Cycle across the Western Cape on this Garden Route bicycle tour.

A unique Garden Route bicycle tour showcasing the beauty, diversity and amazing contrasts South Africa has to offer. South Africa is an undiscovered cycling gem. This garden route bicycle tour has it all – mountain passes, rich history, abundant wildlife, fine food and wine, and to top it off fantastic weather.

Traveling from Cape Town along the east coast to Port Elizabeth you will be charmed by its beauty. From high mountains, still semi – arid regions, stunning coastlines and indigenous forest we will experience many different biomes. For the final highlight from this Garden Route bicycle tour, we visit the Addo Elephant Park for a truly African experience.

The Garden Route bicycle tour has terrain as varied as the environment, stunning coastal roads, gravel and hard packed forestry roads. There are some challenging climbs and rewardingly long descents. Overall the cycling grade is Moderate/Advanced and a good command of a bicycle will be required.

The Garden Route bicycle tour ends in Port Elizabeth, known as the friendly city, after our final highlight the Addo Elephant Park.

Trip Highlights from the Garden Route bicycle tour

  • Cycle on Table Mountain the 7th wonder of the new world

  • Whale watching in Hermanus (seasonal)

  • Visit the most southern point of Africa

  • Cycle the Swartberg pass, the trip’s challenge

  • Visit Oudtshoorn, South Africa’s ostrich capital

  • Cycle the Prince Alfred pass through the Knysna indigenous forest

  • Visit the Addo Elephant park, home to more than 600 African elephants

Detailed Itinerary

Join the trip in the wonderful city of Cape Town. Cape Town is South Africa’s 3rd largest and oldest city. Originally founded as a refreshment station for passing ships Cape town is now a vibrant and multi-cultural city. This afternoon we have an optional first bike ride, on the face of the iconic Table Mountain voted one of the new 7 wonders of the world. This will be our first encounter with Fynbos (Fine bush), which has more indigenous plant species per square meter than anywhere else on earth!

Please note if you wish to join the bike ride today you must have a morning arrival flight and be at the hotel ready to start cycling at 2 pm.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 12 km with 200 m total ascent. Tar

Optional activities : Table mountain cable car

Today we head out to the area of the Cape Peninsula. In 1488 Bartholomew Dias was the first European to sail around the Cape in an attempt to find a route to the East Indies. Caught in bad weather, he named it the Cape of Storms, which was later changed by the Portuguese King to the Cape of Good Hope. In Hout Bay, weather permitting, you have the option to take a boat ride to view Seal Island, where a population of Cape Fur Seals have made their home. We continue, by bus, from here for approximately one hour to the Cape Point Nature reserve and the Cape of Good Hope for lunch and a visit to the historic lighthouse. After lunch we cycle back through the Nature Reserve, possibly meeting some baboons and Ostrich, and head out along the False Bay seaboard to the seaside village of Simon’s Town and Cape Boulders beach where we get a close up view of Africa’s only resident penguin species. Finally we drive back to our accommodation in Simonstown with time to relax this evening.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 33 km, with 300 m total ascent. Tar

Included: Boat trip in Hout Bay

1hr 20min transfer to Cape Point

Today we leave our accommodation in Simonstown and cycle along the historic Cape Town Cycle Tour route to Camps Bay. The Cape Town Cycle Tour takes place annually and is the largest timed amateur event in the world, with 36 000 participants. Two climbs await us the famed Chapmans peak and Suikerbossie but the views are worth it! Arriving at Camps bay beach, the Bondi beach of South Africa we say goodbye to Cape Town and have a short transfer to Stellenbosch.

Our total cycling distance today is 58 km and 1150 m ascent or 14 km with 400 m ascent. Tar

1hr 10mins transfer

Stellenbosch, South Africa’s 2nd oldest town, and a short distance from Cape Town, is set in the beautiful Cape winelands. The centre of the wine industry in South Africa, Stellenbosch was founded in 1679 by then Governor of the Cape Colony, Simon van der Stel.

Our cycle today takes us from Stellenbosch to Franschoek over the Hells Hoogte (Hell’s heights) pass set amongst the absolutely beautiful Cape mountains. Meandering past historic vineyards we arrive in Franschoek (French corner), the ‘little Switzerland’ of the Cape and stop for lunch and a visit to the Franschoek monument, dedicated to the French Huguenots, the first Europeans to settle here. For the more serious cyclist, there is a further option of continuing over the Franschoek pass, allowing for spectacular views over Franschoek village.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 55 km, with 780 m total ascent. There is the option to shorten the cycling to 30km with 350m ascent. Tar

Optional: Wine tasting

Today we leave our amazing accommodation in Gordons Bay on the bikes and ride along the coastal road bordering the Kogelberg Biosphere (a world heritage site) and the sea to Hermanus. This is the mainland side of False Bay and the start of the Whale coast route. As its name suggests, whales can be spotted, in season, from the road as we take in the awe inspiring views.

From July to November, Hermanus offers some of the world’s best shore- based whale watching, with good opportunity to spot southern right, Bryde’s and humpback whales. Although there is a good chance of seeing the whales from the water’s edge in town, you may prefer to follow the coastal path to a better vantage point.

Our total cycling distance today is 50 km with 500 m total ascent or 25 km with 300 m total ascent. Tar

Optional: Whale watching in season

Transfer: 30 mins

After a short 1hr drive to Elim a Moravian mission Station established in the 1800’s we take to the bikes and ride the 50km to Cape Agulhas through the Agulhas National Park. We may see some of the wildlife, such as Ostrich and Springbok in the park. We’ll stand on the southernmost point of the African continent and see where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian. Now marked by a stone plaque, the Cape Agulhas was once a point of grave danger to European navigators and to the site of various evidential shipwrecks. After a delicious lunch we travel to our accommodation in Swellendam South Africa’s 4th oldest town.

Our total cycling distance today is 50 km, with 120 m total ascent or 20 km with 90 m total ascent. Tar and 20 km gravel

Transfer: Morning 1hr

Afternoon 1hr 20mins

After a hearty breakfast we have a short transfer to the start of the Tradouw pass built by Thomas Bain in the late 1800’s. We cycle the pass awed by amazing rock formations and engineering skills of Thomas Bain, stopping for coffee in the quaint town of Barrydale. After lunch we climb aboard the bus for our transfer to Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo, ostrich capital of South Africa.

Our total cycling distance today is 45 km, with 680 m total ascent or 25 km with 250 m total ascent. Tar

2hr Transfer to De poort Country lodge

Optional: Visit to an Ostrich farm

We have an early start and short transfer to the start of the Swartberg Pass. The pass was constructed in 1873 by the renowned Thomas Bain and allowed for access to the interior of the Groot Karoo. 11kms long and 800m of ascent are worth it for the spectacular views over the klein karoo all the way to the Outeniqua mountains. From the top, after an adrenaline filled descent we stop for coffee at the bottom of the pass. Here the holiday cyclists can take to the bikes and enjoy the easier descent down to our accommodation for the night.

This afternoon we have the option of visiting the Cango Caves or just relaxing by the pool. These caves are an underground wonderland of extraordinary structures, millions of years old. The combination of dripping rainwater and limestone has led to the creation of ancient stalactites, stalagmites and mighty rock columns.

Our total cycling distance today is 46 km, with 800 m total ascent (Swartberg pass) or 30 km with 300 m total ascent.

Swartberg pass gravel

Included: Cango Caves

Today starts with a two hour drive to the foot of Prince Alfred’s Pass, a well-traveled road, linking the Little Karoo with the coast. With four biomes on the pass it provides a home to an abundance of indigenous fauna and flora. The road crosses the river 7 times while winding through the mountains. This spectacular 88km mountain pass route is also the home of the Middle Keurbooms Conservancy. Concerned landowners started the conservancy in June 2006. Today we explore approximately 50 kilometers of this lovely winding road by bike; be warned that you will be charmed by its beauty.

After our scenic cycle to Knysna we have a short transfer to our hotel in Plettenberg Bay.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 50 km, with 700 m total ascent or 30km with 300 m total ascent. All gravel

Transfer: Morning: Oudtshoorn to Uniondale 1hr 30mins

Afternoon: Knysna to Plettenberg Bay 35min

Leaving our hotel this morning, we travel 20 mins to the Tsitsikamma National Park, a magnificent park bordering the Storms River mouth. Hiking out over the river mouth with fantastic views we climb aboard the bikes and return to Storms river village for lunch. After lunch we have a short 30min transfer to the small woodcutters village of Coldstream where we cycle through the magnificent Tsitsikamma Forest along the Bloukrans and Nature’s Valley Passes. The descents through the forest are a real highlight of the trip and we finish on the beautiful and unspoilt beach.

Today we have an option of a final 22km mountain bike through the Stormsriver forest tracks. Gravel

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 47 km, with 550 m total ascent or 25km with 300m total ascent . Tar

Optional: 22 km mountain bike.

We leave the Tsitsikamma area this morning for another of South Africa’s national parks, stopping for lunch on the way.

Home to more than 600 elephants as well as lion, hyena, cape buffalo and leopard, Addo Elephant National Park is our home for the last night of the trip.

On arrival we’ll swap into one of the park’s safari trucks – perfect for the terrain and for capturing great wildlife shots – for a two-hour game drive with a park guide. Warthog are abundant here, along with various species of antelope, zebra and of course elephant. Tonight’s group meal is included and a visit to the viewing platform that overlooks the night-lit waterhole is a highlight of staying here and provides the opportunity for close-up viewing of the animals.

Included: 2hr game drive

2hr 30 mins transfer

On our final day we head out through the park for our game drive. Our adventure ends after breakfast when we’ll all leave together for Port Elizabeth.

40 mins transfer to PE international.

Tour ends: 12pm

Rates & Options

R 45 500

*Excluding Flights
*Minimum 4 pax for trip to run

Terms & Conditions apply.

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Trip Notes
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Garden route map of cycling on garden route bicycle tour
Total mileage

Technical Ability & Fitness

Grade – Moderate/Challenging

Aimed at regular cyclists with good fitness. We cycle a maximum of 454km and 5 750m total ascent, over 10 cycling days, an average of 45km per day.

We cycle on minor roads with a mixture of 60% tar and 40% gravel. There are some challenging climbs and some steep descents on gravel but there is the option to not ride these.

Included

  • Accommodation – double en-suite rooms

  • Meals as per itinerary

  • Bike hire

  • Full tour services – backup vehicle, guides

  • Qualified biking guide

  • Airport collections and drop offs

  • Permits and Park entrances

  • Afternoon game drive

  • Cango Caves

  • Boat trip to seal island

Optional Extras

  • Table mountain cable car

  • Wine tasting in Stellenbosch

  • Whale watching in Hermanus

  • Visit to an Ostrich farm

  • Ebike Upgrade Available

Quick Reference

  • 14 seater air conditioned minibus

  • Included meals : 11 breakfasts, 1 dinner

  • Cycling grade : Moderate/challenging

  • Qualified friendly guides

  • 3 – 4 star accommodation

  • Small group size : 4 – 10 pax