The Ultimate Garden Route Road Trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town

Get ready for an epic 3200km road trip through South Africa that passes along the Garden Route, covering deserts, sand dunes, wildlife, buzzing cities, traditional villages, romantic coves, heavenly beaches, rugged coastline and adrenaline-fuelled thrills. We’ve called on the expertise of travel junkies Bolle and Marco who have done the drive from Johannesburg to Cape Town, so you’ll get plenty of tips you won’t find anywhere else.

Expect plenty of stops along the way to gape at South Africa’s stunning landscapes and experience unforgettable moments in this amazing country. Browse hostels in South Africa to plan your beds along the way, and read our South Africa travel guide before you set off.

How far is Johannesburg to Cape Town by car?

The direct drive from Johannesburg to Cape Town on the N1 is about 1,400 km and takes roughly 14 to 15 hours behind the wheel, so most people split it over two days, with an overnight stop around Gariep Dam or Hanover, according to kimkim. Our Garden Route road trip is a very different beast: by heading east through the Drakensberg and down the coast, it adds up to around 3,200 km. Give yourself at least two to three weeks so you’re not just staring at tarmac.

Garden Route map: the stops from Johannesburg to Cape Town

Here’s the route we drove, in order. It works just as well the other way round if you’re planning a road trip from Cape Town to Johannesburg.

1. Johannesburg
2. Drakensberg (Royal Natal National Park)
3. Coffee Bay on the Wild Coast
4. Chintsa
5. Jeffreys Bay
6. Addo Elephant National Park, near Gqeberha (if you’re driving west, it fits in before Jeffreys Bay)
7. Tsitsikamma National Park
8. Bloukrans Bridge
9. Nature’s Valley
10. Oudtshoorn and the Little Karoo
11. Mossel Bay
12. De Hoop Nature Reserve
13. Cape Agulhas
14. Hermanus
15. Muizenberg
16. Chapman’s Peak Drive
17. Cape Town

Tips for driving from Johannesburg to Cape Town

• Budget for tolls: The N1 alone has four toll gates, and Chapman’s Peak Drive charges R68 per light vehicle under the June 2026 toll gazette (checked October 2026).
• National park fees: SANParks raises international conservation fees on 1 November 2026: from then, a day at Addo costs R565 per international adult and Storms River Mouth in Tsitsikamma R422, according to its 2026/27 tariff list (checked October 2026).
• Find travel buddies: Share the driving (and the fuel) by asking who’s heading the same way in City Chats on the Hostelworld app. No booking yet? A Social Pass gets you in.

Garden Route itinerary: 7 days from Cape Town to Gqeberha

No time for the full 3,200 km? Fly from Johannesburg to Cape Town, drive the classic Garden Route east along the N2 in a week, and fly back to Johannesburg from Gqeberha. Every stop below is covered in more detail further down.

1. Day 1: Cape Town to Hermanus, for whale watching from the Cliff Path between June and November.
2. Day 2: Hermanus to Mossel Bay, with a detour to Cape Agulhas, the southern tip of Africa, if you set off early.
3. Day 3: Mossel Bay to Oudtshoorn over the Robinson Pass, for ostrich farms and the Little Karoo.
4. Day 4: Oudtshoorn to Knysna or Plettenberg Bay, back on the coast.
5. Day 5: Nature’s Valley for the beach, and the Bloukrans Bridge bungee if you dare.
6. Day 6: Tsitsikamma National Park and the Storms River suspension bridge.
7. Day 7: Surf in Jeffreys Bay, then on to Gqeberha or a game drive in Addo.

No car? The Baz Bus runs hop-on, hop-off between Cape Town and Gqeberha and picks you up from your hostel door, so you can do the same route without driving. Packing for a week of dorms? Our hostel packing list covers it.

1 Johannesburg

The first stop on our Garden Route road trip is Johannesburg, and right now, the neighbourhood of Maboneng is trending. Buzzing with loads of cool cafés, galleries and boutiques, the crowd is young and stylish, with a flair for fashion and design. Check out the Curiocity Backpackers Hostel while you’re there, or browse more hostels in Johannesburg.

Braamfontein should also be on your list. The old Neighbourgoods Market site at 73 Juta Street is now The Playground, reimagined in 2024 as a Saturday hangout with food stalls, bars, live music and even roller skating.

Tip: Want to learn more about the country’s past? Then it’s worth taking a guided tour of the SOWETO township, stopping off at the Hector Pieterson Museum and the house where Nelson Mandela once lived. Our Johannesburg travel guide has more ideas.

2 Drakensberg

If you want to go hiking and experience nature, don’t miss out on the chance to spend a couple of days in the Drakensberg. The sheer scale of the scenery and the majestic mountains is awe-inspiring. Most hostels also offer tours of the Kingdom of Lesotho, with hikes to the Tugela Falls.

It’s also worth taking a hike through the Royal Natal National Park and staying a night or two at Karma Backpackers or another of the hostels in the Drakensberg. The park boasts amazing viewpoints, waterfalls, natural pools and much, much more. It’s run by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, so check its current conservation fees before you go.

Tip: Did you know that Lesotho boasts the highest pub in Africa? Take a 4×4 up through the legendary Sani Pass to be rewarded with a view that’s out of this world.

3 Coffee Bay

As you get closer to the coast, the landscape starts getting more wild and rugged. This stretch of the Eastern Cape isn’t known as the “Wild Coast” for nothing. Stunning Coffee Bay has rugged rock formations and cliffs, traditional round huts and heavenly coves.

Like many other backpackers, we ended up staying here longer than originally planned because it was just so beautiful. Make friends with other travellers at the Coffee Shack Hostel in front of the cosy bonfire with a cool Savanna Dry, or see all the hostels in Coffee Bay.

Don’t miss taking a hike to the “Hole in the Wall”, an extraordinary natural doorway in a rock formation in the ocean. Spend an evening with the locals, enjoying good food, music and dancing.

Tip: If you visit South Africa between June and October you’ll have a good chance of spotting dolphins and whales along the coast.

4 Chintsa

If it’s endless, wide sandy beaches you’re after, Chintsa is the perfect place to spend a day or two on the way from Johannesburg to Cape Town. This tranquil destination with lush subtropical vegetation and wild banana trees only has a population of 1800 people. We can’t think of a better place to chill out.

Tip: Rent a surfboard and wetsuit at the Buccaneers Backpackers hostel to catch a few waves. More hostels in Chintsa are listed under its other spelling, Cintsa.

5 Jeffreys Bay

Each year sees thousands of surf-junkies flock to Jeffreys Bay. The pros here especially like to surf the legendary 800 metre-long “super tube” waves. The World Surf League’s J-Bay Open was dropped from the 2026 tour for lack of funding, as Daily Maverick reported, but the waves are still there for the rest of us.

Tip: Go sand boarding over epic dunes with Island Vibe Hostel, or compare hostels in Jeffreys Bay.

6 Addo Elephant National Park

The first stop on our Garden Route itinerary for anyone who wants to see some South Africa’s legendary wildlife. You can see elephants, zebras, wildebeest, and hyenas at Addo Elephant National Park, a diverse wildlife conservation park situated close to Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth, renamed in 2021) – all without having to get out of the car. Find a base among the hostels in Gqeberha.

Tip: Don’t forget to take a pair of binoculars to see the wildlife from a distance. You’ll get the best sightings in the early morning and late in the evening, usually at waterholes.

7 Tsitsikamma National Park

If you haven’t already fallen in love with South Africa by this point, you will be after visiting Tsitsikamma National Park. Fresh sea air, rugged cliffs, green hillsides and turquoise ocean waters are just some of the highlights. Stay nearby in one of the hostels in Storms River.

A must-see is the incredible viewpoint that is a short 20-minute walk from the Storm River suspension bridge.

Tip: Don’t skip the Waterfall Trail, which takes 90 minutes each way.

8 Bloukrans Bridge

Consider yourself an adrenaline junkie? Then don’t miss the chance to bungee-jump from the Bloukrans Bridge. At 216 metres above the valley floor, it’s billed as the highest bridge bungee in the world. Standing on the edge of the platform, staring down into the deep ravine, is exhilarating.

9 Nature’s Valley

We headed from Bloukrans Bridge to Nature’s Valley, where we spent a couple of nights in a safari tent. If you’re just looking to relax for a while, this is the place to do it. For more beds nearby, try the hostels in Plettenberg Bay or Knysna.

10 Oudtshoorn

This is where the Garden Route starts to head back inland, and before long you’ll reach “little Karoo”, a semi-desert wilderness that feels like the Australian Outback. Driving over the Robinson Pass with its countless twists and turns, is a real highlight. Also don’t miss out on the chance to visit one of the many ostrich farms in Oudtshoorn itself, and stay over in one of the hostels in Oudtshoorn.

11 Mossel Bay

This town often gets called the “ugly duckling” of the Garden Route, but we beg to differ. Mossel Bay is a cool and laid-back town. Here, you can relax on the beach, stay in a converted train (Santos Express Train), enjoy good food and sip on delicious lattes. See all the hostels in Mossel Bay.

Tip: Visit the Blue Shed Coffee Roastery for its great coffee and instagrammable exterior. Try the chocolate brownies. They’re heavenly.

12 De Hoop Nature Reserve

The sand dunes of the De Hoop Nature Reserve were without a doubt one of our favourite South African sights during our road trip along the Garden Route. They are located between Mossel Bay and Cape Agulhas nature reserve.

Tip: The area is one of the best places to whale watch from the shore. Catch a sighting while hiking on the “Whale Trail”.

13 Cape Agulhas

Cape Agulhas is the southernmost point of Africa. Follow the road to a lighthouse and a small trail that leads to the “Foot of Africa” where two oceans meet. The nearest beds are in the hostels in Bredasdorp.

Tip: Venture about 2km further and you’ll find old shipwrecks sitting in the sea, like the Meisho Maru 38, which ran aground during a violent storm in November 1982.

14 Hermanus

Hermanus is an incredibly beautiful little town on the coast. Here you’ll find plenty of accommodation options, including hostels in Hermanus, bars and restaurants, supermarkets and boutiques. Hermanus is considered the whale-watching capital of the world. Southern right whales arrive from around June and stay into November, with September and October the best months to see them, according to Euronews.

Tip: Take a couple of hours to hike along the Cliff Path Trail. It’s a lovely route that hugs the coastline, and it’s free.

15 Muizenberg

Muizenberg was another one of our favourite places in South Africa. There’s not much there, apart from a supermarket, some surf schools, a couple of small restaurants and cafés, however, Muizenberg exudes charm. Its key attractions are surfing and kitesurfing. You can rent a board and a wetsuit at surf schools like Gary’s, which South African Tourism calls the oldest surf school in the country, or Surf Emporium.

16 Chapman’s Peak Drive

Heading out from Muizenberg, you end up in Simon’s Town and the Cape of Good Hope. Don’t miss iconic Chapman’s Peak Drive. This scenic toll road is one of the most beautiful in the world and is a must-visit destination on the Garden Route. Hidden around every corner are views that will leave you breathless.

17 Cape Town

The final stop on the Garden Route from Johannesburg to Cape Town will throw you back into the deep end of civilisation.

We could probably write a whole novel about this unique, buzzing metropolis. Cape Town is as diverse as South Africa itself. We love the cool markets and cafés, international cuisine and colourful nightlife. Our Cape Town travel guide covers the essentials, and our guide to what to see and eat in Cape Town goes deeper. As one Hostelworld guest who stayed in Cape Town put it, it’s “a stunningly beautiful place, but also a deeply complicated city.” Take the same care you would in any big city, especially late at night.

Climbing up Table Mountain from Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens was a favourite, as was the Neighbourgoods market in Woodstock. Don’t miss a hike up Lion’s Head or a sunset from Signal Hill.

Tip: There are MyCiTi buses going in any direction at pre-scheduled times. The buses are modern and cheap.

Where to stay? Start with our pick of the best hostels in Cape Town, read how Villa Viva Cape Town is bringing clean water to its community and how eco-pride is redefining travel in Cape Town, or browse all hostels in Cape Town. Once you’ve booked, check the Events page for what’s on and join your hostel’s Linkups to celebrate the end of the road with new friends.

Feeling inspired to go road tripping? Check out our car hire service.

About the authors:

Bolle and Marco have been travelling the world for over a year. Visit their blog Komm’ wir machen das einfach (Come On, We’ll Make it Easy) to find even more entries, routes, pictures and videos about their e-book on South Africa.