“Get all the best riding and wildlife sightings”
15 Day Guided Motorcycle Tour of Cape Town and the Garden Route in South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa
Motorcycle Tour in South Africa
This round trip from Cape Town to Cape Town is an exciting tour that takes place on the best tar and dirt roads of South Africa’s Famous Garden Route, Winelands, Cederberg, and more.
Key information
- Terrain: 80 - 90% tar, 10 - 20% gravel
- Bike: rental bike (BMW models)
- Mileage: 2,575 kilometers / 1,600 miles
- Daily rides: 200 - 400 km (average of 250) / 124 - 249 miles (average of 155)
- Meals: 14 breakfast, 11 lunches, and 13 dinners
Highlights
- Starts and ends in Cape Town
- The most amazing motorcycle adventure you have ever had
- 2 safaris in Garden Route Game Park
- 1 safari in Addo Elephant Park
- Cango Caves tour
- Ostrich Farm
- 14 nights accommodation
- Airport transfer
Skill level
- Beginner
14 days with instruction
Airport transfer included:
Cape Town International Airport
Accommodation
This tour includes 3-4 star accommodation. Every night you will have your own private room with an ensuite bathroom. You can choose to share with your partner or another rider on the tour. Otherwise, you can select the “single room” option to get your own room throughout the tour.
All accommodation has been handpicked by Sama Tours - they only use high-standard accommodation in good locations. They love African lodges, boutique hotels and BnBs, or places that have a good atmosphere, exceptional staff, and all the modern amenities.
Examples of hotels on the tour:
President Hotel, Cape Town
This is a beautiful fresh and sunny hotel with incredible ocean views. It has a great central location in Sea Point, walking distance from the promenade and a quick taxi ride to the VA Waterfront. The Hop on Hop off Cape Town City Sightseeing bus leaves from just across the road.
Storms River Mouth Rest Camp
Here you stay in beautiful well-appointed chalets or wooden cabins, each featuring amazing sea views. Take a walk down to the suspension bridges between the sea cliffs and enjoy a delicious meal at the oceanside restaurant. This is a national park so you will be surrounded by wildlife including monkeys, Dassies, and small antelope.
Zuurberg Mountain Village
Zuurberg Mountain Village is a 160 year old haven of historical delight situated high up on the Zuurberg Pass in malaria-free Addo. An exclusive mountain top hotel, set in 160 hectares of indigenous vegetation with breath-taking views of the famous Addo Elephant National Park
Please note that the above hotels are the first choices, but they don’t always get availability on the dates they need. In this case, they source hotels next door or nearby that are of the same high standard and quality or better.
Program
Quick itinerary
- Day 1: Arrive in Cape Town - bonus night
- Day 2: Day tour of Cape Town and Cape Point
- Day 3: Cape Town to Cape Agulhas
- Day 4: Cape Agulhas to Garden Route Game Lodge with safari
- Day 5: Garden Route Game Lodge - Knysna - Storms River Mouth
- Day 6: Storms River to Addo Elephant Park
- Day 7: Addo rest day and Big 5 safari
- Day 8: Addo to Oudtshoorn
- Day 9: Oudtshoorn rest day and optional ride Swartberg Pass
- Day 10: Oudtshoorn - Route 62 - Montagu
- Day 11: Montagu to Cape Winelands
- Day 12: Rest day Cape Winelands
- Day 13: Frasnchoek - Bainskloof Pass - Cederberg
- Day 14: Cederberg to Cape Town
- Day 15: End of tour
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in South Africa (+-50 km / 31 mi)
- Highlights: Explore Cape Town
Welcome to South Africa. You will be transferred from the airport to your hotel located within walking distance of the VA Waterfront with spectacular views of Table Mountain. There is so much to see and do in Cape Town. Take a hop on hop off bus tour, visit Robben Island where Nelson Mandla was imprisoned for 26 years, or take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain.
Day 2: Cape Town - Cape Point - Cape Town (+- 180 km / 112 mi)
- Highlights: Cape Point, Simon's Town, Cape Town day tour
This morning you have a hand over of the motorcycles, do all the paperwork, and have a pre-tour briefing. You then enjoy a guided day tour of Cape Town and Cape Point taking in the Bokaap, Signal Hill, Cape Point, and Simon's Town while enjoying riding the beautiful coastal roads that Cape Town is famous for. Tonight you have the official welcome dinner and enjoy getting to know each other over a delicious meal
- Breakfast and dinner
Day 3: Cape Town to Cape Agulhas (+- 360 km / 224 mi)
- Highlights: The southern most tip of Africa
Today you make your way along beautiful coastal roads through the Cape Overberg. You stop off to see the penguin colony living on the beach in Betty's Bay, try to spot some whales in Hermanus, and then make your way to Cape Agulhas - the southernmost tip of Africa. Situated at 34.8 degrees south and 20 degrees east - this is also the point where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. Tonight you dine at a famous local restaurant - with world-class fresh seafood
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 4: Cape Agulhas to Garden Route Game Lodge (+-230 km / 143 mi)
- Highlights: Malgas Ferry, Big 5 safari
From the southern tip of Africa, you explore some good hardpacked gravel roads as you make your way to the historical Malgas River Ferry where you cross the scenic Breede River on a flat base pontoon. Next up you ride to the Garden Route National Park where you check in and enjoy a late afternoon Big 5 safari, looking out for elephant, lion, zebra, and more.
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 5: Garden Route Game Lodge - Knysna - Storms River
- Highlights: Safari, Knysna Heads, Storms River Mouth
Your morning starts bright and early with another Big 5 safari. On return to the lodge, you enjoy a leisurely breakfast before you start your ride. You take the famous 7 Passes road (weather dependent) to Knysna to see the Knynsa Heads and the Knysna Lagoon. Next up you visit the Bloukrans Bungee Jump (the highest bungee in the world) before continuing your journey to Storms River Mouth where you spend the night in ocean view chalets and walk the famous suspension bridges.
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 6: Storms River Mouth to Addo Elephant Park
- Highlights: Addo Elephant Park
You have another leisurely morning planned to enjoy this beautiful ocean park. This morning, there is an optional speed boat ride or kayak up the Storms River Gorge. At around 11:00 a.m. you will start your ride to Addo Elephant Park. You will stop in the Surfing Mecca of J-Bay for lunch overlooking the perfect surf break and arrive in Addo in the late afternoon - your home for the next two nights.
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 7: Rest day Addo Elephant Park
- Highlights: Big 5 safari and bush braai (BBQ)
Today is all about wildlife. You hop into specialized wildlife viewing vehicles and spend a full day on safari in Addo Elephant Park. Addo is famous for its large herds of elephants and other exciting wildlife. For lunch the local guides will braai (bbq) for you in the bush, South African style and you will return back to your lodge in the late afternoon.
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 8: Addo to Oudtshoorn
- Highlights: Ostriches, Meiringspoort Waterfall and Pass
You are officially halfway through the tour and it’s time to start heading west again back to Cape Town. You make your way through the back roads of the western cape to Oudtshoorn - the ostrich capital of South Africa. Along the way, you enjoy a visit (and optional swim) in the Meirinspoort Waterfall. An ostrich farm in the Karoo will be your home for the next 2 nights.
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 9: Oudtshoorn rest day and optional ride 0 - 100 km (0 - 100 km / 62 mi)
- Highlights: Ostriches, Cango Caves and Swartberg Pass
Today is a rest day but there is so much to see and do. There will be an optional ride to Cango Ostrich Farm and Cango Caves. This will be followed by a ride up and over the famous Swartberg Pass with its steep turns and breathtaking scenery. You will have lunch in Prince Albert and then return to Oudtshoorn in the early afternoon. Tonight there is an ostrich braai (bbq) to experience some of the local culture and hospitality.
- Breakfast and dinner
Day 10: Oudtshoorn to Montagu via Route 62
- Highlights: Quirky Route 62
Today you ride the world-famous Route 62 - this is South Africa’s answer to Route 66 in the USA, a small forgotten highway that travels through the Karoo Desert with lots of quirky stops along the way like Ronnies Sex Shop and the Karoo Moon Motel. You will enjoy some gravel and tar mountain passes and arrive at your country hotel in the late afternoon.
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 11: Montagu to Frasnchoek in the Cape Winelands
- Highlights: Mountains, vineyards, wine and culinary delights
Are you in Africa or in Europe? This is the question you ask yourselves as you ride today. Leaving Route 62 behind you enjoy riding some tar and gravel mountain passes that are famous in this region. You enjoy a leisurely lunch in the historical town of Greyton and then ride over the Franschhoek pass. Tonight you sleep in the center of town, surrouded by vineyards and mountain peaks.
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 12: Rest day Frasnchoek in the Cape Winelands
- Highlights: Mountains, vineyards, wine and culinary delights
You enjoy a well-earned rest day in the Franschhoek. There is an option today to get on the hop on hop off wine tram to visit several wine farms in the area. Don’t like wine? Not to worry! There is also cheese tasting, biltong tasting, chocolate tasting, and all sorts of culinary delights. They know in every group there are a bunch of guys who just want to ride, so if that is you, there will be an optional ride today to enjoy some more of the epic roads in the area. For the ladies - why not enjoy a spa treatment or some shopping? The options are endless.
- Breakfast and dinner
Day 12: Franchoek to Cederberg
- Highlights: Cederberg Wilderness
Today is a real highlight of the tour as you travel by good hard-packed gravel roads into the Cederberg Mountains. En route, you will visit the famous Tankwa Padstal for lunch and then continue on to your remote lodge for the night where you will enjoy dinner under the stars and share stories around a roaring fire. Remember to look up as this area is famous for its beautiful stargazing.
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 14: Cederberg to Cape Town
- Highlights: More great riding
Today you enjoy more great riding through the Cederberg up high over the Algeria Pass and the Pakhuis Pass. You stop in to see some ancient rock formations and san rock art and then enjoy a hearty lunch in Clanwilliam before riding back into Cape Town. Tonight you go out to celebrate the end of an amazing 2-week tour at one of Cape Town’s best restaurants.
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 15: End of tour
Sadly, your tour of South Africa has come to an end. They guarantee that you will take home loads of awesome photographs and fond memories of Southern Africa and the warm people you have met. Transfers will be arranged to the airport.
Cape Town is such a beautiful city and is really worth staying for a few extra nights after the tour - there is so much to see and do including cable car rides up Table Mountain, Robben Island trips to see where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 26 years, and wine tasting tours to sample the famous South African wines.
You may wish to extend your time in Southern Africa with an add on tour - enquire for add ons.
Motorcycles
BMW F750GS
The F 750 GS is easy to handle and masters even rough terrain admirably.
- 853cc, 57 kW (77 hp) at 7,500 rpm
- Seat height: 815 mm
- Low version: 760 mm
- Low seat: 790 mm
- Comes with: ABS | ESA| rider modes | cruise control
BMW F850GS
The F 850 GS is ready for everything that may come its way. In particular on alternating terrain, it offers you safety and comfort with a variety of features – and plenty of riding enjoyment.
- 853cc, 70 kW (95 hp) at 8,250 rpm
- Seat height: 860 mm
- Low version: 805 mm
- Low seat: 835 mm
- Comes with: ABS | ESA| rider modes | cruise control
BMW R1250GS
Fast curve changes, gravel shooting up, endless tours: With the R 1250 GS, you decide what your adventure will look like. Its continuously optimised technology and extensive equipment will take you safely, dynamically and comfortably over any route.
- 1254cc, 100 kW (136 HP) at 7,750 rpm
- Seat height: 850 / 870 mm
- Low version: 800 / 820 mm
- Low seat: 820 / 840 mm
- Comes with: ABS | ESA| rider modes | cruise control
BMW R1250GS ADV
The R 1250 GS Adventure is at home in the world. No destination is too far for it, no underground is alien to it. On the road, off-road and back again. Even if you don’t know what terrain to expect along the way, you can rely on your bike down to the smallest detail. With the R 1250 GS Adventure, you can now enjoy long distances even more intensely. Comfortably and safely. Always ready for a few extra miles – and miles with that little extra.
- 1254cc,100 kW (136 HP) at 7,750 rpm
- Seat height: 890 / 910 mm
- Comes with: ABS | ESA| rider modes | cruise control
Skill level(s)
Beginner:
- can ride for 2-3 hours
- minimal riding experience
- assistance required
- comfortable with curves and leans
- basic experience with unsurfaced roads
- short distance ascents and descents
This tour is suitable for Riders who have experience touring on two wheels. 80% of this tour takes places on good tarmac roads, 20% takes place on good hardpacked gravel roads. If you are not comfortable on the gravel, they can plan alternate tar routes for you. They recommend being bike-fit, however rest days are scheduled regularly.
Location
Starting in Cape Town, you tour the Cape Point Peninsula, visit the Navy village of Simons Town, and ride the epic coastal roads around the mother city with Table Mountain as your back drop
Next up you journey to Cape Agulhas, the Southernmost tip of Africa, and then visit the Garden Route Game Lodge where you enjoy 2 Big 5 safaris and stay in luxurious glamping suites.
You meet up again with the Indian Ocean at Knysna, where you marvel at the Knysna heads and then spend the night in the Garden Route National Park where you visit the famous suspension bridges located between the sea cliffs
You then spend 2 magical nights at Addo Elephant Park going on safari to see the majestic wild elephants and other members of the Big 5 in their natural habitat
From here you ride gravel and/or tar mountain passes that this area is famous for as you make your way to Oudtshoorn the ostrich capital of South Africa. You then ride the quirky Route 62 through the Karoo desert and spend a night in the breathtaking Cape Winelands surrounded by vineyards and mountains.
Next up you ride beautiful hardpacked gravel roads into the Wilderness Area of Cederberg where the stargazing is phenomenal and the landscape is breathtaking.
On your last day in the saddle, you check out some rock paintings and interesting rock formations before riding back to Cape Town where the tour ends on day 15.
What a ride!
Food
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What's included
- 14 days motorcycle rental
- 14 night 3 - 4 star accommodation
- Petrol and toll fees
- Tour guide on motorcycle
- Back up vehicle
- 14 breakfast, 11 lunches and 13 dinners
- 2 safaris in Garden Route Game Park
- 1 safari in Addo Elephant Park
- Cango Caves tour
- Ostrich Farm
- Entrance Tsitsikamma National Park
- Entrance to Cape Point Nature Reserve
- T-shirt
- Guide book
- Map of South Africa
- Free transfers from Cape Town International Airport
- Motorcycle transport back from Cape Town
- The most amazing motorcycle adventure you have ever had!
- All taxes
What's not included
- Domestic and international flights
- Items of a personal nature
- All items not mentioned in “What's included”
- All meals and drinks other than those specified in “What's included”
- All entrance fees other than those specified in “What's included”
How to get there
Recommended Airports
CPT
Cape Town International Airport
16 km
Transfer included
Airport: Cape Town International Airport
Airport transfer included: Cape Town International Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.
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