“A unique experience riding a BMW F850GS”
10 Day South Africa Adventure Guided Motorcycle Tour
Lalapanzi Lodge Hotel, Farm 3 Wedderwill Estate, Sir Lowry's Pass, 7133, South Africa
Guided Motorcycle Tour in South Africa
Join TwinTrail in this motorcycle tour. You will be covering the southwest of South Africa in 10 days. Enjoy riding a BMW F850GS through the paved and unpaved roads (Garden Route, Route 63, Cape of Good Hope, and more). The trip is designed for big trail bikes rented in Cape Town.
Key information
- Terrain: Mix of paved and unpaved roads
- Bike: Rental bike (BMW F850GS or similar)
- Mileage: 2100 kilometers / 1305 miles
- Daily rides: 100 - 335 kilometers / 62 - 208 miles
- Riding gear: Not included: helmet, motorcycle suit, gloves, protection, and hard motorcycle boots
- Meals: All breakfasts, lunches, and dinners
Meet the instructors
Isaac
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Highlights
- Starts and ends in Cape Town, South Africa
- Ride your motorcycle through the coast and southern South Africa
- Witness the stunning sceneries, slopes, and mountain passes
- Pass through some spectacular paved roads and discover the South Cape of Africa
- Ride along the most popular stretches of coastline in South Africa, the Garden Route
- 9 nights accommodation
Skill level
- Intermediate
9 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: Spanish
Group size: Maximum of 8 participants
Airport transfer included:
Cape Town International Airport
Accommodation
You will be accommodated at 4-star hotels in South Africa.
Program
Do you need offroad experience?
Some experience in off-asphalt driving is necessary, especially for the large maxi-trail motorcycles on the market. If you don't have experience, you need to participate first in a maxi-trail initiation course and they encourage you to make some trips off the asphalt in your comfort zone to get used to driving your motorcycle in the field.
If you have questions, call them and they will discuss your case.
They always have a guide in front and behind the group. At each crossing or detour, they regroup to be sure that no one is left behind, and between those points, each one can circulate at the pace they want.
There will be days that you will want to enjoy piloting more and others that you will prefer to relax and enjoy the landscape. Knowing that you will always have a guide behind the group and that at each intersection you will find your colleagues waiting, you can ride at the pace you feel most comfortable. In short: You are on the tour to enjoy!
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Cape Town
Arrival at Cape Town. The meeting point is the International Airport at night (flight not included). You will go all together to your first hotel, Lalapanzi Lodge Hotel in Somerset West (Cape Town).
Day 2: Cape Town, 223 kilometers / 138 miles (0% off-road)
Your rental motorbikes will be ready in the hotel. To start the trip, that day you will be riding the circular route leaving, and arriving at the same hotel so that you get used to driving in the left lane. You will ride on really nice roads around Cape Town, and visit Bantry Bay, 12 Apostles, Chapman's Peak, and Cape of Good Hope among others.
Day 3: Cape Town - Swellendam, 335 kilometers / 208 miles (20% off-road)
You start the day along the coast, enjoying the magnificent views provided by the Rooi-Els road and Clarence Drive, in Betty's Bay. You will have your first contact with the South African dirt tracks to reach Cape Agujas, the southernmost cape of the African continent, where you will make a stop to regain strength. You will continue until the end of the day near Swellendam, in the Aloe Ridge Breede, in an exceptional location.
Day 4: Swellendam - Oudtshoorn, 296 kilometers / 183 miles (30% off-road)
Early in the morning you start the route with a beautiful ascent through a paved mountain road to cross the Zuurberg Nature Reserve. You will descend again through Garcia's Pass, which crosses the nature reserve. After lunch, you will alternate between dirt tracks and roads on your way to Oudtshoorn. Always with magnificent views of the mountains of the Spioenkop Nature Reserve.
Day 5: Oudtshoorn - Knysna, 155 kilometers / 96 miles (30% off-road)
On this day, you will cover a large part of the famous Garden Route, and you will start with one of the oldest passes in South Africa, the Montagu Pass. Most of the route still preserves the original dirt track, crossing the majestic Outeniqua mountains, which run parallel to the coast, with peaks higher than 1,500 meters.
After lunch, you will go to the old route of Seven Passes Road. Spectacular 75 kilometers / 47 miles route that crosses 10 rivers and 7 gorges, until you reach your destination, the city of Knysna, where you can relax with beautiful ocean views.
Day 6: Knysna - Prince Albert, 245 kilometers / 152 miles (60% off-road)
On this day, you will enter the Garden Route National Park. You will climb Prince Alfred's Pass, which connects the city of Knysna with Uniondale. No less than 88 kilometers / 55 miles of track, crossing the same river 7 times as it meanders up the mountains. Once recover from this experience, you will begin the ascent towards the Great Karoo, a semi-desert region that will not leave you indifferent.
You will do it through a spectacular canyon that will take you to the gates of Kallstrom, and from there to your destination, the picturesque town of Prince Albert, founded in 1762, at the foot of the Swartberg Mountains.
Day 7: Prince Albert - Ladysmith, 250 kilometers / 155 miles (70% off-road)
You will start descending from the Great Karoo towards Little Karoo through the Swartberg Pass. For many South Africans, this pass contains a special mystique and charm. Undoubtedly the wonderful views and its more than 25 kilometers / 16 miles of winding track will not leave you indifferent. To end this incredible day, you will return to the well-known Route 62, cross the Seweweekspoort, and ride around the entire Towerkop Nature Reserve.
Day 8: Ladismith - Montagu, 220 kilometers / 136 miles (40% off-road)
You will descend and cross the Little Karoo in the direction of the coast. To get out of this rugged landscape and return to the vegetation, you will ride through the Gysmanshoek Pass. Without a doubt the pass that will test your off-road driving skills the most in exchange for enjoying a unique route. The day will end in Montagu.
Day 9: Montagu - Touws River, 100 kilometers / 62 miles (80% off-road)
This is going to be a very special day. You will cross a track until you reach the Aquila Safari Lodge. There you will enjoy a magnificent safari at noon and another at sunset, in their wild reserve of more than 10,000 hectares. Residence of several species of antelope, and also home to the 5 "big" of Africa (elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino, and leopard) that roam freely in the reserve. You will take advantage of this unique opportunity and enjoy its fauna and flora, in addition to the magnificent facilities that this incredible complex offers you.
Day 10: Touws River - Cape Town, 265 kilometers / 164 miles (10% off-road)
The trip is coming to an end, but before you return to Cape Town, you will enjoy a fantastic route, which will take you from the Little Karoo, towards the Atlantic coast. You will descend through the Bainskloof Pass, built for the first time in 1854, and you will finish with one of the essentials of South Africa, the spectacular Franschhoek Pass, where you can see its magnificent mountains surrounding vineyards.
Once you arrive in Cape Town, it will be time to return the motorcycles and go to the airport, to board the flight that will take you home.
Requirements to join
- Passport valid for at least 6 months
- A2 driving license and international license
- A minimum of off-road driving experience (contact TwinTrail if you need a course)
- Appropriate motorcycle equipment (helmet, suit, gloves, trail-type boots)
- A way to carry luggage for 9 days, waterproof bag or backpack
- Wanting to have a good time
Skill level(s) required for this tour: Intermediate
Intermediate:
- Can ride for 3-4 hours
- Average riding experience
- Little assistance required
- Comfortable with extreme curves and leans
- Average experience with unsurfaced roads
- Steep ascents and descents
Instructors
Isaac Feliu
Isaac has more than 10 years of expertise in guiding motorcycle groups, on and off road. He is a BMW Motorrad Official Off-road Instructor and the founder of TwinTrail Experience.
Location
This motorcycle tour starts and ends in Cape Town, South Africa. You will enjoy the capital as well as Swellendam, Oudtshoorn, Knysna, Prince Albert, Ladysmith, Montagu, and Touws River.
Food
Local food is served during this tour. Alcoholic drinks are not included.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
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
- 9 days of riding
- 1 tour guide at the front
- 1 tour guide behind the group in a support vehicle
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Non-alcoholic drinks
- Motorcycle rental with gasoline (BMW F850GS or similar)
- Medical and cancellation insurance
- Welcome pack
- 9 nights accommodation
What's not included
- Roundtrip flight to Cape Town (although they can help you arrange that)
- Tolls
- Alcoholic drinks
- Anything not mentioned in the "What's included" section
How to get there
Recommended Airports
CPT
Cape Town International Airport
33 km
Transfer included
Arrival by airplane
Please arrange your flight to arrive at Cape Town International Airport (CPT). The best option is to take the flight to Cape Town on the same Thursday as the start of the route, which departs early in the morning and arrives that same night. If you choose this option, at the airport there will be a minibus that will take you to the hotel.
If you decide to fly earlier and enjoy a few days in Cape Town, you will have to coordinate with TwinTrail for your arrival at the Lalapanzi Lodge Hotel, in Somerset West, Cape Town. Contact TwinTrail if you have any questions, or to find the best way to coordinate.
The South Africa tour officially starts in Cape Town, so you will have to get there and back by plane. The flights are not included in the price, but if you don't know how to manage the flight reservation, or don't want to, TwinTrail can do it for you. All you have to do is contact TwinTrail and they will find the best option and flight combination for you.
The cost of a round trip flight with 23 kg checked luggage is around 1,000 EUR, but as often happens, the price tends to rise as the date approaches, so it is important to book as far in advance as possible.
You can ask TwinTrail without any obligation!
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 40% 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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