Small-group overland
camping tours
Take the slow road through South Africa
safely, comfortably, and completely off the beaten path.
Van Africa’s local overland tours are small, personal journeys designed for travellers who want to experience more and stress less.
Guided by local experts with over 30 years of overlanding experience. Every trip is fully supported, thoughtfully planned, and focused on safety, comfort, and authentic connection to the land.
The Garden Route
The Garden Route’s lush forests, dramatic cliffs, and turquoise lagoons offer one of the most scenic drives in the world. Tsitsikamma and Wilderness National Parks shelter elephants, bushbuck, and prolific birdlife among ancient yellowwood trees.
For overlanders, it’s an ideal blend of comfort and adventure from coastal camping to forest tracks and mountain passes that reveal the full beauty of South Africa’s southern coastline.
Garden Route Ramble
Embark on a scenic round-trip overland journey along South Africa’s Garden Route and beyond, where coastal vistas, wild coastlines, rugged mountains, and expansive Karoo landscapes combine into a spectacular adventure. This tour can be tailored from 14 days for the full experience or shortened to 7 days to explore only select highlights.
Cape Town & West Coast – Start your adventure in the vibrant Mother City before heading to Paternoster, a charming fishing village famous for its white-washed cottages and fresh crayfish straight from the Atlantic. Explore the dramatic beaches, dunes, and quaint coastal towns of the West Coast National Park, home to flamingos, spring flowers, and pristine wilderness.
Cape Agulhas & De Hoop Nature Reserve – Travel south to the southernmost tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas, where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. Continue to De Hoop NR, a marine and terrestrial reserve offering whale watching, birding, and secluded beach camps.
Garden Route Highlights – Venture east to Mossel Bay, Plettenberg Bay, Tsitsikamma National Park, and Knysna, where lush forests, indigenous fauna, and striking coastlines make every stop unforgettable. Enjoy canopy walks in Tsitsikamma, explore Knysna’s lagoons, and hike trails that showcase the region’s biodiversity.
Addo Elephant Park & Oudtshoorn – Move inland to Addo NP, home to elephants, lions, and rare black rhinos, before exploring Oudtshoorn, famous for ostrich farms and the spectacular Cango Caves.
Tankwa Karoo & Beyond – Traverse the arid beauty of Tankwa Karoo NP, where vast plains, star-studded skies, and desert-adapted wildlife capture the essence of South African wilderness.
This is true Overlanding: wild camping, remote tracks, and immersive nature experiences combined with local culture, cuisine, and adventure. Along the way, you’ll escape the noise of everyday life and discover wild South Africa with fellow adventurers who share your spirit of exploration.
This tour can be custom designed or shortened, letting you focus on coastal wonders, Karoo landscapes, or a complete Garden Route experience.
A journey of coast, forest, Karoo, and adventure perfect for those who crave freedom, scenery, and wild experiences.
Karoo & Tankwa Region
The Karoo is the soul of the South African interior, wide horizons, fossil-strewn plains, and deep silence. The Tankwa Karoo National Park, with its rocky tracks and stark beauty, draws those who seek solitude and raw adventure. Gemsbok, bat-eared foxes, and Cape Mountain zebra roam these arid lands, and the night skies here are among the clearest on Earth.
Overlanding in the Karoo is about freedom, navigating gravel roads, ancient farm routes, and camping beneath infinite stars.
West Coast, Namaqualand & Richtersveld
Wild Beauty Reborn
The West Coast is a landscape of contrasts from wild Atlantic shores to colourful carpets of flowers in spring. Each year, from August to October, Namaqualand bursts into bloom, transforming the arid desert into a spectacle of colour.
The Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, shared with Namibia, offers rugged mountain passes, the winding Orange River, and ancient rock formations. Here you may spot klipspringer, leopard, and black eagles soaring above the canyons.
This region epitomises overlanding at its best, wild camping along riverbeds, challenging tracks, and the unforgettable experience of witnessing nature reborn during the flower season. It’s remote, untamed, and profoundly beautiful.
West Coast Overland Adventure
Discover the raw beauty of South Africa’s West Coast, where rugged coastlines, hidden coves, and remote wilderness create the perfect overlanding playground. This journey can be timed to coincide with the short-lived annual wildflower season (August to September) or explored off-season for wild, isolated camping along the coast.
Travel through charming coastal towns like Paternoster, Doringbaai, and Hondeklipbaai, and explore the Groen River Mouth, where sandy beaches meet untouched dunes. Venture into Namaqua National Park, renowned for its dazzling spring bloom, where carpets of wildflowers transform the arid landscape into a vivid display of colour. This spectacle lasts only a few weeks, making it a bucket-list experience for nature lovers and photographers.
Off-season, the adventure shifts to true remote Overlanding, with wild camping in secluded spots along the coast. Feel the solitude of the wild West Coast, sleep under endless skies, and wake to the sound of the ocean and the desert wind. Tracks along the coast and through coastal plains provide the thrill of exploration and the satisfaction of discovering places few travelers ever reach.
Expect authentic Overlanding experiences: self-sufficient travel, isolated campsites, and the perfect combination of coastal scenery, wildflowers, and quiet wilderness. Along the way, you’ll escape the noise of modern life and experience wild South Africa in the company of like-minded adventurers.
This tour can be custom designed or extended, allowing extra days to fully enjoy the wildflower season or to explore additional remote coastal tracks.
A journey of colour, coast, and solitude where every step reveals the magic of the West Coast, from blooms to beaches.
Namakwa 4x4 Eco Trail & West Coast Ramble
This journey follows the Namakwa 4x4 Eco Trail, the country’s longest off-grid route — as it winds through remote desert landscapes, dry riverbeds, and wild coastal tracks where adventure and solitude go hand in hand.
We explore the Namaqua National Park, a region famed for its spring flower displays and vast, untouched beauty. The route includes the dramatic Augrabies Falls, where the Orange River plunges into a deep granite gorge, and a visit to the Riemvasmaak Hot Springs, tucked away between volcanic cliffs, a true desert oasis where you can soak beneath the stars.
Following the Orange River trails, we venture further west to camp along the riverbanks, surrounded by silence, sand, and open skies. The journey then leads us to the West Coast, where we travel along sandy tweespoor tracks, learn to forage from the land, and even bake fresh campfire sourdough a wholesome experience that reconnects you with the simplicity of life outdoors.
This is an adventure for the whole family combining wild camping, off-road exploration, and meaningful time spent in nature. It’s a chance to escape the noise of the modern world, slow down, and rediscover wild Africa with like-minded adventurers who value freedom and authenticity.
This tour can be custom designed or extended, allowing you to tailor your route or link it with other VanAfrica adventures across Namibia or Botswana.
A journey that blends desert, river, and coastline the spirit of adventure, family, and freedom all in one.
The Baviaans Kloof Ramble
This journey winds through the legendary Baviaanskloof, a remote wilderness of towering rock formations, river crossings, mountain passes, and ancient landscapes shaped by wind and water. It’s one of the most dramatic off-grid regions in the country a place where silence, nature, and adventure meet.
We travel through the heart of the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its raw geology, wildlife, and untouched valleys. From here, the route opens up onto Route 62, a classic South African road-trip corridor lined with small towns, Karoo charm, and endless open spaces.
The adventure continues over the iconic Prince Alfred Pass, one of Thomas Bain’s most famous mountain passes. Hand-built and winding through deep forests and rugged rock walls, it’s a scenic gem loved by riders and overlanders alike.
As we move south, the landscape transforms into the lush coastal forests of the Garden Route National Park, where mountain streams, forest canopies, and sea breezes fill the air. The journey concludes at the dramatic Tsitsikamma – Storms River Mouth, where cliffs plunge into wild ocean and suspension bridges sway over churning waves a spectacular finish to a truly varied adventure.
This is an immersive experience for families, friends, and explorers alike blending mountain passes, gravel roads, coastal forests, river valleys, and meaningful time spent outdoors. It’s an opportunity to disconnect from the rush of daily life, slow your pace, and rediscover the beauty of South Africa’s legendary landscapes with like-minded adventurers.
This tour can also be customised or extended, giving you the freedom to tailor your route or link it with other VanAfrica adventures across the Western Cape, Karoo, or beyond.
A journey that blends mountains, forests, coastline, and wilderness the true spirit of exploration, connection, and freedom.
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