Classic Self-Drive Garden Route

Explore cosmopolitan Cape Town and sample the delights of the beautiful Winelands before embarking on a road trip along the scenic Route 62 and joining the world-renowned Garden Route ending with a malaria-free big five safari in the Eastern Cape.

Garden Route Holidays

Running along the coast of the Western Cape, the Garden Route is a feast for the senses. With glorious year round temperatures and copious sandy beaches, the Garden Route is a road trip of a lifetime.

With windswept mountains to one side and the glistening Indian Ocean to the other the Garden Route is an overflowing cornucopia of vitality. An abundance of world-class wines and sea-fresh food; you will eat well, sleep well and be well.

An unforgettable ocean safari will serve up whales, great white sharks, dolphins, seals and penguins.

Hugely popular as a self-drive; bypass the big towns and focus on the smaller quirkier ones. Make an exception for Knysna to sample the exceptional seafood and specialty oysters. Raise the stakes and rent a classic car, we can even pop a picnic in the trunk!

Challenge an Africa specialist to design your tailor-made Garden Route holiday.

The Crags, South Africa

Hog Hollow has been an Imagine favourite for many years offering seclusion in one of the Garden Route’s most picturesque locations. Beautiful suites, attentive service and spectacular views make this one of the most in-demand places to stay in the area.

Hog Hollow Country Lodge

Garden Route, South Africa

Set in the middle of the wide sweep of Robberg Beach in Plettenberg Bay, The Robberg Collection properties are found in a remarkable Garden Route setting. All Robberg properties are supremely comfortable and have first-class facilities.

The Robberg Collection

Plettenberg Bay, South Africa

Situated along the picturesque Garden Route is Kurland Hotel, a superb colonial-style house in a beautiful country setting near Plettenberg Bay. Charming but modern, this hotel offers the best of both worlds in beautiful beaches and serene countryside.

Kurland Hotel

Near Knysna, South Africa

Head Over Hills Luxury Retreat is a contemporary guesthouse located on the Knysna Heads on South Africa’s Garden Route. With its breathtaking views and staff who go above and beyond, Head Over Hills makes a fabulous and relaxing Garden Route retreat.

Head over Hills Luxury Retreat

Plettenberg Bay, South Africa

Periwinkle Guest Lodge is a stylish, relaxed guesthouse overlooking Robberg Beach in South Africa’s Plettenberg Bay. Magnificent views complimented by superb service make Periwinkle Guest Lodge a perfect beach stopover when exploring the Garden Route.

Periwinkle Guest Lodge

Knysna, South Africa

Located on Thesen Island in the scenic Knysna Lagoon is The Turbine Boutique Hotel. A restored power station, this boutique hotel combines luxury and character to make it an exceptional stay with stunning panoramic views of the waterfront and beyond.

The Turbine Boutique Hotel & Spa

Plettenberg Bay, South Africa

Hunter’s Country House is an award-winning lodge near Plettenberg Bay on South Africa’s famous Garden Route. Great for families, Hunter’s Country House is a peaceful retreat ideally placed for exploring the area’s mountains and golden beaches.

Hunter’s Country House

Plettenberg Bay, South Africa

The Plettenberg is a stylish seafront hotel enjoying an unrivalled natural setting near Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route. The food at the Plettenberg is wonderful, and it is hard to imagine finer views anywhere along the Garden Route.

The Plettenberg

Plettenberg Bay, South Africa

Christiana Lodge, a 4-star, owner-run boutique guest house is located in the exclusive part of Plettenberg Bay of Solar Beach. Chic and easy-going, this lodge has plenty of light and is perfectly located with just a short walk to Robberg Beach.

Christiana Lodge

Knysna, South Africa

Belvidere Manor Hotel is a lovely collection of cottages on Knysna Lagoon on South Africa’s Garden Route. Relaxing and comfortable, Belvidere Manor Hotel offers exquisite food in a stunning peaceful location, with beautiful gardens to enjoy.

Belvidere Manor Hotel

St. Francis Bay, South Africa

The Sands @ St. Francis is a contemporary beach house in beautiful St. Francis Bay towards the eastern end of South Africa’s Garden Route. The Sands is a great spot for beach relaxation, which you can combine with surfing and nearby game viewing.

The Sands @ St. Francis

Plettenberg Bay, South Africa

Tsala Treetop Lodge is a spectacular contemporary treehouse retreat in the Tsitsikamma Forest between Plettenberg Bay and Knysna on the Garden Route. Peer out across the forest canopy, while enjoying Tsala Treetop’s South African hospitality.

Tsala Treetop Lodge

Plettenberg Bay, South Africa

Fynbos Ridge is set on a magnificent fynbos reserve, with stunning mountain views. The Cape Dutch style Country House is spacious and well appointed, and the self-catering garden cottages are comfortable and secluded.

Fynbos Ridge Country House & Cottages

;

Western Cape, South Africa

Southern right whales visit the Western Cape from about June to December every year. These beautiful gentle giants congregate to the shores of Hermanus and Plettenberg Bay.

Whale watching on the Western Cape

Garden Route, South Africa

Explore the fascinating coastal caves in the cliffs below Grootbos. Your knowledgeable guide will explain the history of human habitation going back in time to a period when the Stone Age people and Khoi bushman called the caves home.

Coastal Cave Tour

Garden Route, South Africa

Take-off from Grootbos' private airstrip for a magical flight over the Walker Bay area, from July to October enjoy incredible sightings of Southern Right Whales from the air.

Flight over Walker Bay

Garden Route, South Africa

Emily Moon restaurant is situated just outside of the hustle and bustle of Plettenberg Bay with fantastic views over the river and the mountains in the distance.

Dine at Emily Moon

Garden Route, South Africa

Set at a terrifying 216 meters above the ground the Bloukrans Bungee is the world's highest commercial bungee and definitely one for the thrill seekers. Suspended over the Bloukrans River, under the main bridge, this is 216 metres of pure adrenaline!

Bloukrans River Bungee Jump

Garden Route, South Africa

Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre at Plettenberg Bay offers guests a truly unique wildcat experience as they are taken on a guided tour of cheetah, leopard, serval, caracal and other wildcats, baboons and birds.

Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre

Plettenberg Bay, Garden Route, South Africa

Monkeyland is a unique primate sanctuary that rehabilitates and frees previously caged primates. All of the monkeys here move about the forest freely and peacefully and allow you to view them as they would bee seen in their natural habitat.

Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary

Garden Route, South Africa

Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve is the largest game reserve in the Southern Cape and is in the perfect location for anyone who wants to experience a one day, big game viewing experience along the Garden Route.

Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve

Garden Route, South Africa

The Robberg Peninsula is an outcrop of land from the western side of Plettenberg Bay. The Peninsula is now a nature reserve and a marine protected area which makes for spectacular scenery, wildlife, flora and fauna.

Robberg Peninsula Walk

Garden Route, South Africa

Take this two to three hour kayak and lilo adventure in Tsitiskamma National Park where you’ll explore the Storms River Gorge, the tranquil pools and deep caves all in a kayak or whilst balancing on a lilo.

Kayak & Lilo in Tsitsikamma National Park

;