Each spring, the West Coast, the Cederberg and Namaqualand stage one of nature’s most dazzling transformations. After the sparse winter rains, a landscape that is usually sun-baked and spare becomes a living tapestry - swept with vivid bands of colour and packed with indigenous blooms. Expect standout displays of nemesias, lachenalias, babiana and ixias, often carpeting the veld in extraordinary profusion.
This escorted Spring Wild Flower Tour follows a beautifully considered route, with visits to nature reserves along the way. It’s ideal for unhurried flower viewing and rewarding photography. The remarkable variety of spring wildflowers is due to the region’s dramatic contrasts: fertile valleys and high mountain slopes, semi-desert plains, and the distinctive coastal sandveld vegetation. Higher in the Cederberg, you’ll also find striking proteas, their bold forms and generous blooms adding a different kind of spectacle later in spring.
To make the most of the light (and the flowers), the journey begins with a direct drive north to Nieuwoudtville. From there, you travel at a relaxed pace from roughly north to south, with the blooms facing the sun so the richest colours are best revealed with the sun behind you.
Interested in booking for 2026? Contact our flower tour expert, Sonja on [email protected]
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We leave Cape Town between 08:00 and 08:30 and head through the wheat fields of the Swartland and over the Piekienerskloof Pass. We descend into a different world. You are only two hours drive from Cape Town and yet the country has changed; 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. Hopefully we will start seeing the wild flowers along the road as we continue to Clanwilliam.
We break our long drive with a stop in Clanwilliam to visit the Ramskop Wild Flower Garden, after which we head off to Nieuwoudtville for our two night stay at The Nedersetting.
During the two days in Nieuwoudtville we will visit Matjiesfontein, the Nieuwoudtville Wildflower Reserve and the Hantam National Botanical Garden with their bulb species some of which are not found anywhere else in South Africa. Time permitting we may also visit the Quiver Tree Forest and the Nieuwoudtville waterfall if the river is in flood.
The Nedersetting is situated in the little ‘dorp’ of Nieuwoudtville, known as the bulb capital of South Africa and one of the main areas for wild spring flower viewing. This remote country area is swathed in flowers during this time but even during other months, there is something quintessentially South Africa about this area. The plant life is divided between the Cape Fynbos and the Karoo succulent’s species and is particularly varied.
The Nedersetting is situated in the little ‘dorp’ of Nieuwoudtville, known as the bulb capital of South Africa and one of the main areas for wild spring flower viewing. This remote country area is swathed in flowers during this time but even during other months, there is something quintessentially South Africa about this area. The plant life is divided between the Cape Fynbos and the Karoo succulent’s species and is particularly varied.
This morning we leave the Nieuwoudtville area to continue down the dramatic Botterkloof Pass to visit the Biedouw valley (depending on quality of flowers) with its splendid flower displays and have a picnic lunch in the valley.
We leave the valley in the early afternoon to head to Clanwilliam for your overnight stay at Cederberg Ridge where you will also enjoy Dinner this evening.
Cederberg Ridge is a luxurious wilderness lodge offering delicious food, hospitality and adventure. It overlooks the panorama of the Cederberg Mountains with its raw, rugged beauty. With 9 spacious rooms and suites, a restaurant with a view, a large swimming pool and indigenous gardens flowing into the veld, this boutique hotel offers the luxury of space and style in the midst of wilderness.
We leave Cederberg Ridge after breakfast and head to Lamberts Bay to visit the Cape gannets on Bird Island. We take the coastal route via Elands Bay and the west coast road to Paternoster for our overnight stay at Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel.
Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel is tucked away in the quaint fishing village of Paternoster, which lies along South Africa’s unspoiled West Coast, approximately 157 km from Cape Town. The 14 exquisite rooms and suites are a fusion of beach style and contemporary luxury with organic lines, hues and textures and an overall feeling of simplicity.
The lounge has breath-taking views and their restaurant serves authentic West Coast cuisine with an innovative twist using fresh and seasonal ingredients. The setting is surreal with cool ocean breezes of the Atlantic edged by white sands with seagulls overhead. Definitely one of the best locations in Paternoster.
After breakfast we visit the West Coast National Park where you will experience breathtaking views of wild flowers in the Postberg Flower Reserve. Postberg is a privately owned piece of land of about 6000 hectares inside the national park which during August and September plays host to thousands of enthusiasts looking for flowers. You will also see eland, zebra, bontebok, wildebeest and springbok in the veld amongst the flowers.
We will return to Cape Town in the late afternoon where you will be dropped at your guesthouse/hotel.
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