South Africa

Mountain Biking Tour from $3,922 NZD

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14 Days
  • 2012
  • 2013
  • Best time to travel: February - March / November - December
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  • Availability Guide:
  • Current date selected
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Come to the Cape for a great escape — take to the slopes like an antelope! Great landscapes, wildlife and tough rocky trails await you.

Visit vibrant Cape Town, a city of contrasts. You'll see iconic Table Mountain, wine lands, savannas, and wildlife by bike.

You'll see the Cape of Good Hope, and ride through ancient forests on the stunning coastal Garden Route. You'll bike up the Cedarberg Mountains and into the wilderness. Plus, a highlight for many: the Addo Elephant National Park.

Cape Town to Port Elizabeth

Cape Town
  • Mountain biking
  • Grade
  • USD340 single room surcharge
  • USD360 bike hire
  • This tour is invoiced in USD
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South Africa Fitness and Preparation

There aren't just elephants in this amazing place. There are also rhinos, lions, leopards, buffaloes and antelopes, and many others.

Our routes are mainly rocky shingle trails with some steep climbs and downhills. And after building your fitness and technical skills by day, relax in your lovely guesthouse, hotel or chalet.

Hard Tours

Hard tours are designed for the more experienced participant wishing to push themselves and experience new highs of achievement. Routes will include longer climbs and more technical skills.

Fitness required

A good level of fitness is required, you will need to be exercising three-four times a week prior to the tour.

Full Itinerary

DAY 1

Arrival Day: Cape Town

Biking/Elevation: 26 km/366 m

Welcome to Cape Town, the most popular destination in Africa, and one of the most multicultural cities on Earth. After you check in at your guesthouse, we'll take you on a sightseeing tour, including the Castle of Good Hope, the Grand Parade, and Greenmarket Square, selling African art and crafts. You'll see District Six, where more than 60,000 residents were forcibly removed under apartheid. Also, the Malay quarter (Bo-Kaap), a colourful Muslim-influenced suburb. If you'd like to cycle today, head to panoramic Table Mountain and cycle the trails back to the guesthouse.

Meals: None

DAY 2

Table Mountain Plateau and Cape of Good Hope

Biking/Elevation: 35 km/869 m

Today we'll drive to Tokai Forest on the Cape Peninsula. We'll cycle past beautiful old pines, and see fynbos, precious local shrubland. Ericas and proteas grow on Constantia Mountain, with its wonderful view of Cape Town and surrounds. Then, a downhill ride of varying difficulty. Next, we'll drive alongside the Indian Ocean to a penguin colony, and on to the Cape of Good Hope. Here cheeky baboons live alongside ostriches and blesbok, bontebok and kudu antelopes. We'll go on a scenic walk from Cape Point to the Cape of Good Hope. We return to town along a walkway on the cliffs.

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 3

The wine lands around Stellenbosch, and Dirtopia

Biking: 58 km + various optional trails

This morning we transfer through the stunningly beautiful wine lands around the town of Stellenbosch, en route to the Dirtopia Trail Centre. This varying trail was created by a mountain biking insider, and offers challenging ascents to Simons Mountain and Jonkershoek Valley. We stay overnight in a comfortable guest house.

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 4

Cedarberg Mountains

Biking/Elevation: 45 km/1052 m

This morning we transfer north to Clanwilliam, the centre of rooibos tea plantations. We ride up to the 720 m high Pakhuispass in the Cederberg Mountains, then cycle through rugged rock formations on remote jeep tracks. Heuningsvlei (Honey Lake) is so secluded that only donkey carts can reach it. We stay in a simple missionary guest house in tiny Wuppertal, deep in the mountains.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 5

Cedarberg Mountains: Groot River Pass

Biking/Elevation: 63 km/1100 m

First, we'll bike up steep Eselbank ridge. The great view is a reward for the perspiration. We pass many rooibos fields on our way to the heart of the Cedarberg Mountains. We'll take a lunch break at a fascinating sandstone cave with drawings from the Khoisan, a native ethnic group with a click language. Finally we'll drive around 1100 m to the Groot River Pass through thick forest. We'll stay in a very beautiful wooden lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 6

Cedarberg Mountains to Ceres

Biking/Elevation: 55 km/1189 m

Today we'll cycle up the high plateau along good tracks. From here, we begin the 11 km climb to Patryskop hill at 1673 m. The view stretches about 160 km to Table Mountain. Rare species of protea thrive in this alpine climate. Following our descent, we cycle on flat ground past many bizarre rock formations until we almost reach the town of Op-die-Berg. Then we transfer to our guest house to the beautiful mountain town of Ceres. Named after the Roman goddess of agriculture, this town is a major fruit production area.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 7

Boosmanbos Wilderness Area

Biking/Elevation: 55 km/978 m

A 2.5 hr transfer takes us along the fertile wine farms at the foot of the Langeberg Mountains. Then we ride on tracks, jeep tracks and single trails into the Boosmansbos Wildness Region, with its mountain fynbos, erica and everlasting plants. The BS&G (Blood, Sweat & Gears) Pass offers a challenge: a 2.25 km ascent with a height gain of 412 m. We overnight in a lush valley in the region of Little Karoo. Your accommodation is a guest house in one of the lovely chalets within the wilderness area.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 8

Boosmanbos Wilderness Area to Knysna: Rest Day

No biking

Rest your weary legs today with a drive down the Garden Route — one of the world's most beautiful coastal drives. First stop: the harbour city of Mossel Bay. Then, the city of George, the surfing beach of Victoria Bay, and the town of Wilderness, all holiday spots. Our destination: the popular town of Knysna, where the afternoon is free to spend as you choose. The town is built on the shore of a warm-water estuary and has excellent oysters. It's a favourite destination for golfers, artists, hippies and retirees. We'll stay 2 nights in a lovely guest house with an interesting garden.

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 9

Knysna Forest

Biking/Elevation: 58 km (single tracks)/1051 m

Today we'll ride past a huge 800-year-old yellowwood tree to bike to the Diepwalle Forest Station. We'll cycle downhill over old woodcutting paths and several streams to the 'Garden of Eden' an unusual 'high forest' area where we take a lunch break. In the afternoon we'll go on a specially-laid mountain bike trail through the Harkerville Forest, with fallen trees evidence of forest elephants. From the coast we have a wonderful view out over the Indian Ocean.

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 10

Outeniqua Mountains

Biking/Elevation: 58 km/1051 m

Today we'll drive back to Diepvalle, and continue on our bikes through the solitude of the gently sloping Outeniqua Mountains. A few ascents and descents take us to Die Vlug. The highlight is the 11 km uphill ride to the spectacular Prince Alfred Pass (960 m). Our destination: a game farm, where we'll stay in comfortable chalets. You should see zebras, springboks, and eland antelopes.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 11

Outeniqua Mountains to Baviaanskloof Gorge

Biking/Elevation: 94 km/549 m

After a short transfer to Ouposberg, we cycle through farmland to the beginning of the rocky Baviaanskloof Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A varying downhill track brings us through the rugged Nuwekloof Gorge in the main valley. You'll see lush landscapes gradually give way to a savannah-like grassy landscape, marked by acacia and fig trees. We will stay the night on an ostrich farm.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 12

Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area

Biking/Elevation: 49 km/1006 m

Today we will head down a special bike and 4×4 only trail. With luck, we will see kudu and blesbok antelopes, buffaloes, and large monitor lizards. A challenging climb brings us to the mountain pass plateau. Amazing views in the solitude of the Winter Mountains await us. You'll stay overnight in a chalet.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 13

Addo Elephant National Park

No biking

Today, a real tour highlight: we're going on a safari at the Addo Elephant National Park. We'll travel in an open vehicle. With any luck we'll see elephants, ostriches, tortoises, warthogs, zebras, blesboks, kudus, black rhinos and even lions! We will stay in a very nice mountain lodge for the night.

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 14

Departure Day: Transfer to Port Elizabeth airport

No biking

Time to say goodbye today. We'll transfer you to Port Elizabeth Airport where this challenging and varied mountain bike tour comes to an end.

Meals: Breakfast

Talk to me about your South Africa Mountain Biking Tour!

Nathalie_236x184

+64 3 982 9933

Email: reservations@globaladventureguide.com

Tour Inclusions and Exclusions:

Tour Includes:

  • English speaking tour guide
  • 13 nights accommodation chalets, hotels, lodges and guesthouses with private bathrooms
  • Meals as indicated in itinerary - 13 x breakfasts, 9 lunches, 6 dinners
  • Vehicle backup including transport for bikes
  • All entrance fees for sightseeing programme

Tour Excludes:

  • International Flights and/or Travel Visas (where applicable) or Travel Insurance
  • Single Supplement
  • Drinks & snack bars

Tour Video

A mountain biking tour through any country is a great escape! This movie gives an insight into what to expect on a Global Adventure Guide mountain biking tour.