10 Day Cape Town, Garden Route & Safari COMBO Tour

This tour is a combination of free time in Cape Town, a group Garden Route tour, and a safari in the Eastern Cape. There are no formally planned tours included whilst in Cape Town; you may book group or private tours as optional activities, according to your preferences. Please chat to your Earthstompers consultant for advice before arrival. The Garden Route portion of this tour is a small group tour, with group sizes ranging from 4-12 people per vehicle. The safari portion of this tour is at a private game reserve, with 2 – 9 guests per open-air safari vehicle.

The group portion of this tour will conclude on Friday afternoon at approximately 12:30, after the game drive in Addo Elephant National Park. You say goodbye to your Earthstompers tour guide and the rest of the group, and we arrange a transfer to take you from Addo to your safari lodge. Depending on which lodge is chosen, the transfer time as between 45 minutes to 2 hours one way.

We offer the options of Kariega Main Lodge for a 4-star level safari, and Kariega Ukhozi Lodge for a 4-star superior safari. There are many more private game reserves in the area, such as Lalibela, Amakhala, Shamwari, and Kwandwe; please feel free to chat to your Earthstompers consultant about what might be the best fit for your travel style and budget, and we will be happy to customize the safari portion of the tour for you.

Ages can range from 18 to 65. We can accept guests as young as 14 on group tours, as long as they are traveling with a parent or legal guardian; and as old as 65, as long as they are fit and healthy enough to enjoy the tour. The average age on tour is 33.

All Earthstompers group tours are conducted in English. If you would like a tour conducted in a different language, please reach out to us about private tour options with specialist language guides.

This is an active tour. It is best suited towards those who like to be on the move, and can comfortably walk, carry luggage, get in and out of the vehicle frequently, etc.

This tour covers a significant distance, allowing you to experience more than 1000kms of the South African coastline! Driving times are generally between 3-5 hours per day, with stops for meals, attractions, restroom breaks, and coffees at the best local spots. While on safari, you will experience morning and afternoon game drives daily, each lasting approximately 2-3 hours, depending on the sightings and animals encountered. Please review the day-by-day itinerary for specific driving times each day.⁠

For the Garden Route portion, the vehicles that we will be touring in are fully air-conditioned and can comfortably seat 14 adults including driver/guide. The seats in our 14-seater vans are comparable in size to an airplane seat. All vehicles have valid operating licenses to convey paying customers.⁠ For the safari portion at the private game reserve, open-air game viewing vehicles will be used, each seating up to 9 guests.

Our group tours follow a set itinerary designed to include as many activities and locations as possible. We offer optional activities most days for those wishing to customize their experience. The overall itinerary is the same for each group tour; should you wish to customize your tour, or travel at a slower pace, we recommend looking at one of our private tour options, which offer complete flexibility.

We will arrange all accommodation along the way, at locations we have selected over the years for their cleanliness, unique setting, and atmosphere. Guests have a choice of backpackers’ lodges, in which mixed-gender dorm rooms (ranging in size from 2-12 beds) and private en suite rooms are available; or guest houses, in which all rooms are private en suite. Single, double, and twin rooms are available at both the backpackers and guest houses. All bedding and towels will be provided. Please note that heating and air conditioning is not standard in the backpackers or the guest houses (because it is generally not necessary in South Africa). Please ask for a fan or for extra blankets if you need them!

Backpackers have more of a social vibe, and are better for younger clients looking for a bit of atmosphere. They usually have a bar or bonfire area. Although backpackers offer a budget price, the standard of backpackers in South Africa is generally very high. Guest houses are a more private, quieter, luxurious experience. About 80% of our guests choose to stay in the backpackers and 20% in the guest houses.

Backpackers and guest house clients travel together in the same tour vehicle. Although we frequently utilize the same accommodation every week, we cannot guarantee that we will stay at a specific location each week, due to availability and group size.

The accommodation will provide all bedding and towels; please pack your own toiletries. A beach towel or a “quick-dry” towel is recommended, for on-the-go swims in the sea!

We are “foodies”, and good food is an important part of our tour. Breakfasts are included every day except Day 8, and typically include fruit, muesli, eggs, toast, yogurt, and cereals. Dinners are included on days 4-7, and are traditional South African meals, such as potjie (stew) and braai (barbeque). Please advise us of any special dietary requirements in advance. We are able to cater for vegetarian and vegan diets, but not strict gluten-free, lactose-free or halal diets. Lunch and drinks are on guests’ own account. Dinners for all clients, including those staying at the guest house, usually take place at the backpackers.

For the safari portion, all meals are included; and typically include both traditional South African meals, as well as international cuisine. Meal offerings vary by lodge, and will sometimes be a set menu, a buffet, or a-la-carte options. Do be sure to communicate any special dietary requests in advance, as the lodges are in remote areas that may need advance notice to accommodate special requests.

We will pick you up at Cape Town International Airport, to transfer you through to your accommodation on Day 1. On Day 4 (Monday), we will pick you up at your accommodation between 6:00 – 7:30 am in Cape Town to depart on the Garden Route portion of the tour. We will confirm the specific time of your pickup, as well as your guide’s details the weekend before your tour departs. 

We will arrange a transfer from the end of the Garden Route tour to your chosen safari lodge, in time for the afternoon game drive. When the safari at the private game reserve is complete, we will arrange a transfer to pick you up at your lodge and take you to Gqeberha. Timings of these transfers can be customized to your travel plans; please chat to your Earthstompers consultant to make arrangements.

Please wear clothes that you are comfortable in. This tour includes several hikes and walks, so comfortable shoes are essential. No special hiking boots are needed. A small backpack would be useful on the hike. A rain jacket is a good idea, as well as a sweater or jacket for the cool evenings by the sea. Bring a hat; the African sun can be intense! On safari, the open-air game viewer can be quite chilly in the early morning and at dusk, so please pack warm layers that you can add as needed.

We have space for each passenger to have one suitcase and one “carry-on”-sized piece of luggage – a laptop bag, backpack, or similar. Suitcase size is limited to the dimension of 67 cm (26 in) by 45 cm (18 in), and carry on is limited to the dimension of 48 cm (19 in) by 32 cm (13 in).

There are generally not porters or staff available to assist with luggage – your luggage should be of a size and weight you can comfortably manage yourself. Hard or soft suitcases are fine. If you have more or bigger luggage than this, please contact us in advance to make alternative arrangements, as our luggage trailers are specifically designed to fit one suitcase per person, not exceeding above dimensions.

This tour takes place in a malaria-free area, so no anti-malaria precautions are necessary. You are however advised to bring insect repellent during summer.

Tipping is entirely at your discretion and is not expected, though gratuities are a lovely way to say thank you, and are always appreciated. For group tours, gratuity amounts usually range between R75-R250 per guest per day.

Read more about tipping here.