Best Adventure Motorcycle Routes: Eastern Cape Self-Guided
The Eastern Cape is big, quiet and full of gravel. In a single week you can ride from the coast into the Baviaanskloof, across the dry Karoo, or up into the highlands, mostly on unsealed roads that link farms and small towns, with very little traffic.
We run two seven-day self-guided routes here: Cape2Karoo and Frontier & Mist. Both start and finish in St Francis Bay, both are roughly 70% gravel, and both are planned so you can ride them on your own terms, with accommodation booked and support a phone call away. This guide covers what each route is like, what to expect on the road and how to choose between them.
Cape2Karoo: Baviaanskloof, the Karoo and the Garden Route
Cape2Karoo covers about 1,306 km. From St Francis Bay it heads into the Baviaanskloof, then on through Willowmore, Prince Albert and Calitzdorp, before coming home along the Garden Route and Tsitsikamma. The route was built around gravel riding and the historic mountain passes engineered by Thomas Bain in the 1800s.
The Baviaanskloof
The Baviaanskloof is the wildest part of the week: remote, rocky and beautiful, with river crossings along the way. It's currently rideable, with some damaged sections. If it's completely closed on your riding day, there's an alternate route that passes north around the kloof, and we'll handle that with you case by case.
At river crossings, stop and assess before you commit. Walk it if you're unsure of the depth or the bottom, and if you're in any doubt, turn back. Our Baviaanskloof guide goes into more detail.
The Karoo
Leaving the kloof, the country opens up into long gravel roads and big horizons. Towns are far apart, so fill up whenever you get the chance. The motorcycle has no conventional fuel-level gauge, so track your range on the trip meter.
The Garden Route and Tsitsikamma
The closing stretch is mostly tar with some gravel: a scenic, easier ride home after the big days inland.
Cape2Karoo is the route we'd suggest for a first trip with us. That's a question of fit, not a ranking.
Frontier & Mist: the Eastern Cape Highlands
Frontier & Mist is the high-country route: about 1,811 km through the Eastern Cape Highlands, also around 70% gravel. It's for riders who actively enjoy technical riding and altitude.
The week runs St Francis Bay to Kirkwood, then Tarkastad, Lady Grey, Rhodes, Elliot (Khowa), Hogsback and back to St Francis Bay.
The high passes
Days 4 and 5 are the heart of the route, crossing five passes from the well-known Ben10 Eco Challenge list. On day 4 you ride Lundean's Nek, at 2,162 m the highest point of the week, along with Carlisleshoekspruit and Volunteershoek. Day 5 brings Naude's Nek and Bastervoetpad, the most technical of the ten Ben10 passes.
Long days
Day 3, up to Lady Grey, is the longest day in the seat because the going is slowest. Day 7 covers the most distance, but it's mostly tar, so it rides faster.
Mountain weather in the highlands can change quickly, so pack for cold and wet even in summer. Tours run all year round. If you're flexible on dates, April is a lovely month in the highlands before the colder weather sets in.
How to Choose Between the Two
Gravel percentage won't decide it, because both routes are about 70% gravel. The difference is distance, altitude and technical demand.
Choose Cape2Karoo if you want the Baviaanskloof, the wide-open Karoo and a relaxed ride home along the coast, over a shorter week.
Choose Frontier & Mist if you want longer days, high passes and more technical riding, and you're comfortable with mountain weather.
For a side-by-side look, see Cape2Karoo vs Frontier & Mist.
What Self-Guided Means on These Routes
Self-guided means you ride without a guide or a group, at your own pace. Here's what we set up and what's yours to handle:
- Navigation: Every motorcycle has a Garmin zūmo XT2 with the full route pre-loaded. Each morning you select the day's track and ride.
- Accommodation: Every night of the tour is booked before you arrive, and every stop has secure off-street parking.
- Daily riding: Roughly four to six hours in the saddle, with days planned to finish in daylight.
- The motorcycle: Both routes use the same prepared motorcycle, a KTM 790 Adventure, serviced by the KTM dealer on the factory schedule and checked by us before every tour. It's fitted with a 60-litre soft pannier system in three 20-litre compartments, and you carry your own luggage between stops.
- Small fixes: Each bike carries a small tool kit, duct tape, cable ties and blue thread-locker. Minor roadside fixes are yours to handle.
- Breakdowns: If something more serious happens, call us. We'll first ask questions to work out what's wrong and, where possible, talk you through a fix by phone. If that doesn't work, we drive out with the spare motorcycle on a trailer, plus tools and parts, and either repair your bike on the spot or swap it for the spare. How long that takes depends on where you are.
- Staying in touch: You'll have cell coverage or Wi-Fi on most of the route, though it's patchy in some remote sections. Satellite communication isn't included, so bring your own if you'd like the extra peace of mind.
- Before and after: Nights before collecting the motorcycle or after handing it back are for your own account, but we're happy to help you arrange them.
Plan Your Ride
Not sure you're ready for self-guided gravel touring? Work through our self-guided tour checklist. For kit, see what to pack for a self-guided motorcycle tour in South Africa.
When you're ready, request availability with your preferred route, dates and group size, and we'll come back to you.