Experience the best of the Southern Cape!
| Duration: | 4 weeks |
| Cost: | 2400 EUR per person |
| Minimum Age: | 18 years |
The Southern Cape Explorer is a guided tour specifically created for Gap Year travel and young adults in the ages of 16 – 25 years old. This private tour will take you on a 4-week adventure along the Southern coast of South Africa from the city of Cape Town along the Garden Route to our end destination Port Elizabeth with many adventures, volunteering at local organizations and amazing places to experience.
Day 1: Arrival in Cape Town
We will welcome you at the airport or meet you at the accommodation around 15h00. Our first evening is spent getting to know the group, introductions and what we can expect.
Day 2: Cape Town
Exploring Cape Town On our first day in Cape Town we will discover the bustling city center by checking out some historic areas and visiting a few markets. We will also explore the colourful neighborhood of the Bokaap, Company Gardens, the Waterfront & Green Market Square. There will be so many smells and tastes you want to explore and lunch is at your own expense on this day, so try something new or enjoy one of the many restaurants and fast food options around.
Lionshead Hike This short but steep trail is very popular for both locals and tourists for sunsets as it winds around Lionshead next to Table Mountain and offers amazing views in all directions over the City Bowl, Seapoint, Robben Island and Camps Bay with the 12 Apostles Mountain peaks. We won’t be alone going up as many others will have the same great idea so we take it slow and easy.
Day 3: Cape Town
Cape Peninsula Tour The full day drive along the Cape Peninsula is arguably one of the most scenic in South Africa with amazing views winding along the Atlantic Ocean and several spots to stop and explore, such as the fancy beaches of Camps Bay, the winding road of Chapmans Peak Drive, Houtbay harbour, Kalk Bay with lots of quirky little shops, Simons Town to view the African Penguins and the surf beach of Muizenberg.
Day 4: Driving Day
On day 4 we head East and drive to Wilderness; this will take most of the day. Once settled, we will visit the beach.
Day 5: Wilderness
We explore the water ways of the Touws River for half the day. The afternoon is free time to relax.
Day 6: Natures Valley
Day 6 is spent travelling from Wilderness to Natures Valley. After the our short road trip, we take hike to the Secret Beach.
Day 7: Activities
Day 7 is a day for activities and fun! There is so much to choose from, we have listed our favorites for you in the Optional Activities section.
Day 8: Animal Sanctuaries
On day 8 we visit two of the animal sanctuaries listed below:
Day 9: Port Elizabeth (new name: Gqeberha)
Today we head to Port Elizabeth and along the way have a few optional activities to stop at:
Day 10: Port Elizabeth
Day 10 is introductions, welcoming and a tour of the city.
Day 11 – 14: Volunteering
4 Days of volunteering at one of the non profit organizations in Port Elizabeth. This would either be Izizwe Projects or Missionvale Care Centre.
Day 15: Addo Elephant National Park
Today we take a full day to explore the Addo Elephant National Park. It is the third-largest national park in South Africa, is home to the famous Big Five, which are the Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Buffalo and Leopard. A day of slowly driving through the park with a picnic stop will hopefully show us some of the many elephants, zebras, and a variety of other animals such as different Antelope, Hyenas, Jackals and so much more
Day 16 : Explore
This is a day to explore the city. Optional activity for the day is a Whale & Dophin Safari with our friends at Raggy Charters.
Day 17-21: Volunteering
5 Days of volunteering at one of the non profit organizations in Port Elizabeth. This would either be Izizwe Projects or Missionvale Care Centre.
Day 22: Jeffreys Bay
We head to Jeffreys Bay (J-Bay) for a night to receive some surf lessons and a visit at Jan Se Gat (rock jumping).
Day 23: Jeffreys Bay
We receive more surf lessons and drive back to Port Elizabeth
Day 24 – 27
4 Days of volunteering at one of the non profit organizations in Port Elizabeth. This would either be Izizwe Projects or Missionvale Care Centre.
Day 28: Departure or Stay Longer
Day 28 is departure day or you can chose one of options to extend your stay.
Accommodation:
The standard tour price includes shared rooms with shared bathroom facilities. If you would like to upgrade to our Luxury or VIP packages, please check out the Cost section.
| Cape Town | Wunderlux or similar |
| Wilderness | Fairy Knowe Backpackers or similar |
| Natures Valley | Firefly Falls or similar |
| Port Elizabeth | Volunteer House |
| Jeffreys Bay | Ubuntu Surf Lodge or similar. |
Meals
Eating well is very important with all these adventures, and we will serve you a wide variety of meals and cater as much as possible for international standards, but please take into consideration that we have different eating habits here in SA and that meals may be different from what you may normally eat. This is also part of the adventure!
We cater for all dietary requirements as well as vegetarians & vegans but please inform us before arriving to prepare accordingly.
Breakfast
This is a variety of choices of bread, fruits, yoghurt, cereals and/or eggs.
Lunch
These are either ‘picnic style’ meals which we eat while on the road or on outings or you make your own lunch to pack with fruit, a snack and sandwiches with cheese, jams, cold meat or other spreads to take with you on volunteering days.
Dinners
A variety of hearty homely, cooked meals such as pastas, soups, stews, pies and oven dishes and of course the famous South African braai (BBQ) on various occasions.
Drinks
There is free instant coffee, tea and safe drinking water available at any time. All other drinks such as sodas or alcoholic drinks are at your own expense.
Please note that helping to prepare meals, setting the table and cleaning up is a shared effort and all participants will be included in taking turns to make this an enjoyable shared responsibility.
Cost
Please note that the standard price offers shared rooms with shared bathroom facilities.
The Standard price is 2400 EUR per person
You may however choose to upgrade to the Luxury package to share with only 1 other person (double or twin room) for only 270 EUR per person extra. This option is ideal for friends or couples who prefer to have their own room. Bathroom facilities may at some places still be shared.
Or if you want some more privacy; you can upgrade to the VIP package for a single room with ensuite private bathroom for only 620 EUR per person extra.
Included in the fees:
- Accommodation in shared rooms
- Three meals per day (exceptions: Day 2 Lunch & Day 3 Dinner)
- Drinking water to fill your own reusable drinking bottle
- Airport pickup in Cape Town
- Airport drop off in Port Elizabeth
- All transport related to the itinerary
- Kayaking trip in Wilderness
- Black water tubing in Natures Valley
- Entrance to 2 animal sanctuaries in Plettenberg Bay
- A 1 night, 2 day weekend trip to Jeffreys Bay including 2 surf lessons and rock jumping
- Full day safari at Addo Elephant Park
- Financial donations to volunteering programs
Excluded from the fees:
- Flights to/from Cape Town
- Local Flights from Port Elizabeth back to Cape Town or your next destination.
- Day 2 Lunch & Day 3 Dinner in Cape Town
- Optional adventure activities (Bungy Jump, Skywalk, Zipline, Whale & Dolphin Tour)
- Travel Insurance
- Other transport
- Personal luxuries, sodas, alcoholic drinks and snacks
Optional Activities (EUR prices are estimated and may differ)
- Storms River Adventures – Canopy Tour R 895 (EUR 45) per person
- Bloukrans Bridge Bungy Jump R 1690 (EUR 85) per person
- Sky Walk R 400 (EUR 20) per person
- Whale and Dolphin Sea Safari R 1725 (EUR 90) per person
To really have the best out of this tour we have a minimum of 4 and maximum of 12 people to keep it personal and really get to know each other.
Dates:
2025 Dates
Tour 1 Saturday 15 March 2025 – Saturday 12 April 2025
Tour 2 Saturday 26 April 2025 – Saturday 24 May 2025
Tour 3 Saturday 6 September 2025 – Saturday 4 October 2025
Tour 4 Saturday 25 October 2025 – Saturday 22 November 2025
2026 Dates
Tour 1 Saturday 15 March 2025 – Saturday 12 April 2025
Tour 2 Saturday 26 April 2025 – Saturday 24 May 2025
Tour 3 Saturday 6 September 2025 – Saturday 4 October 2025
Tour 4 Saturday 25 October 2025 – Saturday 22 November 2025
Please note that all tour dates are subject to a minimum of 4 participants and that if your chosen date is not booked by 4 people that you may have to change dates.
We hope to meet you here in South Africa and look forward to giving you the Gap Year tour to remember!
