Itinerary

1. Day 1- Arrival - Village of Wilderness

   • After being collected from the airport in George, transfer you to your accommodation overlooking the lakes on the Garden Route. The Garden Route is a mix of modern golf courses, ancient forests, secluded artists' communities, retirement estates, modern malls, craft centres, mountain hideaways and beach holidays. A large number of interesting and creative people are drawn to this magnificent stretch of coastline, and many of them now call it home.
   • The main highway through The Garden Route, a highlight on most visitors' itineraries, is the N2 stretch running from Heidelberg in the Southern Cape to Storms River Village on the Eastern Cape border.
   • While the scenery is enough to make you stop and stare, it is the hidden gems that can be found on the sides of the roads that are the real allure of the Garden Route.
   • Visit the special village of Wilderness, the lakes and the thick tropical forest on the Indian Ocean. 
   • Wind conditions permit perhaps to go tandem paragliding. Canoe the river or do a small hike to the waterfall.
   • Pick from a variety of exceptional restaurants that serve up brilliant cuisine in the area, all within walking distance of each in the village.

   Overnight in the Wilderness.

2. Day 2- Coastal Touring

   • The day begins with exploring the Garden Route, examining why this is called the Garden Route. The Garden Route National Park, which connects the existing Tsitsikamma National Park's ancient forests and wild coastline with the Wilderness National Park via a chain of lakes and preserved sections of Fynbos, is a fascinating and enchanting mix of ecosystems. This park is also famous for its secluded little bays and its year-round holiday frame of mind, and it's conveniently accessible from Cape Town.
   • While you’re exploring all the nooks and crannies of the Garden Route, don't forget to cast an eye out to the sea, where you can see the Southern Right and Humpback Whales, Bottlenose and common dolphins and even Killer Whales that have been known to frolic close to the shore, especially near Plettenberg Bay. Whatever your pleasure is, you’ll find what you’re looking for on the Garden Route, even if it’s just to lose yourself in one of the most beautiful parts of South Africa, if not the world.
   • Experience the lakes, forests and beaches of the area.

   Overnight in the Wilderness.

3. Day 3- Finding Ostriches

   • Travel to Oudtshoorn.
   • Visit an ostrich farm, lunch and then through the Meiringspoort Pass and onto Prince Albert, where we spend the next 2 nights. Oudtshoorn (the ostrich capital of the world) also calls the Garden Route home, and for those who are interested in history, both early inhabitants and elephants have been crossing the Outeniqua Mountains, from Oudtshoorn to the coast for many centuries. When Queen Victoria agreed in 1845 that a tiny village in the Karoo should be named after her consort – his Royal Highness, Prince Albert. The lovely Karoo village of Prince Albert has a history dating back to 1762. No wonder then that ghosts are believed to haunt its old buildings, streets and pavements. When you join the Prince Albert Ghost Walk, expect an encounter of the spooky kind.

   Overnight at Dennehof.

4. Day 4- Explore Prince Albert

   • Explore Prince Albert and the surroundings of the Little Karoo. Prince Albert is ringed by vineyards and fruit and olive farms. Local history exhibits in the Fransie Pienaar Museum include fossils and a working moonshine distillery. The nearby 19th-century Swartberg Pass runs through Swartberg Nature Reserve and has dramatic mountain views. The reserve is dotted with caves featuring San rock art.
   • Visit the local dairy where cheese is made, and go olive oil tasting for a difference. On Saturday mornings, the market is on. 
   • Explore the Karoo Looms Weavery. 
   • Catch a movie or watch a show at the Showroom Theatre.
   • Wine tastings are on offer at the local cellars.
   • Stargaze at night with a powerful telescope, an expert joins us to point out the stars and planets.

   Overnight in Prince Albert.

5. Day 5- Departure

   • Depart Prince Albert and travel back to George Airport via the Swartberg Pass. Thomas Bain worked on the Swartberg Pass with 200 convicts and lots of gunpowder. He eventually finished ahead of time and under budget. But his real accomplishment lies in the fact that even today, more than a century after it was built, the Swartberg Pass has stood the test of time. The natural divide between the plains of the Great Karoo and the lush valleys of the Little Karoo has always been the imposing Swartberg Mountains. There was a time when these crags were impossible to breach, and people had to take circuitous routes to get to their destinations.