Two routes. Seven days each. Both start and finish in St Francis Bay, both run on a prepped KTM 790 Adventure with your route already loaded on the GPS, and both are ridden at your own pace — no group, no guide in your mirrors, no fixed pace to hold. What differs is the country you cross and how hard the going gets.
Tours run year round. October to April is the drier stretch and the premium riding window, but the other months make a fine trip too — the Eastern Cape simply shows you a different face.
Cape2Karoo — ~1,306 km, ~70% gravel
The original route, and the one most riders pick first. Out of St Francis Bay into the Baviaanskloof, up through Willowmore and Prince Albert into the Karoo proper, then down the Garden Route and home along the Tsitsikamma. It's a Thomas Bain pilgrimage as much as a tour — his passes carry the week, and the gravel is constant without ever being punishing. Big skies, long silences, and the kind of empty road that makes people take up adventure riding in the first place.
Best for: riders who want serious gravel content with a manageable difficulty curve.
Frontier & Mist — ~1,811 km, ~70% gravel, Eastern Cape Highlands
The high country route, and the one riders come back for. Seven days through the Eastern Cape Highlands, climbing into thin air and mountain weather that changes while you watch it. Days 4 and 5 are Ben10 country — five of the ten Ben10 Eco Challenge passes, including Lundean's Nek at 2,162 m, the highest point of the week, and Bastervoetpad, the most technical of the ten. Ben MacDhui sits on the same stretch. Day 3 is the longest day in the saddle; day 7 covers the most ground but rides quickly on tar.
This is a route for riders who came for the technical stuff. The passes ask something of you, the surfaces change with the weather, and the reward is country most people never see from a bike. If that's the riding you enjoy, this is the week to book.
Best for: riders who want altitude, technical passes and mountain country.
Which route suits you?
| Cape2Karoo | Frontier & Mist | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | ~1,306 km | ~1,811 km |
| Days | 7 | 7 |
| Gravel | ~70% | ~70% |
| Country | Baviaanskloof, Karoo, Garden Route | Eastern Cape Highlands, Ben10 country |
| Highest point | Swartberg Pass, 1,583 m | Lundean's Nek, 2,162 m |
| Technical demand | Moderate — sustained gravel, no extreme sections | Higher — Ben10 passes on days 4 and 5 |
| Best for | First-time ADV touring in South Africa | Altitude, technical passes, mountain country |
Still undecided? Most first-timers are better served by Cape2Karoo, and there's no wrong answer — tell us what you've ridden and we'll say so honestly.
What's included, on both routes
- A prepped KTM 790 Adventure, with a Garmin zūmo XT2 and your route preloaded
- Six nights' accommodation, pre-booked
- Airport transfers, arranged
- A rack-less soft pannier system — 60 litres across three 20-litre compartments
- Route notes, support on call, and someone who knows the road you're on
Luggage stays with you. Your bags aren't moved ahead between stops — you carry what you need in the panniers, which is part of what makes it a ride rather than a holiday with a bike in it.
What it costs
Per rider, for the full seven days, including the bike, accommodation and transfers.
| Solo rider | 2 riders | 3 riders | 4 riders |
|---|---|---|---|
| €3,450 | €3,250 | €3,100 | €2,950 |
The more of you there are, the lower the per-rider rate. Both routes are priced the same.
Ready when you are
Tell us which route you're leaning towards and roughly when you'd like to ride. We'll come back with availability and a straight answer about whether the route fits your experience.