George

George is the Garden Route’s working city: about 157,000 people, the regional airport, the hospitals and the big mall. It sits on a plateau about 10 km wide between the Outeniqua Mountains and the sea, roughly halfway between Cape Town and Gqeberha. People come because the flights land here, the mountain passes start here, and the beaches at Victoria Bay, Herolds Bay and Wilderness are all within twenty minutes.

Getting there

George Airport is about 7 km from the centre with flights from Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. By road it is 420 km east of Cape Town and 330 km west of Gqeberha on the N2. The N12 and N9 climb north over the Outeniqua Pass to Oudtshoorn and the Karoo. Long-distance coaches and the Baz Bus stop in town, and minibus taxis run to Mossel Bay, Knysna and Oudtshoorn. The Go George bus network has run since 2014 and is fine for the centre, but for the beaches and passes you want a hire car. Watch the fixed speed cameras on York Street and on the Kaaimans River Pass towards Wilderness.

When to go

George has an oceanic climate with about 670 mm of rain a year spread across all seasons. Summer highs are around 25°C; winter nights drop to about 8°C and the Outeniquas can get snow in July and August. Any month works. December and January bring the holiday traffic and parking at the beaches becomes a problem.

What to do

The Outeniqua Transport Museum holds thirteen steam locomotives and is the departure point for the Outeniqua Power Van, a small rail trolley that climbs into the mountains through six tunnels. Book ahead; departure times change with the season. The Montagu Pass, a 10 km gravel road declared a national monument in 1972, is the old way over the mountains and a far better drive than the tarred Outeniqua Pass next to it. The Seven Passes Road, built under Thomas Bain between 1867 and 1882, is the slow forest route to Knysna.

Victoria Bay is a tiny cove with one of the most consistent surf breaks on the coast and dolphins most days. Herolds Bay and Glentana are the family beaches. Hikers tackle George Peak and Cradock Peak (about 18 km, a full day) or the first stage of the 109 km Outeniqua Trail. Fancourt hosted the Presidents Cup in 2003 and is the best known of several golf estates. In town, York Street has the George Museum, St Mark’s Cathedral from 1850 and the King Edward VII Library.

Good to know

George was proclaimed on 23 April 1811 and named after King George III. The visitor centre is at 124 York Street. Mossel Bay is about 40 km west; Oudtshoorn and the Cango Caves are over the pass to the north. The old Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train to Knysna has been suspended since storm damage to the line; do not plan around it.

Last updated 6 October 2026. Sources: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage, Wikivoyage (Garden Route), Wikivoyage (Mossel Bay), George and Wilderness Tourism, TravelTriangle, Holidify.