What meals are included in the 14-day South Africa motorcycle tour?

Breakfast is included on all 13 hotel nights. Dinner is included on 5 evenings at selected lodges and farms along the route. All other meals are at your own expense.

What motorcycle will I ride on tour?

A BMW F750GS with top case and motorcycle insurance. Upgrade options to larger BMW models may be available on request. All bikes are maintained to expedition standard for this bmw motorcycle tour south africa circuit.

Is this South Africa motorcycle tour 14 days suitable for beginners?

Yes. The tour is rated beginner-level. All stages use sealed roads and daily distances average 174 mi (280 km). The swartberg pass motorcycle gravel option on Day 10 is optional and can be skipped by riders who prefer sealed tarmac.

What does the tour include and exclude?

Included: BMW F750GS rental with insurance, English-speaking guide, support vehicle, 3–4-star accommodation, 13 breakfasts and 5 dinners, road map, GPS tracks, drinking water, national park entrance fees. Excluded: flights, fuel, deposit, personal insurance, and anything not listed.

What is the Valley of Desolation and is it included?

The valley of desolation south africa tour stop at Graaff-Reinet is included on Day 8. Basalt columns rise 120 m (394 ft) above the Camdeboo plains. You ride there on near-empty Karoo roads with virtually no traffic.

Motorcycle Tours South Africa | 14-Day Garden Route

Q: What landscapes and regions does the route cover?

The garden route karoo motorcycle tour covers six distinct landscapes: Cape Peninsula, Overberg coast, Garden Route, Eastern Cape, Great Karoo, and the Winelands. Total distance is approximately 2,860 km (1,777 mi) over 13 riding days.

South Africa

A 14-day motorcycle tours south africa circuit through six landscapes: Cape Peninsula, Overberg coast, Garden Route, Eastern Cape, Great Karoo, and the Winelands. BMW F750GS throughout with a certified guide and support vehicle on every stage.

Days 1–14

Motorradreisen Sudafrika Kapstadt entspannen Hafen

Cape Town – Arrival & Briefing

Arrive at Cape Town International and transfer to your lodge below Table Mountain. The afternoon is free — the V&A Waterfront, Long Street, and Robben Island are all within reach. The evening briefing for this motorcycle tours south africa circuit covers route stages, bike setup, and daily protocols. First overnight in Cape Town.

Motorradreisen Kenia, Canyon, Fish River

Cape Peninsula Loop

Pick up the BMW F750GS after breakfast and head out on the Cape Peninsula loop. The route runs south via False Bay to Simon's Town, Cape Point, and the Cape of Good Hope. Chapman's Peak Drive clings 9 km above Hout Bay on the return. Boulders Beach penguin colony is a short detour. This south africa motorcycle tour opens on one of the world's finest coastal roads.

Clarence Drive to Cape Agulhas

The R44 Clarence Drive hugs the Overberg coastline through Betty's Bay and Hermanus — one of South Africa's premier whale-watching points. From Hermanus you ride south through Elim to Cape Agulhas, the true southernmost tip of Africa where the Indian and Atlantic oceans officially divide. A key milestone on any motorbike tour south africa itinerary. Overnight near Struisbaai.

Overberg to Mossel Bay

Grain fields and rolling Overberg hills carry the route east toward Mossel Bay. A coffee stop in Swellendam, the fifth-oldest town in South Africa, breaks the ride. Mossel Bay marks the traditional Garden Route start. An afternoon run up Robinson Pass opens wide views back across the coast — a strong early day on this motorcycle tour cape town to Garden Route circuit.

Mossel Bay to Knysna

Robinson and Outeniqua passes warm up the morning before the N2 runs east to Knysna. The Knysna Heads — twin sandstone cliffs flanking the lagoon — reward a short detour for the view. This is the midpoint of the garden route motorcycle tour and one of its most scenic stretches. Dinner options at the Knysna Waterfront and Thesen Island are both walkable from the lodge.

Knysna to Addo via Tsitsikamma

Back roads through Tsitsikamma forest before rejoining the N2. Bloukrans Bridge — 216 m above the gorge, the world's highest commercial bungee — is an optional stop. Lunch inside Tsitsikamma National Park, then a short loop through Gqeberha. This stage of motorcycle touring south africa ends at the Addo lodge with a group dinner before tomorrow's safari.

Addo Elephant Park – Full Safari

No bikes today. A ranger collects the group for a full-day drive through Addo Elephant National Park — the only reserve holding all Big Seven: lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, elephant, great white shark, and southern right whale. This addo elephant national park tour includes entrance fees and a picnic lunch. Back at the lodge by 18:30.

Questions about the tour itinerary?

Our tour guide is happy to answer any questions about the day-by-day route, stops, and details.

Addo to Graaff-Reinet

The Karoo leg opens here. Eastern Cape farmland gives way to the semi-arid plateau as you ride inland toward Graaff-Reinet. A stop at the Owl House in Nieu-Bethesda precedes the afternoon at the Valley of Desolation: basalt columns rising 120 m above the Camdeboo plains. Empty roads and wide sky define this stretch of the motorcycle trip south africa interior stage.

Great Karoo Plains – Graaff-Reinet to De Rust

South from Graaff-Reinet through Aberdeen on long, flat Karoo roads. A coffee stop in Willowmore after 175 km of open plain, then the Swartberg Mountains grow on the horizon. An optional Meiring's Poort gorge detour adds one of only two natural passes through the Swartberg massif. This is a standout day on the cape town motorcycle tour to Karoo circuit, ending in De Rust.

De Rust to Oudtshoorn – Swartberg Option

A shorter riding day through ostrich country. The Highgate Ostrich Farm and Cango Caves fill the morning before lunch in Oudtshoorn. The optional Swartberg Pass gravel climb reaches 1,582 m on unpaved switchbacks — the defining south africa motorcycle adventure moment of the tour. Riders who prefer sealed roads take the De Rust alternative. Both options end in Oudtshoorn. Around 100 km today.

Route 62 – Oudtshoorn to Robertson

The full R62 — the world's longest wine route — runs through the Klein Karoo to the Breede River Valley. Stop at Ronnie's Sex Shop near Barrydale, coffee in Barrydale, and lunch near Montagu. This is the highlight of the garden route tour south africa return leg. The day ends with a private wine tasting at a working farm estate outside Robertson.

Winelands – Franschhoek & Stellenbosch

Mountain passes fill the morning: Franschhoek Pass, Helshoogte, and Bain's Kloof. Coffee in Franschhoek — the French Corner, settled by Huguenots in 1688 — and lunch in Stellenbosch, the second-oldest town in South Africa. The last full riding day of this guided motorcycle tour south africa circuit ends in Franschhoek before the final morning return to Cape Town.

Final Passes – Cape Town Return

Last riding day. Franschhoek Pass, Viljoen Pass, and Sir Lowry's Pass complete the mountain sequence before the descent to the coastal plain. Bikes are returned by 15:00. Transfer to the Cape Town hotel for a farewell dinner. The full 2,860 km circuit of motorcycle tours south africa is complete. Total distance: 2,860 km (1,777 mi) over 13 riding days.

Cape Town – Departure

Free time in Cape Town until your flight. Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront, and the Company's Garden are all options for a final morning. Airport transfer is included. This africa motorcycle tour ends where it began — Cape Town International — with 14 days of southern African riding behind you.

Want a detailed description of all tour days?

Our expert will walk you through the full itinerary and answer all your questions.

FAQS

Breakfast is included on all 13 hotel nights. Dinner is included on 5 evenings at selected lodges and farms along the route. All other meals are at your own expense.
A BMW F750GS with top case and motorcycle insurance. Upgrade options to larger BMW models may be available on request. All bikes are maintained to expedition standard for this bmw motorcycle tour south africa circuit.
Yes. The tour is rated beginner-level. All stages use sealed roads and daily distances average 174 mi (280 km). The swartberg pass motorcycle gravel option on Day 10 is optional and can be skipped by riders who prefer sealed tarmac.
Included: BMW F750GS rental with insurance, English-speaking guide, support vehicle, 3–4-star accommodation, 13 breakfasts and 5 dinners, road map, GPS tracks, drinking water, national park entrance fees. Excluded: flights, fuel, deposit, personal insurance, and anything not listed.
The garden route karoo motorcycle tour covers six distinct landscapes: Cape Peninsula, Overberg coast, Garden Route, Eastern Cape, Great Karoo, and the Winelands. Total distance is approximately 2,860 km (1,777 mi) over 13 riding days.
The valley of desolation south africa tour stop at Graaff-Reinet is included on Day 8. Basalt columns rise 120 m (394 ft) above the Camdeboo plains. You ride there on near-empty Karoo roads with virtually no traffic.

OVERCROSS note on itinerary

The above travel description is a non-binding online proposal and does not represent a binding travel itinerary. We expressly reserve the right to make changes to the route, schedule, and accommodations (§ 651d BGB in conjunction with Art. 250 EGBGB). The terms and conditions of OVERCROSS apply.
Terms and Conditions of OVERCROSS