In a nutshell
- The small town of Prince Albert South Africa is simply special. It sits in the Central Karoo — a dry semi-desert with vast open spaces, almost no crowds, and a uniquely peaceful vibe.
- Prince Albert is a perfect detour on the way back from the Garden Route to Cape Town. Plan it as a day trip or with one or two overnight stays.
- We recommend arriving from Oudtshoorn via the Swartberg Pass and spending a night at The Sanctuary Hotel — our top pick in town.
Where is Prince Albert?
Prince Albert is located in the Central Karoo in South Africa. The Karoo feels completely different from the lush Garden Route.
It’s much drier out here — more open space, more sky, and simply less going on visually. What you can see from a distance, though, are the Swartberg Mountains rising to the south of Prince Albert.
Connection to the famous Route 62
If you drive from Prince Albert over the Swartberg Pass, you’ll end up on the other side in Oudtshoorn — a town known for its ostrich farms.
And Oudtshoorn is also where Route 62 begins, one of the most popular routes back to Cape Town after driving the Garden Route.
It’s considerably quieter and takes you through small towns and vast, sweeping landscapes.
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Why you should set aside 1–2 days for Prince Albert
Prince Albert isn’t actually located directly on Route 62, which takes you back to Cape Town.
But if you can spare a day or two of your road trip for a special detour, you absolutely should.
All you have to do is cross the Swartberg Pass and you’re in a completely different world.
Why Prince Albert is worth it
Prince Albert is one of those places where you immediately notice: everything moves a little slower here. No hustle, just peace, wide-open spaces, and that feeling that you’ve just stumbled onto a truly authentic piece of South Africa.
We found it incredibly laid-back and super relaxing.
- Perfect if you’re in the mood for a desert vibe and endless open space
- Beautiful white Cape Dutch houses that give the town a really lovely character
- An incredible starry sky — one of the clearest we’ve ever seen
- Olive groves and small artisan producers around town
- Fig farms with locally made products
Sights in Prince Albert
Prince Albert is a tiny town of around 7,000 people. Life revolves almost entirely around the main street, which stretches about 2 kilometers through town — here you’ll find cafés, small shops, galleries, and restaurants. Everything is within walking distance and totally unhurried.
Exploring the town on foot
Prince Albert is small — and that’s exactly what makes it great. You can just set off on foot, stroll through the quiet streets, and soak up the charm of the old houses. There’s no fixed checklist to work through. Just let yourself drift.
Creative shops, antique stores, and craft shops
Around town you’ll find lots of small, creative shops. From handmade ceramics to art to antique furniture — everything feels very personal and lovingly curated. Perfect if you’re hunting for a special souvenir to bring home.
Prince Albert Gallery
The small gallery in town showcases works by local artists. It’s not a huge museum — more of a place where you get a real feel for the region’s creative scene.
Stargazing
One of the top highlights in Prince Albert South Africa: the night sky.
Thanks to its remote location, there’s almost no light pollution — and you can see stars here the way you almost never do in Europe. For us, it was one of those moments that really stays with you.
Driving the Swartberg Pass
Crossing the Swartberg Pass was something we absolutely loved. The route is seriously impressive, and it’s perfectly fine to drive in a regular rental car. Just check with the locals beforehand whether the pass is currently in good condition.
Gravel road, tight bends, and views that make you want to pull over every few minutes. If conditions are right, you absolutely have to do this — it’s stayed with us as a genuine standout of the whole trip.
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Visiting Oudtshoorn
Just nearby is Oudtshoorn, known for its ostrich farms and the Cango Caves.
It pairs really well with Prince Albert — either on the way there or on the way back.
Accommodations and our hotel in Prince Albert
We stayed at The Sanctuary — a small, lovingly run hotel that immediately feels a little like home.
It’s right in the heart of Prince Albert, so you can walk everywhere, yet it’s still super quiet.
There’s a family room with separate sleeping areas (a huge plus with kids) and a beautiful pool where we could cool off from the midday heat. Every morning there was a delicious breakfast served by the owners themselves.
We just really felt welcome. It’s also perfect for couples, solo travelers, or anyone who values genuine hospitality.
Check out The Sanctuary Hotel
More accommodation recommendations for Prince Albert
There are quite a few houses and cottages available to rent in and around Prince Albert. We were only there for two nights and knew we wanted to stay in a hotel — we wanted convenience. No grocery shopping, no getting settled in somewhere.
We also had the following hotels on our list as alternatives:
82 on Church Guest House: a small hotel with just a few rooms. Super charming decor — a bit more classic in style than the Sanctuary. Also has a pool and garden, plus a family room.
Prince Albert Country Stay: Also right in the center of town. Similar vibe to The Sanctuary — pool, garden, and a good breakfast. Unfortunately there were no family rooms available when we looked, so it didn’t make the cut for us. If you’re traveling without kids, though, it’s a great option.
The Mont d’Or Swartberg Hotel: The classic hotel in town — with everything you’d expect: pool, garden, restaurant, and walking distance to everything. It’s not a modern place, but a typical Karoo house: a Victorian building with individually decorated rooms. Somehow it fits the town perfectly — cozy and relaxed.
Our tip: In the Karoo, daytime temperatures run hotter than on the coast. It’s really worth booking a hotel with a pool in Prince Albert so you can cool off in the afternoons. Even though we’re not really pool people, we ended up in the water with the kids every single afternoon.
Restaurants: Food and drink in Prince Albert
For a town as small as Prince Albert, the selection of restaurants and cafés is seriously impressive.
Our tip: At the restaurants in Prince Albert, we came across some typical South African dishes we hadn’t seen elsewhere on our South Africa road trip — for example, Bobotie, a South African classic made with spiced ground meat, egg custard topping, and chutney. It was especially delicious at The Rude Chef, a relaxed restaurant with really creative cuisine.
Café and farm shop Lazy Lizard: Our favorite spot in Prince Albert
A sweet café with a garden, a small play area for kids, delicious cake, and really good breakfast. There’s also a small farm shop stocked with locally sourced products. Really cool!
We went every day — sometimes multiple times a day. That pretty much says it all.
Olive and fig farms
O for Olive: a small olive farm about 4 km outside of Prince Albert, with its own farm shop and café. You can join an olive tasting or a guided farm tour, grab a snack in the café garden, and pick up some tasty things for the road at the shop.
Prince Albert Olives: a family-run farm where the olives are harvested and processed by hand. Within walking distance in town — no formal tasting, but you can sample the products before you buy.
Weltevrede Fig Farm: about 30 minutes by car from Prince Albert. There’s a small farm shop, a café, and all kinds of fig products. If you look at the farm on Google Maps, you can see rows upon rows of fig trees. The farm also offers accommodation for overnight stays.
How to include Prince Albert in your South Africa itinerary
Classically, Prince Albert makes the perfect detour on the way back from the Garden Route to Cape Town.
Most people drive east from Cape Town to take in the highlights along the Garden Route.
To avoid driving the same route back, they then head inland via Route 62. The return journey to Cape Town along Route 62 begins in Oudtshoorn. From there you can drive over the Swartberg Pass to Prince Albert.
If you’re already planning to spend the night in Oudtshoorn, you could do a day trip to Prince Albert from there. Alternatively, spend one or two nights in Prince Albert and really soak up the peace and quiet.
After that, it’s back to Oudtshoorn and then onward toward Cape Town.
Alternative to the Swartberg Pass: If there’s been heavy rain, the Swartberg Pass may be impassable. You can also drive via De Rust and head north from there — though that route takes longer. If you need to take that detour, it’s worth staying one or two nights in Prince Albert to make the most of the trip.
How we incorporated Prince Albert into our road trip
We drove the Garden Route first, then continued all the way to Addo National Park.
That meant we first had to backtrack a bit toward the west. Instead of going via Oudtshoorn, we drove directly to Prince Albert.
For the return trip to Cape Town, we went the classic route — over the Swartberg Pass and through Oudtshoorn.
That way we got the best of both worlds: the direct route in, and the drama of the pass on the way out.
