Cape Town, Garden Route & Kruger Panorama

The ultimate first-time South Africa itinerary: Cape Town, Winelands, the Garden Route, and a flight to the northeast for a safari.

See South Africa's three most popular regions in one trip: four nights in Cape Town and the Winelands, four nights self-driving the Garden Route, and a flight to Johannesburg to connect to Kruger and the Panorama Route. Day 9 is mostly taken up by travel and transit. Addo and the Little Karoo are omitted to focus the safari experience on Kruger, keeping the itinerary classic. You will change rental cars twice, making this ideal for first-time visitors with a full vacation.

Cape Town has winter rains, while Kruger has summer rains. Spring and autumn are the best times for both; check road conditions for the Kruger section before departing.

Day by day

Day 1 · Arrive in Cape Town

Cape Town（Bo-Kaap、V&A Waterfront）

Take a taxi from the airport to the city center (approx. 30 mins), and spend the afternoon exploring Bo-Kaap and the V&A Waterfront on foot.

Stay: V&A Waterfront

Day 2 · Robben Island & Table Mountain

Cape Town（Robben Island、Table Mountain）

Take the morning ferry to Robben Island and back (approx. half a day), then take a taxi to the cableway station to ascend Table Mountain in the afternoon.

Both activities are weather-dependent, so keep your schedule flexible and book ferry tickets in advance.

Stay: V&A Waterfront

Day 3 · Cape Peninsula Loop

Cape Town（Chapman's Peak Lookout、Cape of Good Hope / Cape Point、Boulders Beach Penguin Colony、Kalk Bay）

Pick up your rental car for a full-day, 160 km loop around the peninsula, driving via Chapman's Peak Drive to the Cape of Good Hope, then returning north.

Stay: V&A Waterfront

Day 4 · Stellenbosch to Franschhoek

Stellenbosch & Franschhoek（Stellenbosch Winelands、Boschendal、Franschhoek）

Drive to Stellenbosch (approx. 50 mins), then head to Franschhoek via Helshoogte Pass in the afternoon (approx. 40 mins).

Do not drive between estates on wine tasting days; use the Franschhoek Wine Tram instead.

Stay: Franschhoek

Day 5 · Over the Pass to Hermanus

Stellenbosch & Franschhoek（Franschhoek Pass） → Hermanus & Gansbaai（Hemel-en-Aarde Valley、Hermanus Cliff Path）

Drive over the Franschhoek Pass via the R321 and R320 to Hermanus, taking about 2 hours.

From June to November, you can spot whales from the cliff paths along the coast.

Stay: Hermanus Old Town and Cliff Path

Day 6 · Long Drive to Wilderness

George & Oudtshoorn（Mossel Bay & Dias Museum Complex、Map of Africa Viewpoint）

Drive east along the N2 for about 370 km, stopping for lunch in Mossel Bay before arriving in Wilderness, taking about 4.5 hours.

Stay: Wilderness

Day 7 · Knysna Lagoon

Knysna & Plettenberg Bay（Sedgefield、Knysna Lagoon & The Heads、Knysna Waterfront (Waterfront Quays)）

It takes less than an hour from Wilderness to Knysna, where the lagoon, the Heads, and the Waterfront are all close by.

If time permits, add a lagoon cruise and finish before sunset.

Stay: Knysna Town and Waterfront

Day 8 · Robberg to Storms River

Knysna & Plettenberg Bay（Robberg Nature Reserve、Storms River Mouth, Tsitsikamma）

Hike at Robberg Nature Reserve in Plettenberg Bay in the morning, then drive east along the N2 to Storms River (approx. 1 hour) to visit the suspension bridge at the river mouth.

Stay: Storms River Village

Day 9 · Fly to the Northeastern Lowveld

Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) & Addo → Kruger National Park (South) & Panorama Route

Drive about 2 hours to Gqeberha to return your car, fly to Mpumalanga via Johannesburg, then pick up a new rental car and drive to Hazyview.

No sightseeing is planned for this travel day. Flight options are limited, so allow plenty of time for connections.

Stay: Hazyview

Day 10 · A Day on the Panorama Route

Kruger National Park (South) & Panorama Route（God's Window、Bourke's Luck Potholes、Blyde River Canyon）

Drive up the mountain from Hazyview to Graskop (approx. 1 hour), spend the day sightseeing along the R532, and return.

The weather is clearest in the morning. The mountains are prone to fog, which can be avoided by swapping activities to the afternoon.

Stay: Hazyview

Day 11 · Enter Southern Kruger

Kruger National Park (South) & Panorama Route（Southern Kruger / Skukuza、Lake Panic Bird Hide）

Drive from Hazyview to Paul Kruger Gate (approx. 1 hour), take a slow drive to Skukuza, and continue with an afternoon safari.

The southern region is a malaria area; consult a doctor in advance. Make sure to return to camp before the gates close.

Stay: Skukuza Camp

Day 12 · Full Day Safari in Kruger

Kruger National Park (South) & Panorama Route（Lower Sabie Rest Camp & Sunset Dam）

Go on an early morning game drive along the H4-1 to Lower Sabie and back, a round trip of about 90 km, taking about 5 hours under park speed limits.

Some secondary roads may not have reopened after the floods; check camp notices for current road conditions.

Stay: Skukuza Camp

Day 13 · Morning Safari & Fly to Johannesburg

Johannesburg（Constitution Hill）

After a morning safari, drive to Mpumalanga Airport to return your car and fly to Johannesburg (approx. 1 hour), or drive the entire way (approx. 5.5 hours).

Stay: Rosebank

Day 14 · Soweto & Departure

Johannesburg（Vilakazi Street & Mandela House、Apartheid Museum）

Hire a private driver to visit Soweto and the Apartheid Museum in the morning (approx. 5 hours), then head to the airport in the late afternoon (approx. 40 mins).

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