Karoo Desert Botanical Garden

Home to the largest collection of succulents in Africa, this desert garden was originally established in 1921 near Whitehill under the guardianship of railway staff. In 1946 it was relocated, along with all the succulents, to Worcester.

An hour outside of Cape Town, the desert garden is in close proximity to Route 62. The popular road fashioned after the iconic American Route 66, is strewn with lush vegetation, orchards and views of the vast wine estates of Worcester, making it a firm favourite for travellers in comparison to the dull N2 drive.

Established after the Kirstinbosch Botanical Garden in the Cape, the Karoo Botanical Garden was often referred to as an "outstation" or "substation" of Kirstenbosch.

In Spring, some flowers only open when temperatures reach 20°C, so plan to visit the garden after 10:00 am.

Summer is extremely hot and dry with tempretures often exceeding 35°C, so plan to visit the garden earlier in the day.

In Autumn, strong winds are common. In Winter, the 1km Shale Trail is a must-do offering extraordinary views of the area with snow on the Hex River Mountain range and sometimes on the surrounding mountains as well. It rains in winter, so take a raincoat.

Karoo Desert Botanical Garden:

Address: Karoo Desert Botanical Garden | 108 Roux Road | Worcester | Contact Number: +27 (0)23 347 0785

Entrance Fees:

November - May: Adults: R10 pp | Senior Citizens and Children: R5 | Students: R7 pp | Disabled persons : Free
June - October: Adults: R22 | Students: R15 | Children : R10 | Senior Citizens: R12 | Disabled persons: Free

Opening Times:

Monday - Sunday: 07:00 - 19:00