Join Us for our Cape Splendour tour

Items that are included in the cost of tour price.

 

• Harley Davidson Motorcycle Rental
• All entrance fees
• Daily Guide Book
• Toll fees
• Tour memento
• “Badge of Honour” tour patch
• Preparation and Orientation

Items that are not included in the cost of tour price.

• Bike accessories i.e. helmet, gloves and jackets. These can be hired from Makani
• All meals and beverages unless specified
• Fuel
• Personal Expenses
• Personal Travel/Accident Insurance, which is highly recommended.

Day 1: Cape Town to Barrydale (265km)

We will depart from the Makani Showroom and exit Cape Town via Du Toitskloof Pass, our first mountain pass of the journey. Immediately, towering rock walls and the deep kloofs of the Klein Drakenstein Mountains envelop you. This scenic route is an invigorating beginning to the day- and your tour!

Take in the vista that extends all the way to Cape Town and beyond (including the iconic Table Mountain) from the view site at the top. Negotiate the bends and descend through a gap between the Klein Drakenstein and Hawekwas Mountains into the Molenaars River Valley.

We will stop to stretch the legs and sample farm fare at the many farmstalls dotted along the roadside. The R60 leads to Robertson and the Robertson Wine Valley. We will head to Bonnievale making a stop at the Springfield Wine Estate for a wine tasting.

We will re-join the R60 and continue along the road to Ashton, lined with bright bougainvillea and palm trees. Veer right onto the Klaasvoogds West Road for the Klaasvoogd’s Meander, one of the route’s best kept secrets. Take time off the saddle here to visit the wine farms, restaurant and succulent garden.

Kogmanskloof is the next pass en route to Montagu and is one of the many passes in the southern Cape surveyed by Thomas Bain, the well-known road engineer of the 19th century, who was responsible for planning and building over 900 roads and mountain passes.

The town of Montagu, the mecca of rock climbing in South Africa, is also famous for its Muscadel, so don’t miss out! We will make sure that you taste this sweet fortified wine at the Montagu Country Hotel where you also have the option of a sightseeing tour in their vintage Cadillac.

The Klein Karoo Wine Route extends from here into the Langkloof mountains and is SA’s most easterly wine producing region. The landscape becomes more typically Karoo in character as you climb the Tradouw Pass, dipping down to your overnight stop, Barrydale, where a choice of good restaurants and cosy guesthouses await you.

Day 2: Barrydale to Oudsthoorn (176km)

This leisurely day allows for pauses, exploration and delicious discovery. First stop is Ronnie’s Sex Shop, a biker’s favourite roadside pub.

Your overnight stop today is Oudtshoorn, surrounded by the Swartberg and Outeniqua mountains. It is known as the ostrich capital of the world and you are sure to see many of the unusual birds along the way. Spend the afternoon at the Cango Caves or join a guided tour at the Cango Wildlife Ranch where you can try crocodile kebabs and ostrich steaks at their Turtle Restaurant.

Day 3: Oudsthoorn to Prince Albert (112km)

Start the day by partaking in a true Oudtshoorn experience: a visit to an ostrich farm! Afterwards, a breath-taking ride along the R407 to Prince Albert awaits you as we fly through the dramatic rock formations of Meiringspoort, where we will stop to take a stroll to the falls before we continue our journey to the quaint town of Prince Albert.

The afternoon is yours to explore Prince Albert at your leisure. Visit the museum and join an ecotourism tour in the nature reserve, a ghost walk, or a historical ramble. You also have the option to join John’s Donkey for a trip over the Swartberg Pass.

We will stay overnight in this enchanting small town before heading southwards to the coast.

Day 4: Prince Albert to Mosselbay (202km)

On Day 4, we will return to Oudtshoorn via Meiringspoort for another serving of natural beauty, gaining a different perspective from the opposite direction, and we will continue from there to Mossel Bay. This route follows Robinson’s Pass, with sweeping curves and awe-inspiring views, connecting Oudtshoorn to the coast.

Eight Bells Mountain Inn, at the foot of the Robinson’s pass, is an appealing countryside spot to take a break from the journey for tea and cake.

From the verdant meadows of Eight Bells, we will continue to Mossel Bay for lunch. Enjoy the afternoon visiting the Diaz Museum and strolling along the Cape St. Blaze trail, before selecting a restaurant for supper and relaxing for the evening in the comfort of your guesthouse.

Day 5: Mosselbay to Hermanus (220km)

We will make our way out of Mossel Bay after breakfast, travelling 80km before taking the turnoff to Stilbaai. An interesting morning lies ahead, beginning with a stop at an unusual distillery that produces world-class gins and rums.

Don’t linger here for too long or you’ll miss the feeding of the eels! Every day at 11am, the Stilbaai Tourism Bureau feeds the eels in the Palinggat Fountain. These freshwater eels have lived in the fountain for over 125 years.

Hereafter, we will return to the N2 and follow the road past Swellendam to Bredasdorp. We will also pay a visit to the Shipwreck Museum, which houses an interesting collection of artefacts from some of the many ships wrecked along this treacherous coastline.

Our next stop is the southern-most tip of Africa – Cape Agulhas! You will have a chance to pose for a photograph at the southern tip of Africa, where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet, before climbing the stairs of the lighthouse.

The Old Mill in Elim, a former Moravian mission station, is a good place to break for tea and melktert, a popular South African dessert, before continuing to Kleinbaai for shark-cage diving or to Stanford for beer-tasting and cheese tasting. Stanford also offers a variety of appealing restaurants for lunch.

Whale-watching central, Hermanus, is your destination at the end of the day. If it is whale season, look out for the gentle giants from the Hermanus cliffs. Alternatively, you can explore the town or stroll along the cliff paths and appreciate the coastal scenery and fresh air.

Day 6: Hermanus (& The Hermanus Wine Route) to Cape Town via Betty’s Bay and Gordon’s Bay (185km)

If you missed out on the shark cage diving the previous day, don’t despair, you have another chance before you leave today. From Hermanus the R320 provides a chance for a backroad meander along the Hermanus Wine Route. This includes the lovely Hemel en Aarde Valley. When you have sufficiently dipped into the nectar of the gods, re-join the coastal road and continue to Betty’s Bay for lunch.

The Harold Porter Botanical Gardens, adjoining the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, provides a delightful garden setting for a tea stop or lunch. Stroll around the gardens (or, if energetic, up Leopardskloof to the waterfall), or visit the Betty’s Bay penguin colony.

The route back to the Cape of Good Hope will take us along the coast through Pringle Bay, Rooi-Els and Gordon’s Bay.

From Gordon’s Bay, the N2 leads us back to the mother city. Veer off onto Baden Powell for your last coastal journey to Muizenberg. From there it’s only a 20km stretch straight back to Cape Town City.

Please be aware that this itinerary may need to change due to weather, road conditions or other factors. The tour guide will make the final decision after consultation with the tour operator and the group members. The safety of our clients come first!

If you are a licensed and experienced rider and would like to complete this 6-day Cape Splendour tour on your own, you can rely on us for an affordable option for Harley rentals. Contact us for more information.