Table of contents
Enhance your reading experience—immerse yourself in the adventure with our audio version. Click play and let the sounds of Africa captivate you!
Taking a road trip through South Africa’s Western Cape is like slipping into a parallel world, one where you can experience heritage, natural beauty, quiet roads with the most spectacular views, misty mountains that are covered with blankets of snow come winter, and villages that have a vintage atmosphere and stay loyal to an old-world relaxed pace.
While the rest of the country is known for its safari destinations like the Kruger, which steals much of the international spotlight, this quiet region gives travellers something else, something that is slower, quieter, and richer.
When it comes to trips to South Africa, this road trip is up there among the very best you can book.
When travelling through this utterly beautiful stretch of road, you’ll be treated to the complete Western Cape experience, including those mountainous passes, sweeping vineyard valley views, and the opportunity to indulge in a wine tasting stop or two.
This holiday begins in Bainskloof Pass, a place that stirs the senses and emotions with each ascent. From there, you’ll glide through those lesser-known attractions like Wolseley, Rawsonville, and Wellington, eventually linking up with the storybook valleys of Boschendal, Montagu, and Tulbagh.
This is a road trip built around stories, scenery, and taste. And we promise, it’s one you’ll want to ride more than once.
To help you plan trips to South Africa, our YouTube video takes you along this exact route, from the slopes of Matroosberg to the cellars of Boschendal, and the tranquil lanes of Tulbagh. Each turn of the road has something beautiful to see.
Destination Highlights
There’s no other province in South Africa that will leave you feeling as though you are travelling through a living travelogue.
When it comes to trips to South Africa, the Western Cape is a fan favourite and for so many great reasons, not least because it has well-maintained roads that make it the perfect place for a comfortable self-drive tour.
When you travel through the Matroosberg area, you’ll soon find that each destination on this route has its own rhythm and atmosphere, and sometimes it’s stylish and cultured, while other times it’s serene and untouched.
But every twist and turn that makes this route ensures that the journey is less about getting from A to B, and more about taking in absolutely every moment in between, and there will be plenty of moments for you to enjoy!
These towns and stops are more than waypoints; they’re reasons to return, and regardless of whether you’re carving curves through mountain passes, sipping cool-climate wines, or swapping stories with locals at roadside cafés, a trip through Matroosberg is one for the books.
Bainskloof Pass
For most, trips to South Africa, and particularly the Western Cape, are all about visiting Cape Town and making the trip up Table Mountain, but for those who want to go to where the weekend warrior locals go, Bainskloof Pass is legendary and a trip everyone should take at least once.
Dating way back to the 1850s, this narrow road has been etched into cliffs and gives travellers views that stretch for kilometres.
The road was built by Andrew Geddes Bain, after whom the pass has been named. The project was completed in 1853, and while it was originally built for horse-drawn carts and carriages, it was tarred in 1934.
The pass connects Wellington and Ceres, and between these 2 areas, there are all sorts of attractions to enjoy.
Fynbos spills down the slopes, and each bend will treat you to magnificent views and other details that you could only see from this road.
Recommended Activities:
- Ride the entire pass, stopping at key viewpoints
- Pause for a swim at the Witte River rock pools
- Capture the mountain’s drama at golden hour
- Go hiking (there is a hike from Limietberg Nature Reserve)
Boschendal
If there is one thing that the Western Cape is famed for, it’s wine.
With its 300-year-old history and award-winning wines, Boschendal is both a retreat and a wine-tasting playground. Travellers are welcomed with open lawns, oak-lined driveways, and a calmness that’s hard to describe.
Aside from wine tastings, Boschendal is also just the place to have a dining experience unlike any other. The farm boasts a “soil-to-fork fare”, and diners are treated to a culinary adventure that is put together by some of the best butchers, growers, cooks, and bakers.
Boschendal also has a farm shop, butchery and homeware shop where you can stock up on a collection of products made by local suppliers. If you are a wine and food lover looking for trips to South Africa, make sure Boschendal is on your travel list.
Recommended Activities:
- Wine tasting with charcuterie at the Werf
- Ride or hike the estate’s dedicated trails
- Stay overnight in one of the elegant Werf Cottages
Montagu
If the name sounds intriguing and warm at the same time, that’s because this town embodies both qualities.
Montagu is between 2 worlds; its sits on Route 62 (which connects Cape Town and the Garden Route, and is a great ride for motorcyclists), in the mountains where it gets freezing cold and even snows in winter, but it is also known as being one of the last towns you’ll see before you head into the Klein Karoo, if that is where your trip is taking you.
Famous for its hot springs, it’s also known for producing excellent dried fruit (there’s a whole South African brand named after it), for its local art, and for having a peaceful pace. The town is fascinating, the people are lovely, and there are plenty of things that you can do while you are here.
Recommended Activities:
- Soak in Avalon Springs
- Ride Cogmanskloof Pass
- Explore the town’s art galleries and the local museum
Tulbagh
While visiting Tulbagh, don’t be surprised if you feel as though time stands still.
With Cape Dutch buildings lining Church Street and vineyards clinging to the surrounding slopes, Tulbagh carries a heavy sense of history, but in the serene sort of way that calls you to explore.
Much like the other towns in the area, Tulbagh is known for its wines and wine farms.
The town’s slogan is “Valley of Abundance”, and if you browse a few pictures of the area, you’ll quickly see why.
In the spring and summer, the town and its surrounds turn green and full of blooms following the winter rains, while winter is the time to visit if you wish to see fynbos and proteas, and if you want to settle into a cosy, fireside holiday away from it all.
Recommended Activities:
- Wine tasting at Saronsberg or Theuniskraal
- Walk or ride down Church Street
- Picnic by the Tulbagh Dam
Ceres
Best known for its fruit orchards, Ceres is widely considered the start of the Matroosberg and a popular stop for trips to South Africa. It has a welcoming atmosphere and acts as a home base for exploring the wilder terrain.
If the name Ceres sounds familiar, it’s not just because you might be an outer space buff who knows a thing or two about Jupiter’s moons! The farms around Ceres produce fruit, which is used to make fruit juices sold around the world. The juices are marketed under the town’s name.
Recommended Activities:
- Visit Matroosberg Private Nature Reserve
- Ride the Theronsberg Pass
- Explore roadside farm stalls and cafés
Wolseley
It might be a tiny town, but that is what makes it such a tranquil place to spend a morning, an afternoon, or a whole day.
Wolseley has peaceful roads, and much like the rest of the area, it also has its fair share of vineyards. It’s perfect for travellers looking for scenic detours and uncrowded dining and wine tastings.
Recommended Activities:
- Taste organic wines at Waverley Hills
- Ride the scenic Slanghoek Valley road
- Dine at Olive Rock
Worcester
Worcester is the largest town in the Breede Valley and the 3rd largest town in the Western Cape, yet it manages to feel cosy, grounded and welcoming.
Backed by the dramatic Hex River Mountains, this town is the economic and cultural centre of the valley and the start of many wine routes. It is also an important town in terms of agriculture, as the town’s surrounding farms produce both deciduous and citrus fruits, all sorts of vegetables, and livestock, like sheep and cattle.
Recommended Activities:
- Visit the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden, and see South Africa’s only true succulent desert flora
- Visit the Worcester Wine and Olive Route
- Stop in at the Kleinplasie Living Open Air Museum to experience pioneer life
- Enjoy laid-back café culture in the town’s historic centre or take a scenic ride to Hex Pass
Rawsonville
Another small town that is well off the map of most tourists, Rawsonville punches well above its weight when it comes to wine, and it has a riverside attraction too. Rawsonville is mostly a farming town, surrounded by the most exquisite Du Toitskloof mountains.
Recommended Activities:
- Picnic along the Breedekloof River
- Wine-hop through the Breedekloof Wine Route
- Visit Badsberg or Du Toitskloof wineries
Ready to Ride One of South Africa’s Most Beautiful Routes?
If you’re day dreaming about trips to South Africa, complete with mountain roads, stunning architecture, beautiful wine farms, and plenty of opportunities to tuck into some of South Africa’s finest dining, the Matroosberg and its surrounding towns are just the holiday for you.
With a carefully put together itinerary based on first-hand experience, expert guidance, and local insight, we can introduce you to the best of the Western Cape.
