Garden Route Motorcycle Tour South Africa — 11 Days from Cape Town

Welcome to South Africa. You land at Cape Town International Airport and transfer to your hotel in the city centre. The tour guide meets the whole group at the welcome briefing in the evening. You go through the route, the bikes and the safety rules over a drink. If you arrive early, take an hour to walk the V&A Waterfront or ride the cable car up Table Mountain. Cape Town sits between the ocean and the mountain, and the first evening here sets the tone for the whole trip.

Today you ride the Cape Peninsula. The day starts with a relaxed city loop — Table Mountain, Camps Bay, and the famous beaches on the Atlantic side. From there you join Chapman's Peak Drive, one of the most scenic coastal roads in the world. The road clings to the cliffs for nine kilometres and opens onto Hout Bay.

You continue south to the Cape of Good Hope. You stop at Boulders Beach in Simon's Town to see a second penguin colony. The ride back to Cape Town takes you across the spine of the peninsula. You return the bikes to the hotel in the late afternoon. The evening is yours — try a seafood restaurant at the Waterfront or a sunset drink on Signal Hill.

You leave Cape Town via the R44 and follow the coastline east. The first stop is Stony Point in Betty's Bay. Here you meet the African penguin colony at the Stony Point Penguin Reserve. A short wooden boardwalk takes you close to the nesting birds. The route then continues to Hermanus. This is the mecca of South African whale watching. Between June and November, southern right whales come into the bay to calve. You can often spot them from the cliff path right in town.

From Hermanus you ride south to L'Agulhas. This is the southernmost point of Africa — the true meeting place of the Indian and Atlantic oceans. A stone cairn and a small lighthouse mark the exact spot. The ride feels quiet and open here, with fynbos on both sides of the road. You overnight in Agulhas or Struisbaai and enjoy a fresh fish dinner on the coast.

Once the bikes are packed, you head east towards Mossel Bay. The road cuts across wheat fields and the rolling green hills of the Overberg region. You take a coffee break near Swellendam. This is the fifth-oldest town in South Africa. It sits on the slopes of the Langeberg Mountains and still keeps the feel of a Cape Dutch village.

You leave the calm of the Overberg behind and ride on to Mossel Bay. In 1992, Mossel Bay entered the Guinness Book of Records for having the second-mildest climate in the world. It is also the traditional lunch stop on this tour and the unofficial start of the Garden Route. The midday break here is long enough for a beach walk.

Your accommodation sits a few kilometres outside of town, tucked into the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains. After check-in you take the bikes out again for a short afternoon ride. You leave the coast on the R328, where the scenic Robinson Pass begins. The road climbs gently past the hotel and over the Outeniqua range before dropping into the Little Karoo. You stop often along the way — the views of the coast and the Garden Route towns are worth the extra time in the saddle.

This morning you ride the panoramic viewpoints of the Robinson Pass and the Outeniqua Pass before reaching George. From George you follow the N2 Garden Route east to Knysna — your overnight stop. The natural beauty of the Garden Route and the calm water of the Knysna lagoon attract visitors from around the world.

The Knysna lagoon sits in the middle of town. In the south it opens to the Indian Ocean between two huge cliffs — the famous Knysna Heads. You ride out to the Heads for one of the best panoramic views on the whole tour. From there you look back over the lagoon and the coastline.

A ride on the popular John Benn paddle steamer is a great way to see the lagoon from the water. The smaller Knysna Waterfront is another option, with restaurants for dinner. Thesen's Island is a short walk from the hotel and a favourite for seafood in the evening. Everything is in walking distance — leave the bike at the hotel tonight.

After a good night's rest you enjoy a relaxed day in the saddle. Where possible, the guide picks the back roads. The route rejoins the N2 through what locals call the heart of the Garden Route. You ride into the native Tsitsikamma forest and stop at the impressive Bloukrans Bridge. Some riders will want to jump — this is the world's highest commercial bungee jump, a 216-metre free fall.

You have lunch at the Storms River National Park and then continue towards Port Elizabeth. In the early days of modern South Africa the city was known as Algoa Bay. Locals still call it the Friendly City. The first British settlers landed here in 1820 — around 4,500 of them in total. You take a short city loop and then ride on to Addo, near the Addo Elephant National Park. Dinner is served at the lodge and is already included in the tour price.

After breakfast you are picked up around 10:00 for a full-day safari in the Addo Elephant National Park. An experienced ranger drives you through the park and tells you about the animals and plants. The park is home to the Big Five. Today could be your lucky day to see all of them — lion, buffalo, rhino, elephant and the elusive leopard.

Addo is the only reserve in South Africa — and perhaps in the world — that hosts the Big Seven. It covers a huge marine section as well, where southern right whales and great white sharks live offshore. This makes the park unique. You are back at the lodge by 18:00 or 18:30 at the latest. Dinner is together with the group again, and the stories from the day usually last well into the evening.

This morning, after breakfast, you catch your first sight of the endless plains of the Great Karoo. You ride through the remote frontier towns of Steytlerville, Willowmore and Uniondale. You then enter the Little Karoo at the foot of the Swartberg massif. For most of the morning the horizon is pure mountain. The kilometres pass under the wheels and the road stays quiet.

With the sun at your back, the distant mountains and the Karoo plains change colour subtly through the day. A single passing car or truck reminds you that the outside world still exists. After 300 km of open Karoo roads and fynbos — the fine-leafed Cape bush — you reach Meiring's Poort. This scenic pass cuts through the mountain massif and is one of only two natural gateways through the range. Local bikers love it.

Once you have explored the bends and curves of this narrow gorge, you roll into Oudtshoorn — the ostrich capital of the world. During your stay in the Little Karoo, take time to visit the Cango Caves and an ostrich farm. Both are right on the edge of town.

The Karoo climate can be extreme and the lodge's swimming pool is a welcome relief for tired legs. Dinner is served at the lodge, and you should absolutely try the ostrich steak tonight — it is a local signature dish.

After breakfast you ride out on the R62 and explore the famous Route 62 on your way to Robertson. The R62 is the longest wine route in the world and one of the best motorcycle roads in South Africa. You make a photo stop at the infamous Ronnie's Sex Shop — a roadside bar with plenty of beer but, despite the name, no sex.

You take a coffee in Barrydale and then stop in or near Montagu for lunch. The R62 and the Little Karoo valley end when you enter the Breede River wine region. The road winds through endless vineyards at the foot of the Langeberg Mountains. The striking rock formations of the Cape Fold Mountains at Cogman's Kloof mark the end of the Karoo landscape that you have crossed over the last two days.

A natural rock arch with a historic English fort on top welcomes you into the Breede River Valley. A comfortable farm stay waits for you just outside Robertson, on a wine farm in the valley. Before dinner you join a private wine tasting. You learn about the history of the farm and taste the wines grown on its own land.

After breakfast you ride to the tourist town of Franschhoek — "French Corner" — which sits in the Drakenstein Valley. The road takes you on back routes through vineyards and farms around Villiersdorp. The French Huguenots settled in Franschhoek when they arrived in 1688. Their contribution to the success of the Cape wine industry is huge. The town still celebrates Bastille Day every year in full French tradition.

As motorcycle riders, you want to tackle every good mountain pass before the day ends. The Franschhoek Pass and the Helshoogte Pass are both on the local biker bucket list, and today you ride them both. You stop in Franschhoek for a coffee and in Stellenbosch for lunch. Stellenbosch is the second-oldest town in South Africa. It is a showcase of classic Cape Dutch architecture, with clear European influences on every corner.

On the way back to Cape Town, Table Mountain rises in the distance. You return the motorcycles in the late afternoon and transfer to your hotel in the city centre. Tonight is the final night of the tour — a good dinner, a last drink with the group, and a toast to the kilometres behind you.

Today it is time to say goodbye. Some riders will have a full free day to get ready for the long flight home. Ask your guide for tips on what to see in Cape Town on your last morning. There is always more to do — a final cable-car ride up Table Mountain, a café breakfast at the Waterfront, or a walk through the Company's Garden in the centre of town. When your time comes, you are driven to the airport for your flight home.

Please check the day-by-day description carefully before you book. The itinerary gives you the flow of the tour, but small changes on single days are always possible.