Oudtshoorn

Exploring Oudtshoorn: The Best Things to Do in South Africa’s Ostrich Capital in 2026

(A Complete Insider Guide)

Oudtshoorn sits in the sun-baked heart of the Klein Karoo, halfway between the Swartberg and Outeniqua mountains. It’s hot, dry, and utterly different from the green coastal strip most people picture when they think “Garden Route”. That contrast is exactly what makes a day (or two) here so rewarding.

Here’s everything worth doing in and around Oudtshoorn in 2026 – written by someone who’s sent thousands of happy guests this way and knows exactly which experiences actually deliver.

1. Sunrise with the Meerkats

Hands-down the cutest wildlife moment on the entire Garden Route.

At first light, habituated wild meerkats climb onto your shoulders to warm up and scan for predators. The new viewing platforms at Meerkat Magic mean you’re no longer lying flat on the ground, and group sizes are capped at 12.

Best time: Year-round, but March–May and September–November are perfect weather.

Cost: R950 pp including coffee and rusks. Book early – sunrise slots sell out months ahead.

2. Cango Caves – Choose Your Own Adventure

These limestone caverns are one of the finest show-cave systems on the planet.

Heritage Tour (60 min): Gentle walk through the biggest chambers – perfect for families and anyone who just wants the wow factor. New LED lighting makes the colours pop.
Adventure Tour (90 min): Ladders, tunnels, the infamous Devil’s Chimney and the 38 cm Postbox squeeze. Still the most talked-about activity in town.
2026 prices: Heritage R250 adults / R150 kids | Adventure R350 adults / R200 kids 8+.
Tip: Book the 10:00 or 11:00 Adventure slot – coolest temperatures and smallest groups.

3. Ostrich Farm Visit + Lunch

Highgate and Cango Ostrich Show Farm are the two best.

You’ll stand on an ostrich egg (it holds your weight), feed the birds, and learn why these animals once made Oudtshoorn millionaires. The on-site restaurants serve the best ostrich steaks and Karoo lamb you’ll ever eat.

Cost: R160–R195 pp including tour. Add lunch for R200–R250.

4. Cango Wildlife Ranch

Stroke a cheetah, watch lemurs leap around their island, or (if you dare) cage-dive with Nile crocodiles. It’s conservation-focused and genuinely well run.

Cheetah encounter: R350 pp extra – worth every cent.

5. Swartberg Pass Drive (or light hike)

One of the most beautiful mountain passes in the world – a UNESCO site built by Thomas Bain in the 1880s. The 27 km gravel road climbs to 1,583 m with dizzying views over the Karoo and the coast.

Do it at golden hour if you can – the light on the folded mountains is unreal.

6. Wine Tasting with a View

Karusa Vineyard and Grundheim are the two stand-outs within 15 minutes of town. Both have tasting rooms looking straight at the Swartberg, and both scored 93–95 points in the 2025 Tim Atkin report.

Karusa also brews excellent craft beer and has a great restaurant if you want to linger.

7. Feather Palaces & CP Nel Museum

Oudtshoorn once had more millionaires per capita than anywhere else on earth – all thanks to ostrich feathers.

The CP Nel Museum tells the whole crazy story. Afterwards, walk or drive past the sandstone “feather palaces” – Le Roux Townhouse is open for guided tours and feels like stepping into 1910.

8. Rust-en-Vrede Waterfall & Short Hikes

A surprisingly lush 6 km return walk to a beautiful waterfall – perfect if you want something gentle and green after the heat of town.

9. Stargazing

The Klein Karoo has some of the darkest skies in the southern hemisphere. Many guesthouses set up telescopes, or just lie back anywhere outside town – the Milky Way is ridiculous.

The Perfect One-Day Escape from Knysna (The Route 95 % of Our Guests Love)

03:30 Leave Knysna

05:30 Meerkat sunrise

08:30 Breakfast at Karusa

09:45 Cango Caves Adventure Tour

11:30 Cango Wildlife Ranch (cheetah encounter)

13:30 Lunch at Highgate or Jemima’s

15:00 Quick wine tasting

16:00 CP Nel Museum & Le Roux Townhouse

17:30 Scenic drive home via Outeniqua Pass

19:00 Sunset cruise on Knysna Lagoon with Knysna Charters

Total distance: ~300 km round trip

Cost per person: R2,800–R3,600 (everything included)

Why Knysna Makes the Best Base for an Oudtshoorn Day Trip

Same driving time as George but 15 °C cooler at night
Lagoon-front rooms instead of inland heat
World-class seafood restaurants to balance all that red meat
You finish the day on a boat watching the Heads turn orange – the perfect reward after Karoo dust

Where to Stay in Oudtshoorn (if you decide to spend a night)

Buffelsdrift Game Lodge – luxury tents, waterhole with hippos and elephants
Hlangana Lodge – stylish, cool rooms, great pool
De Zeekoe Guest Farm – quiet, beautiful setting, excellent meerkat tours

Final Tip from Someone Who Does This Every Week

Do the meerkats at sunrise if you can drag yourself out of bed – it’s pure magic and sets the tone for the whole day. And definitely leave time for that sunset cruise back in Knysna. After a day of caves, cheetahs, ostrich steaks and Karoo wine, stepping onto the lagoon with oysters and bubbly in hand is the best possible way to end any Garden Route adventure.

Ready for the perfect Karoo day?

Start planning at knysnacharters.com (for the sunset you’ll never forget) and book your meerkat or cave tickets the same week – 2026 summer dates are already filling fast.

See you in the dust… and then on the water.