I want to show you just some of the brilliant things to do in Knysna. If you’re scouring the internet for what to do in Knysna, look no further!

I’m just back from a few days there, after visiting the Knysna Oyster Festival, and tbh, thought the place was absolutely blummin brilliant. 

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This Knysna travel guide will help you plan your trip, and hopefully open your eyes to just some of the many awesome things to do there. Let me help you plan your trip!

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– Rhino spotting is one of the most popular activities in Knysna

Where is Knysna?

Knysna is on the south coast of South Africa, to the east of Cape Town and along the oh-so-famous Garden Route – the most popular road trip in the country.

When I wrote on my Facebook that I was going to check out the coolest things to do in Knysna, everyone was all like “oh it’s amazing!”, “you’re going to love it!”.

And now I can confirm that yes, I do. 

Awesome Things to Do in Knysna

I visited Knysna a month after forest fires ravaged the area. It was a strange time to be there with everyone still wanting / needing to talk about it, initiatives being set up to raise money for the thousands who’d lost their homes and blackened ground where houses and trees once stood.

– The famous Knysna Heads is reachable by boat – we saw it on the RIB.

This isn’t something that happens often, it was an incredibly unlucky combination of weather, drought and wind, but now’s the time that your tourist money can really make a difference in Knysna.

There are loads of fun things to do in Knysna – either as a holiday in itself, or as part of a longer trip along the famous Garden Route (definitely want to drive that one day).

Here are a few reasons why Knysna is definitely worth visiting if you’re planning a trip to South Africa.

14 Reasons to Visit Knysna

Here are the best activities in Knysna for your trip. It’s up to you to come up with the best itinerary for you! 

1. Plettenberg Game Reserve

– You HAVE to go on safari in Knysna! 

In the space of about three hours at the Plettenberg Game Reserve I saw lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, springbok, rhinos, elephants and just as we were leaving, by the main gate, giraffes. The guide was so informative and had loads of interesting facts to tell us about the animals, and the way they live.

We were in the jeep with a few kids, which was great, as they asked the questions I would never have thought of. Going to the Plettenberg Game Reserve is a great way to see many animals roaming in a short space of time.

And if you’ve got time to stay, the accommodation sounded pretty amazing too. If you’re looking for what to do in Knysna, then I’d say you definitely need to add the Plettenberg Game Reserve to your list.

2. Conrad Pezula Hotel and Spa

– There are some gorgeous accommodations in Knysna

The Conrad Pezula Resort & Spa is definitely in my top 5 hotels of all time. It was incredible.

The views, the room, the spa that I had to myself, the breakfast choice, the bath! I loved it all. Oh, and the log fire too. After a chilly day at Plettenberg and on the RIB boat (it’s a comin’) I came back, had a hot bath and someone came round to build the fire for me, and was honestly in heaven.

That night I slept with the curtains open so I could see the sun rising from the comfort of my bed.

Absolutely loved it here. Need to also mention the balcony, where I spent an hour on a sunny afternoon just soaking up the vista and sinking back into that chair with a glass of Brut (free at reception!).

3. Chilling with Cheetahs at Tenikwa Wildlife Reserve

– One of the most popular Knysna attractions and activities  

At the Tenikwa Wildlife Reserve you can go on a cheetah walk, where you get in the enclosure and just hang out to walk with the cheetah. How cool is that?

Definitely one of the more unique things to do in Knysna. 

Tenikwa was set up to help educate the locals, and tourists, in better animal protection. It’s kind of split with two main aims, one is as a sanctuary for animals to come and stay in a safe environment after trauma and then they stay and visitors can learn from them. The other side is for recuperation and re-release into the wild. People bring in injured wild animals they’ve found and the vets there make them better.

Visitors cannot be around these animals as they don’t want them to get used to the human world, or it will affect their abilities back in the wild. Watch out for those cheetahs, they’re the fastest land animal in the world, with speeds of up to 75mph. 

I saw a white lion, a leopard, the cheetahs, meerkats, caracals and penguins. While I was here I was also given a behind the scenes tour of the veterinary practice, and the penguin rehabilitation process. So cute how much they care about all the animals that come in.

Tenikwa is a brilliant place that hires locals to work with the animals, helps around 450 animals a year and has a 65% success rate of releasing animals bought in back into the wild.

4. All the festivals – Knysna Oyster Festival

– Knysna has some great festivals! 

Knysna is known as a bit of a festival town, and I visited for the Knysna Oyster Festival. The festival runs for ten days with a different theme each day. There’s all sorts going on from marathons, to braii cook offs and oyster tasting. I’ve written a separate blog post all about the Knysna Oyster Festival, and made this video just for you. 

What to expect from the Knysna Oyster Festival

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I went for the Pick and Pay Flavours night, where we got a book of tickets that allowed us to try an oyster from every stand (around 8ish) and to try lots of wines (6ish) from the region too. It was only £10 to get in and for the booklet, which also got us a starter, main and dessert sponsored by Heinz too.

It was a feast!

We went again the next night for the Comedy Chuckle. I was worried about not finding it funny and not understanding the cultural references, but both of the acts were hilarious (Kagiso Mokgadi and Nik Rabinowitz).

There was loads of food and drink to buy and we were all sat outside around the heaters laughing the night away.

Look up the dates you go to Knysna and check if there are any festival on.

5. RIB Trip from the Knysna Waterfront

– Getting out on the water is an absolute must do in Knysna!

The South Africa coastline is just absolutely stunning.

We took a RIB (rigid-inflatable boat – just had to Google that) from Knysna Waterfront out to the Two Heads, which is where the sailors used to struggle to get in. No problem for us though, with him ^ at the helm.

The waters were blue, we saw the caves you can walk through at low tide and, always enjoyable, we had a little tour from the boat around the huge, huge houses in the area. We also saw a Cape Fur Seal and two whales playing about in the waves – loved it.

Thanks Knysna RIB Adventures!

You could also book a 75-minute lagoon adventure