Hotels & Resort Deals
Select a destination...
View All Hotels & Resort Deals
Vacation Interests
Miscellaneous
Tours By Type
Tour Deals
Select a destination...
View All Tour Deals
Cruises From
Vacation Interests
Career Discounts
Featured Destinations
Select a destination for info and deals...
Destination Ports
Cruises sailing in each region...
- Transfer Your Booking To Us
- Book Shore Excursions
- Book Land Tours
- Save on Passport & Visa Services
-
![Arrow]()
View All Customer Service Resources
Saving Tools
- Access Reservation (web-made bookings only)
- Make a Payment
- Add Travel Insurance
- Pre-Cruise Registration
For Existing Reservations
- Land Vacation FAQs
- Cruise FAQs
- Cruise Port Directions
- Contact Us
Useful Links
Garden Route and Addo | 2026
-
Length
8 Days
-
Quality
This indicates the overall quality of the tour operator's products. A low rating does not mean it is not good - it just means that it does not include as much, or perhaps is of a more standard quality than the higher quality tours. For example, a 3 star quality rating means that it is a more standard/economical tour, while 5 stars is a very luxurious tour that often includes a lot of amenities. -
Starts in
Cape Town (South Africa)
-
Ends in
Cape Town (South Africa)
-
Available Tour Start Dates
MAY 4, 2026 to DEC 28, 2026
-
Activity Level
No Rating Provided
-
Language
English
-
Guaranteed Date(s)
Yes means that there is at least one tour date that the vendor guarantees will occur. No means that there is not at least one tour date that the vendor guarantees will occur, which usually means that the vendor wants a certain amount of reservations on each tour in order for each one to occur. Of course, the terms and conditions of the vendor do allow for the vendor to cancel guaranteed tour dates for certain reasons (for example, a natural disaster).Yes
-
Special Interest(s)
18-to-Thirtysomethings
Contiki tours are only available for 18- to 35-year olds.
From
Pricing listed is per person, based on double occupancy, and is the least expensive price for at least one departure date of this tour. Price is for the tour only. Additional items, including but not limited to, airfare (unless noted otherwise), travel insurance, and more, are additional.
$1,144.80
Overview
Ready for one of the world’s most epic road trips – where you flicker from wildlife to city life to beach life? You’ll gawp at the Cango Caves, sample the nightlife of Cape Town, and even encounter the Big 5 at some of Africa’s finest national parks. The Garden Route has everything, and you’ll experience it all on this unforgettable 7-day adventure, with a squad of fellow 18-35s.
Visited During Tour
Addo Elephant National Park (South Africa) | Cango Caves (South Africa) | Cape Town (South Africa) | Gqeberha / Port Elizabeth (South Africa) | Hermanus (South Africa) | Jeffreys Bay (South Africa) | Knysna (South Africa) | Oudtshoorn (South Africa) | Plettenberg Bay (South Africa) | Private Game Reserve (South Africa) | Stellenbosch (South Africa) | Stony Point Nature Reserve (South Africa) | Tsitsikamma National Park (South Africa)
Dates, Offers & Prices
Tour Itinerary
More Details
Dates, Offers & Prices
The following are Garden Route and Addo | 2026 tour dates available from Contiki. Select a bonus offer graphic to view its details, including its terms.
Tour Itinerary
Contiki Tour Code 556-2401
-
Day
1Cape Town to Oudtshoorn via Cango Caves
Hello Africa… and hello Cape Town. Ready to get going? It’s off to the Karoo desert via the famous ‘Route 62’. Today's scenic drive goes through mountain passes, vineyards and epic desert scenery along the way.An included guided tour of Africa's LARGEST show cave system. The Cango Caves are replete with cavernous halls, limestone formations, cave paintings and artefacts (which indicate they were in use throughout the Middle Ages)! How's that for a pitstop?Welcome to the Klein Karoo! We'll check into Oudtshoorn with our first adventure on offer. How good does a scenic bike ride (or drive down) the UNESCO Swartberg Mountain Pass, plus a Karoo braai dinner on a local farm sound? (So good!). And this evening, you can opt to do just that.
Accommodations: Riempie Estate (or similar) -
Day
2Oudtshoorn to Gqeberha via Addo Elephant National Park
Good morning! Let's continue heading East towards one of South Africa's most loved National Parks: Addo Elephant. (Anyone guess which animal this place is famous for?) That’s right, it’s elephant time. After lunch, we’ll set out in our comfy (and tall!) coach in search of Africa's largest land mammal here at the Addo National Park, home to over 600 of these tusk-tastic creatures. (Keep your eyes peeled for lions, buffalo, and antelope too though!) We'll retreat here for the night but fear not, more safari adventures await in the morning. Stuck for something to do this evening? Let us introduce you to the karaoke bar just around the corner. (Cue your fave Lion King jams.)
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Town Lodge Port Elizabeth (or similar) -
Day
3Gqeberha and Private Game Reserves
Today we’ll have a leisurely morning before heading off for two game drives on the Eastern Cape. That's three game drives in 36 hours, giving you the best chance of spotting the Big 5. Lucky you, right?The Eastern Cape’s game reserves are some of South Africa’s best spots for seeing the Big 5. Valleys, plains, rivers and much more await, so keep those eyes peeled.Tonight we’ll head back to the city where a free evening awaits. Karaoke round two? We won’t stop ya.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Town Lodge Port Elizabeth (or similar) -
Day
4Gqeberha to Knysna via Jeffreys Bay and Tsitsikamma National Park
Beach time. Desert? Tick. Caves? Tick. Safari? Tick. Now it’s time to make our way along the famous Garden Route to our next destination, Knysna – with a few sensational stop-offs on the way. Known as one of the best surf spots in the world, it’d be wrong not to start our day with some chill time on J-Bay… which is exactly what we’ll do. And of course, there's an optional surfing lesson for the wave-dodgers among us. Welcome to our next pitstop, known for the infinitely Instagramable Storms River Bridge – which we’ll take a picturesque hike to so you can get all the legendary snaps you need. Wanna up the adrenaline? You can choose to go kayaking up the mouth of Storms River. And then we pull into the beautiful coastal town of Knysna, ready to explore all the sights and activities the Garden Route is known for. (We've got two nights here too!)
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Knysna Quays (or similar) -
Day
5Knysna and Plettenberg Bay
Rise and shine, team. Today starts with an included breakfast, overlooking the Knysna lagoon, and then we’re off again once more. It’s ocean time! You can choose to join our marine safari and set out in search of whales, dolphins, seals and more spectacular sea life. Afterwards, we’ll spend the rest of the day relaxing on Plettenberg's main beach, catching those rays and helping ourselves to some splendid seafood. This evening, we’ll embark on an optional Township visit here in Knysna, where you’ll meet the locals and have the chance to make a positive impact for the children who live here. Afterwards, you'll have the option to cruise the Knysna lagoon & see the sunset onboard. And finally, we'll tuck into a group dinner by the water before finishing off with a night on the town (again, optional but unmissable!).
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Knysna Quays (or similar) -
Day
6Knysna to Cape Town via Hermanus
Make sure you call dibs on a window seat. As we drive back to Cape Town, you’ll watch the magnificence of the Garden Route unfold as we pass coastal towns, forests, gorges and some jaw-dropping ocean views.Marine mania… We’ll have lunch and a little free time here in the coastal town of Hermanus, which is one of the world’s best areas for spotting whales (between July and November at least) so have your binoculars at the ready. On our way back to Cape Town, we’ll stop off at Stony Point Nature Reserve - a protected home of African Penguins (yup, they got penguins here too!).The Reserve conserves one of the only two breeding colonies of African penguins on the mainland of Africa with boardwalks to view them go about their daily activities in their natural habitat. And here we are, back in the city where it all began. After checking in, you’ll have a free evening to enjoy the V&A Waterfront, followed by a walkabout dinner.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Waterfront Breakwater Lodge (or similar) -
Day
7Cape Town and Stellenbosch
Fine wine, all in good time. Today we’ll add a touch of class to proceedings with a trip to Stellenbosch – the Cape’s famous wine region. But before that, why not choose to hit the skies on an epic helicopter ride over the seas and peaks?After some free time to explore (and shop till you drop) we’ll set out to discover Stellenbosch’s awesome wine farms with an optional experience to sample the very finest of the Cape’s fine wines. We'll also stop at a local food market to find some lunch. Not into wine? No stress. You can still taste your way through the region with local meats, cheeses, spirits, teas and more - all proudly produced right here.Tonight in Cape Town, you can opt for a cooking class – complete with music, drinks, and the chance to sample the food you’ve cooked up too.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Waterfront Breakwater Lodge (or similar) -
Day
8Cape Town
It’s our final morning in the Mother City, and we got some exploring to do! We’ll take a cable car to the top of Table Mountain, go on a short guided city tour, and then we’ll have some time to explore the world-famous V&A Waterfront too – an ideal spot for shopping and dining. Our trip will end officially at around midday but fear not! The memories won’t fade, the friendships will last and hey, we got plenty more trips where that came from.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
More Details
Contiki is informing us of the following additional details regarding their Garden Route and Addo | 2026 tour:
Travelers Notes
* DAY 1: Trip starts in Cape Town at 07:00. Travellers to arrive into Cape Town International Airport (CPT). The kick-start meeting starts at 07:00. It is not recommended to book flights arriving on the first day of the trip. Pre night is recommended in Cape Town. * DAY 8: Trip ends in Cape Town at 12:00. Travellers to depart from Cape Town International Airport (CPT). It is not recommended to book flights prior to 15:00 on the last day of the trip. * TRANSFERS: Both complimentary and chargeable transfers are not offered through Contiki. Travellers should make their own way from/to the airport at their own expense. * SOUTH AFRICA: USA passport holders traveling to South Africa do not require a visa for tourism stays up to 90 days. However, please ensure that guests passport has at least 2 blank visa pages. Guests must be in possession of a return air ticket or onward ticket. * IMPORTANT: Please see important visa details sent with your invoice. * VACCINATION: Yellow Fever vaccination is recommended for trips visiting East Africa. Yellow Fever certificate not required unless travellers are arriving from or transiting through a country or region listed by the WHO as infected with Yellow Fever (e.g. Kenya). Recommend travellers check with doctor for immunizations and vaccinations prior to travel.* LUGGAGE: Luggage allowance is limited to 1 medium sized bag per traveller at maximum of 50lbs/23kg (ideally soft-sided suitcases without wheels) and 1 piece of hand luggage per traveller. Refer to trip documents for any exceptions.
Pricing listed above for tours is per person, in US Dollars, and is based on double occupancy. Pricing may change for other occupancy types. Pricing is based on the last time the vendor electronically sent us pricing data, which varies by vendor (usually occurs overnight or multiple times throughout each day).
Pricing and availability are subject to change and must be confirmed by one of our travel advisors, who can contact the vendor to do so. Intra-vacation air (also referred to as internal air) is usually based on economy class seating (do not assume otherwise, unless explicity noted otherwise) and may be 100% non-refundable at time of final payment. Air quotes (including intra-vacation airfare) may be subject to change until final payment has been received by the vendor. Flight confirmation may be based on availability. Air reservations may not be able to be confirmed until a passport copy is received by the vendor. The following charges are not included in the vacation price unless otherwise noted: airfare to and from the start of your vacation; airline baggage fees including checked and/or excess baggage fees; Federal inspection fees for the Federal U.S. Customs and Immigrations; International Air Transportation tax; agricultural tax; other per person taxes imposed by government entities; airport taxes and fees, including the September 11th Security fee, passenger facility charges, Federal domestic flight segment fees, and U.S. and international arrival and departure and other government-imposed fees added by the airline and applicable at time of booking; port taxes; passports; visas and vaccinations; tips to your Cruise Director, Local Host, driver, Local Guides, and/or ship's crew; gratuities on ferries, trains, and cruise ships; laundry; telephone; minibar; alcohol, beverages, and food outside of the contracted menu as presented at a hotel or restaurant or onboard your vessel (these extra items will be billed to you before leaving the hotel, ship, or restaurant); airport transfers on non-qualifying flights; optional excursions; additional activities and excursions purchased online; porterage at airports and train stations; Travel Protection; and all other items of a personal nature. Itinerary details are provided by the vendor. Vendors may reserve the right to change itineraries, even on existing reservations. There may be instances where the name of a tour contains a tour length in it, but where there is a version of the tour that is a different number of days in length. You can check the true length of a tour by referring to the length value listed in association with that tour. Destination images displayed on this web page, some which are supplied by the related vendor and some which are not, are intended to simply give a general representation of the region of the world being visited during the tour. Such images are not necessarily of the exact areas being visited during the tour. Hotel details (including, but not limited to: rating/class, descriptions, images, amenities and addresses) are provided by Contiki. Hotel amenities may be communicated in shorthand by Contiki (for example, if "Laundry" is listed that may only mean that the hotel has an optional fee-based service that would allow for your laundry to be done by their staff). We reserve the right to correct errors.