Garden Route
Between Mossel Bay and Storms River, South Africa compresses forests, lagoons, whale coasts and mountain passes into three hundred easy kilometres.
- Best forRoad-trippers · Adventure seekers · Wildlife & nature
- In October19°C · 9 rainy days
- Ideal stayA week
- Approx. flying time~20h 10m from Los Angeles
- CurrencyZARSouth African rand
- LanguageEnglish, Zulu, Xhosa and Afrikaans
- Local time11:311h ahead of the UK
- PlugsType C / M / NBring an adapter
- Drive on theLeftSame as the UK
- Dialling code+27
Why go
The stretch of coast between Mossel Bay and Storms River is about three hundred kilometres of forest, lagoon, cliff and beach, with the Outeniqua mountains standing behind it. Rain falls in every season, which is why it stays green in a country that mostly does not. Distances between stops are short, so the driving is undemanding and the stopping is more or less constant.
A week is comfortable and four days is the minimum that avoids feeling rushed. Most people fly into George or drive from Cape Town, roughly five hours west. Over the passes inland, the Klein Karoo adds ostriches, caves and desert heat. Whale watching runs from about June to November, and the school holidays around Christmas fill every bed on the route.
- Ideal stay
- A week
- The vibe
- Green, coastal, adrenaline optional
From our guides
Kayak with seals at Plettenberg Bay, cross the Storms River mouth on suspension bridges, detour inland for ostriches and the Cango Caves. June to November adds southern right whales breaching offshore. Driving is easy; leaving is not.
Featured in Ten epic road trips for your someday list
Things to do
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Storms River mouth
Suspension bridges over a river gorge inside Tsitsikamma, reached by a short but rocky boardwalk trail through coastal forest.
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Knysna lagoon and the Heads
A tidal lagoon behind two sandstone headlands, with clifftop viewpoints, oyster beds and boat trips out towards the channel.
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Robberg Nature Reserve
A peninsula walk of up to nine kilometres above the sea at Plettenberg Bay, with a Cape fur seal colony below the cliffs.
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Cango Caves
A large limestone cave system near Oudtshoorn, over the Outeniqua pass on the dry inland side, with guided tours of varying difficulty.
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Wilderness lakes
A chain of lakes and estuaries behind the dunes, good for paddling, birdwatching and short forest walks to waterfalls.
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Bloukrans bridge bungee
A 216-metre jump from the bridge at the route's eastern end, among the highest commercial bungee jumps anywhere.
Getting there
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Fly to
George (GRJ)
Nearest airport to Garden Route, about 9km away as the crow flies.
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Then
To Knysna
George airport (GRJ) sits in the middle of the route, about 15 minutes from George itself and an hour east to Knysna on the N2. Many people instead fly to Cape Town and drive the four to five hours to Mossel Bay to begin the road trip properly.
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On the ground
Getting around
This is a driving route: the N2 strings Mossel Bay, Wilderness, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Storms River together, with the inland detour over the Outeniqua Pass to Oudtshoorn. Distances between stops are short, an hour or less.
Public transport: Intercity coaches run the N2 between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth and stop at the main towns, but they leave you stranded for the beaches, forests and passes that are the reason to come.
Flights
Los Angeles Garden Route, South Africa
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Roughly 20h 10m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.
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Pick your departure date, then your return.
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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.
When to go
Daytime highs run from about 17°C in July to 24°C in January. Driest January and April to June; wettest in December, with rain on about 11 days.
The year at a glance — pick a month for detail
October19° · rain 9 daysMild with rain most weeks.
Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis). Live conditions from MET Norway, CC BY 4.0.
Where to stay
Guesthouses, bed and breakfasts and self-catering cottages, with a few lodges on private reserves. Chain hotels are rare, and most people book a different house every two nights.
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Best base overall
Knysna
Midway along the route on its lagoon, with the Heads, boat trips and the widest choice of places to eat. Traffic grinding through the town on the N2 is the drawback.
Find stays in Knysna -
Best with children
Plettenberg Bay
Half an hour east, with long safe swimming beaches, easy whale watching in season and plenty of self-catering. It fills with South African families over Christmas and prices follow.
Find stays in Plettenberg Bay -
Best value
Sedgefield
A small town between George and Knysna with cheaper self-catering, a good Saturday market and quiet beaches. You will drive for most meals out.
Find stays in Sedgefield -
Quietest
Nature's Valley
A handful of houses among forest behind an empty beach, with a lagoon and the Tsitsikamma trails at the door. There is barely a shop, so bring supplies.
Find stays in Nature's Valley
Worth knowing before you book: December and early January are South African school holidays, when coastal towns sell out and rates roughly double. Book the hire car just as early.
Search everything else in Knysna by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.
Good to know
- Driving
- The N2 links everything and is in good condition. Avoid driving after dark, when pedestrians and animals on unlit stretches are a real hazard.
- Timing
- Southern right whales come close inshore from about June to November. December and January are the domestic holiday peak, with prices to match.
- Pack this
- Layers and a waterproof. The coast gets rain in every season and the sea sits at around 18°C, which is colder than people expect.
- Safety
- Standard South African precautions apply: lock the car, leave no bags visible and use secure parking overnight.
- Getting there
- George has domestic flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town, which saves the long drive if time is short. Hire cars are collected at the airport.
Similar places
Further afield
Franschhoek
South Africa · 308km away →
Muizenberg
Cape Town, South Africa · 367km away →
Abseiling Table Mountain
Cape Town, South Africa · 373km away →
Chapman's Peak Drive
South Africa · 378km away →
Sossusvlei
Namibia →
Elephants
Chobe, Botswana →Elsewhere in South Africa
Related articles
Quick answers
When is the best time to visit Garden Route?
Daytime highs run from about 17°C in July to 24°C in January. Driest January and April to June; wettest in December, with rain on about 11 days.
How long should I spend in Garden Route?
Our suggestion: a week.
How do I get to Garden Route?
George airport (GRJ) sits in the middle of the route, about 15 minutes from George itself and an hour east to Knysna on the N2. Many people instead fly to Cape Town and drive the four to five hours to Mossel Bay to begin the road trip properly.
Do I need a car in Garden Route?
Yes, a car makes a real difference here. Intercity coaches run the N2 between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth and stop at the main towns, but they leave you stranded for the beaches, forests and passes that are the reason to come.
What currency and language are used in Garden Route?
Currency: South African rand (ZAR). Language: English, Zulu, Xhosa and Afrikaans. Plugs: type C and M and N.
Who is Garden Route best for?
Best for road-trippers, adventure seekers and wildlife & nature. In a phrase: green, coastal, adrenaline optional.