Exploring South Africa by bike is an experience like no other. Cape Town is one of the most beautiful places on Earth and provides a stunning backdrop to our cycling holidays in South Africa. The spellbinding scenery, rich cultural history, unique flora and endemic wildlife make South Africa a spectacular destination to cover on two wheels.
Wildlife lovers will be in their element with unforgettable game drives through Kruger National Park, while the Drakensburg Mountains provide an incredible backdrop for aspiring photographers wanting to capture some of South Africa’s most breath-taking scenery. As you cycle among lush vineyards, along pristine coastline and beneath awe-inspiring waterfalls, you’ll discover diverse and unparalleled landscapes like you’ve never seen before.
Known for its magnificent wildlife, South Africa is home to more than 20 national parks, and Kruger is one of the most revered for its epic game. Embark on thrilling safari experiences that take you to the heart of the country’s wilder side where great beasts such as lions, rhinos, elephants and giraffes will leave you in awe as you observe them in their natural habitats.
Oenophiles (wine lovers) can sample some of the world’s finest wines in the Cape Winelands region which are produced at vineyards in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. This celebrated region is also renowned for its fascinating history, natural beauty and delicious cuisine. Cycling South Africa winelands steers you through scenic landscapes to see the iconic Table Mountain, along the Franschhoek Pass and to local villages and towns where you’ll be immersed in ancient traditions.
Top 5 Experiences on Cycling Tours in South Africa
Cable Car Ride up Table Mountain: Looming over the city of Cape Town, Table Mountain is one of the most famous mountains in the world, known for its unusual flat top. The summit lies at just over 1,000 metres but the views over the city, coast and the surrounding landscapes are phenomenal. Riding the cable car to the plateau is a smooth journey that lets you soak up 360-degree panoramas incorporating the Lion’s head on one side and city skyscrapers on the other.
Cycling Along the Franschhoek Pass: Located between the Wemmershoek Mountains and the Franschhoek Valley, the Franschhoek Pass snakes along the north of the Franschhoek Mountains to almost 2,500ft. Also known as Lambrechts Road, the pass is a favourite with avid cyclists owing to the extraordinary mountain views that reach across valleys and gorges. There are also switchbacks and corners along the route that add to the thrill of the ride and returning along the Villiersdorp side introduces you to some of the most beautiful scenery when cycling South Africa.
Cape Peninsula Ride: Incorporating some of the most beautiful views in South Africa, the Cape Peninsula is a stunning route for cycling. Ride through the Cape Point Nature Reserve which lies at the tip of the peninsula and along the picturesque coastal road where vistas seem to stretch on forever. At Cape Point, you’ll have the opportunity to spot local wildlife and a wide variety of flora. Keep your eyes peeled for whales as they swim through the waters in search of fish.
Cycling the Drakensburg: There are few greater adventures than cycling through the spectacular mountain scenery of Drakensburg. The area is famous for both its hiking and cycling routes that steer you between dramatic rock formations where you can see ancient rock art created by the indigenous San people. The area is also home to abandoned gold mines, wildlife-rich forests and cascading waterfalls. At every twist and turn through the mountainous landscapes, a new and wildly beautiful vision unfolds.
Game Drive in Kruger National Park: As well as giving you a well-earned break from the saddle, a game drive through Kruger National Park is filled with thrilling wildlife experiences. Begin your adventure early in the morning to increase your chances of spotting some of the world’s most revered animals as you go in search of South Africa’s famous Big Five: the elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo. Hiding in the mountains, forests and plains are hundreds more species of mammals and birds that live among the staggering 2 million hectares of national park.
This was our first trip with Exodus and will not be our last! This company is very organized down to every detail. The description of the itinerary is very accurate, the hotels very nice , the Trek bikes were great and each bike had a handlebar bag for phones, sunscreen, snacks etc.
Our leader João was superb and made each participant feel welcomed, and cared for no matter the skill level.
João stopped to show us things of interest along the way each day, giving us the history and facts of which we would not have learned if we had travelled on our own.
João did briefings each day, so we knew exactly what to expect and a debrief at end of each day with a well organized power-point presentation.
He helped with dinner suggestions and even made the reservations for us.
His enthusiasm and love of his job made it a very enjoyable experience.
Also, Ricardo who was our other Exodus support person was superb! He cycled at the end of the group providing encouragement and support! Ricardo was always smiling and always available for our needs as well. He was a fabulous back up for any individual who needed help. We cannot say enough about Ricardo and how he helped to make this such a great experience for us!
The third Exodus support person was Toni! He was so kind and thoughtful and made the most elaborate picnics for us. He drove the van and met us at various check points so we had access to our belongings if we needed anything. He had water to fill our water bottles and was available incase someone needed to have a van drive if they weren’t able to bike any portions of the day.
These 3 individuals made the trip so wonderful for us!
The itinerary is accurate in that the description of the steep hills toward the end of day 3 , really were steep! Also the long steep hills on day 6 were as described.
We used pedal bikes and managed fine, we are mid 60’s but we are runners and in good shape. The first two days were flat and very easy for any skill level. The steep hills on day three at end of day were challenging on a pedal bikes, despite our good fitness level. However, we would do pedal bikes again despite the steep hills, it gave us a sense of accomplishment! E-bikes are available to people to sign up for prior to the trip.
The views were stunning along the ocean.
We were so impressed by this company, their attention to detail , their efforts to decrease their carbon footprint and we highly recommend Exodus to anyone.
We are already looking at idea for our next Exodus trip !
The Team of Joao, Ricardo and Tony provided great support on this trip. There were some beautiful coastal views, lovely boardwalk cycles through nature reserves and the excitement of short ferry rides across estuaries. With the exception of Porto, Lisbon and Obidos, the places we stayed overnight and where we had coffee stops felt like the ‘real’ Portugal as there were no other British tourists. Joao’s restaurant recommendations were very good – I had a week of delicious fish and seafood (meet and veggie options also available). The Pastel de Nata at the coffee stops and at some breakfasts were also delicious!
This was our 6th Exodus cycling trip. Portugal is a lovely country with very friendly people and excellent food and wine. Porto was great for 3 nights – have a Port tasting (included) and don’t miss the Station and Time Out Market for a wonderful lunch, take a boat ride on the Douro too. The ride starts flat and follows the coast south, lots of cycle ways, wonderful beaches, great lunches and very good hotels – the waves were huge so swimming is difficult but a splash is refreshing! The second part of the ride is more hilly and interesting venturing inland for a while before joining the coast again – again very good and safe cycle ways. The last day is the best in terms of views and terrain but it is quite tough (but OK for a 72 year old mountain biker). Then we arrived at Obidos the final riding destination – beautiful walled town. Our guide/leader Dinis was superb. The Portuguese people were friendly and really seem to like us Brits, coffees out of the main cities are excellent and about £1 as are the bottles of ‘Super Bock’ beer ( much more in Porto and Lisbon!). If you like fish you will eat well – the restaurant Salgáboca in Praia de Mira is excellent and not that expensive, not to be missed, and watch the beach fishermen landing their morning catch around 9.00am before you set off the next morning
