Garden Route and Addo

The Garden Route encompasses everything you want to experience and see on a trip to South Africa. It has the ‘Mother City’ of Cape Town, plenty of beaches to catch a surf or tan, wine farms to indulge in, adventurous activities on both land and sea as well as Big 5 Game Reserves to get your wildlife fix.  

It’s common to start in Mossel Bay in the west and finish at Storms River in the east – but there’s no reason you couldn’t do this in reverse or start in the middle (like the rebel you are).

Our Garden Route & Addo trip starts off in Cape Town. From there, we’ll board the Contiki coach and drive east to the Addo Elephant Park via Oudtshoorn. We then head south to Gqeberha before making our way back west to Hermanus via Knysna. Check the itinerary above for more info.  

It’ll change slightly depending on what time of year you’re visiting, but some essentials will include:

• Your camera
• Comfortable shoes & clothes for walking (including a beanie, gloves and warm jacket for open-top safari drives in the winter)
• Your swimming costume & towel
• Sun cream, a hat, sunglasses
• Insect repellent 
• A portable phone charger
• Binoculars (crucial for game drives to see animals in the distance)
• Day bag for daily activities
• Torch/Headlight
• Reusable water bottle

Read our full guide to visiting Africa here.

The Garden Route summer occurs between October to April, with the best beach weather coming in December to February. July to December is Whale Season, so this is the best time to visit if you’re keen to admire the Garden Route’s awesome marine life. May - September usually sees the coolest weather, so these months are ideal for hiking, outdoor activities, and safaris. 

Excellent. We visit wildlife reserves, so you’ll have a decent chance of catching the elusive Big 5 – plus giraffes, warthogs and other famed species. You’ll also have a great chance of seeing elephants in Addo, plus the myriad marine life on our marine activities – including whales, dolphins, penguins and more.

You’ll be journeying around in your very own Contiki coach or minibus, equipped with AC (for a much-needed cool down from the tropical heat.) You’ll have the company of your Trip Manager, who’ll give you all the juicy info you need about the incredible spots you see en-route. And of course, we’ll keep it groovy on the coach with some music.   

This Garden Route & Addo trip is studded with incredible stays. This includes centrally-located beachside resorts and waterfront hotels, with scrumptious buffet breakfasts to kickstart your day. You’ll also have access to all amenities like restaurants, bars, and pools. 

Contiki is the complete travel experience for 18-35s, with over 200 trips to choose from across Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, Latin America, New Zealand and Australia. We take care of your stays, local transport and truly unique travel experiences too, so you just need to show up and have the time of your life.

You’ll join a group of friendly people from all over the world, all aged between 18 and 35. Contiki has been taking young travellers across the world since 1962, and we’re rated 4.7/5 on Feefo based on over 25,000 independent reviews. Imagine how good you’d be at something if you’d been doing it for over 60 years?

Not at all! You’ll certainly have the option to explore a destination’s nightlife (and the Trip Manager may point you to their fave bars) but there’s absolutely no pressure to join in. In most groups, there’ll be a good mix of people who like to party and people who like to take it easy. Your Trip Manager will have this in mind, and they can suggest lots of night time activities that don’t involve drinking.

Choose from well over 200 trips around the world. You’ll find Contiki trips in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, Latin America, New Zealand and Australia. Popular destinations include the Greek Islands, Italy, Thailand, Japan and South Africa. Browse all destinations here.

Contiki takes the stress out of global travel! Each of our trips are designed, tried and tested by travel experts so that you’ll experience the main highlights and hidden gems of your chosen destination. 

Stays, local transport and awesome experiences are included with every trip. You’ll also travel with a friendly group of 18 to 35-year-olds, plus a highly trained Trip Manager and Trip Driver. This means that all you need to do is choose your adventure and then turn up at the designated starting point (usually the hotel/hostel for Day One). 

You can secure your booking with a low deposit, and then set up an (interest free) payment plan to take care of the rest. Choose monthly or bi-weekly payments. If you’d prefer, you can also pay the full amount upfront or pay in flexible instalments up to 60 days before you go.

Your visa requirements can change according to your citizenship. Check out our handy  guide to visas for all the info.

Not always. You’ll travel by the iconic Contiki coach on lots of trips, especially multi-country adventures in Europe or New Zealand – but you have other options too. We have epic train trips running throughout Europe, then there’s sailing & island hopping in Croatia, Greece, Thailand and beyond. Outside of Europe, you might travel on a mix of trains, minibuses, boats and even planes. Wanna know how you’ll travel on a specific trip? You’ll find all the info you need on the trip page. 

Group sizes will vary from trip to trip, destination to destination. 

Typically in Europe, North America and New Zealand, the group size will range between 24-53. 

In Asia, Australia, Africa and Latin America, group sizes are much smaller and range from 12-30 travellers (30 maximum).

You certainly can. All of our trips are available to book online, just select your preferred travel date(s) and you’re good to go. You can also book over the phone if you'd prefer.

If you need help with your booking or have any questions, you can contact our friendly support teams 24/7, online or over the phone.

Each and every Contiki trip includes: 

• Hotel/hostel accommodation
• Local transport (by coach, train or internal flight) 
• Various experiences like guided tours and meals 
• An expert Trip Manager & Driver and
• MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences
• Breakfast daily (plus a few lunches and dinners too) 
• A group of friendly travellers from around the world, all aged 18-35
• 24/7 support

The number of included meals and activities varies from trip to trip. For example, you’ll find that on many of our city trips, fewer meals are included so you have the freedom to explore different eateries for yourself. 

Wanna know exactly what’s included on a specific trip? Just check the trip page for a more detailed breakdown.

Flights to/from your start/end destination are not included with the cost of your trip. You can add flights to your online booking though – lock them in with a small deposit and pay the rest over time up to 30 days before you go.

Our trips also include optional Free Time Add-Ons – experiences designed to help you get the most out of your Contiki trip. These could be anything from white water rafting to cooking classes, skydiving to a cabaret show. On Day One of your trip, you’ll get to select from a menu of Free Time Add-Ons, and then you can pay for them during the trip.

Breakfast is included on the vast majority of our trips, but not all food is. In most cases, the itinerary has been designed to give you the freedom to explore and choose where/what to eat for yourself (with tips from your Trip Manager/local guides). The number of included meals varies from trip to trip. Got your eye on a specific trip? Visit the trip page for a full breakdown of what’s included. 

Contiki trips don’t include visas or travel insurance. As the traveller, it is your responsibility to procure each of these for yourself – although we can advise on both! Contact our friendly team 24/7, online or over the phone.

Contiki is committed to sustainable travel, and to doing our very best both for the future of our planet and the travellers of tomorrow! We’re on track to reach Net Zero emissions by 2050, we’re proud to report that our European coaches now run on HVO fuel, and our exclusive properties are powered by 100% renewable energy. 

The majority of our trips include at least one MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, designed to benefit local people & communities, wildlife or the planet – aligned with at least one of the United Nations’ Goals for Sustainable Development.

In recent years, we’ve… 

• Announced more trips in more developing regions to help combat over tourism
• Partnered with organisations like Trees for Life (Scotland) and Rainforest Rescue (Australia)
• Published our annual Impact Report, making sure we stay on track with our sustainability goals 
• Committed to being as inclusive as possible, both on our trips and in our marketing

Learn more here.

Yes! It’s a requirement of travelling with Contiki that you take out a comprehensive insurance policy, covering: 

• Cancellation
• Personal injury
• Death
• Medical expenses
• Repatriation expenses
• Evacuation expenses
• Personal liability
• Loss of personal property
• Any and all activities included on your trip

Yes and yes. You can add pre- and post-trip accommodation to your booking in one of three ways:

• When booking your trip online
• In the My Contiki Travel Portal after you've made your booking
• By calling us any time on 1300 177 491

In certain cities, you may even be able to secure a preferential rate for your pre- or post-trip accommodation.

Wanna make the most of your time in a new destination? Many smaller Contiki trips make awesome add-ons to larger adventures. I.e. If your trip starts/ends in London, you can join our London Explorer to get the lowdown on London. To learn more about add-on trips, chat to us 24/7 online or over the phone.

Of course you can! You’ll just need to book each trip separately, then add each individual booking to your My Contiki Travel Portal account. 

If you’re booking two adjoining trips (i.e. one trip ends in London and you’re booking another that starts in London), just make sure you have enough time between the two.

Need help or have questions about multiple bookings? Chat to our friendly team 24/7, online or over the phone on 1300 177 491. 

Visit our Travel Lounge on Facebook to chat to our awesome Contiki community – made up of Past Travellers, Trip Managers and future travellers too.