Garden Route National Park

The Garden Route has a temperate, year-round climate with mild summers and cool winters, and temperatures on the coast rarely drop below 10°C or exceed 30°C. There is no fixed dry season, and rain falls throughout the year, with a slight peak between June and August that coincides with the arrival of migrating whales. Spring, from September, brings a burst of fynbos flowers across the region.

Garden Route National Park is an amalgamation of three former national parks: Tsitsikamma National Park, Wilderness National Park and Knysna National Park. These were combined into a single management area covering mountain catchments, indigenous forests, fynbos, lakes and coastline, unifying conservation efforts across the region.

The Garden Route National Park stretches roughly 200km of coastline, from Mossel Bay in the west to Storms River in the east. Oudtshoorn marks the park's approximate northern boundary, where fynbos gives way to the drier scrub of the Little Karoo.

The Otter Trail is a five-day, 45km hiking trail that begins at Storms River Mouth Rest Camp and ends at Nature's Valley in the de Vasselot section. It follows the Tsitsikamma coastline past cliffs rising to 200 metres, with six escape routes and forest huts along the way. The minimum age is 12 and the maximum is 65, reflecting its physical demands.

The Dolphin Trail is a two-day, guided luxury hiking experience covering 17km along the Tsitsikamma coast, starting at Storms River Mouth and ending at Forest Ferns on the Sanddrift River. It includes portaged luggage, meals, guides and overnight stays at upmarket lodges, with opportunities to spot whales, dolphins and otters along the way.

Whale migration coincides with the winter rainfall peak between June and August, and both the Otter and Dolphin Trails offer opportunities to spot whales, dolphins and otters from the Tsitsikamma coastline during a hike.

The park is home to 77 recorded mammal species and 300 bird species. Mammals include bushbuck, leopard, caracal, klipspringer and southern right whale along the coast, while birds include Knysna turaco, African fish eagle, Narina trogon and the threatened African black oystercatcher.

The park protects numerous heritage sites, including San rock art near Keurbooms and in the Goudveld forest, ancient middens and caves near Storms River Mouth and Harkerville, the historic Spoortjie railway line near Diepwalle, and the Voortrekker Monument in Wilderness, which commemorates the 19th-century Great Trek.

Several yellowwood trees in the park's forests are around 800 years old, including the Woodville Big Tree and the "King Edward VII" tree, a 39-metre giant that escaped historic over-harvesting and now stands as an ecological and educational landmark.

Beyond hiking trails, the park offers birding, beach access, scuba diving and snorkelling, fishing, mountain biking, 4x4 trails, hang and paragliding, water sports, guided forest excursions and the Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour through the forest canopy.

Wilderness, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Storms River all serve as convenient bases, each offering a different landscape and pace, from Wilderness's lakes and lagoons to Knysna's forest and lagoon setting and Storms River's dramatic coastal cliffs.

Yes, the Garden Route lies in a malaria-free region of South Africa, making it a straightforward and low-risk destination for families and travellers who prefer to avoid antimalarial precautions.

Yes. Choosing lodges and operators that support local community initiatives and adhere to sustainable environmental practices, such as limited vehicle numbers, helps protect the ecosystems that make the Garden Route so distinctive, ensuring tourism benefits both nature and nearby communities.

Our safaris typically cost from US$700 per person, per night, depending on the accommodation comfort level, time of year and activities. This price usually includes accommodation, all meals, game drives, experienced guides, airport transfers, and 24/7 support from our team.