Cape Town to the Garden Route

By the Viamo editorial team · Editor Terje Moy · Last updated July 2026 · 6 min read

Planning this trip? Currency converter · Jet-lag calculator · Trip budget · Compare routes

The Garden Route is less a single destination than a stretch of coastline — roughly 200 kilometres of forested hills, lagoons and beaches running east from Mossel Bay through Knysna to Plettenberg Bay, and often extended informally as far as Storms River and the Tsitsikamma forests. Unlike most routes on this site, this one is designed to be travelled slowly, in stages, rather than covered in one sitting. Here is how to plan it.

No rail option

There is no passenger rail service along the Garden Route. South Africa's long-distance network, Shosholoza Meyl, does not run this corridor, and the historic Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train between George and Knysna — once a beloved tourist attraction — has been out of service for years following storm damage to the line, with no confirmed date for a full return. Assume the route is road-only when planning.

The classic way: self-drive on the N2

The N2 national road is the backbone of the Garden Route and one of South Africa's most scenic drives. From Cape Town, it runs east through Sir Lowry's Pass, along the coast past Hermanus (a detour, not directly on the N2, but a common first stop), through Mossel Bay, George, Wilderness, Knysna and on to Plettenberg Bay and Storms River. The full distance from Cape Town to Plettenberg Bay is roughly 500 km, which is drivable in about 6 to 7 hours non-stop — but almost nobody does it in one go, and that rather misses the point.

Most visitors take three to seven days to cover the same ground, breaking the journey with stops in Hermanus (whale watching in season), Mossel Bay, Wilderness, Knysna (the lagoon, oysters, the Knysna Heads) and Plettenberg Bay (beaches and the Robberg Nature Reserve), sometimes continuing to the Tsitsikamma section of Garden Route National Park for forest canopy walks and the Storms River suspension bridge.

Hire cars are widely available in Cape Town, at the airport and in the city centre, and can usually be dropped off in George, Knysna, Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) or Cape Town again, often for a one-way fee if you end your trip elsewhere. Road quality on the N2 is generally good and well signposted.

The budget backpacker way: the Baz Bus

The Baz Bus is a hop-on, hop-off shuttle service aimed specifically at backpackers and independent travellers, running along the classic Cape Town–Garden Route–Durban–Johannesburg corridor with door-to-door drop-offs at hostels along the way, rather than fixed bus-station stops. It is the most flexible way to do the Garden Route without a car: buy a pass covering a set number of days or a point-to-point ticket, and hop off at Hermanus, Mossel Bay, George, Wilderness, Knysna or Plettenberg Bay for as many nights as you like before catching a later Baz Bus onward.

This flexibility comes at a cost in journey time — the Baz Bus takes considerably longer stage-by-stage than driving directly, since it loops through hostels and multiple towns — but for travellers without a hire car who want to move at their own pace, it remains one of the most popular ways to see the coast. Book seats in advance, particularly in the busy December–January South African summer season.

The scheduled coach way: Intercape

Intercape runs scheduled long-distance coach services along the N2 corridor connecting Cape Town with George, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and on towards Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) and beyond. Unlike the Baz Bus, Intercape runs point-to-point on a fixed timetable between main bus stations rather than hostel-to-hostel, making it faster for travellers who already know where they want to stop and do not need the flexible hop-on/hop-off format. Journey time from Cape Town to Knysna is roughly 8 to 9 hours by direct coach; to Plettenberg Bay, add a little more.

Fares are generally lower than a hire car once you factor in fuel and rental costs, though obviously less flexible for exploring side roads and viewpoints along the way, which are a large part of the Garden Route's appeal. Intercape's Garden Route service is part of the same wider network that also covers the longer haul up to Johannesburg and Durban, so if your trip continues beyond the coast it is worth checking through-fares and connections when you book.

Flying and skipping ahead

If your priority is simply reaching Knysna or Plettenberg Bay quickly rather than experiencing the route itself, both towns have small regional airports with limited scheduled flights, and George has a larger airport (George Airport, GRJ) with more frequent connections to Cape Town and Johannesburg — flight time from Cape Town is under an hour. This only makes sense if you plan to rent a car locally and explore the immediate area rather than the whole coastal stretch, since flying skips the drive that is the main point of the Garden Route in the first place.

Continuing beyond the Garden Route

Many travellers treat the Garden Route as the first leg of a longer South African loop, continuing from Plettenberg Bay or Storms River onward to Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), and from there potentially up toward Johannesburg. If your onward plans include entry or exit at another southern African border — for instance into Namibia, Botswana or Eswatini — check the current rules in our Africa entry requirements guide well ahead of time, since requirements vary considerably by nationality and by which crossing you plan to use.

Which should you choose?

Self-drive is the right choice for most visitors: it lets you set your own pace, detour to viewpoints, wineries and beaches, and linger wherever catches your eye. Choose the Baz Bus if you are travelling solo or without a car and want maximum flexibility to hop off at hostels along the way. Take Intercape if you have fixed stops in mind and want a faster, cheaper point-to-point option than driving. Flying only makes sense if you are short on time and plan to explore just one part of the route locally.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a train along the Garden Route?

No scheduled passenger rail service runs this corridor. The historic Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe tourist steam train between George and Knysna has been suspended for years due to storm damage; check current status before assuming it operates.

How many days should I spend on the Garden Route?

Most travellers allow three to seven days from Cape Town to Plettenberg Bay or Storms River, with stops along the way. It is possible to drive the full stretch in under seven hours, but that defeats the purpose of the route.

What is the Baz Bus?

A hop-on, hop-off shuttle aimed at backpackers, dropping passengers directly at hostels rather than bus stations along the Cape Town–Garden Route–Durban–Johannesburg corridor. It is slower than driving but very flexible for independent travellers without a car.

Do I need a car for the Garden Route?

Not strictly — the Baz Bus and Intercape coaches both serve the main towns — but a hire car gives far more freedom to detour to viewpoints, beaches and smaller villages that public transport does not reach.