Cape Town Cycle Tour 2023: Garden Route Training Tour

 

Join us on our best-selling Cape Town Cycle Tour 2023 - Garden Route Cycling Tour! New and improved for the coming year, this spectacular tour will take you along the illustrious Garden Route from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town, covering around 100km / 62miles each day.

 

A complete package for international cyclists who want to experience the very best cycling routes that South Africa has to offer, this comprehensive Garden Route Cycling Holiday will have you in peak condition for the Cape Town Cycle Tour on Sunday, 12th March 2023, and includes guaranteed entry into the race.

 

Fully escorted by our very own cycling fanatic Ingo, this multilingual tour (English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Afrikaans) will start in Port Elizabeth on 28.02.2023. Places are strictly limited, and they sell out fast, so book your space today.

 

WHAT’S INCLUDED

 

-   2 nights in Port Elizabeth with Breakfast & Welcome Dinner on day 2

-   1 night in Jeffrey’s Bay with Breakfast, Picnic Lunch & Dinner 

-   1 night in The Crags with Breakfast, Picnic Lunch & Dinner 

-   1 night in Brenton-on-Sea with Breakfast, Picnic Lunch & Dinner

-   2 nights in Oudtshoorn with Breakfast, Picnic Lunch & Dinner

-   1 night in Swellendam with Breakfast, Picnic Lunch & Dinner 

-   1 night in Stellenbosch with Breakfast, Picnic Lunch & Dinner

-   4 nights in Cape Town with Breakfast

-   All Airport Transfers in South Africa

-   Meet & Greet at hotel on arrival

-   7 x Cycle Training Tours with Guide(s), Luggage Transport, and Support Vehicle

-   1 x Option Cycle Training Tour on rest day 

-   Bike box transport from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town

-   Bike storage at hotels

-   Guaranteed Entry Cape Town Cycle Tour 2023 

-   Onsite assistance from Equatours Travel Specialist

-   Transfer to EXPO

-   Race Pack Collection Assistance

-   Breakfast of Champions on Race Day from 05:30am

-   Race Day Briefing

-   After Party 3-Course Dinner with unlimited beer, wine, and soft drinks

-   Detailed travel itinerary

-   Premium Cycle Jersey 

-   All hotel taxes

-   Travel Trust Association 100% Financial Protection 

-   ATOL Protection on flight inclusive packages

 

DAY 1: ARRIVE PORT ELIZABETH – TRANSFER TO HOTEL

Upon arrival in Port Elizabeth, please collect your luggage and proceed to the arrivals hall where your driver will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel in Port Elizabeth. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Overnight: Port Elizabeth 4* Hotel

 

DAY 2: FREE DAY PORT ELIZABETH

Today has been set aside for building your bikes, making any necessary repairs, and preparing for your Garden Route Cycling Tour. In the afternoon, we will take a short warm-up ride of around 50km, before regrouping at 18h00 for a tour briefing followed by dinner.

Overnight: Port Elizabeth 4* Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

 

DAY 3: PORT ELIZABETH TO JEFFERY’S BAY: CYCLING DISTANCE APPROXIMATELY 115KM / 71 MILES

After an early breakfast and hotel check-out, we will load our luggage onto the support vehicle before setting off from the hotel. We’ll ride next to the beach and the rocky coastline until we reach the small town of Jeffrey’s Bay (a mecca for surfers), where we will settle for the night. 

Overnight: Jeffrey’s Bay 4* Guesthouse

Meals Included: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch and Dinner

 

DAY 4: JEFFREY’S BAY TO TSITSIKAMMA NATIONAL PARK: CYCLING DISTANCE APPROXIMATELY 110KM / 68 MILES

Today’s cycle ride starts on easy terrain as we head out of town and into the rich green countryside that will lead us to the Tsitsikamma Mountains. From here, our route remains relatively flat, but there are a few climbs to test our legs as we make our way through Nature’s Valley to The Crags where we will spend the night. 

Overnight: The Crags 4* Country Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch and Dinner

 

DAY 5: STORMS RIVER TO BRENTON-ON-SEA: CYCLING DISTANCE APPROXIMATELY 85KM / 52 MILES

After our morning routine of breakfast, hotel check out, and loading our luggage onto the support vehicle, we will leave The Crags behind and ride towards Plettenberg Bay, a popular seaside resort. From here, we’ll have a short climb out of town before continuing along the main road to Knysna where we’ll break for lunch. Our final climb of the day will take us to Brenton-on-Sea where we will overnight at a beachfront resort.                                       

Overnight: Brenton-on-Sea 4* Resort        

Meals Included: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch and Dinner

 

DAY 6: TRANSFER TO WILDERNESS: CYCLE TO OUDTSHOORN: CYCLING DISTANCE APPROXIMATELY 75KM / 46 MILES

To cover as much ground as possible today, our day will start with a +/- 1-hour transfer from Brenton-on-Sea to Wilderness, where we will start cycling along the coastal road towards Mossel Bay. At Hartenbos, we’ll turn inland as we make our way up and over the Robinson Pass to the Ostrich Capital of the world – Oudtshoorn. Today is a demanding day with plenty of climbing.

Overnight: Oudtshoorn 4* Boutique Guesthouse

Meals Included: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch and Dinner

 

DAY 7: REST DAY OUDTSHOORN

Today you have a rest day in Oudtshoorn to do as much or as little as you like. You could spend the day relaxing at the hotel with Spa treatments, take a daytrip to Cango Caves, visit a local Ostrich Farm, so take a leisurely stroll through the town.

For those who haven’t had enough cycling yet, there is an optional ride available:

SWARTBERG PASS / 100KM / 62 MILES / 1,500M ELEVATION

Overnight: Oudtshoorn 4* Boutique Guesthouse

Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

 

DAY 8: ZOAR TO SWELLENDAM: CYCLING DISTANCE APPROXIMATELY 115KM / 70 MILES

After breakfast today, we will depart Oudtshoorn and transfer approximately 1-hour to Zoar where we will continue with our ‘mountain stage’ as we cycle up and over the Tradouw Pass direction Swellendam. At the bottom of the pass, we will load the bikes onto the trailer and transfer approximately 30-minutes to our hotel for the evening.

Overnight: Swellendam 4* Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch and Dinner

 

DAY 9: SWELLENDAM TO FRANSCHHOEK: CYCLING DISTANCE APPROXIMATELY 116KM / 70 MILES

Our day will start with a short transfer to Robertson, where we’ll unload the bikes and make our way to Franschhoek in the Western Cape Winelands. Our journey will take us over the iconic Franschhoek Pass, before free-wheeling all the way down to our hotel nestling at the bottom of the Franschhoek Mountains.

Overnight: Franschhoek 4* Villas

Meals Included: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch and Dinner

 

DAY 10: FRANSCHHOEK TO BLOUBERGSTRAND: CYCLING DISTANCE APPROXIMATELY 110KM / 85 MILES

After breakfast today, we’ll start cycling directly from the hotel towards the west coast of South Africa. Our journey will take us through the winelands as we make our way first to Melkbosstrand, before turning let and following the coastal road to Bloubergstrand where we will finish our Garden Route Cycle Tour with a celebratory drink at a beachfront café.

Afterwards, we’ll transfer approximately 45-minutes to Cape Town.

Overnight: Cape Town 4* Cycle-Friendly Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch

 

DAY 11: FREE DAY CAPE TOWN

Today you have a full day at leisure to do exactly as you please.

OPTIONAL: CLARENCE DRIVE CYCLE TRAINING TOUR INCLUDING GUIDE, COFFEE STOP SNACK & TRANSPORT (additional fee – advance booking essential)

Overnight: Cape Town 4* Cycle-Friendly Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch

 

DAY 12: CAPE TOWN CYCLE TOUR REGISTRATION & EXPO

After breakfast today, we will head to the Cape Town Cycle Tour Registration and EXPO to collect our race packs. A complimentary one-way transfer is provided at 09h00, the rest of the day is at leisure. At 17h30, please join us at our Race Day Briefing.  An informal event where you can meet other Equatours guests and ask any last-minute questions about race day.       

Overnight: Cape Town 4* Cycle-Friendly Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch

 

DAY 13: CAPE TOWN CYCLE TOUR 2023

Today is the day you have been waiting for! After an early breakfast (from 05h30), depart the hotel and cycle the +/- 10-minute ride to the start line, where you will join your seeded group. Once you have crossed the finish line and collected your medal, please meet Team Equatours at the hospitality area for a celebratory drink before cycling (+/- 5-minutes) back to the hotel. At 18h00 we will meet for pre-dinner drinks in the hotel bar before transferring to our after-party location for a night of celebrations.

Overnight: Cape Town 4* Cycle-Friendly Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast & After Party Dinner with unlimited beer, wine, and soft drinks

 

DAY 14: DEPARTURE

After breakfast today, you will have a few hours to pack your bike and shop for last-minute souvenirs before your driver collects you and returns you to the airport for your return flight home.   

 

Price:                             £2595.00 (Double/Twin Occupancy)

Single Supplement:     £400.00 (Happy to share? Let us know)

Flights from:                £550.00 per person (We’re ATOL Protected!)

 

Please contact us for a detailed itinerary including route profiles and full list of inclusions. We can also provide you with a no-obligation quotation including flights upon request.