Cape2Kruger
15-day Motorcycle Adventure
Cape Town to the Kruger National Park
Cape2Kruger
18-day Motorcycle Adventure
Cape Town to the Kruger National Park
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 15-day motorcycle adventure

Route Highlights
Cape Town – Cape Winelands – Matjiesfontein - Swartberg Pass - Knysna and the Garden Route - Eastern Cape Highlands - Drakensberg - Battlefields - Kruger Park - Panorama Route

Total Distance: 3470 km
Riding Days: 12
Rest Days: 3
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 & Itinerary
Click here to view our tour calendar
We begin our adventure with a ride around the coastal roads of the Cape Peninsula. We'll enjoy the spectacular Chapmans Peak drive and explore the coastline through villages including Scarborough , Misty Cliffs and Kommetjie. We'll then head around the east side of False Bay along more beautiful coastal roads 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




Our route today is packed with things to see along the way. We'll stay off the main national road almost the whole way, taking the winding passes through the Tsitsikamma region into Nature's Valley, through Bloukrans pass and down to the mouth of Storms River. It's a lovely, scenic ride ride exploring the beautiful Garden Route. We continue east along a good secondary road enjoying the coastal scenery and lush farmland before heading north to Addo Elephant Park




We'll take a break from the bikes today with an optional 4x4 safari drive into Addo Elephant Park. You'll see lots of elephants and a wide range of other antelope, and if you're lucky, some lion. Our overnight accommodation is a lovely place to relax and enjoy the surroundings.




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.
We have longer day today as we head east through the Great Karoo with its iconic windmills and rocky outcrops towards the Drakensberg Mountains. Barkly Pass is a 10 km long tarred pass high in the mountains of the Eastern Cape.




Our ride today takes us along some lovely scenic roads as we descend and ascend the mountain escarpment around the Drakensberg Mountains and ride through rural Xhosa villages. We have a few route options depending on how much we’d like to explore the great riding roads in the area. We spend the next two nights on a tranquil guest farm at the foot of the Drakensberg Mountains.

We have a non-riding day today with the option to visit the spectacular Sani Pass on a 4x4 tour. We’ll have lunch in the highest pub in South Africa and if the weather is favourable enjoy spectacular views into Lesotho and the lowlands to the east




Today we head north-east from the mountains through the lower foothills with sweeping bends and lush green scenery. We’ll pass through historic battlefields of the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) including an optional stop at the famous Spioenkop. We spend the night in the town of Dundee, site of the Battle of Blood River.



Today we continue east and cross into the country of Swaziland or Eswatini. We’ll ride through rural villages and a few busy towns on our way to the Mliliwane Wildlife Sanctuary. We overnight in a unique beehive village (in comfortable rooms).


Today’s ride takes us through some spectacular scenery In Swaziland and eastern South Africa as we ride through mountains and pine plantations. After crossing the border back into South Africa we descend into the lowlands along a winding pass with spectacular views towards the Kruger Park. After lunch in the historic gold-mining town of Barberton we’ll continue to our base for the next two nights in Malalane. Our accommodation overlooks the Kruger Park and offers some good game viewing.




We’ll switch the motorcycles for a Land Cruiser as we enjoy a guided safari into the Kruger National Park. There is the option of a half and full-day experience of the largest game reserve in Southern Africa. You can expect to see at least some if not all of the Big 5 animals along with a rich variety of birdlife, antelope and other animals.




We end our riding adventure with one of the most scenic routes in South Africa. We’ll leave our bags at the base and set out on a loop that takes us up the escarpment to stunning view points over the lowlands at God’s Window, and the Three Rondawels. The riding here is a lot of fun on good, twisting tar roads with some magnificent mountain and forest scenery. We’ll get lunch in the another historic gold-mining town of Pilgrim’s Rest and enjoy a dramatic ride over the mountains on Robber’s Pass.



We begin to head west towards our final destination of Johannesburg today, but on the way we'll take a lovely, scenic route along the escarpment with magnificent views over the low country and some of the best tar-road riding in South Africa. Our overnight stop is at the trout-fisihing town of Dullstroom
Cost and Includes
Cost details
Tour Price:
Rider:
Honda CRF1000: ZAR 100050
Pillion: R32000
Single Supplement: R5000
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
Fuel
B&B Accommodation in 3-star lodges
All breakfasts and 3 dinners
Morning safari at Addo Elephant Park
Morning safari at Kruger National Park
Airport transfers
Tour guide
Comprehensive Motorcycle Insurance
Support Vehicle on standby in Cape Town or Johannesburg
Emergency evacuation to local medical center
Unlimited Mileage
Excess luggage storage
Excluded:
Flights
Visas
Additional Activities
Accommodation at origin and destination outside of tour dates
Lunches, drinks and remaining dinners
Personal Insurance (Accident/Medical)
Bikes, Accommodation and Emergency Info
Our Motorcycles
We operate a fleet of 8 Honda Africa Twin CRF1000 and 6 classic Africa Twin XRV750 motorcycles. These are excellent all-round bikes that can handle anything that Africa presents us. Strong, reliable and fun to ride, our bikes are fully owned and expertly maintained.






The Honda Africa Twins were everything a person could need to travel the rugged terrain. I own a BMW F800gs, and was still blown away by the maneuverability of the AT and it’s ability to tackle a variety of conditions. Andrew’s knowledge of the mechanical aspect of the bike and riding expertise provided a completely worry free traveling experience."
Ryan - Kelowna, Canada

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


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
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