Top 13 things to do and attractions in Tsitsikamma National Park

Lovely forest, very tranquil and beautiful. Don't know what I expected from the tree but it was a little underwhelming. However a good pit stop on a long drive to stretch your legs!

The Big Tree is a truly magical spot and well worth a visit! The short forest walk leading to the tree is peaceful and beautifully shaded, filled with birdsong and the smell of the indigenous Tsitsikamma forest. When you reach the Big Tree itself, it’s breathtaking — over 800 years old and towering high above, a reminder of nature’s incredible power and beauty. The path is well-maintained and easy for all ages, with clear signage and a calm, serene atmosphere. A must-see stop along the Garden Route for anyone who loves nature and history.

Definitely worth a visit we did the 7km blue walk not a hard hike at all about 2 - 2.5 grade up hill but not hard The big tree is only 200 meters from the car park you can do 2 hikes a 2km walk or a 7km walk or just walk to the Big tree worth the money

There is ample parking Do make sure that if you are a South African Citizen to have proof of Citizenship. A bonus is if your accommodation is in the village or at a surrounding area have it on hand, otherwise you will pay more. The walk to the big tree is easy and well maintained. SAN Parks do indeed take pride in the parks and that includes that it is clear and safe.

Great walk, very beautiful with a large variety of plants and birds. Trail is pretty well kept. Just disappointed that they have no way for people that cannot walk that far, to get to the tree. We were told it is flat with one or 2 steps, which was not true. There are multiple steps that make it impossible to use a wheelchair, even thought the trail is wide enough.

Area was clean neat and well maintained. Pity there is still people that write on everything. Nice walk. The guy at the gate selling tickets looks like Siya Kholisi LOL

The green trail is an easy boardwalk route — totally flip-flop friendly. We also tried the yellow trail, which is an off-road path, but it’s not well marked. It would be great to have more frequent markers to reassure hikers they’re still on the right track. The walk itself felt quite monotonous, mostly just trees with not much else to see. Overall, in my opinion, the experience is a bit overrated.

Amazing experience with untouched adventures! Siba our tour guide was exceptional, he made our memory of this lovely place unforgettable. Highly recommended for the adventurous type 😃

Professional instructors, good gear and service with a smile. Our guides were so good to us, showing us how to be safe, telling us about the history through the canyons and keeping spirits high. The overall experience was phenomenal, kayaking through a cut of ocean, moving into the canyons. Drifting on lilos and jumping of cliffs. I highly recommend this service and if you get the time, visit the parks and walks nearby. Extra note: Prepare to hit a toll gate going through to Plettenberg bay side and paying conservation fees at the park entrance.

What an incredible day with Untouched Adventures! The weather was perfect, the views were jaw-dropping, and the mix of kayaking and floating on the lilos was such a unique and relaxing way to explore. We couldn’t have asked for a better day out! A special shoutout to our guides, Romeo and Siba, who were absolutely fantastic! They were friendly, funny, and full of fascinating facts that made the adventure even more memorable. Their energy and enthusiasm made the whole trip feel both safe and exciting. This is a must-do experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for adventure, breathtaking scenery, and amazing guides!

After a short 20 minute hike to the kayak spot, we had an amazing experience. The tour guide was really helpful and made it even more enjoyable

Fantastic kayak and lilo outing guided by the really lovely and experienced Norman and Abe with a special mention for the very nice friendly and so helpful Siba. Make sure you take a waterproof phone case swimmers, shorts and rash vest

What an incredible experience! We were a bit nervous about the sea crossing, but we managed—and it was absolutely worth it. The views were breathtaking from start to finish. Our guides, Romeo and Curt-Lee, were fantastic—funny, knowledgeable, and made the whole trip even more enjoyable. It’s definitely a bucket list experience that I’d highly recommend to anyone looking for adventure and unforgettable scenery.

I joined The Kayak Tour with Untouched Adventures on 17 November with my girlfriend and our guides Tuks and Romeo were outstanding. From the very start safety came first, which gave us full confidence. Then came the fun — and it was great fun. They took the time to remember everyone’s names (there were 15 participants) and were incredibly friendly, attentive and went out of their way to meet our needs. With these two the kayak tour can only be awesome! And the landscape around the tour is simply stunning — it really adds to the experience.

Amazing experience 🤩 Stunning scenery of the rain forest so lovely😌💚 It was exciting. I was nervous at the beginning, but I enjoyed every moment😁 Facing my height fears like boss 😅💪 The lead guide Babalwa and safety lead Lavern did a fantastic job of making us feel safe and secure, entertained, and well informed throughout the whole journey 🫶 The walk at the end tho...😅 just know it's up hill but fun take your time, no stress 👍 I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a forest adventure🌲

Awesome day out . 2 hour drive from Port Elizabeth Harbour.

An unforgettable adventure! The Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour was pure fun from start to finish. The guides were friendly, professional, and made everyone feel safe. Zipping between giant Yellowwood trees high above the forest was absolutely breathtaking. Everything was well-organised, safety-focused, and eco-friendly. A must-do experience on the Garden Route.

Could have been more exilerating (I have been on faster ones) but amazing exp with the views of the forest and trees & natural beauty seen

Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours is like a one-stop shop for fun! You’ll find amazing activities, beautiful restaurants, and endless adventure — it’s so much fun! Highly recommend for anyone visiting the area.

What an exhilarating experience of note ! In the pursuit of an adrenaline adventure, you will find breathtaking serenity, unparalleled peace and previously unexplored exhilaration. Our guides were very informative and funny, which eased the nerves when gliding down the fastest zipline. This is a must visit, highly recommendable.

Excelent experience with exhilarating views and an amazing team! At the end you even get a certificate, really fun!

Another one of my favorite camping spots. We had an ocean view camp spot. Also there are many hiking trails to enjoy at the park. The reason for only 3 stars are: The wood fence on the walkway in front of the camp site is in dire need of repairs. The building of the new restaurant/shop has been going on for years. Not sure when will be finish.

Amazing! South Africa has so much beauty and this spot is definitely up there! We loved walking the bridge and seeing the view. It's beautiful!

Energetic walk of about 1 km to the suspension bridges. Saw baboons on the way. Quite a hot day so take water with you. There's an excellent cafe/restaurant next to the car park. Their menu was surprisingly good. Well worth a visit.

Had a looong drive and enjoyed every minute from Eastern Cape to Western Cape

Super beautiful, our favourite place on the Garden route

Always a pleasant experience to stop there.. all staff are friendly and helpful, petrol attendants, staff at gift shops, at ezpress shops..each and every1 has a smile on their face. Makes you feel welcome. Even the black kitty .. soo cute.!he is just adorable.

I have always loved stopping here on the way to the Garden Route. The view up the gorge from the bridge is breathtaking. Also a great place to grab something to eat, a coffee or some ostrich biltong.

Lots of fun for the whole family. Well informed guides. They even have hot showers available for after tubing session.

We had a lot of fun! Ross and Darren were our Guides. They took care of our safety at all times!! The landscape is beautiful, the food was good. The guides have been great. Friendly and joking personalities, but reliable in "dangerous" situations. No one got hurt, all had fun.

If we were a few years younger the tubing would definitely be on our bucket list. The review is for the great favour you guys did for us and our Passes quest. Many thanks Marius and Raymond and we hope the favour done comes back to you guys tenfold.

Always been on my bucket list...we were a little disappointed, but probably because it was different than what we expected. Floating down the gorge and rapids were mostly fun. We did one cliff jump which was great, the rest were all tube jumps. Felt the guides could have given people a bit more guidance here. Most people jumped with their tubes level to the water which definitely hurt them a little (as opposed to jumping slightly angled like a banana). The trip ended with a very long backwards row out the gorge. This spoiled the experience for me and now all I remember about the trip i.e. it is a long and hard row out that will leave your muscle sore for a day or two. We did the LONG red route, my suggestion would be to rather consider the shorter routes.

I absolutely loved this adventure! Please be realistic with your fitness level, because it can take a toll on your body. We had the amazing guide Richard, who was so understanding and you could tell his love for the river. Ross was also a sweet guide, and I loved bullying him. The guides do have a waterproof camera, but buy a waterproof case for your phone, its 100% worth it. They sell them at the reception as well. Also, please support the restaurant, the food was amazing.

It is a must do. We did the Red route and you can't get more beautiful nature sights and adventures. Guides is most friendly and is helping very nicely.

This was the best activity I've done in a while. Simply amazing in all respects. That river and the trees are so special. The guides are just incredible. Kudos to this business for doing so well even in these tough pandemic times !! You rock. We did the long tour ( red tour ) and spent at least 4 hours on the water. GREAT VALUE for money. It's basically a day long activity and an adventure for the entire family. Do yourself a favour and do it !! For me- this is the best adventure on offer in the area.

The correct distance from the Oceanettes (last accomodation on the Western side) is 2.7 Km’s to the Waterfall and 2.7 km’s back. That is where the “track” start, to that point it is a paved road. Also see a beautiful cave on the way to the waterfall. Next time we will do a day trip to picnic at the Waterfall.

The hiking trail to the waterfall offers beautiful views of the coastline and waves. A very good experience.

The waterfall was not too big when we got there, probably not much rain before. The trail itself is just extraordinary fun to walk. Challenging at times it's just a pure joy to walk.

Super hike to get here. Some of it has stairs built, but much of it involves scrambling across boulders while you consider if you're even heading the correct way. The signs suggest it to take 3-4 hours to hike to and to start the trail no later than 14:30, but we started late, rushed the trail and managed to complete the round trip in 2 hours (6km total), including a 15 minute dip in the red water at the end. The waterfall itself wasn't so impressive, but the water it provided was lovely to swim in.

Fantastic experience. This hike is not for beginners and is extremely technical. The swim at the waterfall was a well deserved reward. One of the most beautiful hikes I have done.

The waterfall definitely was not the highlight...but we loved the hike!!! The landscape was beautiful and the trail was a bit tough at times but we totally enjoyed it!!!

First day of Otter trail. 6km walk from camp there and back. Took us 3hours with a great swim in the pools at the waterfall! Absolutely Still!

Wonderful 2 day hike, with luxurious accomodation and lovely meals included for 3 nights. Big thank you to Nadia and Sethu from the Fernery for your emails answering all my questions, and very BIG thank you to Ashley who was our guide on the hike. The first day has 2 climbs, but the trail is otherwise very comfortable. The 2nd day has 1 climb, rest fairly straight. Little bit of rock scrambling on the 2nd day, but not too hectic. Take swimming stuff, because the pools on the way are amazing to swim in!

Awesome hiking experience with stunning views. The guides are very friendly and knowledgeable. Would recommend the Dolphin Trail to everyone.

The Dolphin Trail was one of the highlights of our trip along the South coast of South Africa. The trail is beautiful, leading you from the mountains near the coast to the beaches and tidal pools and then back again. The accommodation along the way (Misty Mountain Reserve and Fernery Lodge) were excellent, with very friendly staff and amazing facilities. This, combined with the slackpacking approach, leads to a very easygoing and relaxed two-day hike. What really took this entire experience to a higher level was the dedication of our two guides, Ashley and Monray. They are incredibly knowledgable, and willing to indulge us with answers to all of our fauna- and flora-related questions. They take care of the group, ensuring that everyone reaches the end of the trail safely. On top of all of that, they are just very nice people to be around. Keep an eye out for interesting wildlife along the way! We saw, among other things, Knysna Turacos, baboons, vervet monkeys, whales, dassies, a seal, and a boomslang. Amazing experience, would recommend!

This was one of the BEST experiences of my life. I don't know why more people don't know about this trail. It's slackpacking so all you need is a day pack. Your guide carries extra water, first aid kit and some other essentials. You get your main luggage transported for you from place to place by the Dolphin Trail. Every detail was taken care of. From the moment we arrived we didn't have to plan a thing. The hikes: The booking is for 3 nights but you only hike 2 days. About 7.5km on day 1 and 9.5km on day 2. We started around 9:30am and ended around 3:30/4pm each day. You hike across suspension bridges, in shady forests, amongst meadows with every variety of wildflower and bird. You go along rugged coastal rocks, swim in tidal pools, we even saw a humpback whale! On day 3 you do a drive into the Tsitsikamma village. Lots of quaint shops and pretty farmhouses. A place to buy knick-knacks. Then back to Storms River Mouth where it all started. Service: Our guide, Ash, was not only knowledgeable but also super friendly and accommodating. The staff at all 3 places were beyond friendly. Nothing was too much for them, big smiles always, helpful and looked like they loved their jobs. The food was superb. Not just the meals in the restaurant but also the food that was packed for lunch or the picnics they set up for us on the trails (delicious brownies, juice and coffee, wraps, chicken wings, quiche, milk tart) The accommodation: It gets better every night. It's quite basic on the first night but clean and right next to the ocean. Misty Mountain and The Fernery are beyond incredible!! Delicious food and wine, spa, outdoor jacuzzi, views for days, luxury accommodation. And the price was just so reasonable for all this. This is more like a luxury retreat than a rugged hike - not at all like the Otter Trail. It's a chance to enjoy stunning nature, get some decent exercise and then relax and indulge in the evening. HIGHLY recommend for anyone who is looking for a uniquely South African luxury experience!!

We stayed in the Forest Cabin. If you’re looking at booking the Forest Cabins, try book cabins 22-23 as they are right on the ocean and have the best views.

Awesome camp site's. The views are unbelievable. Well kept and very clean

Glorious. What a magnificent place

I had an amazing time on the zip line canopy tour! The forest is absolutely beautiful, and the experience was unforgettable. There are 10 zip lines of varying lengths and speeds, which made it exciting and fun. The two guides were professional and made me feel safe the entire time. The staff was incredibly friendly, and overall, it was a fantastic experience. Highly recommend!

Worth the trip! We went on the Woodcutters Journey. Our guide, Sibu was very informative. Very interesting. A nice trip to take it all in and just breathe. 👌

We had the most amazing guided hike through the Tsitsikamma Nationalpark with our wonderful guide Emo! We’ve seen plenty of chameleons and learnt so much about the ecosystem, the birds, trees and flowers and even snakes. 10/10! Such a beautiful experience, we’re still in awe by how lovely this morning hike was. We did a 4-5 hour tour (roughly 12 km). Would highly recommend doing this guided hike if you want to know more about the local flora & fauna. Our guide Emo even carried a book about birds in his backpack to show us the birds that we heard - how heartwarming is that? Thank you Emo for everything you taught us!

Canopy tour was very nice. There is 9 slides to go. Instructors were fun and entertaining as well as telling us about local fauna and flora.

Excellent excited experience, zipline canopy tour at storms river. Our guides Max and Nicole, kept us save all the way, and made it a fun outing. Well done for tourism.

Was a great experience. See breathtaking forest scenery while enjoying fast ziplines. We also saw a rare Loerie bird.

Definitely not to be missed. Great outdoor adventures

The starting point to the six day Tsitsikamma Hiking Trail is cool. An accessible boardwalk means that its not only hikers who can navigate the first few meters. But don’t be fooled. Much like many things. The onboarding part is easy, designed to demonstrate value. The next day is when you embark on the grueling 6 day / 60 km hike to Storms River Mouth. That’s when the trail (or trial) really begins.

Option of a short boardwalk through the forest or a longer hike all the way along the lagoon (but mostly in the forest.) Longer hike was a bit confusing at sections as was unmarked but we did not get too badly lost. The boardwalk was an easy walk, even for 80+ year Olds. Also wheelchair friendly.

This hike was a nice challenge, however the ocean and waterfall were very dirty so we did not get the chance to swim, so it was a bit disappointing.

There is a wheelchair accessible walk into the forest. I really enjoyed the experience of being in the forest seeing the ancient trees and shrubs and hearing the sounds of the forest.

Absolutely stunning trail! Make sure to go early cause the trails go on and on and on! It's beautiful! We saw lots of different fungi growing all around the forest! This is my new favorite trail in the Garden Route! I cannot wait to go this side again! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Wow what a hike. Stunning views. Amazing to have hot water showers. The huts are nicely equipped. Only thing I can complain in a serious way is the distance markers. When there is markers you can't trust them. Very difficult to plan for the next day. Kilometers walked against what it says on the maps aren't the same. Hope they can do something about it for the future. Finished 21 06 2019.

One of the best places on earth to rejuvenate the soul.

We had a fabulous experience horse riding in the forest. Their horses were suitable for both experienced and inexperienced riders. We had an excellent informative guide who filled us in with all the history of the area.

We had a great experience, so much fun. 10/10 I’d do it again!!!

On a wet say, wet tour, lot's of fun, great family ride

Do not support this business. We were scammed!!!!! The sales person misled us into believing that they have Segway scooters. We made our booking for 16h30. Upon arrival we were advised that they only have scooters and not Segway scooters. I told the sales person that he misled us and that we wanted a refund. He said that he is not authorised to give refunds as it is not his business. I then asked to speak to the owner, but the owner was not available, we tried to phone them but could not get hold of them. I went to the police and they accompanied us back to Mild to Wild. The Sgt. asked the sales person to refund us as we paid for a service and did not receive the service. The police also tried to contact the owner to no avail. We were advised by the police that they receive alot of complaints from tourist’s regarding this same matter and advised us to contact the tourism board and also open a civil case. We are in the process of doing so. Feel so scammed by this company and sad that a Tsitsikamma Village, has an establishment like this operating in this area.

So much fun! JR was a great guide :)

Had an absolute blast!! Good communication & very informative. Would highly recommend as a family or couples outing.

Poor service with broken and poorly maintained equipment. Long waiting time even with reservation. Scooters with bend shocks and only one of the two brakes working. Don't go there!

(Translated by Google) Super cozy place, with beautiful art! (Original) Lugar super aconchegante, com arte linda!

(Translated by Google) Very good local restaurant. Great service, live music. Good African dish and good pudding. We had a great time, thank you! (Original) Très bon restaurant local. Super service, musique live. Bon plat Africain et bon pudding. Nous avons passé un très bon moment, merci !

(Translated by Google) This is a gem!! Super good and delicious food!! The little shop has fun and tasty things made by the locals. RECOMMENDED!! (Original) Dit is een pareltje!! Súper goed en lekker eten!! Het winkeltje heeft leuke en lekkere dingen van de locals. AANRADER!!

We did an overnight stay at Heuningbos hut. We used the emergency escape route up and back for a quick and relatively easy hike. Lots of fire wood and clean facilities. The hut was full of others hikers but it was good to have some privacy by the smaller teepee style hut. There are three of these huts and you can choose them if you arrive earlier than the other hikers.

We booked, paid in advance, and traveled from Cape Town to hike. The indemnity form was sent the day prior to hike commencing (Whilst we were driving - not possible to print) on day of arrival at Natures Valley rest camp to park our vehicle we had still not recieved a 5day hiking map. The MTO offices were closed on arrival, and when we departed with no one having the decency or professionalism to be on site to welcome or thank us for the support. The boom operater scrambled scratching through draws to find us an old MTO map (Seriously poor service MTO). The morning of starting, I was called with a no. to access key safe on 4 night to get into locked huts. There were no visitors books on any hut only day 2 to sign in and acknowledge your arrival (SAFETY CHECK) Day 2 hike and trail well signed White footprint and maintained. Day 3-4-5 the poor signage, no distance markers, switchbacks 180 degrees, timberfelling on trail, and poor trail maintenance were UNSAFE, UNPROFESSIONAL OHS DISASTER. Day 2-3-4-5 & 6 trails were cosmetically cleared a km entering and 1 km exiting camp but in between poor trail maintenance many fallen full trees over trail not cut to clamber over or completely having to walk around, NO distance markers AT ALL except a 3km to go. The new double accomodation huts are comfortable and the donkey for heating water and gas welcome. Sadly the older huts are dark and dingy indoors due to small windows. The kettles are badly rusted inside (All camps) and would be a welcome replacement periodically. gutters poor, doors and damaged windows. Rusted nails exposed and poor water management from tanks above huts down slopes to hut mushy and poor all huts. Here a simple cross cut french drain well above would work perfectly to prevent mudy slipping and sliding between bungalos Kitchen and restrooms on every camp site, the entire 5 days.Wood was generous and cooking areas spacious. The benefit of overlooking safety and comparing to other national hikes is important as we hike a 5 day monthly and really I urge management to leave their vehicles, to walk the trails (Paid for by visitors) repair, clean and mark benchmark distances so critical to motivating non experienced hikers and to hold maintenance staff accountable. Sadly, other than the views, i cannot recommend the trail as it is current of the worst maintained conditions of all the hikes we have done in the country over the last 2 years. Sadly, hikers and tourists, in our opinion, are being begyled by the Name of the Tzitzikama hike, and standards have to be improved. A day walk that should be 5 hours that ends up being 7 due to poor trail visibility is wreckless and unsafe. I am willing to walk this trail in 6 months again, and I shall be the first to amend my comments, but now I have difficulty even scoring it a 1 / 5 8h00.

What good is an emergency number when it is not answered. This time it was fortunately not an injury but food not delivered as promised to Keurboshut. Not easy when reception is poor, hikers have to backtrac to get family to phone re their supplies! Delano not available on his phone or on the emergency.

30-12-2021 to 4-01-2022. An enjoyable hike, but booked to full capacity during the 4th Covid wave? Not cool, as some of the huts were quite cramped. However Bloukrans Hut was lovely. On the last day, after having paid for all our porteraging in advance, we were told we hadn't paid an exit fee, so our boxes hadn't been collected!!! After we stood firm, saying we didn't have cash, our boxes were collected. This needed to be mentioned so it doesn't happen to other hikers. But overall a lovely hike with some enchanting indigenous forest sections.

One of the best hutted hikes in South Africa!

Awesome place

Clean, quiet and fantastic scenery