Our motorcycle tour of the Garden Route in South Africa is simply sublime in every way… The riding, the accommodation, the scenery, food, locals, and weather… If this trip doesn’t leave you feeling warm and fuzzy at the end of it, we don’t know what will!
Pricing
| Prices for dates: | |
| February 24, 2024 - March 2, 2024 | |
| November 23, 2024 - November 30, 2024 | |
| per rider in shared twin/double room with own motorcycle (Only available for a booking of two persons. Single travelers need to choose the single room surcharge.) | €2,903.00 $3,177.19 ? |
| per rider in shared twin/double room incl. rental motorcycle BMW F750 GS (Only available for a booking of two persons. Single travelers need to choose the single room surcharge.) | €3,902.00 $4,270.54 ? |
| per pillion passenger in shared twin/double room (pillion passengers can only book along with an accompanying rider) | €1,883.00 $2,060.85 ? |
| per person single room (surcharge, only available with an additional selection of the basic price "per rider in shared twin/double room") | €601.00 $657.76 ? |
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| Rental motorcycle BMW F850 GS (surcharge) | €182.00 $199.19 ? |
| Rental motorcycle BMW R1250 GS (surcharge) | €446.00 $488.12 ? |
| Top Box (surcharge) | €74.00 $80.99 ? |
Included
| Latest-model BMW GS (or as per booking). The BMW F750 GS is included as standard or you can upgrade to the F850 or R1250 |
| Twin-share accommodation as per itinerary |
| Airport Pickup |
| Entrance Fees |
| Expedition Leader |
| Financial Protection |
| All fuel |
| GPS Tracking |
| Meals |
| Medical Support |
| Charity - Rainforest & Wildlife Conservation |
| Personalized Jersey |
| Support Vehicle |
| Welcome Pack |
| Everything not listed as included |
| Flights |
| Motorcycle Damages |
| Other Expenses: Alcohol; Laundry; Souvenirs; Any meals that are not mentioned in the itinerary; Recovery, oil, spare parts, labor or other indirect costs resulting from the damage or repair of your motorcycle; Emergency transportation; Any other item, optional excursion, activity or entrance fee that is not specifically mentioned as being included. |
| Personal Travel Insurance |
| Riding Kit |
More details
| Destination: Africa - South Africa |
| Max Group Size: 12 Riders |
| Pillion Friendly: Yes |
| Terrain: 0% unpaved |
| Difficulty: Easy |
| Support: Local guide | Trip manager / 1st response medic | Support vehicle | Consulting doctor |
| Comfort: 4/5 |
| Average Daily Ride Hours: 6-7 |
| Total Distance km: 2175 |
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| Accommodation: Twin-share accommodation is included as standard – see ‘Prices´ for single room pricing. On this trip, we stay in a mix of 4-5*hotels, luxurious safari tents, game lodges, and guesthouses. Please see the daily itinerary info for more details on each night's accommodation. |
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| Airport Pickup: You’ll be collected from Cape Town International Airport (CPT) on the morning of the first day (you are of course welcome to airport pick up if you arrive a day or two earlier, just let us know your arrival details). |
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| Entrance Fees: All entrance fees during the tour, a game drive at Aquila Game Reserve & a 4×4 safari at Addo National Park are included in the tour price. |
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| Expedition Leader: Your tour will be led and managed by a highly experienced member of our team (trained as a wilderness first response medic). |
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| Financial Protection: We are committed to customer satisfaction and consumer financial protection. At no extra cost to you, all our passengers are fully insured, and subsequently the balance of monies paid as detailed in your booking confirmation form. The policy also includes repatriation if required, arising from the cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to insolvency. During the COVID-19 crisis, every rider that requested a refund was issued a cash refund. |
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| GPS Tracking: This motorcycle tour is accompanied by a GPS tracker that displays our live location and tracks history on an online map. We will provide you with the link and login details which you can then share with your family at home so they can track your progress throughout the trip. |
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| Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner is provided on most days. Please see the daily itinerary to see what meals are included on each day. |
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| Medical Support: At least one member of the support team will have been trained as a Wilderness First Response medic. An extensive medical kit including a defibrillator (AED) & stretcher is carried in the support vehicle. We also have consulting doctors on call, 24/7, who are always ready to assist in the case of an emergency. Our doctors are fully briefed on all riders' medical info prior to the tour, they know what we do, where we are riding, exactly what we have in our medical kit, and what training our medics have. Tours are accompanied by GPS trackers and a satellite messenger device so our doctor and office can see exactly where we are and can maintain communication. |
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| Motorcycle Hire: We have a number of bike options available for you, please see the ‘ Prices’ section for available bikes. You are more than welcome to BYOB (if you have your own suitable & reliable motorcycle at the start point). MOTORCYCLE RENTAL INCLUDES Shipping of the motorcycle back to the start point; Comprehensive motorcycle insurance with an excess of approximately US$1350 – US$2000 (depending on the model). We organize your motorcycle rental with our preferred rental provider in South Africa. Your contract for the motorcycle rental is direct with the provider and you’ll be required to sign their contract when receiving your motorcycle. You must comply with the terms & conditions of the rental provider. Upon request, we can provide you with a copy of these terms & conditions in advance. |
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| Charity - Rainforest & Wildlife Conservation: Part profits from every motorcycle tour are donated to M’Lop Tapang – a local Cambodian charity dedicated to bettering the lives of young children & their families. Playing our part in rainforest & wildlife conservation and in an effort to offset our carbon emissions, we donate part of profits to the World Land Trust. |
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| Support Vehicle: Our South African motorcycle tours are accompanied by a Toyota Hilux 4×4. This will be towing a twin-axle off-road trailer capable of carrying 7 bikes. The backup vehicle & trailer will carry all of your luggage, essential spare parts, a spare motorcycle, tools, extensive medical kit (in addition to the kit carried by the tour medic), defibrillator (AED), stretcher, cold drinks, and lunch. There is always a spare seat in case any of the riders want to sit in the truck for a rest. Our support truck will follow behind the riders throughout the ride. When we are eating lunch ‘on the road’ the driver will prepare a picnic with fresh local produce, cheeses & meats, fruit & snacks, etc. Once we reach the accommodation at the end of the day the driver will hand out cold beers from the coolbox and have your bags sent ahead to your rooms. |
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| Welcome Pack: We’ll welcome you with a bag of goodies which will include a T-shirt, Baseball cap, Map, Stickers, Mug, Keyring, Neck tube. |
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| Flights: You’ll need to book flights to book a return flight to Cape Town (CPT) on or before the morning of Day 1 of this trip. You can then fly out of the same airport on the last day of the trip. It is important you either: |
| - Book a flexible flight ticket that allows you to make amendments or cancel without penalty; |
| - Have travel insurance that will reimburse you for out of pocket expenses incurred by a canceled trip; |
| - Do not book your flights until we have notified you that this departure is guaranteed. |
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| Motorcycle Damages: Comprehensive motorcycle insurance is included with the motorcycle rental, however, the insurance excess is approximately US$1350 – US$2000 (depending on the model). Please note that this amount will either be 'held' on your card or paid as a deposit. |
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| Personal Travel Insurance - It is a condition of booking that you obtain appropriate travel insurance that covers you for riding the same capacity motorcycle that you’ll be riding on this motorcycle tour. The insurance must cover emergency evacuation, medical bills, repatriation, etc. |
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| Riding Kit: Adventure style kit with decent ventilation is the way to go on this motorcycle tour, rather than enduro or road leathers. So that means a good helmet, protective riding jacket, and trousers, ideally with CE or equivalent approved armor on the pointy bits – elbows, knees, and shoulders. You are also going to need good riding gloves, a neck tube, and a sturdy pair of motorcycle boots. Please bring waterproofs if your kit doesn’t keep out the wet stuff. |
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| Language: This offer is usually suitable for English and/or German speaking participants. Please enquire for language options. |
| Mobility: The offer is not suitable for people with reduced mobility. Please contact us for more information. |
Description
Our motorcycle tour of the Garden Route in South Africa is simply sublime in every way… The riding, the accommodation, the scenery, food, locals, and weather… If this trip doesn’t leave you feeling warm and fuzzy at the end of it, we don’t know what will.
The Garden Route is World-famous, and for very good reason. It’s home to spectacular scenery, stunning coastal roads (and stunning roads inland too!), and eclectic landscapes. You’ll ride the immense ‘Route 62’, Chapman’s Peak Drive, a whole range of mountain passes, and even stop off at Cape Agulhas – the southernmost tip of Africa.
If a motorcycle tour of South Africa’s Garden Route isn’t already on your bucket list, we strongly suggest you add it – it’s certainly worthy.
…Then book this epic adventure with us so you can tick it off!
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Tour highlights:
- Ride through the scenic ‘Garden Route’.
- Visit the penguin colony at Betty's Bay.
- Ride the world-famous Chapman's Peak Drive... If this is not the most beautiful coastal road you've ever ridden, please do let us know where we can find better!
- Ride the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain and enjoy the spectacular views across Cape Town and the Atlantic ocean.
- Spot giraffe & ostrich at our beautiful lodge.
- The BIG FIVE! We'll go on safari at Addo National Park in search of Lion, Rhino, Cape Buffalo, Elephant, and Leopards!
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Tour itinerary:
DAY 1: Arrive in Cape Town - Welcome to South Africa!
A fantastic first day of your holiday awaits as you touch down in Cape Town. We will send a driver to collect you from the airport for the short journey straight to your seafront hotel in the city. Once checked in, you’ll have a chance to relax by the pool before meeting your fellow riders and the Ride team for a briefing on the ride ahead.
We’ll collect the motorcycles later in the afternoon before venturing out to the V&A Waterfront for a welcome dinner overlooking the harbor.
Accommodation: 5* oceanfront hotel.
Included meals: Dinner.
N.B. We strongly recommend you arrive one day earlier and take a trip to the top of Table Mountain in the cable car!
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DAY 2: Cape Town - Touws River 325km
Helmets on! Your first riding day awaits and what a way to kick off the ride… We start the day with a ride along stunning coastal roads around the Cape peninsula, riding the world-famous Chapman’s Peak Drive down to the Cape of Good Hope.
From there we will head to Simon’s Town for a picnic lunch with the local penguin colony at Boulders Beach, before climbing into the hills for an exhilarating past Silvermine Nature Reserve.
Next up we’ll ride Du Toitskloof Pass over the mountain and onto the stunning Mitchel’s Pass before reaching Ceres where we’ll stop for a quick coffee break. From there we continue to our final destination of the day: Aquila Game Reserve. Of course, no trip to South Africa is complete without a game drive so we have booked a 2-hour excursion for those that are keen. Afterward, you will have the chance to relax by the pool before a slap-up meal and a drink or two.
How’s that for a first day?!
Accommodation: Game reserve with a pool.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
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DAY 3: Touws River - Oudtshoorn 350km
Once we’ve stuffed our faces with a killer buffet breakfast we’ll be ready for another full day of incredible riding!
We start with a brief 15km stint on the N1 before we hit the Koo Valley road. Nice long twisties, incredible views & generally epic riding to be had this morning.
Before stopping in Barrydale for a quick pit stop (and a giant milkshake for those of you who have hollow legs) we will ride the beautiful Tradouw Pass. It has a stunning viewpoint which is well worth a visit so we’ll pop there for a photo before heading back on ourselves into Barrydale… Don’t worry, we guarantee you’ll be happy to ride this road twice! From there we’ll head onto Ronnie’s Sex Shop for the obligatory group photo and t-shirt.
Pressing on towards Ladismith And Calitzdorp, we’ll ride across the Huis River pass which is a serious amount of fun!
Tonight we will camp in style at a beautiful lodge where giraffes and ostrich roam. A luxury safari tent is your home for the night but don’t worry, they are equipped with a/c, mini bar, en suite bathrooms & hardwood floors.
Accommodation: Safari tents at a game lodge.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
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DAY 4: Oudtshoorn - Addo Elephant National Park 490km
Spend the morning relaxing in this incredible accommodation, feed the giraffes, or explore the ostrich farm.
This morning we have some easy cruising roads that wind through the hills across a lovely padstal (farm stall) where we’ll stop for lunch at their open-air restaurant. We then continue along yet more scenic twisting roads past beautiful citrus farms on our way to end the day at the appropriately named Addo Elephant National Park. Three guesses as to who lives here.
Another corker tonight as we arrive at our home for the night – an incredible luxury lodge situated within the borders of the national park. The restaurant overlooks a watering hole frequented by elephants so bring your cameras as well as your appetite!
Accommodation: Game lodge.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
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DAY 5: Addo - Knysna 330km
For a change of pace, we’ll be starting the day off the bikes today as we head out on safari in search of the Big 5. We’ll see herds of elephants at the watering holes, search for rhinos in the deep bush and maybe catch a glimpse of the lions and leopards that stalk the undergrowth on either side of the trails.
Back on the bikes, we double back a little bit towards Gqeberha (a beer for anyone that can pronounce it right the first time) aka Port Elizabeth. There we will ride past Jeffrey’s Bay through the Storms River Valley. We will stop in at the Tsitsikamma Nature Reserve for a picnic lunch break, as well as spend some time checking out the reserve itself and its beautiful hanging bridges.
Before reaching our destination of Knysna we will take a short detour around a beautiful mountain pass that will loop us back down to the coast.
Tonight we stay on Thesen Island within the Knysna estuary – a beautiful place with excellent seafood restaurants and bars.
Accommodation: Hotel.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch.
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DAY 6: Knysna - Cape Agulhas 380km
It’s a fairly relaxed ride this morning as we cruise along a gorgeous, slow paced mountainous route along the coast, through Sedgefield, and up the mountain into Wilderness. From there we will ride over a little mountain pass into the town of George. All in all, these are some of the best coastal roads in the country!
From George, we ride past the Klein Brak River – this is absolutely gorgeous riding so we will take our time and enjoy the views.
After Mossel Bay, the road will open up a little bit and we can pick up some speed to Heidelberg. We’ll stop for lunch in Swellendam at a little place that serves up really good pizzas.
After a nice relaxed lunch we’ll ride onto Gansbaai where the scenery will change to more open farmland (corn, wheat or canola fields depending on the time of year). There are some really nice open roads, beautiful scenery & vast open spaces, so it’s a lovely little ride on our way down to Cape Agulhas.
Before we get to our accommodation for the night we will go to the Cape Agulhas lighthouse and a short walk for a photo at the famous spot where the two oceans meet – the southernmost tip of Africa!
Accommodation: Hotel.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
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DAY 7: Cape Agulhas - Cape Town 300km
As always, we will have a good sized breakfast to stand us in good stead for the final day of riding that lies ahead. We will double back for a short stint as we make our way inland a little, before turning west and heading back towards some more stunning coastal roads.
This is a pretty interesting day’s riding. One of the first small towns we’ll be riding through is a little local community (also a Moravian mission station) that used to specialize in thatched roofs. A quirky little town with awesome friendly people.
We will then make our way to Baardskeerdersbos, enjoying some beautiful open, winding roads through rolling hills all the way down to Pearly Beach – we just love the riding here!
We stop at a nice little coffee shop and join the Whale Coast. There is a good chance (time of year dependent) that around Betty’s Bay area we might spot some Southern Right whales as we are riding along! We’ll then ride from Rooi-els up to Gordon’s Bay, this riding is just ridiculous – easily one of the best pieces of road in the world, never mind the country!
Just before we reach Gordon’s Bay we will stop off for a delicious lunch at the Grill Shack. From there it’s just the last little stretch along the coast, following the beach road as we make our way back to Cape Town.
Back to the beginning, it’s the perfect place to end your South African motorcycle adventure! We’ll enjoy a farewell dinner at one of our favorite little hidden restaurants that overlooks Camps Bay.
Accommodation: 5* oceanfront hotel.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
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DAY 8: Departure - Transfer to the Airport
Sadly the riding is over but that doesn’t mean your adventure has to be. Why not stay in Cape Town a few days more to really get to know the city, its shops, restaurants, nearby vineyards & beautiful beaches?
We’ll say our farewells here and provide transfers to the airport for those that must leave today.
Accommodation: Not included.
Included meals: Breakfast.