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Wine tasting, ostrich farms, mountain passes, and underground caverns, all in the Klein Karoo
A convenient stop along South Africa’s Garden Route, the Klein (Little) Karoo is a narrow valley that runs between coastal mountains and the Swartberg Range. The sunny, dry climate here is ideal for the area’s two major industries — wine making and ostrich farming.
Our specialists have explored the region and can plan a visit to the Klein Karoo that will offer you the chance to sample local wines as well as explore the history of the ostrich trade. In Oudtshoorn, Victorian merchants made their fortunes by catering to the mania for ostrich plumes on hats, and you can still see their ornate sandstone mansions, known as feather palaces. We can arrange for you to visit a modern-day ostrich farm to learn more about this very niche business. You might also want to visit the CP Nel Museum; set in a feather palace, the museum’s exhibits examine the region’s avian agricultural heritage.
Beyond Oudtshoorn, you can appreciate some of the country’s most impressive mountains by taking a guided driving tour along the Swartberg Pass, a steep, winding mountain road littered with wind-carved sandstone sculptures. Or, venture inside the Cango Caves, a sprawling complex of caverns and tunnels that were inhabited during the Paleolithic and rediscovered in the 1800s.
who's been there
Start planning your tailor-made trip to the Klein Karoo by contacting one of our South Africa specialists
- 617-223-4340
- Make an inquiry
Places to visit in the Klein Karoo
Featuring heavily on our experiences of visiting the Klein Karoo, these selected places are destinations that also prove consistently popular with our travelers. Our specialists can help you choose how to include them in your wider trip, based on your preferences.
Suggested itineraries featuring the Klein Karoo
Our itineraries will give you suggestions for what is possible when you travel in the Klein Karoo, and they showcase routes we know work particularly well. Treat them as inspiration, because your trip will be created uniquely by one of our specialists.
Places in and around the Klein Karoo
- Calitzdorp The Klein Karoo
- The Cango Caves & Swartberg Pass The Klein Karoo
- Oudtshoorn & Surrounds The Klein Karoo
- Wilderness 70 kilometers away
- Knysna 71 kilometers away
- Plettenberg Bay 83 kilometers away
- Tsitsikamma Forest 115 kilometers away
- Sanbona Game Reserve 220 kilometers away
- Swellendam 237 kilometers away
- De Hoop Nature Reserve 244 kilometers away
- Montagu 259 kilometers away
- Port Elizabeth 260 kilometers away
- Addo Elephant National Park 268 kilometers away
- Amakhala Game Reserve 297 kilometers away
- Shamwari Private Game Reserve 298 kilometers away
- The Overberg 303 kilometers away
- The Eastern Cape Game Areas 316 kilometers away
- Pumba Private Game Reserve 325 kilometers away
- Kwandwe Private Game Reserve 343 kilometers away
- De Kelders 350 kilometers away
- Franschhoek 353 kilometers away
- Hermanus 355 kilometers away
- The Whale Coast 357 kilometers away
- Paarl 365 kilometers away
- The Winelands 365 kilometers away
- The Cederberg Mountains 367 kilometers away
- Stellenbosch 378 kilometers away
- Cape Town 417 kilometers away
- Constantia 419 kilometers away
- The Cape Peninsula 424 kilometers away
- Langebaan 453 kilometers away
- East London 470 kilometers away
- Paternoster 471 kilometers away
Photos of the Klein Karoo
Accommodation choices for the Klein Karoo
We've selected a range of accommodation options for when you visit the Klein Karoo. Our choices usually come recommended for their character, facilities and service or location. Our specialists always aim to suggest properties that match your preferences.
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Thorntree
Oudtshoorn & Surrounds -
Rosenhof Country House
Oudtshoorn & Surrounds -
La Plume Guest House
Oudtshoorn & Surrounds