted them from west to east.

Mossel Bay: The Gateway to the Garden Route

Mossel Bay is the western starting point of the Garden Route. The town has around 100,000 residents and is largely industrial in character.

Is Mossel Bay worth a visit? There are a few nice attractions — a historic lighthouse and the Diaz Museum dedicated to maritime history — but none of it is truly spectacular. Mossel Bay is only worth it if you have plenty of time and want to experience every side of the Garden Route. Otherwise, we’d recommend skipping it.

George: The Largest Town on the Garden Route

George is by far the largest and fastest-growing town on the Garden Route, with over 220,000 residents.

Is George worth a visit? Touristically, the town doesn’t have much to offer — there are no real must-see attractions. What might interest visitors is the Garden Route Mall right on the N2, which has several supermarkets and outdoor shops if you need to stock up.

Wilderness: Hidden Gem

Just past George, the small town of Wilderness is a real contrast. Only about 6,000 people live in this little coastal town.

Is Wilderness worth a visit? Definitely! Wilderness has a wonderfully laid-back feel and there are some seriously exciting things to do in the area. Don’t skip it.

Knysna: The Most Popular Tourist Town

Knysna is probably the best-known town on the Garden Route. With about 50,000 residents, it’s famous for its oysters, its picturesque lagoon, and the restaurants along the Waterfront.

Is Knysna worth a visit? Absolutely — Knysna is a must on any Garden Route itinerary. Whether you visit on a day trip or use it as a base for several days comes down to personal preference. We personally preferred the next town, Plettenberg Bay, so we’d always book accommodation there. That said, plenty of travelers we’ve spoken to liked Knysna better. Read our articles on both and see which one speaks to you.

Plettenberg Bay: Our Personal Favorite

Plettenberg Bay is not far from Knysna at all. The town has around 32,000 residents. Its best-known attraction is Robberg Nature Reserve, which for us ranks among the absolute highlights of the entire Garden Route South Africa experience.

Is Plettenberg Bay worth a visit? Of all the towns on the Garden Route, Plettenberg Bay was our personal favorite. It has a great mix of good restaurants, charming shops, and beautiful attractions. We’d recommend spending at least a few days here — and the Tsitsikamma National Park is close enough for an easy day trip.

Where to stay on the Garden Route?

We recommend choosing two bases on the Garden Route. Wilderness and Plettenberg Bay are ideally positioned for this.

Both towns are perfect for exploring the highlights of their surrounding areas — they’re the most strategically located stops on the route.

If you have more time, you can of course add more overnight stops along the way.

By the way: There are also many private game reserves along the Garden Route where you can stay overnight and go on safari at the same time.

We’ve written a detailed article all about accommodation on the Garden Route, walking you through the pros and cons of each town and recommending specific hotels:

Garden Route Road Trip: Our Suggested Route

By now you have a solid sense of what the Garden Route is and what to expect. Now let’s show you our two suggested itineraries for making the most of your trip.

We have two options for you:

1. A comprehensive tour that lets you dive deeper into the region and also visit highlights in the surrounding area. This is our personal recommendation for the Garden Route.
2. A quick tour that covers the most important highlights in as little time as possible.

Most people combine the Garden Route on their South Africa road trip with Cape Town, Stellenbosch, and the wineries around Stellenbosch. That absolutely makes sense — we’d recommend it just as enthusiastically.

As the starting point for both suggested routes, we’ve chosen Hermanus. The town is right on the way from Cape Town to the Garden Route, and we’d strongly recommend spending a few days there.

Of course, you can drive the route in the opposite direction or choose different start and end points. It’s a recommendation, not a requirement.

The Perfect Garden Route Tour

The following route is our very personal recommendation for getting the most out of your South Africa Garden Route trip.

We’ve especially included suggestions for what you can do before and after the classic Garden Route stretch.

The De Hoop Nature Reserve lies roughly halfway between Hermanus and the Garden Route and is an absolute must. The nature there is truly stunning — if you have the time, plan this stop in.

After that comes the classic Garden Route with overnight stays in Wilderness and Plettenberg Bay, from which you can take day trips to the surrounding highlights.

The stop in Jeffreys Bay isn’t essential. But if you want to spend a few relaxed beach days or go surfing, Jeffreys Bay is the perfect place for it.

Wrapping up the Garden Route with a visit to Addo Elephant Park is really worthwhile. If you’re also heading to Kruger National Park on your trip, you can skip Addo. Otherwise, we highly recommend it — you get to tack a safari right onto the end of your Garden Route journey.

A great under-the-radar tip is the drive from Addo to Prince Albert, which takes you through the semi-desert Karoo. The landscape here is completely different and the roads are often deserted. Prince Albert is one of the most beautiful towns in South Africa and well worth a visit.

To round things off, the drive over the Swartberg Pass is an experience in itself, and in Oudtshoorn more highlights await — including the Cango Caves.

For the very end, we recommend the drive along the equally beautiful Route R62 into the Cape Winelands. We’d suggest Robertson as your first stop.

Plan for two to three weeks for the entire stretch. Each stop can be trimmed a little if you’re short on time.

Garden Route in as Little Time as Possible

This route is for those who are really pressed for time. It covers only the classic Garden Route between Mossel Bay and Tsitsikamma National Park.

On this route we’ve focused on the absolute highlights. We recommend staying overnight in Wilderness and Plettenberg Bay.

You can trim the route even further by squeezing in the excursion to Knysna on the way from Wilderness to Plettenberg Bay, rather than dedicating a separate day to it.

The Best Time to Visit the Garden Route?

In general, the Garden Route is a great destination year-round. Truly bad weather there is very rare, as you can see in our climate chart below.

The best time to visit the Garden Route is between October and March — that’s the South African summer. During this period you get the most sunshine and often consistently warm, pleasant days. It’s also why the Garden Route ranks among our top destinations for October.

Rain falls relatively evenly throughout the year, on a few days each month. You’re just as likely to get two rainy days in January as in June.

One big advantage of traveling in the off-season from April to September is significantly lower accommodation prices. Far fewer international tourists visit during this time, and locals also travel less during the South African winter.