Oudtshoorn

Oudtshoorn is the biggest town in the Klein Karoo, a dry valley between the Outeniqua Mountains to the south and the Swartberg to the north. It got rich twice on ostrich feathers, in the 1860s and again before the First World War, and the feather palaces built by the feather barons are still there, mostly on the west bank of the Grobbelaars River. Today it is about ostrich farms, the Cango Caves, meerkats and the mountain passes, and it makes a good two-night break from the coast.

Getting there

From George the N12 climbs over the Outeniqua Pass; the drive from Wilderness takes about an hour and twenty minutes. From Cape Town it is roughly five hours, usually via the R62 through Montagu, which is the better road for scenery. There is no airport; George is the nearest. Coaches and minibus taxis connect with George. You need a car for everything outside town.

When to go

This is semi-desert. Summer highs are around 29°C and often well above; winter lows drop to about 6°C with cold nights. Rainfall is only about 370 mm a year, so it is dry most of the time. The KKNK, South Africa’s largest Afrikaans arts festival, takes over the town in late March and early April, and accommodation goes early. Spring and autumn are the comfortable months. In summer do the outdoor things early and spend the afternoon by a pool.

What to do

The Cango Caves are about 30 km north in the foothills of the Swartberg and open from 09:00 to 16:00. There are two tours: the Heritage Tour, about an hour through the big chambers, and the Adventure Tour of around 90 minutes, which involves crawling through tight passages and is not for anyone who dislikes confined spaces. Book ahead in season. Meerkat Adventures takes small groups out before sunrise (around 05:30) to sit roughly 10 m from a habituated meerkat family as it emerges; on cold, cloudy or windy mornings the animals come out late or not at all, so bring warm clothes and patience. Highgate, Safari and Cango are the ostrich show farms. Buffelsdrift runs game drives and meerkat visits, and Cango Wildlife Ranch has big cats and reptiles.

The Swartberg Pass is the great drive. Thomas Bain’s gravel road climbs to 1,585 m and drops to Prince Albert in about an hour and a half; come back on the tarred road through Meiringspoort via De Rust to make a four-hour loop. The CP Nel Museum in town covers the feather boom.

Good to know

The Swartberg Pass closes after heavy rain or snow, so ask before you set out. Oudtshoorn is on Route 62 and the Klein Karoo is one of the richest succulent regions anywhere, with around 3,800 plant species. The tourism office is at 80 Voortrekker Street. Afrikaans is the first language of almost everyone here, though English is understood everywhere that deals with visitors.

Last updated 6 October 2026. Sources: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage, Oudtshoorn and De Rust Tourism, Cango Caves, Wesgro (Western Cape tourism agency), Never Ending Voyage (travel blog).