Popular tours and itineraries including Knysna

Knysna

About

Charming Knysna (pronounced NIZE-na) is the Garden Route’s premier base. A small town, it’s set atop a gentle lagoon which is really the Knysna River, broadening out before inching between two sheer cliffs – known as ‘the Heads’ – to find the ocean. The Tsitsikamma Mountains provide an elegant backdrop. As well as scenery, Knysna seduces with its huge range of outdoor activities, stunning accommodation and famously high-quality oysters. Surfers, nature-lovers and families all congregate here.

Highlights

In town, there are galleries and artisan woodcarvers, annual parties like the Knysna Oyster Festival, and lots of bars and restaurants. But the real treasure lies in the surrounding areas. That vast lagoon thrills anglers and birdwatchers (migrants visit in September-October), while local sandy beaches delight boarders (Buffalo Bay) and bathers (Bollard Beach) alike. The eastern Head boasts a plush golf course, and ferry boats chug out to its western counterpart for guided walks through the private, peaceful Featherbed Nature Reserve.

Both Heads make excellent viewpoints for dolphin and whale-watching (July-October), with boat trips also available. Hiking and mountain biking awaits in the forests further north, and children will enjoy riding and feeding residents of the Knysna Elephant Park. For the simplest pleasure of all, just take a drive in either direction and enjoy the heavenly scenery.

Getting there

Most visitors drive up the N2 motorway from Cape Town in 5-6 hours, basing themselves in Knysna or Plett for three or four nights before moving on. For lovely alternative to the first section, take the longer, more-scenic Route 62 through the beautiful Winelands, and quaint towns like Paarl, Robertson and Montagu. Later joining the Garden Route, this is known as ‘the longest wine route in the world’.

Best Time To Visit

With a temperate climate even in winter (June-September) – the mercury rarely drops below 16°C – your decision can be based on other factors. The Christmas holidays are the busiest time, while beaches quieten between February and April. Summer (December-February) can be too stifling for hiking. Whale-watching season peaks in September. 

We offer tailor-made holidays including ground transport for transfers, tours and multi centre trips.

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When you book a holiday with us we will provide full driving instructions for reaching your accommodation, where necessary; these can be used by yourself, or you could enjoy the luxury of a driver. Alternatively we will arrange private (car rather than coach) transfers for you; helicopter transfers are also possible for some destinations.

Testimonials

Shamwari Eagles Crag

A huge THANK YOU

Hi Ash! I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU for organising such a fantastic trip for us. We loved every minute and your recommendations really helped make it. If I hear of anyone looking to go to SA I will point them in ur direction! I hope you and your family have a lovely Christmas. Thanks again. Lottie …

Lottie and Will

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