On the second morning the car key lies on the breakfast table, and outside the N2 runs open in both directions. You have seen the lighthouse, the Post Office Tree, the tidal pool. Now the question: east, north or west? Thirteen destinations are on this page, each with its own entry, distance, driving time and the one reason to go.
The direction decides the day. East, the Garden Route runs through George and Wilderness to Knysna and beyond; north, the R328 climbs the Robinson Pass into the Little Karoo; west lies the road towards Cape Town with Albertinia and Stilbaai. And two places are so close that you tack them onto an afternoon. All the driving times here are rough figures, without traffic and without photo stops.
- Destinations
- 13each with its own page
- Closest
- 10 kmHartenbos, about ten minutes
- Furthest
- 215 kmStorms River, about two and a half hours
- Passes
- 4Robinson, Outeniqua, Montagu, Swartberg
A quarter of an hour away
Two places you tack onto an afternoon: the family beach behind the bay and the village with an island in the river.
- Hartenbos is the family seaside town just behind the bay, with a long beach, a water slide and the ATKV holiday resort. (10 km, about 10 minutes)
- Great Brak River is the Searle family’s village on the river, with an inhabited island, a lagoon and the Botlierskop game reserve on its doorstep. (17 km, about 20 minutes)
The Garden Route heading east
The N2 runs through George and Wilderness to Knysna and on to the Storms River mouth. Wilderness fits into half a day, Knysna into a full one, and everything beyond that is the next stop on your trip.
- Herolds Bay is a small rocky cove with a swimming beach and the Oubaai golf course on the plateau above, six kilometres from the airport. (40 km, about 35 minutes)
- George is the biggest town on the Garden Route, with the airport, a railway museum, a botanical garden and two passes into the interior. (50 km, about 45 minutes)
- Wilderness has the long beach, the lakes behind it and the viewpoint from which the river draws the outline of Africa. (65 km, about 60 minutes)
- Knysna sits on a lagoon that meets the sea between two rock heads, with oysters, forest and an elephant park. (107 km, about 90 minutes)
- Plettenberg Bay has the Robberg peninsula with its seal colony, wide beaches and whales right off the bay in winter. (140 km, about 120 minutes)
- Tsitsikamma is the end of the Garden Route: a suspension bridge over the Storms River mouth and the bungee off the Bloukrans bridge. (215 km, about 150 minutes)
Over the passes into the Little Karoo
Behind the Robinson Pass the land turns dry and red. Oudtshoorn with its ostriches and limestone caves is a day; Route 62 is the long way round to Cape Town.
- Oudtshoorn lies behind the Robinson Pass in the Little Karoo: ostrich farms, the Cango Caves and the gravel road over the Swartberg. (85 km, about 75 minutes)
- Route 62 starts for you in Oudtshoorn: the long road through the Little Karoo, with port wine in Calitzdorp and a bar called Ronnie’s Sex Shop. (85 km, about 75 minutes)
West towards Cape Town
The stretch you will drive on the way back anyway: a river mouth with dunes, an aloe town with lions on its doorstep, and stone age fish traps.
- Gouritsmond is the tiny village at the mouth of the Gouritz, with anglers, dunes and the high bridge over the river on the N2. (55 km, about 50 minutes)
- Albertinia is the aloe town on the N2 with a church for a landmark and the Garden Route Game Lodge on its doorstep. (50 km, about 40 minutes)
- Stilbaai is the quiet coastal town at the Goukou mouth, with stone fish traps that have worked at low tide for thousands of years. (75 km, about 60 minutes)
What fits into one day
East: George with the transport museum in the morning, Wilderness with the beach and the Map of Africa in the afternoon, back before dinner. Or, with an early start, on to Knysna, the Heads at midday, the elephant park in the afternoon; that makes a long day. Plettenberg Bay and Tsitsikamma are no longer day trips but the next stop on the route east.
North: Oudtshoorn with the Cango Caves and an ostrich farm fills a day, the Robinson Pass there and back. Route 62 is a day of its own, best taken as the way back to Cape Town. West: Albertinia with a game drive in the morning, Stilbaai at low tide in the afternoon, or the other way round depending on the tides. Gouritsmond fits in between if you drive the coast road.
And if you only have an afternoon: Hartenbos for the beach, Great Brak River for the island. Both are within sight of Mossel Bay.
Our tipFill up in Mossel Bay before you take the Robinson Pass, and look at the sky in the morning: in fog or heavy rain you drive the pass slowly or not at all, and then the day belongs to the coast. Before gravel passes such as the Montagu or the Swartberg, check whether your rental agreement allows them.
Frequently asked questions about day trips
Which day trips from Mossel Bay are worth it?
East, the Garden Route with Wilderness and Knysna; north, Oudtshoorn with the Cango Caves over the Robinson Pass; west, Stilbaai and Albertinia; and for an afternoon, Hartenbos or Great Brak River. Everything except Plettenberg Bay and Tsitsikamma works as a day trip from Mossel Bay.
How far is it from Mossel Bay to Knysna?
Around 107 kilometres on the N2, about an hour and a half of driving through George, Wilderness and Sedgefield. Knysna works as a day trip from Mossel Bay if you start early.
How do you get from Mossel Bay to the Cango Caves?
On the R328 over the Robinson Pass to Oudtshoorn, around 85 kilometres and a good hour, then north to the caves at the foot of the Swartberg. Book tours on the Cango Caves website, where the prices are listed.
How many trips fit into one day from Mossel Bay?
One direction per day. East, George with Wilderness or straight on to Knysna; north, Oudtshoorn; west, Albertinia with Stilbaai. Hartenbos and Great Brak River fit into any afternoon.
Do you need a car for day trips from Mossel Bay?
For almost all of them, yes. Uber and Bolt operate in Mossel Bay and will take you to Hartenbos or Great Brak River, and the Baz Bus stops at the Garden Route Game Lodge near Albertinia, in Wilderness and in Knysna. For Oudtshoorn, Stilbaai and the passes you need the rental car.