Best of the Western Cape
10-day Motorcycle Adventure
Join us as we explore South Africa's breathtaking Cape coast and fold mountains, the Garden Route, Wild Coast, Drakensberg mountains, historic battlefields, and abundant wildlife on this 18-day motorcycle adventure
Route Highlights
Cape Town – Cape Fold Mountains – Route 62 - Knysna and the Garden Route - Addo Elephant Park - Swartberg Pass - Matjiesfontein - Tankwa Karoo - Namaqualand - Cederberg Mountains - Bainskloof Pass - Franschhoek Pass
Total Distance: 2690 km
Riding Days: 9
Rest Days: 1
Average distance: 290 km per day
Riding Time per day: 4-6 hours
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Intermediate
(good tar roads with some good gravel roads)
Too long, too short, or not quite the right route?
We'd be happy to build a custom route for you.
Dates and Itinerary
Trip Dates
23 January - 9 February
18 March - 5 April
14-23 September
14 October - 1 November
Detailed Itinerary
We begin our adventure with a gentle warm-up ride on one of the most scenic routes - a ride around the coastal roads of the Cape Peninsula. We'll enjoy some great aerial views of False Bay and explore the coastline all the way down to Cape Point and back up through coastal villages including Scarborough , Misty Cliffs and Kommetjie. We'll save the highlight for last - a ride along the spectacular Chapmans Peak drive
Today we leave Cape Town along more beautiful coastal roads along the east side of False Bay as we make our way to Hermanus. If we are there between July and November we should see the Southern Right whales near to the shore. After a lunch stop we'll ride north through the beautiful Hemel-en-Aarde valley before heading to our overnight stop at the small town of Greyton. Along the way we'll cross through the Overberg region with its rolling farmland, Blue Crane birds, Ostriches and some optional gravel roads
Today's ride begins in the foothills of the Cape Fold mountains as we ride through vineyards and over the famous Franschhoek pass. Turning north we cross through two more beautiful tarred mountain passes - Bainskloof and Michels pass on our way to the fruit-farming hub of Ceres. Here the landscapes begin to change as we enter the southern reaches of the Great Karoo. Our overnight stop is in the historic Lord Milner hotel in the railway town of Matjiesfontein
We have slightly more adventurous day today as we explore the rugged Swartberg mountain range with its spectacularly folded rocks. The gravel roads are kept in good condition and are easy to ride. We make our first crossing through Seweweekspoort and then get to enjoy the winding tar-road Huis River pass. We'll get some lunch in the town of Calitzdorp on Route 62 before setting out for the famous awe-inspiring Swartberg Pass. We spend the night in some lovely cottages in the Karoo town of Prince Albert
Today we cross the Swartberg one more time on a beautiful twisting tar road pass through Meiringspoort before heading to the coast via the equally spectacular Outeniqua pass. We also have the option of riding the beautiful Prince Alfred pass on a good gravel road into the Knysna forest
Today we continue east along a good secondary road enjoying the coastal scenery and lush farmland before heading north to Addo Elephant Park where we'll have the option to go on an afternoon safari drive to experience the elephants, lion and other wildlife here.
Our ride today takes us through some beautiful Eastern Cape scenery - farmlands, aloes and rolling hills. We join the coast again at Kenton and then ride north-east along the coast past coastal towns including Port Alfred and East London to the start of the Wild Coast at Cintsa.
We have the chance to explore the beautiful beaches at Cintsa before getting on the bikes again and looping round to the mouth of the great Kei river where we catch a pontoon ferry to the other side. Then it's time for a coffee break at Seagulls lodge before we head back inland and north and then back to the coast and some winding mountain roads to one of our favourite overnight stops on the banks of the Mdumbi river, right on the coast
Today we get a break from riding and the chance to enjoy the local area, river and beaches. If you are keen for a short ride you can also visit the famous Hole-in-the-Wall just south of Coffee Bay
We head inland today through the rolling hills of the Eastern Cape towards Underberg at the southern end of the Drakensberg Mountains - the highest and most dramatic mountain range in South Africa. Along the way we have the option of stopping to visit Qunu - the village where Nelson Mandela grew up, went to school and herded cattle.
Cost and Includes
Cost details
Tour Price:
Rider:
Honda XRV 750: ZAR 91000
Honda CRF1000: ZAR 98000
Pillion: R34000
Notes:
1) Prices in South African Rand. Click here to convert to your currency.
2) Prices are for minimum of four riders for the full tour. Please contact us for rates for smaller groups.
Included in the price:
Honda Africa Twin CRF1000L or XRV 750 motorcycle
Fuel & Oil
B&B Accommodation in 3-star lodges
Airport transfers
Tour guide
Comprehensive Motorcycle Insurance
Motorcycle border fees
Emergency evacuation to local medical center
Unlimited Mileage
Excess luggage storage
Excluded:
Flights
Visas
Activities – e.g. game drives
Accommodation at origin and destination outside of tour dates
Lunches, drinks and dinners
Reserve and sightseeing entry fees
Personal Insurance (Accident/Medical)
Accommodation
Accommodation includes comfortable 3-star lodges (usually twin rooms). For those who prefer lodge accommodation or single rooms we will happily upgrade these for you. Contact us for details.
Medical & Emergency
In the event of a medical emergency our tours are supported by:
1. A level 3 first aider on tour
2. An on-call doctor provided by SATIB
3. SPOT satellite emergency evacuation
4. If required we can arrange to have a medic on tour
Your Tour Guide
All our rides are led by our lead guide and company owner Andrew Vaughan. Andrew is a qualified adventure tour guide licensed in South Africa and has about 105000 km (65000 miles) of motorcycle guiding experience over the last 12 years. Andrew is a qualified mechanical and materials engineer and has been riding adventure motorcycles since 2007 when he and friend rebuilt two Kawasaki KLR650's and then rode them from Vancouver to Cape Town via Siberia, the Middle East and Africa.
Andrew and Greg aren't just great guides, they're also just really great people
-- a joy to ride with and also a joy to hang out with. They ran my tour without a hitch and made sure we stopped at all the best secret spots. When I booked this motorcycle trip I wanted the trip of a lifetime. I got it and then some. Wow. What an experience!
Will Elliot // San Francisco
A motorbike tour in Southern Africa wasn't on my list of priorities...
... but when invited by a friend to join him on a Cape to Kalahari tour I decided to give it a go. It turned out to be a very memorable experience, which has left me with the burning desire to see more of Africa. If you want adventure, mateship and a real sense of achievement; just do it! The bikes are classics, strong, and well maintained. The food is sensational, whether it be at restaurants or by the campfire. Andrew is the perfect tour leader, cool, calm and very knowledgeable about the country and things in general. Thanks Andrew, Drew and the team, looking forward to doing it again..
Owen Holcombe // Cambodia
Contact Andrew
Andrew is the lead guide and owner at Ride Down South. You can reach him by phone, Whatsapp, email or Skype
Email: andrew@ridedownsouth.com
Or click on the icon to chat via Whatsapp
or fill out this contact form.