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South Africa · Scooty & Bike
The journey
Go on an adventurous biking tour through the beautiful towns of South Africa, starting in Cape Town and riding through the Cape Winelands, the Little Karoo, the Garden Route, and the southern coastline. Along the way, experience scenic mountain passes, gravel roads, coastal stretches, and the most southern tip of Africa. The journey includes stops in places such as Franschhoek, Barrydale, Oudtshoorn, Prince Albert, Wilderness, Cape Agulhas, Hermanus, and Gansbaai, with opportunities for wildlife encounters, local cuisine, and unforgettable landscapes.
The Swartberg is among the best-exposed fold mountain chains in the world, and the pass slices through magnificently scenic geological formations.
From the itinerary
At a glance
Day by day
Arrive in Cape Town, meet your tour guide, and transfer to the hotel.
Attend a tour briefing and collect the bikes. If time permits, depending on your flight time to Cape Town, we may visit Table Mountain.
Enjoy a welcome evening meal on the Waterfront in Cape Town.
Overnight stay in Cape Town.
Depart from Cape Town, travel north, and pass through the picturesque Wineland areas of the Cape.
Travel through the quaint town of Franschhoek. The Franschhoek Pass is used by elephants to travel the mountain for grazing.
Arrive at Montagu via Villiersdorp and stop for lunch.
Proceed to Barrydale for the first stop in the Little Karoo.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Barrydale.
Have breakfast at the hotel, then leave Barrydale and travel north with a quick visit to Ronnie's.
Travel through Ladismith, well known for its cheese, then continue to Calitzdorp, the port capital of South Africa, and from there to Oudtshoorn, South Africa's ostrich farming capital.
Have lunch and visit the ostrich farm (optional and at your own expense).
After a tour of the ostrich farm, make your way to the hotel.
Dinner and overnight stay in Oudtshoorn.
Have breakfast and then depart for the Cango Wildlife Park, a famous zoo.
Travel to Prince Albert via the Swartberg Pass (1,568 m), with some gravel roads as part of the route. Prince Albert has beautifully preserved Cape Dutch buildings, a Karoo lifestyle, and Victorian buildings, many of which are National Monuments.
Have a traditional South African braai, a barbecue dinner.
Try stargazing in the Greater Karoo. Prince Albert is just south of Sutherland, which is considered a prime star-gazing destination.
Overnight stay in Prince Albert, Karoo.
Travel south through Meiringspoort Pass. The Swartberg is among the best-exposed fold mountain chains in the world, and the pass slices through magnificently scenic geological formations.
Pass De Rust and travel through the Outeniqua, dropping down to the Indian Ocean and the lively beachside town of Wilderness, home to wide beaches and trails. The Map of Africa, a hilltop lookout point, has views of the Indian Ocean, the Outeniqua Mountains, and the Kaaimans River.
Check out the Wilderness Natural Park, part of the sprawling Garden Route National Park, a habitat for wildlife including leopards, monkeys, and eagles.
Spend the night in Wilderness.
Enjoy the beach or the estuary, perfect for hiking or water sports.
Go bungee jumping at the highest bungee point in the world (222 m).
Spend the rest of the day in Knysna if you prefer, which has many options for activities in the Knysna Lagoon.
Overnight stay in Wilderness.
Have breakfast, then travel west to enter Mossel Bay.
Leaving the Portuguese landings of Mossel Bay, travel west to Riversdale, Heidelberg, and on to Swellendam.
Stop for lunch in Swellendam.
Travelling a short while farther west, turn south to the most southern tip of the African continent. Historically, the cape has been known to sailors as a major hazard on the traditional clipper route. It is sometimes regarded as one of the great capes. It was most commonly known in English as Cape L'Agulhas until the 20th century. The town of L'Agulhas is located near the cape. It is also the dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans according to the International Hydrographic Organization.
Dinner and overnight stay in Cape Agulhas.
Depart from Agulhas and travel west through Elim, established in 1824 by German missionaries as a Moravian mission station.
Ride through Gansbaai, known for its dense population of great white sharks and as a whale-watching location.
Stop for lunch in Hermanus in a cave at the water's edge. During whale season, this is especially rewarding. Hermanus is famous for whale watching during the winter months.
Leaving Hermanus after lunch, ride to Cape Town via the famous Clarens Drive along the False Bay coast.
Arrive in Cape Town, return the rented bikes, and depart for your destination.
Where this trip takes you
Table Mountain National Park, Swartberg Pass, Knysna estuary, Cape Agulhas coastline
The route
The fine print
Motorbike hire: BMW 850GS minimum (option to upgrade to 1250GS LC). Limited Africa Twins are available in 1000/1100 models.
All accommodation
All breakfasts
2 dinners (1 x South African braai, 1 x 4-course meal, 1 x set menu meal)
Local South African tour guide
Back-up vehicle
Personal riding gear
Drinks
Fuel (petrol). Current cost: R25.00 per litre
Travel insurance
Flights
Spare tyres
Top boxes or panniers
Lunch
We drive on the left side of the road in South Africa.
Winter months can be cold even in Africa, although the riding is good. Expect dry, cold nights and mornings.
This itinerary can be changed and extended to include Addo National Park.
Pillion pricing is not included.
The trip can be tailored according to the amount of dirt and tar - 50-50, 70-30, or 30-70 - depending on rider skill and group size.
The driver's license needs to be carried by the rider at all times when on the road in South Africa.
A refundable excess is held on your credit card; the hold is lifted when the bike is returned without damage.
Logistics
Your 8 days finish where they began, in Cape Town.
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