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WELCOME TO SWARTBERG MOUNTAIN TOURS
Oudtshoorn, Klein Karoo, Route 62, Western Cape, South Africa

The Swartberg Pass - our unspoiled UNESCO World Heritage Site. Share our passion, knowledge & experience on the fauna, flora, history & geology of the Swartberg MOUNTAIN & SWARTBERG Pass.

Your specialist in day trips and ECO excursions on UNESCO's World Heritage Site near Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape.

OUR TOURS

ABOUT THE SWARTBERG

OUR GUIDES

We have a tour to suit every budget and time-scale ~ whether you only have a few hours, or a whole day, you will have an excellent time out with Swartberg Mountain Tours! Our friendly qualified guides will drive you in safety and will make sure that you have an unforgettable experience!

You have the watches and we have the TIME for you.

We are able to accommodate from 1 to 100 passengers on one tour. We also accommodate corporate groups, with more than 100 people.

PLEASE NOTE:

All our vehicles have the required road permits AND insurances
Our company and all our mountain vehicles have 2-way radio communication for extra safety
All our mountain vehicles have 3 spare tires, just in case…..
All our drivers have Professional Drivers Permits
All our Guides are officially qualified, with the right permits for the area they work in!
We do have plenty of time for our clients… we don’t rush it!
As nature lovers, we are environmentally friendly.
We offer top quality traditional South African meals, at the foothills of the Swartberg Mountains, outdoor and/or indoor and with official alcohol license.
Pick up and drop of at accommodation in Oudtshoorn at no extra cost.
We speak: Nederlands, Vlaams, Français, English, Deutsch kommt bald, Afrikaans.

WHAT TO BRING ON OUR TOURS:

Shoes for uneven terrain
A fleece or jersey (it can be cold on top of the mountain pass (1,583m)
A hat, sunburn oil, sun glasses, binoculars, a camera and of course a big smile!

Tour 1: SWARTBERG MOUNTAIN CLASSIC TOUR
Duration: We prefer a minimum of 3 hours (120kms).

What to expect?

Start from: Any accommodation establishment in Oudtshoorn (other places on request)
Duration: Min 3 hours, if start in Oudtshoorn and min. 2 hours if start at the Cango Caves.
Distance:From Oudtshoorn and back is approximately 100 km (of which 30 km gravel and sand road).
A whole lot of fun!

Info:

This is the ideal half day for nature lovers who wish to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature, whilst learning more from our guides about the fauna, flora, geology and history of the pass.
Our enthusiastic qualified guides are always prepared to stop whenever clients want (as long as it is safe of course) and small walks are possible along the road. We let you walk ahead and then follow you to the point where you wish to get back into the vehicle.
The tour begins mostly in Oudtshoorn (please confirm the place of departure).

Tour 2: OUDTSHOORN TO OUDTSHOORN
Duration: We prefer a minimum of 7 hours (200kms).

What to expect?

Start from: Any accommodation establishment in Oudtshoorn (other places on request)
Duration: Full day (min 7 hours).
Distance: 200 km (of which approximately 27 km gravel and sand road).
A memorable day out filled with fun!

Info:

On this day tour, you will see Oudtshoorn's 'Big 7' in one day!
You visit an ostrich show farm where you will learn more about the largest bird on our planet.
The well-known Cango Caves for the standard tour. (1 hour tour ~ temperature about 19°C).
Drive over the historic Swartberg Pass.
Lunch.
Visit Prince Albert.
Drive through a part of the Great Karoo, with long distance views and desolate places.
Drive through the Swartberg Canyon (Meiringspoort).
Visit the Meiringspoort Waterfall.
We drive further, passing the little town of De Rust and the stunning Rooiberge... dropping you back at your accommodation after a wonderful day exploring this beautiful region.

Tour 3: GAMKASKLOOF (TO HELL & BACK)
Duration: We prefer a minimum of 8 hours. (200kms).

What to expect?

Start from: Any accommodation in Oudtshoorn (other places on request)
Duration: Minimum 9 hours / 2 day option available.
Distance: 200 km (of which approximately 140 km gravel and sand road)
A memorable day out filled with fun!

Info:

This trip takes a FULL day and you must have a good back as the road is rough and bumpy.
Advisable is a 2 day tour with an overnight in the Gamkaskloof.
The beauty of the day is the mountain, the road and the scenery.
Go back in time to learn the fascinating history of the Klovers, the original inhabitants of the Gamkaskloof.

Tour 4: SEWEWEEKSPOORT & BOSCHLUYSKLOOF.
Information on request.

Tour 5: BICYCLE TRIPS.
Information on request

Tour 6: HIKING TRAILS IN THE SWARTBERG MOUNTAIN.
Information on request

Tour 7: MANY THINKS TO DO IN THE AREA.
Please ask us for more info & contact us for your tailormade tour.

The Swartberg mountains (black mountain in Afrikaans) make up a mountain range that runs roughly east-west along the northern edge of the semi-arid Little Karoo in the Western Cape province of South Africa. To the north of the range lies the other large semi-arid area in South Africa, the Great Karoo.

The Swartberg Pass, a National Monument between Prince Albert and Oudtshoorn, is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular and best known mountain passes in South Africa. It is the masterpiece of the brilliant engineer and road builder, Thomas Charles Bain (1830 - 1893), and the last of the seventeen passes he built in the Cape Province.

The 27km Swartberg Pass is considered one of the finest mountain passes in the world. The untarred road winds its way to the summit some 1583 metres above sea level and offers breathtaking views at every turn.

The impressive diversity and richness of the varied fynbos and Karoo flora on the slopes of the Swartberg Mountains are magnificent. The soil is poor in nutrients and also shallow, and the slopes themselves are steep. Yet proteas, leucadendrons, ericas, watso-nias, gladioli, disas, Haemanthus species and many lesser known, rare plants abound.

The Swartberg also has an interesting history, with human interaction and travel interacting closely with the Mountains, but it still remains a vast and pristine environment which has much interest to conservationists, geologists, hikers, mountain bikers and visitors from every reach of the globe.

The fauna of the Swartberg is also very diverse, with some species found nowhere else on earth.

Colourful lizards delight the visitor, while 11 species of snake keep you alert for these sunbathers on rocks and paths. The rarer birds include the booted eagle, martial eagle, Cape eagle owl, Victorin's warbler and protea seedeater. Sunbirds and sugarbirds, rock jumpers and black eagles are often spotted.

Mammals most likely to be seen by visitors to the Pass and mountain trails include the dassie, klipspringer and baboon, although leopard, otters, jackal, aardvark, kudu, steenbok, grysbok and grey rhebok are also present.

All our guides at Swartberg Mountain Tours are truly passionate about what they do. Nature conservation, geology and the diversity of fauna / flora found in this World Heritage Site nature are all very important to us.

We only use Theta Qualified Guides: Regional Specialist Guides, and even National Guides are amongst us to help you with information reaching further than the surrounding area. It is important to make sure that you leave our tour with a new-found respect and love for nature; that you want to visit the area again to find out more, and learn that all is not what it seems - there are secrets and hidden wonders around every turn in this beautiful country.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Swartberg and sharing our knowledge and experience with you.

Languages spoken: Nederlands, Français, English, Afrikaans.

Main contact at Swartberg Mountain Tours:
Roeland Gabriël

Tel:

Mobile:	+27 (0) 79 105 4000

Office:	+27 (0) 79 105 4004

info@swartbergmountaintours.co.za

www.swartbergmountaintours.co.za

Postal address:
Postnet Suite 36, Private Bag x680, Oudtshoorn 6620, Western Cape, South Africa.

Company registration number:
2009/050022/23