Garden Route
The mountain passes of the Garden Route: Montagu, Outeniqua, Seven Passes and Swartberg
Before the N2, travellers crossed these mountains by ox wagon on roads built by convicts and a family of Scottish engineers. Most of those roads are still there, and they are some of the best drives in South Africa.
The Seven Passes Road begins at the Kaaimans River, directly below our ridge.
The short answer
The main historic passes near Wilderness are the Seven Passes Road (about 75 km from George to Knysna, completed in 1883 by Thomas Bain and Adam de Smidt), the Montagu Pass (17 km of gravel between George and the Klein Karoo, finished in 1847 and the oldest unaltered pass in South Africa), the tarred Outeniqua Pass (the main road from George to Oudtshoorn), and the gravel Swartberg Pass north of Oudtshoorn, built by Thomas Bain between 1881 and 1888. Montagu and Swartberg are suitable for normal cars in dry weather.
- Seven Passes Road
- About 75 km, George to Knysna, completed 1883
- Montagu Pass
- 17 km gravel, 1847, national monument since 1972
- Outeniqua Pass
- Tarred, the N12/N9 from George north
- Swartberg Pass
- Gravel, Thomas Bain, 1880s
- Car
- Normal car in dry weather; allow time
In this guide
For most of the 19th century, the Outeniqua Mountains were a wall. Farmers in the Klein Karoo needed to get wool and produce to the harbour at Mossel Bay and timber out of the Knysna forest, and the only routes were terrifying: the old Cradock Pass took an ox wagon up to three days to cross, and it broke wagons and oxen along the way.
The roads that replaced it are still there. Driving them today is one of the quiet pleasures of staying on the Garden Route: slow, beautiful, full of history, and almost empty.
The Seven Passes Road
George to Knysna · about 75 km · partly gravel · allow half a day
Before the N2, this was the road between George and Knysna. It runs inland of the modern highway, through forest and farmland, crossing seven river gorges on the way:
- Kaaimans River Pass
- Silwer River Pass
- Touw River Pass
- Hoogekraal Pass
- Karatara Pass
- Homtini Pass
- Phantom Pass
The road was built in sections by the famous road engineer Thomas Bain and Adam de Smidt between 1862 and 1882, and opened fully in 1883. The Phantom Pass, the first to be finished, is named after the ghost moths of the Knysna forest. The discovery of gold at Millwood near Karatara in the 1880s briefly made the road busy with prospectors.
Today it is a slow, winding drive through forest, past small farms, old bridges and the village of Hoekwil above Wilderness. Some sections are gravel. Allow plenty of time, drive carefully on the narrow bridges, and stop at the Woodville Big Tree, an 800-year-old yellowwood a short walk from the road.
The Montagu Pass
George to Herold (Klein Karoo) · 17 km · gravel · about 45 minutes
The Montagu Pass is the oldest unaltered pass in South Africa, and one of the loveliest drives in the country.
- Built: 1844 to 1847, planned by Charles Michell and completed under Henry Fancourt White, largely with convict labour.
- Named after: John Montagu, the Colonial Secretary of the Cape at the time.
- Length: 17.1 km of gravel with 126 bends, and gradients up to 1:6.
- Status: a national monument since 1972.
It cut the crossing from three days to about three hours for an ox wagon. The novelist Anthony Trollope, who drove it in the 1870s, compared it to the mountain roads of the Pyrenees.
Today it is suitable for any normal car in dry weather, though narrow in places; after heavy rain, check conditions. Look out for the old toll house at the bottom and the stone-walled bridges on the way up. The railway line below, with its tunnels and viaducts, climbs the same mountains in parallel.
The Outeniqua Pass
George to Oudtshoorn · tarred · about 20 minutes to the top
The modern road over the mountains carries the N12 and N9 north from George. It is fast, well built and has several viewpoints over George and the coast. The classic loop: up the Outeniqua, down the Montagu, so you see both the old and the new.
Stay where this story happensStart the Seven Passes Road from our side of the Kaaimans gorge.Three self-catering places on 21 hectares above Wilderness. Book direct for the best rate.Check dates →
The Swartberg Pass
Oudtshoorn to Prince Albert · gravel · allow at least 2 hours
North of Oudtshoorn and the Cango Caves, the Swartberg mountains rise sharply out of the Klein Karoo. Thomas Bain built the Swartberg Pass over them between 1881 and 1888, with dry-stone retaining walls that still hold the road today. The drive climbs through folded red rock and fynbos to the summit and drops through tight bends to the Karoo village of Prince Albert, with its whitewashed houses and good lunch spots.
It is a full day from Wilderness, combined with the Cango Caves. The road is fine for a normal car in good weather but can close after snow or heavy rain in winter. Check before you go.
A great day of passes from Wilderness
- Morning: leave Wilderness, drive through George and up the Outeniqua Pass.
- Continue to Oudtshoorn and the Cango Caves (book a tour time).
- Lunch in Oudtshoorn.
- Afternoon: return over the Montagu Pass to George.
- Evening: back on the ridge for sunset.
Add the Swartberg Pass to Prince Albert and back for a very long, very rewarding day.
Driving tips
- Gravel: slow down, especially on corners and descents. Rental agreements sometimes exclude damage on gravel roads; check your cover.
- Weather: the mountains make their own weather. Mist can roll in fast.
- Fuel: fill up in George or Oudtshoorn; there is nothing on the passes.
- Stop often: most of these roads have no traffic. Pull fully off the road for photos.
Frequently asked questions
What are the seven passes on the Seven Passes Road?
Kaaimans River, Silwer River, Touw River, Hoogekraal, Karatara, Homtini and Phantom passes, between George and Knysna.
Is the Montagu Pass suitable for a normal car?
Yes, in dry weather. It is gravel, narrow in places and steep, so drive slowly.
Who built the Garden Route passes?
The Montagu Pass was completed in 1847 under Henry Fancourt White. The Seven Passes Road and the Swartberg Pass were built by Thomas Bain, South Africa's most celebrated road engineer, with Adam de Smidt on the Seven Passes Road.
How long does the Seven Passes Road take?
Allow at least three to four hours for the 75 km with stops. It is much slower than the N2.
We live on the Garden Route and update this guide every season. Something changed? Tell us.
