Garden Route Coastal Trail
5 day coastal Slackpacking Eco-adventure through the Garden Route.

How to make a reservation for Garden Route Coastal Meander :

1. Review the suggested starting dates in the drop down lists below.
2. Enquire if your preferred date is available via e-mail or telephonically. E-mail Now
3. When your preferred start date is established, confirm reservation by paying a deposit and submitting a completed reservation form.

Start and finish times :

The trail starts with registration at 09h00 on Day 1 and finishes between 12h30 and 13h15 on Day 5.

Departure Dates:

Trail departure dates are determined by the tides so that the beach stages are hiked on firm sand during the period of maximum low tide.

2026 Season Trail Dates

September Tue 15th - Booked Tue 29th - Booked

October Wed 14th - booked Wed 28th

November Thur 12th Fri 27th

December Sat 12th

2027 Season Trail Dates

January Mon 10th Sun 24th

February Mon 8th Tue 23rd

March Thur 11th Wed 25th

April Fri 9th Fri 23rd

May Sat 8th Sun 23rd

June Sun 6th Tue 22nd

July Tue 6th Wed 21st

August Wed 4th Fri 20th

September Fri 3rd Sun 19th

October Sun 3rd Mon 18th

November Mon 1st Tue 16th

December Wed 1st

Group Size: Groups are limited to a maximum of 12 persons.

Inclusive Package

The Garden Route Coastal Meander is an all inclusive slackpacking trail and includes the following :

1. 4 nights accommodation in rondavels and chalets.
2. All catering on the trail, including lunch packs on the first day and breakfast on the fifth day.
3. Luggage logistics between overnight venues.
4. Shuttle service on the 2nd day and return shuttle from the end of the trail..
5. Full time guide.
6. Two canoe stages.
7. Reserve entrance fees for Garden Route National Park and Goukamma Nature Reserve.

Not included in the trail are beverages to guests personal preference.

Pre trail accommodation in the first nights venue can be added on a self catering basis.

Rates:

2026 Rates : Valid 1st December 2025 to 30th November 2026

1-2 guests - R12,750.00/person sharing; 3 - 4 guests - R12,250.00/person sharing; 5-7 guests - R10,300.00/persons sharing; 8 - 12 guests - R9,900.00/person sharing.

2027 Rates : Valid 1st December 2026 to 30th November 2027

1-2 guests - R13,350.00/person sharing; 3 - 4 guests - R12,650.00/person sharing; 5-7 guests - R10,750.00/persons sharing; 8 - 12 guests - R10,250.00/person sharing.

For single persons there is a R1200.00 supplement in addition to the above prices.

Prices subject to change without notice.

Payment :

Payment can be made by one or a combination of the following methods,

1. EFT or cash deposited directly into our account. Account details are on the reservation form.
2. Credit card payments using the Pay Fast payment buttons below,
3. Pay Pal payments. Pay Pal Account provided on request.

Reservation Policy:

A R3000.00/person deposit to confirm your reservation, balance of payment completed in the week prior to registration.

Payment by Credit Card :

A ) Deposit by Credit Card :

1. Make a deposit of R3000.00 or as required. The default amount is set at R3000.00 for the deposit for one person. You can edit the amount required for a deposit for more people by typing in the amount before clicking on the Pay Now button.

   Amount:

• Cancelation Policy

• Less than 30 days: forfeit full deposit.
• Less than one week : Full forfeit of cost of trail
• More than 30 days : We will refund according to how much we are able to recover from our accommodation vendors and banking costs incurred.

Travel planning to the Garden Route:

1. Location of start of trail - from Fairy Knowe Hotel, Wilderness, approximately 460km (290 miles) east of Cape Town on the N2
2. Closest village : Wilderness.
3. Closest Town : George.
4. Location : East of George, West of Knysna
5. Closest Airport to the start of the coastal walk - George Airport
6. Airlines available : SAA, SA Airlink, 1Time
7. Distance from George Airport to start point of trail : approximately 25km
8. Flights from Cape Town to George Airport serviced by SAA and SA Airlink
9. Flights from Johannesburg to George Airport serviced by SAA, SA Airlink.
10. Approximate self drive time from Cape Town to Wilderness - 4.5 to 5 hours
11. Bus services to George or Wilderness from Cape Town - Grey Hound and Intercape .
12. Taxi services between George Airport and Wilderness : Zeelie taxi - 044 876 6707; Barnardt Taxi - 072 268 5043 (approx cost of R450.00 per trip)
13. Shuttle service from either Cape Town or George to Wilderness - Kontours : Mobile - +2782 569 8997, website - www.kontours.co.za
14. Pre Trail Accommodation: Self catering - Wilderness National Park :
15. Park entrance fees - The Garden Route is endowed with more than 8 sections of nature reserves managed by Cape Nature and SANParks. Each reserve has an entrance fee. If you plan to spend time in the Garden Route visiting the various reserves available, it is financially worthwhile considering purchasing a Wild Card, either online or from a SANParks office.