Cape Town and Namibia Motorcycle Tour
Route and Itinerary
13-day Motorcycle Tour of Cape Town, South Africa's West Coast and the Best of Namibia
Experience a the whole range of landscapes on Southern Africa's west coast, from the green winelands of Cape Town to the vast desert landscapes of the Richtersveld and Namibia. We'll ride twisting Cape mountains passes and explore the Great Karoo, Orange River, Fish River Canyon, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Spitzkoppe and a top-rated game reserve.
Travel
15 days (including arrival and departure)
2 countries
Accommodation
13-nights, 3&4-star lodges and one tented camp
Meals
12 breakfasts, 1 welcome dinner, 2 dinners on tour
Itinerary
Route Map and Itinerary
Route Stats
Total Distance: 3300 km
Riding Days: 11
Free Days: 2
Average distance: 290 km per day
Riding Time per day: 4-6 hours
Level of Difficulty: Intermediate
(tar and gravel/dirt roads, no deep sand)
Day to Day Itinerary
We begin our adventure to Namibi with a taste of some of the best motorcycle riding in Africa. Our ride north from Cape Town today is filled with coastal roads, vineyards and four breathtaking mountain passes. We begin with a ride along the east side of False Bay with great views of the coast before turning inland towards Franschhoek through a beautiful fruit farming region. We then get to experience the famous Franschhoek pass (which you will probably want to go back and do again). We continue north through the town of Wellington and then enjoy a ride on another famous pass through Bains Kloof. Our final leg takes us up two more mountain passes as we ride through more fruit farms and enter the gentle hills of the Kouebokkeveld and our overnight stop in some lovely farm cottages.
Today we get to explore the rugged Cederberg mountains as we ride through the heart of the backcountry on good gravel roads. There are caves and ancient San paintings to explore, or you could just marvel at the rock formations and wilderness landscapes. After passing through the town of Clanwilliam we cross over the mountains on a fun, winding tar-road pass before connecting with the gravel roads again. We ride into the Great Karoo and up an escarpment before arriving at one of our favourite places to stay, in comfortable stone cottages on a working sheep farm.
Our ride today takes us all the way through South Africa's Northern Cape region into Namibia. First though, we get to explore some local canyons carved out by ancient glaciers, and a fun ride down the famous Van Rhyns pass. We then head north through some beautiful semi-desert landscapes through the Northern Cape before crossing the border and arriving at our overnight stop on the banks of the Orange River.
After the tar roads of yesterday's ride, we switch back to some good gravel roads as we encounter Namibia's breathtaking landscapes. We ride past miles of lush vineyards before going on an optional ride along the banks of the Orange River - which is one of my favourite stretches to ride in all of Africa. After that we head north through vast, wide open landscapes towards the Fish River Canyon - second only to the Grand Canyon in size. After a stop to take it all in we have a short ride to our overnight stop at the iconic Canyon Roadhouse.
Today we have a mix of good gravel roads and tar roads that take us to the coastal town of Luderitz. Heading out from the Canyon Roadhouse we ride on some lovely, smooth gravel roads through more of Namibia's big-sky country and vast landscapes. There's plenty of time to stop and simply gaze at the breathtaking scenes that keep unfolding as we ride. The last bit of riding is on a good tar road that descends to the coast past Namibia's famous wild horses and through the old diamond fields.
It's good to get an early start today so we can catch the sun casting its morning light on the old diamond mining ghost town of Kolmanskop. We'll have some time to walk through this fascinating settlement and get some photos of the buildings slowly being overtaken by the drifting sand. We then head back out on the tar road before turning north through yet more breathtaking landscapes on good gravel roads. After a break for coffee and apple pie in the small town of Helmeringhausen we continue on to our overnight stop in some comfortable cottages at Maltahohe.
We have a shorter ride today to Sesriem, which is where we'll get to explore the famous dunes at Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei. On our way we have the option of taking a detour to visit Duwisib Castle built in the early 1900s by a German settler. On our way to Sesriem we descend an escarpment with beautiful views and ride on some more challenging gravel roads before arriving at our comfortable lodge for the next two nights.
It's our first rest day today and we'll have the chance for an early morning drive to see the famous dunes and dry lakes with ancient dead trees at Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. After that we have the afternoon to relax in the comfortable lodge with a pool, bar and outdoor restaurant with the best views you'll have over dinner.
We get back on the bikes today for a ride across the Namib desert to the coastal resort town of Swakopmund. We'll stop for gas and possibly the best apple pie in Namibia at the historic settlement of Solitaire before setting out across the scenic Kuisib canyon and across the desert. You'll feel the cooler air as we approach the coast and enjoy a fun, smooth ride on a compacted salt road to Walvis Bay. We end the day with a short ride along the breaking waves of the Atlantic Ocean as we head north to Swakopmund.
Swakopmund is a scenic, historical, coastal town that is one of the highlights of a visit to Namibia. After the long ride yesterday we get a chance to enjoy and explore the town. One of the best ways to do this is a morning tour of Sandwich Harbour - a spectacular, unique place where the dunes and ocean meet. After returning to town there's a wide variety of restaurants and interesting places to visit in the town
Today's ride is a short one as we explore the southern part of the famous Skeleton Coast. We'll ride next to the cold Atlantic waters past a shipwreck before turning east into the desert at the coastal town of Henties Bay. Soon we'll see the outline of the iconic Spitzkoppe rock formations appear and grow more imposing we get near. In the afternoon we'll have the chance to ride and walk around and up these beautiful rocks, 'Pondoks', and watch the sunset through the famous arch.
After breakfast we leave Spitzkoppe behind and ride along gravel and tar roads to Erindi Private Game Reserve. Here we'll stay for a night at the luxurious Old Traders Lodge where you can watch the wildlife visit the waterhole. There are evening and morning guided game safaris where you'll have the chance to see all the Big 5 game and many others in this top-rated reserve.
Afre an optional early morning game safari in the park and some more time relaxing in front of the waterhole, we'll set out for the short ride to our destination, Windhoek. We'll unpack the bikes and get ready to leave before enjoying our last dinner together at the famous Joe's Beerhouse
Tour Highlights
Riding
Cape Fold Mountains
Namibia's Gravel Roads
Namib Desert Crossings
Explore
Cape Town, Great Karoo, Sossusvlei, Fish River Canyon, Swakopmund, Spitzkoppe
Experience
Namibia's Food and Lodges, Cape Town's breathtaking beauty
View
African Wildlife en route and in a top-rated game park
Our Motorcycles
Our motorcycles
Honda Africa Twin CRF1000
Honda CRF1000
HOnda Transalp 750
Honda Transalp 750
Honda Africa twin XRV750
Honda XRV750