Plan Your Trip
The Garden Route with kids: 15 things children actually love
Calm lagoons, monkeys in the trees, trains, caves and a lot of sand. The Garden Route is one of the easiest family holidays in South Africa, if you plan the days around short drives and long afternoons.
Our units sleep up to four. Children are welcome; the land is open, so little ones need an eye on them.
The short answer
The Garden Route is excellent for families. Top activities for children include swimming in calm lagoons (Touw River in Wilderness, Keurbooms, Nature's Valley), Birds of Eden and Monkeyland near Plettenberg Bay, the Cango Caves Heritage Tour near Oudtshoorn, the Outeniqua Transport Museum's steam trains in George, rock pools at Victoria Bay and Gericke's Point, the Knysna Heads, easy forest walks like the Woodville Big Tree, watching paragliders at the Map of Africa and dolphin trips in Plett. The region is malaria-free and drives between towns are short.
- Malaria
- None on the Garden Route
- Calm swimming
- Touw River lagoon, Keurbooms, Nature's Valley
- Rainy-day options
- Transport museum, Cango Caves, Birds of Eden
- Max drive we'd plan
- About 90 minutes with young children
- Park fees
- Children 2 to 11 pay reduced SANParks fees
In this guide
Children tend to judge a holiday by two questions: was there water, and were there animals? The Garden Route answers both, every day, within a short drive. It is also malaria-free, mild in every season and full of short walks that end somewhere exciting.
These are the fifteen things we would do with our own children, most within an hour of Wilderness.
Water
1. Swim in a lagoon
The open beaches here can have strong currents, but where rivers meet the sea there are shallow, calm lagoons that are perfect for small children. Our favourites: the Touw River lagoon in Wilderness, the Keurbooms lagoon near Plett and the lagoon at Nature's Valley. See the best beaches guide.
2. Rock pools
At low tide, Victoria Bay, Gericke's Point in Sedgefield and Leentjiesklip in Wilderness turn into aquariums: anemones, starfish, tiny fish and crabs. Bring a bucket, reef shoes and a tide table.
3. Paddle to a waterfall
Older children (who can sit still in a canoe) love the Touw River kayak trip: a paddle through the forest, a boardwalk walk and a swim at the waterfall. Life jackets for everyone.
4. A dolphin and seal boat trip
In Plettenberg Bay, licensed boats visit the seal colony at Robberg and often find dolphins year-round, with whales from June to November. Check minimum ages with the operator.
Animals
5. Birds of Eden
Near Plettenberg Bay, Birds of Eden is billed as the largest free-flight aviary in the world: a 3.2-hectare mesh dome over a forested gorge with a waterfall, a 1.2 km walkway and more than 1,500 birds of over 120 species. It is wheelchair and pushchair friendly.
6. Monkeyland
Next door, Monkeyland is a primate sanctuary where rescued apes, monkeys and lemurs roam free in 12 hectares of forest. You walk through with a guide on one-hour tours, including across a long rope bridge.
7. Spot a turaco
Make it a game: first person to see the crimson flash of a Knysna turaco in flight chooses dinner. Our wildlife guide has more to look for.
Adventure (the gentle kind)
8. Watch the paragliders
On a breezy summer afternoon, dozens of paragliders launch from the Map of Africa and land on Wilderness Beach. Children love it. Teenagers can fly tandem (check the operator's age and weight limits).
9. The Cango Caves
The Heritage Tour of the Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn walks through huge halls of stalactites with names like Cleopatra's Needle, a dripstone around 9 m tall. The Adventure Tour involves squeezing through tunnels and is not recommended for children under six.
10. Ostriches in Oudtshoorn
On the same day as the caves, visit an ostrich farm to see the birds up close and hold an egg the size of a small melon.
11. The Storms River suspension bridge
A boardwalk through the forest to a bridge that sways over crashing waves. Short enough for small legs, exciting enough for everyone.
Trains, trees and history
12. Steam trains in George
The Outeniqua Transport Museum in George has steam locomotives (including those that pulled the famous Choo Tjoe), old carriages and vintage cars. A great rainy-day option.
13. The 800-year-old tree
The Woodville Big Tree near Wilderness is a 33 m Outeniqua yellowwood reached by a short, flat forest loop, with a picnic site at the start. Ask children to guess its age before you read the sign.
14. The Knysna Heads
Drive up the East Head to see the waves smashing between the cliffs, and tell the story of the ships that tried to sail through.
15. Saturday at the market
The Wild Oats market in Sedgefield has pies, pancakes, fresh juice, live music and space to run. Go early.
Stay where this story happensSpace for four, a lawn to run on, and the ocean at the end of it.Three self-catering places on 21 hectares above Wilderness. Book direct for the best rate.Check dates →
Planning a family trip
- Keep drives short. Plan one bigger outing every other day, with slow beach or garden days between.
- Pick a central base. Wilderness puts most of this list within 60 to 90 minutes.
- Sun and wind: the UV index is high all year. Hats, rash vests and sunscreen, even on cloudy days.
- Water safety: swim in lagoons or between lifeguard flags. Never leave children alone near the sea.
- Park fees: in the Garden Route National Park, children aged 2 to 11 pay a reduced conservation fee.
- Car seats: book them with your rental car; they are required by law for young children.
- Documents: carry your children's birth certificates, and a consent letter if only one parent is travelling. See South Africa travel tips.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Garden Route good for families with young children?
Yes. It is malaria-free, has calm lagoons for swimming, short drives between towns and many child-friendly attractions like Birds of Eden, Monkeyland and the Cango Caves.
What can kids do on the Garden Route when it rains?
Visit the Outeniqua Transport Museum in George, the Cango Caves, Birds of Eden (partly covered by forest) or a farm café with a play area.
Where can children swim safely on the Garden Route?
In lagoons such as the Touw River lagoon in Wilderness, Keurbooms near Plettenberg Bay and Nature's Valley, or at lifeguarded Blue Flag beaches in Plettenberg Bay.
Can children go on the Cango Caves Adventure Tour?
It is not recommended for children under six, or for anyone who is claustrophobic. The Heritage Tour suits all ages.
We live on the Garden Route and update this guide every season. Something changed? Tell us.
