15 Night Cape & West Coast Flowers – Self Drive

Experience the magical and vibrant flower season of the West Coast, which usually takes place during August to September. You may also spot bontebok, duiker, eland, zebra and many other animals and birds.

RATE ON REQUEST

Includes:

• Meet & Assist with Airport to Hotel transfer
• 3N in Cape Town at the Winchester Mansions Hotel, with breakfast & Tourism Levy
• 48Hr Hop on-Hop off Sightseeing Tour
• 13 Day Group M (Ford Ecosport) Car rental, delivered to your hotel
• 2N in Franschhoek at the Auberge Clermont, with breakfast
• 2N in Paternoster at the Dunes Guest House, with breakfast
• 2N in Clanwilliam at the Yellow Aloe Guest House, with breakfast
• 2N close to Garies at the Agama Tented Camp with Dinner & Breafast
• 2N close to Naries at the Namakwa Retreat Manor House with Dinner & Breakfast
• 2N Orange River/Augrabies at the Vergelegen Country House, with breakfast (There is an A la Carte Restaurant at the Hotel for Dinner)

Itinerary

Day 1: Cape Town
You are met and transferred to your hotel.
Overnight.
Day 2: Cape Town (B)
24Hr Hop on-Hop off Bus tour.
Overnight.
Day 3: Cape Town (B)
24Hr Hop on-Hop off Bus tour.
Overnight.

City Sightseeing Tour
With over 30 stops, taking you to over 50 of Cape Town’s top attractions, the bus allows you to hop-on and hop-off at your leisure.

Day 4: Cape Town (B) – Franschhoek (1hr 24min)
09h00 Your Europcar is delivered to your hotel to start your self-drive journey. Travel to Franschhoek
via the N2 through Paarl.
Overnight.

Enjoy breathtaking scenery, warm hospitality, gourmet cuisine, fine wines, art, and a small village atmosphere. These are the hallmarks of the picturesque Franschhoek Wine Valley, situated in the heart of the Cape Winelands.
A Franschhoek Wine & Food Route Map is available.
Day 5: Franschhoek (B)
Spend the day exploring the wine route.
Overnight.
Day 6: Franschhoek (B) – Paternoster (1hr 53min)
Paternoster, one of the oldest fishing villages on the West Coast of South Africa and without a doubt, the best place to be for food lovers. From simply prepared crayfish fresh from the sea to pizza topped with smoked snoek and bokkoms there is something to suit all tastes.
Overnight.
Day 7: Paternoster (B)
– Explore the impressive Columbine Nature Reserve to discover an abundance of indigenous flora and fauna, and the rugged beauty of our coastline.
– Visit the Cape Columbine lighthouse which, built in 1936, is the last coastal beacon to have a dedicated keeper.
– Paddle across the bay in a sea kayak to spot penguins and sea birds in their natural surroundings.
– Set out on foot along the beach to The Greater Paternoster Nature Reserve and keep a watchful eye – you may see dolphins.
– Do some wine tasting along the West Coast Wine Route.
– Stroll about the village and browse the art gallery, brewery, pottery studios, glass studio, trading store and more.
– Pop in to the historic Paternoster Hotel and have a drink at the infamous Panty Bar.
– Watch the sun gradually descend into the sea while sipping on a Paternoster Dunes guesthouse cocktail.
Overnight.
Day 8: Paternoster (B) – Clanwilliam (2hrs 3min)
– Enjoy the beauty and unique character of the Cedarberg, a 100km long mountain range known for its characteristic jagged sandstone, as well as its curious rock formations and Bushmen (san) rock art.
– Clanwilliam is the Rooibos capital of the world, where you can visit the factory, learn about the history of Rooibos tea production and the process while sipping on a cup of Rooibos tea.
– The Old Goal Museum to learn about the history of Clanwilliam.
– The Ramskop Wildflower Garden with over 350 species of cultivated wild flowers is a highlight of Clanwilliam in the spring.
– Cederberg Brewery, a microbrewery based at Cederberg Private Cellar on Dwarsrivier Farm in the heart of the pristine and unpolluted Cederberg Conservation Area.
– South Africa’s most uniquely situated wine farm falls within the pristine environs of the Cederberg Wilderness Area, which lies in the Cape Floral Kingdom. Here, among spectacular rock formations and fynbos, you will find the highest altitude vineyards in the Cape.
Overnight.
Day 9: Clanwilliam (B)
A day to explore at leisure.
Overnight.
Day 10: Clanwilliam (B) – Garies (2hrs 18min)
Garies is located on the West Coast Way Wild Route. The town is at the foot of the Kamiesberg (mountain) and the valley is hemmed in by rugged rocks and mountains. The Skilpad Wild Flower Reserve is just northwest of Garies and forms part of the Namaqua National Park. Look out for daisies – actually, they are impossible to miss in flower season – and tortoises on the dirt road of roughly five kilometres that circles the reserve. The flower season is dependent on the winter rains, the wind and other weather factors, and the displays vary from place to place each season.
Overnight. (D)
Day 11: Garies (BD)
A day to explore at leisure.
Overnight.
Day 12: Garies (B) – Naries/Springbok (1hr 21min)
Naries is a beautiful and romantic hideaway on the edge of the Spektakelberg between Springbok and Kleinzee. Here you will experience spectacular scenery and it is well positioned for exploring the greater Namakwa Region from the Richtersveld in the north to the shipwrecks in the west, during the wild-flower season.
Overnight. (D)
Day 13: Naries (BD)
A day to explore at leisure.
Overnight.
Day 14: Naries (B) – Vergelegen/Augrabies NC (2hrs 57min)
The Augrabies Falls National Park offers an ancient landscape that will take you back in time to the world of the first hunter-gatherers. On the menu of plant species is the enigmatic Quiver tree or Kokerboom. Traditionally, the Khoisan hunters made their quivers from this tree which dates back thousands of years.
– Walk to the Waterfall viewpoints along a wooden walkway, with a restaurant nearby.
– Game viewing at leisure using your own vehicle to view Klipspringer, Giraffe, Gemsbok, Springbok, and the smaller animals like the Dassie, Chacma Baboon and Vervet monkey.
– Several panoramic viewpoints can be visited inside the park, all of which give stunning vistas of the park, the gorge and the Orange River. These points also provide great opportunities to spot local birdlife. The roads are in a very good condition and easy to navigate.
Overnight.
Day 15: Vergelegen/Augrabies (B)
A day to explore at leisure.
Overnight.
Day 16: Vergelegen/Augrabies (B) – Upington Airport (B) (1hr)
After breakfast, drive to Upington, drop off the car rental and fly to JHB/CPT for your onward international flight.