Spring Flowers of Namaqualand

Departing: August 2027 - August 2027

For a few extraordinary weeks each spring, the landscapes of Namaqualand are transformed by winter rain, with the dry ground bursting into an astonishing carpet of flowers. Journey north from Cape Town through some of South Africa’s most varied landscapes, from the botanical riches of Kirstenbosch and the slopes of Table Mountain to coastal and mountain fynbos, succulent plants, orchids, proteas and heaths. As we travel into the remote Northern Cape, discover a region where granite outcrops punctuate vast open spaces and wildflowers stretch across the landscape in vivid swathes of colour. The journey also brings opportunities to experience South Africa’s wildlife and natural world in other ways, with a game drive, whale watching and a visit to a vineyard all adding to the variety. It is this combination of spectacular seasonal colour, extraordinary plant life and wild landscapes that makes Namaqualand so captivating.

Included

Explore Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden & Namaqua National Park, with entrance fees included
All other visits as outlined in the itinerary
Professional Tour Manager
3 nights at the Commodore Hotel, Cape Town, 1 night at the Saldanha Bay Hotel, Saldanha, 3 nights at the Letsatsi Lodge, Vanrhynsdorp, 1 night at the Clanwilliam Hotel, Clanwilliam, 2 nights at the De Zalze Lodge, Stellenbosch & 2 nights at the Windsor Hotel, Hermanus (or similar hotels)
12 breakfasts, 9 lunches & 6 dinners
Private air-conditioned coach travel

Highlights

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, one of the finest in the world
Tea tasting with the San people
Botanising in the Namaqua National Park
Discover the Quiver Tree forest at the Vanrhyns Pass
Optional whale watching excursion

David Hurrion

David has explored every continent except Antarctica, discovering plants and gardens on over 70 trips accompanying groups of gardeners. He has more than 20 years’ experience writing and editing garden magazines and websites, including as Deputy and Associate Editor of BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine.

Tour Itinerary

Join our arrival transfer from Cape Town airport or meet us at the hotel. In the afternoon, we visit Kirstenbosch National Garden, regarded as one of the world's finest botanical gardens and an introduction to South Africa's extraordinary flora.

Accommodation: Commodore Hotel, Cape Town

After breakfast, we ascend to the top of Table Mountain by cable car and discover some of the many floral species to be found here – some grow here and nowhere else. Later, we have a city orientation tour, including a walk in the Company’s Garden. An oasis in the centre of the city, it was first established as a refreshment station for the trade routes that navigated around South Africa. Here the star attractions include a species of ginkgo tree with no living relatives, a towering rubber tree and an ancient saffron pear which is propped up by steel beams. We have some time to wander the fountains, ponds and tree lined walkways of this peaceful sanctuary in the heart of the city.

This afternoon is spent at leisure. Alternatively, you may choose to join the optional excursion to Robben Island – the island prison which housed Nelson Mandela during his 18-year incarceration. Hosted by a local guide, the tour includes historical sites around the island, including the high wall built by prisoners during the 1960s, the island’s graveyard, the Lime Quarry, Robert Sobukwe’s House, the Bluestone Quary and the military bunkers. The tour culminates with a viewing of Nelson Mandela’s holding cell.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Commodore Hotel, Cape Town

Day 2 Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Today, we depart for a rewarding day as we explore the Cape Peninsula. We head along Chapman’s Peak Drive as it winds its way between Noordhoek and Hout Bay on the Atlantic Coast on the south-western tip of South Africa. We visit the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, which encompasses the entire southern tip of the cape, below Simon's Town, and see how soil types and moisture influences the range of plants which grow here in the coastal fynbos. We enjoy an oceanside lunch before visiting the remarkable Boulder’s Beach, where we find a colony of African Penguins which were once critically endangered but today, thanks to local conservation efforts, is now home to a thriving colony of over 3,000 birds.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Commodore Hotel, Cape Town

This morning, we depart Cape Town for a visit to !Khwa Ttu San Cultural Centre and Nature Reserve. Here we enjoy a tea tasting at the veld pharmacy – San and other indigenous people have always understood the plants around them were so much more than simply pretty flowers or a tasty snack. 12,000 years ago, we were all hunter-gatherers and this is an opportunity to rediscover some powerful lost knowledge – what to use to win a wife, heal a wound or keep you alive on the long journey ahead. Try the memorable, health-giving tea and hear a story in the !Kung language, with its distinctive click consonants. Later, we have the chance to embark on an open vehicle game drive in the reserve where eland, zebra, springbok, black wildebeest, ostrich are just some of the magnificent animals we might encounter on this special 90-minute game drive in the veld, as we learn a little more about the characteristics of the unique flora and fauna found here.

In the afternoon, we visit the West Coast National Park and the Postberg Nature Reserve within the park, which is famous for its carpets of spring flowers such as the rain daisy.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Saldanha Bay Hotel, Saldanha

We travel north to Clanwilliam, with the impressive Cederberg mountains as a backdrop and the only place in the world where Rooibos tea grows naturally. We visit the House of Rooibos to learn how the plant is grown, harvested and made into tea, followed naturally by a tasting of the final product. There is also a wonderful variety of merchandise on sale, from teas to skin care products.

We continue further north and enter the unique region of Namaqualand, with the breathtaking Matzikama mountain range welcoming us to Vanrhynsdorp. Here, we visit a nursery, where we see the most incredible succulent plants and learn how they adapt to survive their harsh living conditions.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Letsatsi Lodge, Vanrhynsdorp

A scenic journey awaits as we drive up the breathtaking Vanrhyns pass to visit the quiver tree forest – truly a sight to behold! These are not actually trees but aloe plants, and as we take a walk through the forest, we learn all about them and discover many other incredible plant species growing all around us. We visit the beautiful sandstone church in Nieuwoudville for tea and pancakes, before continuing to Matjiesfontein farm to enjoy the fields of flowers that stretch as far as the eye can see.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Letsatsi Lodge, Vanrhynsdorp

This morning, we head further north and stop for refreshments along the way in the town of Garries. We continue through the town of Kammieskroon and visit the Skilpad area of the Namaqua National Park, close to Springbok. We spend the day here, walking along the flower paths and discovering the native flora and fauna.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Following breakfast, we return towards Clanwilliam, driving through the Pakhuis pass and marvelling at the amazing rock formations. We stop for refreshments at Traveller’s Rest, a beautiful hidden gem situated next to the Brandewyn river, where we can marvel at the majestic Biedouw valley and walk among the spring flowers. We later visit the Ramskop Wild Flower Garden, home to more than 350 species of cultivated wildflowers and offering stunning views over the Clanwilliam Dam and the Cederberg Mountains.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Clanwilliam Hotel, Clanwilliam

Today, we drive to Worcester and visit the Karoo National Botanical Gardens. Set in magnificent surroundings in the foothills of the Hex River Mountains, the gardens are home to over 400 naturally occurring plant species that include Namaqualand flora, one of the largest collections of indigenous succulents in South Africa. We later depart for Franschhoek.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: De Zalze Lodge, Stellenbosch

After breakfast, we visit Stellenbosch Botanical Garden, the oldest university garden in South Africa, featuring an enormous variety of plants from across the globe. These include aquatic plants from the Amazon, tropical orchids, insectivorous plants from Borneo, puya plants from Chile, Mexican cacti, members of the Proteaceae family, as well as welwitschia from the Namib desert; mesembs (stone plants), euphorbias and stapeliads from the Karoo and Namaqualand, economic plants, herbs and many others. Because of spatial restrictions, the garden concentrates on dwarf plants such as succulents, indigenous dwarf shrubs and pot plants.

After a picnic lunch, we visit the Vergelegen Wine Estate to view their beautiful gardens. Vergelegen (meaning ‘situated far away’) has been a gardener’s paradise from the time the land was first tamed by Willem Adriaan van der Stel in 1700, since when it has passed through a succession of owners. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited during their tour of 1947 and were said to be 'overcome by Vergelegen’s loveliness'. The gardens were restored in 1987 and now feature a White Garden, a Rose Garden, and the magnificent Octagonal Garden, which has views to the house along 400m of twin herbaceous borders. Along with summer flowering perennials, annuals such as cleome and nicotiana are planted in September.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today, we explore the Caledon Wildflower Garden and Nature Reserve, a stunning site dedicated to beauty and conservation. Nestled in the Klein Swartberg mountains, the reserve boasts a remarkable array of diverse and unique fynbos species. Spend the afternoon at leisure in Hermanus, or opt for the optional whale watching excursion.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Windsor Hotel, Hermanus

After breakfast, we depart to Fernkloof Nature Reserve, which covers 1800 ha in the Kleinrivier Mountains above Hermanus and ranges in altitude from sea level to 842m. It protects coastal and mountain fynbos and a small patch of evergreen forest and there is no other place on earth where so many different species can be seen growing in such close proximity, including great numbers of ericaceae, such as the endemic Erica hermani. Keep an eye out too for animals such as klipspringer, baboon and dassie and birds such as cape sugarbird, sunbirds, rock thrush, jackal buzzard and black eagle.

Later, we visit Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens, situated in the centre of the coastal fynbos, where the flora is richest. Here we find mountain slopes, heathlands, gorges, marshes and beachside dunes. Renowned for its waterfalls and amber pools, we explore the collection of fynbos families such as proteas, ericas and restios as well as irises, daisies and orchids.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Windsor Hotel, Hermanus