In a nutshell
- Route 62 runs parallel to the Garden Route — it’s the perfect relaxed drive back to Cape Town through the South African interior after you’ve explored the coast.
- The road cuts through the Little Karoo semi-desert, passing charming little towns, rustic farms, and spectacular mountain passes like the Swartberg Pass.
- We’ll show you the best stops to plan along the way and where to stay — our top pick is the La Pension Guest House in Oudtshoorn for great value and a pool.
What Is South Africa's Route 62?
Route 62 is a laid-back road trip route through South Africa. It runs roughly parallel to the Garden Route from Port Elizabeth (also known as Gqeberha) to Cape Town through the South African interior.
If you’re driving the Garden Route on your road trip through South Africa and want a different way back to Cape Town, this is the perfect return route. Route 62 winds through the semi-desert of the Little Karoo, along rugged mountain passes, and through small wine towns.
Map of Route 62
We’ve marked the route on a map so you can get a better overview.
Along the route, we’ve highlighted a few charming little towns where you can easily stop. For most visitors, the journey starts in Oudtshoorn. From there, you drive Route 62 back toward Cape Town.
Compared to the Garden Route, Route 62 is relaxed, lightly traveled, and even more off the beaten path.
If we had to choose, though, we’d still go with the Garden Route.
The coastal route is simply stunning — national parks, incredible views, the works. We see Route 62 more as the ideal return leg.
Attractions Along Route 62
Driving Route 62 in South Africa, you can stop again and again and discover some really cool highlights. Here’s what to look forward to.
We’ve sorted the places from east to west, since that’s the direction most people travel Route 62.
Oudtshoorn
The first stop is Oudtshoorn. We recommend staying two nights here so you have enough time to explore the area.
Oudtshoorn is the unofficial capital of the Little Karoo — and it’s best known as the ostrich capital of the world. Everything revolves around the big birds: there are plenty of ostrich farms you can visit, and ostrich egg souvenirs everywhere you look.
In town itself, you’ll find a handful of great restaurants and cafés worth checking out.
Cango Caves
From Oudtshoorn, the Cango Caves are an easy side trip — just under half an hour by car.
The Cango Caves are a massive cave system with impressive stalactite formations. They’re considered among the most beautiful caves in the world and make a great stop whether you’re driving Route 62 solo or tackling the Garden Route with kids.
You can choose between two tours: the Heritage Tour through the large front section for R150–300, and the Adventure Tour for R200–320, which takes you through the narrower passages too. For the latter, you should definitely not be claustrophobic.
You can book tours on the official website or on-site. Walk-ins can usually get a spot without any trouble.
Swartberg Pass
The Swartberg Pass isn’t exactly on Route 62, but we strongly recommend it anyway.
It’s said to be one of the most beautiful passes in the world — and honestly, we found it absolutely breathtaking. The mountain road connects Oudtshoorn with the charming little town of Prince Albert, winding through the Swartberg Mountains along the way.
It’s not for the faint of heart, though. This is a gravel road that climbs up to 1,500 meters. And keep in mind you’ll need to drive it there and back if you want to continue on Route 62 afterward. For us, that little thrill was actually what made the drive so special.
In Prince Albert, you can admire beautiful Cape Dutch and Victorian architecture, enjoy great food, and browse local galleries.
Our Tip: Make sure to plan one night in Prince Albert. The little town is truly special and will leave you with wonderful memories long after your trip.
Lies auch:
Little Karoo Semi-Desert
Route 62 cuts straight through the Little Karoo semi-desert. You don’t really need to plan a dedicated stop here — you can soak up the semi-desert scenery throughout the entire drive.
Expect untouched, dry, wide-open landscapes, rustic farms, cool rock formations, and hidden caves. It’s seriously unlike anything else.
Charming Towns Along Route 62
Along Route 62, you’ll keep rolling through charming little towns. In our opinion, Barrydale, Montagu, Ladismith, and Calitzdorp are especially worth a stop.
Barrydale is a creative artists’ village with colorful cafés and vintage shops, Montagu is a wine town with views of the Langeberg Mountain foothills, Ladismith is a great place to admire colonial architecture, and Calitzdorp — the port wine capital of South Africa — is the perfect spot to sip some port.
The Best Way to Travel Route 62 in South Africa
For driving Route 62 in South Africa, you’ll need a car for your South Africa trip. With a rental car, you can drive the road at your own pace and stop whenever something catches your eye.
We recommend driving Route 62 after the Garden Route to make a loop back to Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula. Before you reach Cape Town, though, you absolutely should stop in the Cape Winelands. More on that in a moment.
For a place to stay, Oudtshoorn is a great base. We recommend the La Pension Guest House — incredible value for money, great rooms, and a pool.
One more thing: Route 62 is one of the safest routes in South Africa, so you don’t need to stress about safety in South Africa here.
Our Tip: If time allows, don’t head straight back to Cape Town after the Garden Route — instead, continue on to Addo Elephant National Park. You can drive through the park in your own car and see so many elephants you’ll feel like you’re growing a trunk yourself. From there, we drove directly to Prince Albert, then over the Swartberg Pass to Oudtshoorn, and from there along Route 62 back to Cape Town. If you haven’t been to the Cape Winelands yet, you’ll want to build that in too. The college town of Stellenbosch is our personal favorite, but Paarl and Franschhoek are fantastic too.
Here you'll find all the info about the Garden Route:
After South Africa's Route 62: A Side Trip to the Cape Winelands
After Route 62, we seriously recommend adding a side trip to the Cape Winelands. You’ll be driving through the region anyway, but you should plan to spend a few days there. This is honestly one of our best tips for any road trip through South Africa.
The Cape Winelands are one of the most beautiful regions in South Africa — a place where you can slow down and spend a few days enjoying great wine, incredible food, and lovely towns, all surrounded by vineyards and stunning scenery.
We recommend booking a hotel in Stellenbosch and using it as your base to explore the wineries around Stellenbosch and the towns of Franschhoek, Paarl, and Tulbagh on day trips or half-day excursions.
