7 Day Winelands, Little Karoo & Garden Route Tour

On arrival in Cape Town, your private African Sky guide meets you at Cape Town International Airport or another agreed pick-up point before you travel into the scenic Cape Winelands. A first stop can be made at Vergelegen Wine Estate, a historic property established in 1700 under Willem Adriaan van der Stel. Time is spent exploring the beautifully landscaped gardens, historic homestead, and surroundings, offering insight into the early Cape period.

You then explore the Stellenbosch Wine Route, renowned for its Cape Dutch homesteads, dramatic mountain backdrops, and long-established wine farms. Visits are made to selected estates for tastings and insight into South African winemaking traditions and grape varietals. Before continuing to Franschhoek for the night, a stop is included at the Bergkelder, an underground mountain cellar complex on Papegaaiberg in Stellenbosch, adding a distinctive and memorable cellar experience to the day’s Winelands touring.

Today is devoted to Franschhoek and the surrounding valley, framed by towering mountains and celebrated for its strong food-and-wine culture. Your guide introduces the town’s origins, linked to French Huguenot settlers who arrived in the late 1600s, shaping the area’s heritage and influencing many of the historic farm names still used today. You have time to browse the village, galleries, and boutiques at a relaxed pace.

The remainder of the day focuses on visiting a carefully selected range of wine estates for tastings, with the order and style tailored to your interests. Franschhoek’s reputation for fine dining makes it an ideal place to enjoy a leisurely lunch or end the afternoon with a final tasting. You return to your overnight accommodation at Maison Chablis for a second night in the heart of the Winelands.

Departing Franschhoek, you travel toward the fertile Robertson Valley, a region that grew from early agricultural beginnings into one of South Africa’s respected wine-producing areas. As the route follows the Breede River, your guide explains how irrigation, climate, and soils shaped farming in the valley and encouraged the development of vineyards and cellars over time. A visit to a local wine estate is included, allowing time to sample regional styles while enjoying the calm atmosphere and open valley scenery.

A distinctive stop is made at the Sheilam Cactus Garden, home to an impressive collection of unusual and exotic cactus species well adapted to arid conditions. You then continue through classic Little Karoo towns such as Ashton, Barrydale, Ladismith, and Calitzdorp, gaining insight into the region’s rural traditions and slower pace of life. By late afternoon, you arrive in Oudtshoorn and check in at Adley House for the first of two nights.

This morning begins with a visit to the Cango Caves, South Africa’s most famous show caves, explored on a guided Heritage Tour through grand chambers and striking limestone formations. The scale, acoustics, and dramatic features of the caves make for a fascinating introduction to the geological history of the region.

Afterward, you travel into the Swartberg Mountains, crossing the historic Swartberg Pass constructed in the 1880s. Numerous viewpoints provide panoramic vistas over rugged Karoo landscapes. The route brings you to Prince Albert for lunch and time to appreciate the town’s well-preserved architecture and relaxed pace. You return to Oudtshoorn via the scenic Meiringspoort before settling back in at Adley House for the second night.

Before leaving the Little Karoo, you visit a working ostrich farm to learn about the breeding cycles, behavior, and farming history of the world’s largest birds. The visit provides insight into how ostrich farming shaped the regional economy during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. From here, the journey continues toward the coast, descending through changing landscapes before arriving in Mossel Bay, a historic harbor town closely linked to early Portuguese exploration of southern Africa.

A visit is included to the Bartolomeu Dias Museum complex, where maritime exhibits and the iconic Post Office Tree illustrate the story of early seafaring routes around the Cape. After lunch, you board a Seal Island cruise to view a lively colony of Cape fur seals and, in season, possible sightings of dolphins or whales. The day concludes with a scenic drive along the Garden Route to Knysna, where you check in at Chez Pierre for the first of two nights.

Today is dedicated to Knysna’s lagoon, indigenous forests, and dramatic sandstone headlands that frame one of the Garden Route’s most scenic settings. A key highlight is the Featherbed Nature Reserve experience, reached by ferry across the Knysna Lagoon with beautiful views of the water and surrounding hills. Once inside the reserve, you enjoy a guided 4x4 drive followed by a leisurely walk through coastal forest and fynbos, stopping at viewpoints overlooking the Knysna Heads and the Indian Ocean.

The afternoon provides time to explore Knysna’s scenic highlights at a relaxed pace, depending on interests and timing. Possible visits include the Eastern Head area for panoramic views, the quiet residential charm of Leisure Isle, or the shops and waterfront atmosphere of Thesen Island. The day concludes with an easy return to Chez Pierre, providing time to unwind after a full and varied exploration of one of the Garden Route’s most iconic destinations.

After breakfast, you depart Knysna and travel via Sedgefield toward the Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park, passing lakes, wetlands, and forested landscapes along the way. In the Garden Route National Park area, you choose between a gentle canoe excursion on the Touw River or a relaxed boat cruise, both offering tranquil surroundings, rich birdlife, and close-up views of indigenous vegetation and rolling hills.

You then spend time exploring the laid-back village of Wilderness, known for its beaches, lagoons, and relaxed coastal atmosphere, before visiting the well-known “Map of Africa” viewpoint for a final panoramic stop. From here, the journey continues to George Airport, where your guide assists with check-in for your onward flight to Cape Town, bringing your Winelands, Little Karoo, and Garden Route experience to a rewarding conclusion.