We take plenty of travellers in their 60s and 70s along South Africa’s Garden Route, and one of the questions we sometimes receive is how physically demanding the trip actually is.
The simple answer is: it doesn’t have to be demanding at all.
The Garden Route is particularly well suited to travellers who want to see a lot without having to hike for hours or take part in strenuous activities. Many of the best places are accessible by vehicle, with short walks once you arrive.
How much walking is involved?
That depends entirely on you.
At Tsitsikamma National Park, for example, some visitors walk to the Storms River suspension bridges, while others prefer to enjoy the forest, coastline and restaurant area closer to the main rest camp.
Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, Wilderness and Mossel Bay can all be enjoyed without long walks.
There are opportunities for longer walks, including Robberg Nature Reserve near Plettenberg Bay, but these are optional. A private tour means there is no requirement to keep up with a group or participate in an activity that doesn’t suit you.
How much time is spent driving?
There is driving involved — this is a road trip after all — but one of the advantages of the Garden Route is that there are frequent stops.
The scenery also changes considerably along the journey. The route takes you through coastal areas, forests, lagoons, mountains and small towns.
We normally recommend four days for a Garden Route tour from Cape Town. Three days is possible, but four days provides a much more comfortable pace and allows more time at the places you have travelled all that way to see.
You don’t need to rush
This is where a private tour makes a considerable difference.
There is no coach waiting for 40 people, no fixed walking speed and no need to leave somewhere simply because the group itinerary says it is time to go.
If you want to spend longer having lunch in Knysna, we can.
If you want a shorter walk at Tsitsikamma, that’s fine.
If you would rather spend time enjoying the views in Plettenberg Bay than doing a strenuous hike, we can arrange the day accordingly.
Comfortable accommodation
Our Garden Route tours include clean, safe and centrally located 4-star hotel accommodation.
After a full day exploring, you have a comfortable hotel to return to rather than having to organise accommodation yourself in each destination.
Is there an upper age limit?
No.
Age itself isn’t particularly important. We have guests with very different levels of fitness and mobility, which is another reason private touring works so well.
If you can comfortably get in and out of a vehicle and manage normal day-to-day walking, there is a great deal of the Garden Route that you can experience.
And if you have particular mobility requirements, tell us before the tour. We can plan the itinerary accordingly.
Garden Route private tours for 2027
Convoy Tours’ private Garden Route tours start from R13,499 per person, including 4-star hotel accommodation.
For a limited time, we’re also including a FREE private Cape Peninsula day tour with Garden Route bookings for 2027.
With more than 1,300 five-star TripAdvisor reviews, we’ve been taking visitors around Cape Town and the Garden Route for many years.
If you’re in your 60s, 70s or beyond and wondering whether the Garden Route is suitable for you, drop us a line.
Tell us your dates, how many people are travelling and anything you’d particularly like to see.
We’ll take it from there.
Convoy Tours — We see things they’ll never see.
