Garden Route Premium Cycle Tour

Itinerary Details

1. Day 1Arrive in Cape Town/Transfer to hotel/ Meet Trip Leaders/Warm-up ride

   Guests are met at Cape Town International airport by the Tour leader and transferred to your hotel to freshen up. Before heading out on a City orientation bike ride of Cape Town, you will be fitted out correctly on the bike that you will be using for the rest of the trip. There will also be a brief safety and bike orientation session before the ride.

   On this 3-hour city cycle tour you will do a little bit of pedalling and lots of talking as you learn about Cape Town’s heritage while you ride from the vibrant Waterfront to the bustling inner city, getting up close and personal with the city and its inhabitants. The guided tour combines the old and the new of Cape Town’s urban landscape, with visits to Adderley Street, The Bo-Kaap, The Company Gardens, St. George’s Mall and Green Point.

   You will visit the Green Point Stadium, the impressive newly built sports venue that co-hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The newly landscaped Green Point Biodiversity Eco-Park is a must-see for green enthusiasts and the Green Point Lighthouse happens to be the oldest working lighthouse in South Africa.

   After the ride, you will go up Table Mountain on the Cableway for sundowners – an awesome time to be on the mountain. Dinner will be on your own arrangements tonight - choosing from many interesting restaurants at the V&A waterfront or near the hotel along Beach Road.
   
   

   • 6.2 - 14.9 miles
   • La Splendida, Cape Town or similar

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     Table Mountain

     Feel on top of the world as you discover the nature perks of Cape Town on day 1

2. Day 2Cycle in Cape Winelands/Wine-tasting and lunch at wine estate/Welcome reception dinner

   Breakfast will be served from 7am. Meet for day overview and briefing at 8am. After breakfast, you will transfer (60 minutes) to Stellenbosch. Stellenbosch is the second-oldest town in South Africa and home to the oldest Wine Route in the Cape.

   You will start cycling in town and admire the Cape Dutch architecture of the town while you take in the scenery from your bicycle seat. The ride takes you into the Jonkershoek valley, which ranks among the most beautiful in the Cape. The ride ends at Lanzerac, where the tour operator recommends a picnic lunch stop here accompanied by local wines.

   
   

   • 17.4 miles
   • La Splendida, Cape Town or similar
   • Breakfast

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     Stellenbosch Winelands

     Explore the old town of Stellenbosch and the fantastic wine of the region

3. Day 3Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve/Township Tour

   This morning, you will be shuttled to Simon’s Town with great coastal views of False Bay. You will then visit the African Penguin Colony at Boulders Beach, a unique conservation effort in an urban area. Afterwards, you will visit Cape Point itself and then cycle along undulating roads amongst pristine fynbos, primarily within the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Depending on prevailing winds, you will ride south to north or vice versa. Relax and enjoy lunch at one of the many local restaurants.

   In the afternoon, you will participate in a township tour by bike, where you will gain insight into the Xhosa culture and discuss socio-economic problems the local residents face in urban South Africa. A visit to the Sangoma is followed by tea and “vetkoek’ in the home of a local lady! After a long day out, choose from many interesting restaurants at the V&A waterfront for dinner on your own arrangements.
   
   

   • 16.2 - 21.7 miles
   • La Splendida, Cape Town or similar
   • Breakfast
4. Day 4Karoo scenery and mountain passes en route to De Rust/Visit an ostrich farm/Afternoon ride through rural South Africa

   After breakfast, you will depart for a six-hour transfer to De Rust. You will be travelling along scenic Route 62 through the Little Karoo with lunch along the way at Rietfontein Farm, one of the original Ostrich Palaces. You will visit a working Ostrich Farm after lunch.

   In the late afternoon you will check in to your accommodation at a local farm guesthouse. Once settled in, you will head out on the bikes from the lodge for a late afternoon ride along a dirt track past ostrich farms exploring this beautiful valley. The tour operator suggests dinner tonight at the Guesthouse.
   
   

   • 8.7 - 13 miles
   • De Zeekoe Guesthouse, Oudtshoorn or similar
   • Breakfast

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     Karoo Region

     Bike the beautiful Karoo region and visit an Ostrich farm

5. Day 5Ride through Meiringspoort/ Visit the ancient Cango Caves

   This morning after breakfast, you will cycle through the vast expanse of the Swartberg Mountains. Enjoy 24 or 48 km of mostly flat riding on the awesome road through Meiringspoort, wedged between the spectacular twisting sandstone formations of the Cape Fold Mountains.

   After lunch, back at the guesthouse, you will explore the Cango Caves with their magnificent stalactite and stalagmite formations. The tour operator recommends a traditional braai dinner back at the guesthouse.
   
   

   • 14.9 - 29.8 miles
   • De Zeekoe Guesthouse, Oudtshoorn or similar
   • Breakfast
6. Day 6Cycle through indigenous Knysna Rainforest, from Rheenendal to Buffels Bay

   Today’s ride takes you through lush farmlands interspaced with indigenous afro-montane forests down to the Indian Ocean and beautiful white beaches. After a leisurely breakfast, the shuttle (90 minutes) will take you to Rheenendal, where the ride will start.

   The ride ends on the coast at Buffel’s Bay where you will enjoy a picnic lunch at the beach. The lodge is just a half-hour shuttle ride away. The tour operator suggests you may want to have dinner tonight served at the lodge after drinks in the Cigar Lounge.
   
   

   • 16.2 - 22.4 miles
   • Rex Hotel, Knysna or similar
   • Breakfast
7. Day 7Ride Bloukrans Pass/Eat lunch overlooking the sea, Tsitsikamma National Park

   Pedal quiet roads today, riding through the old Bloukrans Pass amidst lush Afromontane forest and taking lunch in Tsitsikamma National Park overlooking the Indian Ocean. Hike through the forest and relax on the beach, where the ocean is ideal for swimming.

   Dinner is on your own tonight in Plettenberg Bay, where you have some time to explore. You will then be shuttled into town to the restaurant of your choice.
   
   

   • Rex Hotel, Knysna or similar
   • Breakfast

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     Tsitsikamma National Park

     Stop to explore the national park by foot and perhaps take a dip in the Indian Ocean

8. Day 8Hike around Robberg Peninsula/ Addo Elephant National Park Sundowner game drive

   After breakfast, you will have the option to hike along the Robberg Peninsula with beautiful coastal views of Plettenberg bay. The rest of the morning is spent travelling (four hours) to new accommodation in Sunlands.

   The tour operator recommends a light picnic lunch precedes an afternoon game drive. Here, you might see the Big Five, other wildlife, and many birds.

   As the sun sets slowly in the African sky, the animal activity increases, as do the chances of excellent viewings. Cap your safari with sundowner drinks in the bush. Later, return to the hotel in the Addo area and soak up the beauty of the Eastern Cape surroundings.
   
   

   • Addo Dung Lodging or similar
   • Breakfast

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     See the Big Five

     Visit Addo Elephant Park on the last few days of the tour and enjoy game drives with lots of opportunities to spot the epic wildlife

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     See majestic elephants

     Visit the Addo Elephant Park at the end of the tour and spend time with these wonderful creatures

9. Day 9Ride from Paterson into Addo Elephant National Park/Afternoon game drive

   Ride this morning on country roads flanked by Addo Park, with the Zuurberg Mountains in the background. The tour operator recommends stopping for a relaxing picnic lunch at the waterhole waiting for wildlife to come down for an afternoon splash.
   
   In the afternoon, return to Addo Elephant National Park for a final safari: search for the elephant, jackal and lion. Relax back at the lodge in the evening and enjoy the tour operator's recommendation of a festive farewell dinner with the group.
   
   

   • 16.2 miles
   • Addo Dung Lodging or similar
   • Breakfast

   • 

     See the Big Five

     Visit Addo Elephant Park on the last few days of the tour and enjoy game drives with lots of opportunities to spot the epic wildlife

   • 

     See majestic elephants

     Visit the Addo Elephant Park at the end of the tour and spend time with these wonderful creatures

10. Day 10Transfer to Port Elizabeth / Onward flights home

    There is a last optional early morning ride in Sundays River Valley to a viewpoint. After breakfast, checkout and transfer to the airport in Port Elizabeth. Onward flights home (own arrangements).
    

    • 8.1 miles
    • Breakfast