Oudtshoorn in South Africa is on the itinerary for many vacationers along the Garden Route and Route 62. We have been to this small town in the dry semi-desert landscape of the Little Karoo (“Karoo” means “dry,” by the way) several times and can give you some good tips. Oudtshoorn is only about 60 minutes from Wilderness and is therefore an excellent stopover.

The journey alone is truly impressive, as from the N2, you first have to cross an impressive mountain pass before reaching the small town near the Swartberg Mountains. In the following article, we’ll tell you which sights and highlights you absolutely shouldn’t miss. Enjoy browsing!

• Arrival in Oudtshoorn
• Our accommodation in Oudtshoorn
• Town tour
• Visit to an ostrich farm
• Cango Caves
• Game drive at the Buffelsdrift Game Lodge
• Meerkat tour
• Stargazing
• Drive over the Swartberg Pass
• Detour to Prince Albert
• Continuation to Meiringspoort

Arrival in Oudtshoorn

Oudtshoorn is located in the interior between Dysseldorp and Calitzdorp on the N11 and R62. If you’re starting from Cape Town, you’ll need to allow around 5 hours for the journey by car (via the R62 | 420 km). If you’re already traveling on the Garden Route, the journey from Wilderness/George is ideal, as it only takes about 60 minutes (73 km). You’ll drive over the scenic and approximately 800 m high Outeniqua Pass, which today serves as the main connection between George and Oudtshoorn.

Our Accommodation in Oudtshoorn

During our last trip, we stayed at the Oakdene Guesthouse* for 3 nights. This listed Victorian house, dating from 1853, is located right in the historic center of town and is surrounded by large oak trees. The rooms are furnished in a rustic country-house style and feature a comfortable double bed, desk and chair, wardrobe, safe, TV, Wi-Fi, and a bathroom with shower.

We particularly enjoyed the beautiful garden with a pool and sun loungers, the lovingly prepared breakfast in the morning (R100 per person), and the hospitality of the two owners. We received many valuable tips from them and generally always had interesting topics of conversation. We would definitely stay there again next time we are in Oudtshoorn. A really nice guesthouse with great hosts!

More accommodations in Oudtshoorn

• Riverside Guest Lodge*
• La Plume Boutique Hotel & Spa*
• Aloe House*
• Old Mill Lodge & Restaurant*
• Karoo Retreat*
• Klein Karoo Game Lodge*
• Buffelsdrift Game Lodge*
• Chandelier Game Lodge*
• Mooiplaas Guesthouse*

Town Tour

On our way to Oudtshoorn, we passed the towns of Humansdorp, Karredouw, Joubertina, Misgund, and Uniondale, which we didn’t think were particularly interesting, at least from a purely tourist perspective. Things get more exciting in Oudtshoorn, as there’s a lot to experience and discover around the town. The town itself offers a few nice restaurants, cafés, shops, and very nice guesthouses. The town center also features the late Victorian-style CP Nel Museum, which focuses on Oudtshoorn as a center of ostrich farming. There isn’t much to see, but it’s still worth stopping to explore the highlights in the area.

Restaurant & Café Tips:

• Nostalgie Restaurant
• Bella Cibo
• Enchanted Coffee
• Beans about Coffee
• The Beans Café
• Rou Karoo

Visiting an Ostrich Farm

You should know that Oudtshoorn used to be the center of the roadside farming industry, and no woman dared to go out on the street without an ostrich feather in her hat. At that time, the so-called “ostrich barons” were making a fortune, as a single feather cost the equivalent of 23 euros. By 1914, the feather boom was finally over, and the focus shifted to the production of ostrich meat and ostrich skin.

Oudtshoorn is still the center of ostrich breeding today and has several ostrich farms to offer. We visited the Highgate Ostrich Show Farm back then, but there are also the Safari Ostrich Farm, the Cango Ostrich Farm, and Dario Urbanski’s Ostrich Nest. At these farms, you can learn a wealth of interesting information about the animals and the farms. Fortunately, most farms no longer offer ostrich rides. Please don’t support such nonsense!

• Book tickets for the Highgate Ostrich Farm here*
• Book tickets for the Safari Ostrich Show Farm here*

Interesting facts:

Ostriches can reach speeds of up to 80 km/h. They can run so fast because they only have two toes on their feet. These toes, in turn, have claws that can grow up to 10 centimeters long and can be used as a useful weapon. Not only are they fast, they can also be very heavy. A male can weigh up to 135 kg, a female about 110 kg.

One ostrich egg produces as many scrambled eggs as 24 regular chicken eggs. No other animal on earth lays larger eggs than the ostrich. A female lays between 60 and 80 eggs in a period of 6 months. If you want to make scrambled eggs from an ostrich egg, you should allow up to 45 minutes. And if you simply want to hard-boil an egg, it will take just under 2 hours. Crazy, right?

Cango Caves

Last time we had little time, but this time we were finally able to see the Cango Caves. They are among the largest and most beautiful cave systems in the world and are partially open to the public. The caves are over 20 million years old, and around 4 kilometers have been explored so far. During a 60-minute tour (R170 pp), we were able to visit various chambers and marvel at truly impressive formations of stalagmites and stalactites.

There is also the 90-minute Adventure Tour, which gives you a deeper insight into the cave system. However, you shouldn’t be claustrophobic or afraid of the dark. In some places, you’ll have to climb through very narrow crevices or squeeze through tiny holes.

Important note: If you’re visiting during peak travel times, it’s best to reserve your ticket in advance by phone or email. There are only a limited number of tickets per time slot. We simply emailed the team the day before and received confirmation. We showed our email at the counter and received the tickets.

• Heritage Tour daily from. 9am to 4pm (every hour on the hour)
• Adventure Tour daily from 9:30am to 3:30pm (hourly on the half hour)
• Prices Heritage Tour: R170 for adults, children R120
• Prices Adventure Tour: R240 for adults, children R170
• Reservations to: reservations@cangocaves.co.za or phone: +27 (0)82 303 0029

Game Drive at the Buffelsdrift Game Lodge

Not far from the town is the Buffelrift Game Lodge, which is especially popular with day visitors. Giraffes, lions, elephants, antelopes, hippos, buffalo, cheetahs, and many other animal species live here. You can sit back and drive through the reserve with other guests in an open 4×4.

It’s a very touristy reserve and offers many trips per day. So, during peak travel times, you should be prepared for packed jeeps (up to 20 people). It’s not our taste; we prefer the drives through the large national parks in South Africa. But if you want to experience real Africa, you should go to Botswana, for example.

• Oudtshoorn: Game drive in an open vehicle & Refreshments*
• Night drive in an open vehicle at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge*

Meerkat Tour

We visited a meerkat colony in Botswana and found the experience simply adorable. Similar tours are also offered around Oudtshoorn. So, if you have enough time, head out to see these incredibly interesting and cute animals. The tours always take place in the morning at sunrise, as this is the best time to admire the animals.

The tours do not take place in the rain, because the meerkats do not come out of their shelters when it rains. The tours usually last 2 to 3 hours. Providers include De Zeekoe Guest House, Experience Days, and Five Shy Meerkats. The tours cost from 660 Rand per person (currently around €35).

Observe the starry sky

Are you also interested in stars, planets, and our solar system? How about a great stargazing tour? You can’t even imagine how impressive the night sky in the Karoo is. There’s hardly any light pollution from big cities, which is why you can discover unique constellations here.

We’re always amazed at the seemingly endless carpet of stars you can see in South Africa. On this tour, you’ll not only see the fascinating world of stars and galaxies through a special telescope, but you’ll also learn a wealth of information about our solar system. ☞ You can book this tour here*.

Drive over the Swartberg Pass

Our highlight around Oudtshoorn was definitely the drive over the Swarberg Pass. It is approximately 27 kilometers long and reaches 1,583 meters at its highest point. The drive over this unpaved road is easily manageable in a small car. However, you should not be afraid of heights, because in a few places the abyss is closer than you’d like.

Nevertheless, in our opinion, it is not dangerous. Along the way, you’ll pass some truly magnificent viewpoints, and the view over the Swartberg Mountains is generally very impressive. Bikers and even cyclists enjoy this challenge. At the end of the pass, you’ll reach the small, beautiful town of Prince Albert.

Detour to Prince Albert

Once you’ve passed the Swartberg Pass, you’ll reach the small town of Prince Albert, which is located right at the foot of the Swartberg Mountains. Here, you can park your car and take a leisurely stroll through the town for 1 to 2 hours, enjoying coffee and delicious cake. There, you’ll find several galleries, restaurants, small shops, guesthouses, and cafés. We especially liked the pretty Cape Dutch and Victorian houses lined up along the main street. Our tip: Take a lunch break at the Lazy Lizard. You can also find many regional products there.

Along the main street are the Prince Albert Gallery, the antique shop “The Olde Shop,” The Coffee Shop, the pretty church, The Green Prince Gin Bar, the Prince Albert Café, the Fransie Pienaar Museum, and the Tourist Information Center. The region is known for its excellent olive oil, apricots, wines, cheese, figs, and lamb. At the Lazy Lizard, we bought a nostalgic tin of olive oil to take home. If you stay overnight in Prince Albert, be sure to marvel at the starry sky at night!

Continuing to Meiringspoort

From Prince Albert, our journey continued on the R407 to Klaarstroom. Shortly thereafter, the journey began on the N12 through the impressive Meiringspoort Gorge. The road winds its way almost surreally through the beautiful Swartberg Mountains and took us past the Meiringspoort Waterfall. Here we were able to park the car and take a walk to the 60-meter-high waterfall.

The water collects in a 9-meter-deep natural pool, which you can even swim in. A truly cool spot and perfect for a long break. Shortly after the end of the gorge, you will automatically pass through the town of De Rust, where you can also take a break in several restaurants and cafés.

Book a cool tour of Oudtshoorn here or take excursions in the surrounding area of Cape Town. You’ll find a variety of offers at Get Your Guide.