Great Adventure Trips

South Africa

Self-drive / Family / Walking / Romance / General Tours / Specials
Camping Tours / Wildlife Training Courses / Victoria Falls

Cedarberg Hiking

The Cedarberg Wilderness area, with its wild and dramatically coloured and weathered rocks, is ideal for walking and hiking. It lies only two hours north of Cape Town and the Winelands so it’s easy to add on a few days walking. Ancient forest trails take you through pristine mountain fynbos. There's hardly a soul to be seen and a sense of peace descends on you as you walk. This hiking tour is a series of one day walks in the mountains using a very comfortable mountain lodge as a base. It is ideal for the keen hiker.Our Cedarberg hiking tour is a fully guided tour with a Satour-registered guide. It begins in Cape Town and it also uses a premier-standard country lodge.

Meals Full Board
Accommodation Traditional Mountain Lodge
Departure Dates Mondays
Transport Luxury VW microbus with Air-conditioning OR Luxury Sedan car with Air-conditioning
Price Includes Meals and accommodation as shown in text, transport, services of a guide, all park and entrance fees
Price Excludes International flights, visas, items of a personal nature, meals not specified
Minimum Number 2
Climate Mediterranean (hot dry summers, cooler wetter winters but with many warm dry days)
Best time to go March to November. Not recommended for December to February
Health Requirements None. Sunblock essential
Combines well with Mellow Cape self-drive, Short Breaks in the Cape
Other Ideas Parties of 4 or more can choose their own departure date, subject to availability Terrain varies from mountain hikes to gentle vineyard walks (2A to 3C grading)

Day 1 - Depart Cape Town for the Cedarberg, Algeria Forest Station & Stadsaal Caves
Leave Cape Town and head north through the wheatfields of the Swartland to the Cedarberg mountains. Once over the pass, the country changes; wilder, warmer with a raw, dramatic beauty. Towering mountains, brilliant purple in the late afternoon light, preside over a fruit-filled valley laden with the scent of orange blossom in the spring. You climb up into the Cedarberg mountains to Algeria Forest Station. Here you can enjoy quite a steep hike up to a waterfall where you enjoy a magnificent view down the valley whilst you enjoy your picnic lunch, or you can opt for a gentle valley walk towards Uitkyk. Continue via Uitkyk pass to Mount Ceder Lodge for your three nights stay. Here you can enjoy a refreshing swim in the crystal clear river waters. Mount Ceder is a delightful lodge high in the Cedarberg, ideally situated for mountain hiking, fishing, swimming and visiting San (Bushman) rock paintings. The nine cottages range from charming one bedroom cottages to spacious four bedroom houses, all with Oregon pine furnishings. They are immaculately kept with obvious pride and attention to detail.
Picnic lunch & dinner. Accommodation: Mount Ceder Lodge

Day 2 Walk to the Maltese Cross
Take the enjoyable walk to the imposing monolith of Maltese Cross in the morning (3 to 4 hours walk) where you enjoy a magnificent view of the Cedarberg range. In the afternoon enjoy some wine tasting at the Cederberg Wine Estate nearby, swim in the Maalgat rock pools and visit the Stadsaal caves and Bushmen rock art paintings.
Full Board – breakfast, picnic lunch & dinner. Accommodation: Mount Ceder Lodge

Day 3 Walk up the Wolfberg Cracks (or to Wolfberg Arch)
Make an early start for the steep, but rewarding, climb up to the dramatic Wolfberg Cracks (1 to 1½ hours hike). If the group is keen, from here you can traverse along the top through a moonscape of weird rock formations to the imposing Wolfberg Arch. Wolfberg Cracks is a 3 to 4 hour walk in total whereas the longer walk to the Arch takes 8 to 9 hours.
Full Board – breakfast, picnic lunch & dinner. Accommodation: Mount Ceder Lodge

Day 4 Morning walk, Tulbagh and return to Cape Town
This morning you have time for an optional morning walk before continuing through the rugged Southern Cedarberg to Ceres and onto Tulbagh. You have time to explore the charming 18th century village of Tulbagh with its whitewashed Cape Dutch houses, enjoy some wine tasting and have a traditional Cape Malay lunch. In the late afternoon you meander back to Cape Town.
Breakfast & Lunch

Price per person double: 01 Feb 2009 - 31 Oct 2009 = (if 2 people) $833.00, (if 4 people) $685.00