South Africa Cape to Coast Self-Drive

A Cape to Coast self-drive along South Africa's Garden Route, enjoying the Cape Winelands, safaris, the Featherbed eco-trail, and more.

From wild coastlines to hidden gems, this epic, well-balanced, 11-day odyssey is packed with thrills, breathtaking views, and unforgettable experiences.

First, you'll spend 4 days in Cape Town soaking up the city's vibrancy. Then, you'll embark on your road trip from days 5 to 11. The circular journey combines comfort with excitement and seamlessly blends the Garden Route's natural splendor, Big 5 animal encounters, and the Whale Coast's untamed beauty.

From urban luxuries to wildlife adventures, this itinerary of South Africa's diverse wonders promises the best experiences.

• Explore vibrant, cosmopolitan Cape Town
• Enjoy privately guided Cape Peninsula & Cape Winelands Tours
• Drive along Route 62, the longest wine route in the world
• Experience a Meerkat Safari, Cango Caves, & an Ostrich Farm
• Walk the Featherbed eco-trail along the stunning Garden Route
• See the whale-watching towns from your Glamping spot
• Go in search of the Big 5 (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, buffalo) on a private game reserve

Cape Town

South Africa boasts a 3,000 km coastline with wide, vast landscapes to be explored. The Cape to Coast journey will start you off in the diverse metropolis of Cape Town city center filled with superb shops and restaurants, extraordinary heritage monuments, a multitude of entertainment venues, and a chic waterfront.

Cape Wineland & Cape Karoo

The highly acclaimed Cape Winelands routes and astonishingly beautiful mountain trails surround a cosmopolitan hub. Your journey continues along the well-known Route 62 in South Africa’s beautiful Klein Karoo, to the charming town of Oudtshoorn, known as the ostrich capital of the world. Learn about the ostrich feather boom and visit the world-renowned Cango Caves, the largest cave system in Africa featuring ancient rock formations and sparkling stalactites and stalagmites. 

Garden Route

The Garden Route is the most beautiful stretch along the East Coast. Sandwiched between the towering Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean, Knysna is a large town often referred to as the ‘Garden of Eden’, surrounded by stunning bays perfect for sailing, boating, and swimming; picturesque beaches and lagoons; and world-renowned forests.

Set in the heart of the Garden Route, the luxury safari destination features an array of wonderful activities to look forward to including day and night game drives, horse riding excursions through lush woodlands and diverse fynbos, and spotting a variety of wildlife including the rare black impala, elephant, lion, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, hippo, and over 200 bird species.

Whale Coast

You will circle back from the Garden Route along the Whale Coast, the rugged stretch of South African coastline, snaking along the Atlantic Ocean and encompassing the towns of Kleinmond, Hermanus, Stanford, and Gansbaai. The route is backed by fynbos-covered mountains and includes farms, rivers, caves, and valleys. Between June and October, and especially over August, September, and October, the humpback or southern right whales that come here to mate and give birth can be seen frolicking offshore. The Whale Festival, held annually in September in Hermanus, is a special event featuring live music, markets, and much more.

South Africa is a year-round destination, with varying regional climates and wildlife opportunities. When you travel may depend on which activities are most important to you.

From May to September, the cooler winter months in the northern regions bring superb conditions for viewing big game animals.

The best time to visit the Cape for whale watching is between July and November.

Summer is from November to February. The northern part of the country is rainy yet warm, ranging from 72°F to 91°F (22°C to 33°C); this is the best time to travel for birding. During the summer months, the Western Cape has beautiful, hot, dry weather, with temperatures between 73°F to 79°F (23°C and 26°C).

Sustainability is at the very heart of what we do. Our focus is on local culture, the people, the environment, and making a positive impact. We believe a collective consciousness is necessary for the traveler, locals, and environment to grow.

Therefore, we intentionally collaborate with those who want to be part of rebuilding an inclusive, more sustainable model that benefits all stakeholders in the tourism industry. All our tours/trips are a combination of celebrating all cultures, connecting travelers to local community experiences, and bringing awareness about conservation. Travelers will enjoy the heart of the country through colorful and collaborative journeys that positively impact and empower.

Conscious of our impact on people and the planet, we provide travelers with a Pre-Trip Guide to familiarize themselves with the culture, customs, traditions, and how to minimize their carbon footprint on the destination.

Environmental

South Africa has a conservation culture from the start, and we encourage our guests to join us in our efforts to ensure the preservation of water, save energy, and respect our natural environment. We share tips in our Pre-Trip Guide which we send guests before departure.

The country is currently battling an energy crisis called load shedding. Most of our partners have implemented energy-saving practices and follow protocols and guidelines to ensure safe environments for staff and guests. They have installed smart switches in various areas to switch off lights etc. when not needed. Switching off geysers in guest rooms when they are not in use. Most have replaced all light bulbs with LED energy-saving bulbs. We support them in their effort through our wildlife volunteering program. In terms of wildlife conservation in the Cape Winelands, our provider partners with Cape Nature for rehabilitated Tortoises to be released on the farm. We also support two female entrepreneurs who turn waste into wonderful gifts which are included in the Welcome Gift to our guests.

Our suppliers and partners are encouraged to improve environmental awareness. They have contributed to several environmental matters, which in turn helps us on our sustainability journey. Each entity has initiatives from small to medium suppliers to preserve nature conservation, waste management, and water saving. We encourage travelers to use public transport, especially in the busy city centers, instead of hiring cars.

We use locally owned and operated infrastructure.

Economic

We intentionally choose small operators within the community where travelers stay. From accommodation, transport, and fresh produce to co-creating travel experiences, to ensure the economic growth of that particular community as far as possible. Using local businesses and produce from the communities ensures a circular economy where money stays within the host community.

In some cases, we make use of larger operators with a strong ethos in supporting local community initiatives. With this trip in particular, we use the hotel at the V&A Waterfront for two reasons. First and foremost, the hotel forms part of Legacy Group Hotels & Resorts. Legacy Pride is their registered Non-Profit Company and the official Corporate Social Responsibility Programme for Legacy Hotels & Resorts. To fight the scourge of world hunger and malnutrition, Legacy Pride is on a mission to provide vulnerable children with highly-nutritional food products and has fed millions since 2020.

Secondly, the hotel is on the doorstep of the Waterfront which means for the four days in the city, guests can walk to attractions. From here, visitors can use public transport like the hop-on-hop-off bus, and water taxis, in including Uber to see the city, which leaves a smaller carbon footprint.
Choosing and supporting women-owned businesses from marginalized communities as our suppliers are essential issues we campaign for. We directly address social issues like this to reduce inequality within the country. Guests immerse themselves fully into the local culture by enjoying a home-cooked meal, learning to play the African drums, or partaking in a community walkabout. Introducing visitors to local experiences like this, protect and safeguard natural and cultural heritage. Local experiences like the Cape Malay, Black, and Indigenous tours make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

To help put profits into local hands so they can benefit directly, we:

• Intentionally use youth and women-owned businesses from overlooked and marginalized communities. Creating opportunities for women from disadvantaged communities means they can provide for their families and community. Accommodation, transport, and food suppliers live in and around the community our guests visit. This ensures the industry's economic impact is spread equally at all levels of society.
• Co-designed travel experiences with local communities to ensure an authentic experience for travelers. This fosters a collective responsibility and gives them ownership of their product.
• Provide employment and business opportunities for local people. All tour guides are locals. Trained and certified by the municipal and national tourism bodies, tour guides are well-prepared, friendly, and professional in sharing their local knowledge with international and domestic guests. They come with the recommendation of our travel and tourism partners. Most of our suppliers are entrepreneurs and owners of their social enterprises.
• Provide welcome gifts for guests that are made and provided by women-owned businesses.

Sociocultural

From the Bo Kaap tour to the Indigenous sharing their cultures, we are highlighting the diverse cultures South Africa has, which also represent marginalized people. Through storytelling, local artists, small operators and suppliers from disadvantaged backgrounds offer and create authentic travel experiences.

Be sure you have traveler's insurance.