12 days - Cape Town, the Garden Route and Linyanti
Twelve days from Cape Town along the Garden Route to Stellenbosch, then a flight to Maun and a charter to the Linyanti Channel in Botswana for three nights of game drives and mokoro safaris.
The journey
Whales are in the bay at Hermanus and Linyanti is dry with game concentrated along the channel. The Cape is cold with rain, so pack warm layers.
Cape Town, Hermanus, the Garden Route to Knysna, and Stellenbosch, with whale watching in season and a Garden Route drive.
Upon your arrival at Cape Town Airport, our guide will be there to warmly welcome you. They will assist with any questions or concerns you may have and ensure a smooth transfer to your hotel, setting the perfect tone for the start of your holiday.
After breakfast, we will pick you up from your hotel for a privately guided half-day city tour of Cape Town. Be captivated by the multiethnic character and rich history of the Mother City.
Today’s highlights include:
After breakfast, we’ll set out for a full day exploring the stunning Cape Peninsula. Your day will be filled with isolated beaches, unspoiled landscapes, quaint villages, and the unique wildlife that makes this region so popular.
We’ll start the day with the idyllic beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay before heading to the bustling fishing town of Hout Bay. Here, you’ll take a boat trip to Seal Island, where you can spend some time observing the playful seals that lend the island its name.
Next, we’ll visit Cape Point to see firsthand where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. Then, we’ll head to the highlight of the day: the penguin colony in Simon’s Town. These adorable penguins call nearby Boulders Beach home, and you’ll have the chance to see them up close.
We’ll return to Cape Town in time for dinner.
Your journey will begin immediately after breakfast as you travel to Hermanus, a coastal town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, renowned for its excellent whale-watching opportunities. It is considered one of the best land-based whale-watching destinations in the world.
During whale season, you can observe these majestic creatures from both the coast and a boat. We’ve arranged the second option for you to ensure the best possible view of these giants.
After breakfast, you’ll continue your journey to Knysna. Keep your camera handy, as you’ll be driving along one of the most beautiful roads in the world – the Garden Route.
You’ll arrive in Knysna by late afternoon, where you can check into your hotel and rest after the scenic drive.
Breakfast. Combine adventure and relaxation in Knysna, a picturesque town along the Garden Route. Surrounded by magnificent coastal forests and an extensive lagoon, Knysna boasts its most famous landmark, the Knysna Heads. While the Heads provide a treacherous channel into the ocean, the lagoon is peaceful and ideal for boat cruises and water sports. The Featherbed Nature Reserve lies on the southern Head, and the beautiful Garden Route National Park is just a short drive away.
Discover the magnificent beaches of Plettenberg Bay, the Garden Route’s "fashionable" seaside resort. Originally named Bahia Formosa (Beautiful Bay) by early Portuguese explorers, Plettenberg Bay offers visitors miles of unspoiled golden beaches, a dramatic rocky peninsula, intriguing lagoons and estuaries, towering indigenous forests, and pristine rivers and seas. With its exceptional climate and stunning views over the Indian Ocean, Plettenberg Bay is perfect for those looking to explore, observe, or simply relax.
You spend the next two nights in Stellenbosch, renowned for its historic charm, scenic beauty and prestigious wines. Visit some of the town’s lovely spots or wineries, with recommendations from your guide.
Today, you can explore Stellenbosch at your own pace, visit its sights, and capture many vivid photos as memories of this incredible journey.
The Linyanti Channel, reached by flight from Cape Town to Maun and a charter on, with game drives, walking safaris and mokoro trips.
Transfer to Cape Town airport for your flight to Maun, then a charter flight on to the Linyanti Channel in Botswana, where you stay at African Bush Camp Linyanti Ebony.
Even the most discerning travellers are drawn to the Linyanti Channel, fast becoming one of Botswana’s most sought-after wildlife areas. It lies between the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park, with a rich and varied ecosystem fed by a permanent river.
A full day at Linyanti. Activities follow the camp’s schedule and include game drives, walking safaris, birdwatching and mokoro safaris when water levels permit.
A second full day at Linyanti, with the camp’s choice of game drives, walking safaris, birdwatching and, water levels permitting, mokoro trips.
A charter flight returns you to Maun, followed by a scheduled flight home.
End of services.
The detail
Twelve days that pair Cape Town and the Western Cape with a safari in Botswana. You begin in the city with a private tour and the cableway up Table Mountain, then drive the Cape Peninsula to Cape Point and the penguins at Boulders Beach. From there the road leads to Hermanus for whale watching in season, along the Garden Route to Knysna, and into the winelands at Stellenbosch.
A charter flight then takes you to the Linyanti Channel in Botswana for three nights of game drives, walking safaris and, when water levels allow, mokoro trips.
Good to know
Photographs from the route, not stock library scenery.
Work down the list. Each step depends on the one above it.
The practical detail that decides whether a trip runs smoothly.
The cableway runs only when the weather allows, so the city tour is arranged with a little flexibility. Wind, not rain, is the usual reason for a closure.
The boat trip on day 4 is arranged for the best view of the whales. Southern right whales are normally in the bay from about June to November, with the strongest sightings from August to October.
Day 5 follows one of South Africa’s most scenic drives. Keep a camera to hand, and expect to arrive in Knysna by late afternoon.
Mokoro safaris at Linyanti run only when water levels permit. The camp’s guides plan each day around game drives, walking safaris and birdwatching as well.
In the dry winter months, early game drives are cold, even though afternoons are warm. Bring a warm jacket, a beanie and gloves for dawn drives.
Guides, drivers and camp staff are customarily thanked with a tip. Your final documents give a guide to amounts.
Plan this journey
Every journey is planned around your dates and your party. Tell us who is travelling and when, and a specialist will come back with a tailored itinerary and a quote. Payment is by invoice.
