Hiking tours in the Garden Route, Eastern Cape and Karoo.
South Africa is an international gem for hiking tours. With a wide diversity of geology and habitats, there is a trail to suite every hikers needs. One of the advantages of multi day hikes in South Africa, is that most trails have group size restrictions, with as few as 8 hikers and most trails averaging a maximum of 12 hikers, giving you a sense of exclusivity while on the trail.
Slackpacking Trails
While there are the iconic hiking trails like the Otter trail, Whale trail, and Leopard Trail, a new genre of trails has exploded on the South African hiking scene, namely slackpacking trails, with more than 80 trails ranging from between 3 and 6 days.
Slackpacking trails are supported trails that allow hikers to hike with a day pack while their gear is transported to the next overnight venue, Most of the slackpacking trails include catering with accommodation ranging from apartments to chalets along the route.
Hike to learn and contribute to conservation.
There are a number of slackpacking trails that are guided, with the purpose to teach hikers about the habitat and environments that you are hiking through, with some of the trails contributing a percentage of the cost of the trail.
Garden Route Coastal Trail
Launched in May 2004, the Garden Route Coastal Trail is an iconic coastal trail and was one of the original slackpacking trails in South Africa. Starting in Wilderness and finishing in Brenton On Sea, the itinerary is one of the most diverse in the country and includes forest, dune fynbos, coastal thicket, and beach stages.
As a fully guided and catered 5 day coastal trail, it traverses two nature reserves and includes two canoe stages and is an ideal way for multi generational family and friendship groups to explore the Garden Route and escape the crowds.
The trail contributes to the African Black Oystercatcher research conducted by the Strandloper Project
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Karoo Stone Folk Trail
The trail is a fully guided, all-inclusive, 4-night , 3-day slackpacking trail in the Karoo between Nieu Bethesda and Compassberg. A loop route, hikers overnight in farm stays. Hiking with only daypack, while guests luggage is transported to each overnight venue.
The hiking route traverses private farms and follows Jeep tracks, to sheep tracks and across wide open grassland.
This is truly a hiking trail for hikers looking for a unique trail.
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Namaqualand Wild Flower Trail
As a global destination, the annual Namqualand Wild Flower bloom from the start of August to mid September. In 2025 season, Kotzesrus was voted the best region for floral diversity. The Nuwefonteinkop Wildflower launches in August 2026 and offers three days of hiking in sandveld, strandveld and huewelvled for a phenomenal diversity of wild flowers surrounding the village of Kotzesrus.
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Inqua Trail
As part of an initiative by a group of coastal landowners, the Inqua trail was developed to raise funds to maintain a wildlife corridor, namely the Robberg Coastal Corridor, between Robberg nature reserve and Harkerville in the Garden Route National Park.
On the three day slackpacking trail, guests overnight in glamping campsites en route, while hiking along remote coastline that very few people ever experience. The trail supports anti-poaching, alien removal and species monitoring, which includes Cape leopard and Aardvark.
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