Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden
In Roux Road on the outskirts of Worcester, some 120 kilometres from Cape Town, lies a unique gem of a garden - the only truly succulent garden in the southern hemisphere, and indeed Africa, that displays one of the largest collection of indigenous succulents in South Africa.
155 hectares of semi-desert vegetation, 11 of which are cultivated, present the plants of the drier parts of the country that invariably don’t get a ‘look in’ in other gardens. Spring is a veritable carpet of vivid vygies that come into bloom. The garden has over 400 naturally occurring plant species that include the Namaqualand flora so famous for its spring flowers as well as some rare and endangered species - over 300 are protected and propagated in the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden.
Looping sand trails link the developed garden, which includes the vygies, with a natural veld reserve which features low Karoo-type bushes and succulents and boasts several kilometres of nature trails. The garden, originally established in 1921 near Matjiesfontein, moved further north of Worcester in 1945 so that more visitors could enjoy the garden, open throughout the year.
Of interest is the Khoisan ‘kookskerm’ or cooking shelter that demonstrates just how unobtrusively man used to integrate with his environment - part of the garden’s Namaqualand section displaying plants used by Bushmen. There’s also a plant maze, organised tours, a Braille trail, a shale trail and a nursery stocked with over 500 indigenous species.
Contact: Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden
Address: Van Riebeeck Park, Roux Road, Worcester, Breede River Valley.
Telephone: +27 (0)23 347-0785
Garden Hours: Open Daily from 07h00 - 18h00.
Accommodation nearby
For accommodation nearby see:
• Ashton Accommodation • Bonnievale Accommodation • Bainskloof Accommodation
• Ceres Accommodation • De Doorns Accommodation • Malgas Accommodation
• McGregor Accommodation • Montagu Accommodation • Rawsonville Accommodation
• Robertson Accommodation • Tulbagh Accommodation • Worcester Accommodation
Or to see all accommodation in this region at once, visit Breede River Valley Accommodation.
Attractions / Activities nearby

Route 62
Route 62 is modeled after the iconic US Route 66, made famous by the late, great Nat King Cole in the song of the mid 20th century. Travelers headed for the Garden Route will find that Route 62 offers a better alternative to the dull N2 motorway between Cape Town and George, being more scenic and ... more information

Breedekloof Wine Route
The youngest wine route in South Africa and just 90 km outside of Cape Town, the Breedekloof wine route lies in the Breede River Valley, which stretches from Gouda in the west, McGregor in the south, Montagu in the east and the Tankwa-Karoo National Park in the north. Wine in this region was initially ... more information

De Oude Drostdy
Definitely high on the list of ‘must visits’ when in Tulbagh, De Oude Drostdy is a typical Cape Dutch style home built in 1804 just outside the town. It served originally as the seat of the magistrate of Tulbagh, and today is a national monument and cultural-historical museum housing a collection of early ... more information
Visiting Karoo Desert National Botanical Gardens?
Also see Things To Do in Breede River Valley or check out Things To Do in Western Cape to view activities by category, including watersports, sightseeing activities, arts & crafts and many, many more.
destinations / attractions in the western cape






