Itinerary

On many people’s bucket list lies one of the prettiest cities of them all – CAPE TOWN! From its bars to its restaurants to its ocean views, there can be no better way to enter South Africa.  Registration kicks off at the hotel at 7pm!

No need to repack…not yet anyway. We’ll spend the first half of our day in Cape Town. We’re headed up on the cable car this morning for the best views of the city we can find. Then we’ll be racing down Table Mountain. Our reward is a very memorable picnic lunch in Camps Bay. Shortly after that, it’s back to the hotel to shower up, pack up, and board the plane to Port Elizabeth. We’re going east, along the Southern Coast of South Africa!

Today marks our first safari, in Addo Elephant National Park! Too soon? Heck, no! This awesome park, just North of Port Elizabeth (aka Gqeberha), is home to the “Big 5”. Elephants, lions, wildebeests, and even the occasional giraffe will be in our sights. We’re going to take a full day here, and make our way back to the hotel for a later dinner. Then it’s time to rest up as we’re hitting the coast tomorrow!

Our next race gets the blood pumping with single-trek underneath our feet, and the Indian sea by our side. Your trail running or hiking experience is going to take us through the Tsitsikamma Forest. Tsitsikamma translates to “place with much water” – You’ll be sure to see why! This is a coastal reserve well known for its indigenous forests, dramatic coastline, and the famous Otter Trail. Then it’s off to Storms River, home to plenty of thrill-seeking events. Get as crazy as bungy jumping and as tranquil as a walk along the beach. There’s no wrong answer in Storms River.

After a great day along the coast, we’ll get to our resting place for the next two nights in Knysna (Niss-na). Knysna is called the “Jewel of the Garden Route.” We’ll enjoy the area’s beaches and the famous Knysna lagoon while we’re there. The lagoon is really special as it is where the Knysna River meets the sea.

It’s time for our third race, as we continue to hug the Southern Coast of South Africa. This coastline that marks the end of Africa, is sprinkled with the quaintest and most picturesque seaside towns, who in January, are soaking up the summer sun. Our adventures today will take us to the Robberg Nature Reserve for a beautiful coasteering run. We’ll be rewarded with a few hours at a golden beach in Plett too. See the dolphins from afar or simply take a dip post-race!

Before venturing inland, it’s time for one last trek inside the Garden Route Trail. This famous trail stretches the entirety of the southern coast of South Africa. Strange to think Antarctica sits directly below it. Get ready for your one and only beach run. Then take that sand between your toes to our next stop in Oudtshoorn!

Oudtshoorn has a few things it’s incredibly well known for – its ostrich population and its caving! You’ll get to explore one of those two things. The Cango Caves are Africa’s largest show caves and one of the Seven Wonders of Southern Africa! If dark and mysterious enclosed spaces aren’t your thing, no worries at all. We’ll have ostriches on an ostrich farm to keep you company in the sanctity of the open air.  

Enjoy a night out in Oudtshoorn tonight.

We’ve seen cities, safari, ocean, and caves. Next up, canyons! The Seweweeks Canyon and Swartberg Pass have tremendous views over the Klein and Great Karoo. The Great Karoo is well known for its cloudless skies and for being the home to many ecosystems hundreds of millions of years ago. We’ll run through this region for an up close and personal look around.

If you can believe it, these canyons are just a stop along the way to a private game reserve! We’ve got the reserve all to ourselves. A pool, deluxe accommodations, a sunset safari, and celebratory dinner await you. And why shouldn’t they? You just crushed 5 race days in South Africa!

No more racing – not in a reserve! Safety is our number one priority, so with the racing component complete, it’s time to focus all of our energy and attention on the very last morning safari.  The Big 5 will be all around us once more.

Stellenbosch is the second oldest town in South Africa. It has fondly been called ‘Eikestad’ or the “city of oaks”. Stellenbosch’s streets are lined with some of the most beautiful surviving examples of Cape Dutch, Georgian and Victorian architecture in the Cape. This region is also home to over 150 wineries! We’ll do our best to visit 2-3, with the last winery hosting us for a mid-afternoon celebratory lunch.

After the mid-afternoon finale, we’ll finish it all where we once began – Cape Town – a short drive away. The night is yours to relax, unwind, or…dance the night away. You choose!

We rocked South Africa from the East to the West. Some will need to fly home right away. Others might make their way to Botswana, Victoria Falls, or Kruger National Park for more safari time. For the R2A Team, it’s time to move on. With another R2A adventure in Europe in the summer of 2026, THREE Race2Adventures planned in two continents in 2027, and the most challenging R2A awaiting us in 2028, we’ve got work to do. See you as soon as humanly possible, everyone!