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Garden Route

OVERVIEW ITINERARY IDEAS ACCOMMODATION WHEN TO GO? WHERE NEXT

When to Go?

Best Time to Visit the Garden Route

The Garden Route’s year-round temperate climate means this is a destination made for the great outdoors. Unlike Cape Town however, there may be rain at any time of year on the Garden Route but it rarely lasts long and most days are dry, warm and sunny.

Temperatures are highest in summer (November to April) but be warned that the area gets very busy over the Christmas school holidays. For a beach holiday without the crowds, visit the Garden Route between February and April. Winter (June to August) temperatures aren’t especially low – they rarely fall below 16°C – and visitors at this time of year are often treated to long sunny spells.

Note that there is a seasonal aspect to some of the Garden Route’s attractions: whale watching season is from July to October (peaking in September) and the 10-day, event-studded Knysna Festival takes place in July.

Dec / Jan / Feb / Mar
Summer – best beach weather but very busy over holiday period
Apr / May
Fewer visitors & cooler temperatures
Jun / Jul / Aug
Winter - cool weather, start of whale season, Knysna festival
Sep / Oct / Nov
Peak whale season, generally good weather
Ready to start planning your adventure? Explore the Garden Route! Contact Us Today

WHAT TO DO?

Shark-cage diving, Sailing, Hiking & more

1. Celebrate a Special Event

Whether it’s a honeymoon or anniversary, multi-generational holiday or your first holiday with young children, there’s accommodation & experiences on the Garden Route to meet every special requirement.

2. Shuck an Oyster

Home to the best oysters in South Africa, Knysna boasts its own Oyster Festival in July but you don’t have to visit then to sit down to great food & Cape wines throughout the Garden Route.

3. Meet the Wildlife

Interact with elephants, walk among flocks of exotic birds & free-ranging primates or visit a big cat sanctuary to stroll with a cheetah – a Garden Route holiday will entertain, inform & delight animal-lovers.

4. Cruise the Coast

The Garden Route’s captivating coastline is home to leisurely river cruises, luxury yacht tours & high-speed boating. You can also paddle a kayak along the coast or head inland up forest-flanked rivers.

5. Go Golfing

Add 18 holes to your itinerary. Some of South Africa’s best golf courses lie on the Garden Route – beautiful live-on estates with stunning mountain backdrops.

6. Into the Deep

Discover the Garden Route’s underwater world with a wide range of aquatic activities – whale watching, shark-cage diving & swimming with seals; boat-based marine tours keep your feet dry.

7. Book an Adventure

Surf, sky dive or bungee jump: there’s always something to shout about on the Garden Route. There are also hiking & mountain biking trails, tree-top canopy tours plus game viewing by horseback.

8. Visit the Local Community

Take time out to see how the locals live on a community-based tour. Your guide will introduce you to the energetic culture of township life with chances to meet wide-smiling schoolchildren.

Tailor-made Holidays

We’ll design your holiday to match your interests, tastes & budget!

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Hands-on Expertise

  • We’re based in Africa
  • Consultants Travel in Africa
  • Knowledgeable team
  • Expect great customer service

Accredited & Bonded

  • SATSA – Bonded Membership (2061)
  • Travel Save Compliant Certificate
  • Fully Independent & Owner Run
  • Travel Support from Start to Finish

Reviews

Safari Online were extremely efficient and absolutely charming to work with.

Our 28-day itinerary took us to South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. A magnificent and unforgettable adventure. Everything ran smoothly and efficiently from the flights, transfers, rides, connections, etc. Absolutely wonderful! Can’t thank them enough!

Ann and Mario (Canada)
It was a safari of a lifetime and exceeded all of our expectations!

Our mom grew up in Central and South Africa so we had visited the continent many times. My sister and I wanted to take our teens and husbands to Africa to experience the magic. We had a limited budget but big and specific expectations and by some miracle Walter was able to manage both.

Heather (USA)
An incredibly well organised tour with no hassles whatsoever.

Safari Online understood our needs and was able to present us with sensible options to choose from. It was evident that this tour operator has knowledgable and experienced agents who can arrange a seemless tour. We were provided with a professional online itinary which was comprehensive and easy to use, knew exactely what to expect, and encountered no stumble blocks along the way.

Gwen (AU)
Safari Online made our fantastic family holiday dream come true!!

Safari Online have been nothing but professional and incredible from the time we made our first enquiry to the last day of our stunning holiday. Nothing was too much trouble for Walter. We are now starting to plan our next family Safari for 2019. Guess who we will be booking with??? Safari Online we hope you are ready!!!!!

Penni (AU)
Best trip I have ever been on. Highly recommend.

Would highly recommend. Safari online asked questions when booking and were efficient and knew exactly what we were looking for in terms of accommodation and animals were wanted to see. Gave advice on a few little extras with no pressure, which we did and am very grateful which make trip even more exciting. Would definitely recommend booking with them.

Karina was absolutely instrumental to our safari success.

Our experience with Safari Online was excellent. After becoming very frustrated trying to search for a safari destination on our own, we turned to Karina for help and she was a lifesaver.  We had an amazing safari adventure at the lodge–the experience of a lifetime–and are so grateful for her help. We literally couldn’t have done it without her!

Chris (USA)
Walter has always been an excellent communicator and has supported us fully

We have been to Africa for 24 of the last 27 years so know a bit about what is involved. Walter has arranged the details for the last couple of years, and has done a superb job. He is always quick to respond and comes up with answers immediately……..no evasive tactics, always head-on!

Roger (UK)
Professional, patient, efficient and responsive. Met all our travel needs and requirements spot on

Communication was excellent – I asked A LOT of questions and did a ton of research myself and Walter was extremely patient with me and very responsive. he was straight forward and extremely professional. Tour itself was excellent – an incredible experience and one never to be forgotten. Everything was spot on.

Neena
Professional, quick and top of the edge service!!!

From the very first contact we’re very happy about the respond time and quality of information from safari-online.com. Based on the received first tailor-made quote, which is a weblink with all the details about the flights, photos of the lodges etc. we knew that this is “our” partner for this trip. Our expectations were excelled!!!

Lukas (Germany)
Very helpful good suggestions for holiday ideas always available for questions good organising

Excellent service and they supplied good suggestions for our holiday they also organised all internal flights and arranged check in for us so we had no worries while on holiday. We have had a most memorable holiday staying at wonderful places thanks to Sabrina and Safari Online. Would recommend Safari Online to organise your holiday.

Lorraine (UK)