One of our favourite places in South Africa is Prince Albert. It’s a charming, historic town located in the Great Karoo in the Western Cape. We visited whilst doing an alternative in-land Garden Route drive, but it’s well worth visiting from George or adding onto a visit to Oudtshoorn. We knew friends and family who had visited Prince Albert. They had shared the most wonderful descriptions of magical flora and fauna, stunning vistas and a charming, vibrant town centre.
So on our last visit to South Africa, we decided to add a two night stay in Prince Albert on our drive from Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) to Cape Town. It was essentially an alternative Garden Route, as we turned off the N2 at Humansdorp and took the inland route on the R62. After Prince Albert, we connected onto the N1 and included an overnight stop in Matjiesfontein, before arriving into Cape Town.
Prince Albert is one of the most charming towns in South Africa, renowned for its local art scene, delicious homegrown produce and friendly residents.
So read on for my guide to Prince Albert, covering everything you need to know for planning a visit!
Guide to Prince Albert: Essential Info
Background of Prince Albert
Some archaeological findings indicate that people were living in this area as far back as 25,000 years ago. Stone Age era rock paintings and stone tools have been found, and at the time of European contact in the 1600s, local Bushmen were still using some of these tools. Europeans settled in the area in mid 1600s. After years of Dutch and British settlement, the town was renamed Prince Albert in honour of Queen Victoria’s consort in 1845.
Today, the small town is home to just under 15,000 residents, although its increasing popularity may see this number continue to grow in future years. Prince Albert celebrated its 260th anniversary in 2022 and is widely considered the ‘Jewel of the Karoo’. The town is a unique collection of Victorian, traditional Karoo and art deco buildings, all centered around a pretty tree-lined main street.
The surrounding landscape of Prince Albert has provided much inspiration to artists, both locally and from further afield. It also draws in adventure-seekers keen to explore the area’s excellent hiking, cycling and trail running routes.
Where is Prince Albert?
Located within the Great Karoo in South Africa’s Western Cape, this historic town is surrounded by stunning rock formations and arid lands.
Pretty Prince Albert lies at the foot of the incredible Swartberg Pass, widely considered one of the most scenic (and hair-raising) drives in South Africa. If you go to Oudtshoorn before or after Prince Albert, you’ll take this incredible route.
How to get to Prince Albert?
The main way to arrive in Prince Albert is to drive. As noted above, there are several routes to arrive in Prince Albert. From the East, the options would be the R62 as we did. Or you could take an even longer adventure further inland, deep into the heart of the Karoo.
This route would leave Gqeberha and head north on the R75, before switching onto the R329 after Kleinpoort. Then from here, you’d switch to the R407 after Willowmore to head into Prince Albert.
If coming from Cape Town, you could head straight onto the N1, via Matjiesfontein and turn off onto the R406 about an hour after Laingsburg. Alternatively, for a quieter but longer route from Cape Town, you could weave through the charming towns of Montagu and Barrydale on the R62.
Lastly, if you’re looking for interesting places to break up the long drive from Johannesburg, Pretoria or Bloemfontein on the N1 to Cape Town, then Prince Albert is only a 35 minute detour from the N1.
If you’re using public transport to get around South Africa, then bus would be the main option. A Greyhound bus route stops here, connecting Prince Albert with Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Cape Town and even as far as Durban.
Alternatively, if you’re coming from overseas, you could fly into George after landing Cape Town or Johannesburg, and then drive from there.
How to get around Prince Albert?
Prince Albert is tiny, with nearly all eateries, shops and attractions centered around its main road, called Church Street. You can easily walk the length of the road, and on-street parking is plentiful. No local public transport is really on offer in Prince Albert, so it’s best to have your own car for exploring the local area.
Where to stay in Prince Albert?
Prince Albert is all about homely guesthouses and country farm stays. The most famous place to stay in Prince Albert (and the most luxurious hotel in town) is the Mont d’Or Swartberg Hotel, located on Church Street. This iconic hotel has a history dating back over 150 years, and offers a stunning blend of old-world charm, combined with all the modern comforts you could need.
It also has a fantastic swimming pool, and if you’re visiting Prince Albert in the summer months, I’d say a pool to cool off in after a morning exploring is a must-have!
Rates for the Mont d’Or start from £110 per night for a Standard Double, or £126 per night for one of their Garden Cottages. Book your stay for the Mont d’Or Swartberg Hotel here.
Most of the accommodation options in Prince Albert have really excellent reviews, so you’ll be sure to have a fantastic stay wherever you choose.
Other options include:
- Ta Mala’s Cottage (rooms from £48 per night)
- Karoo View Cottages (rooms from £76 per night)
- Karoo Lodge (rooms from £58 per night)
- Elfen House (a two bedroom chalet is from £72 per night)
- Onse Rus Guesthouse (rooms from £80 per night)
- The Olive Thrush Cottage (rooms from £50 per night)
- The Sanctuary (rooms from £84 per night)
- 81 on Church Guest House (rooms from £62 per night)
- Yellow House Prince Albert (rooms from £66 per night)
Finally, on the assumption you are arriving in Prince Albert with your own car, then another option can be to stay just outside of town on a farm, such as the stunning Mirtehof Guest Farm Estate. We absolutely loved staying on a farm in Prince Albert and being a very short drive from the heart of town. It was one of the most peaceful stays ever!
Book your stay at Mirtehof Guest Farm Estate here. A standard King Room starts from £76 per night.
Things to Do and See in Prince Albert
Despite being located in the arid Karoo, Prince Albert is in fact a lush oasis, with fertile soils and verdant fields, meaning agriculture is a key mainstay for the local economy. Therefore, a lot of the main things to see and do in Prince Albert are centered around its local produce.
Explore Church Street
You can easily spend half a day slowly meandering Church Street. The main road is lined with great stores, boutiques and art galleries. You can buy so many locally made gifts, as well as all kinds of Karoo-inpired produce and goods. I bought a gorgeous cushion cover to take back home from one of the cute stores! We also loved looking around the Prince Albert art gallery.
Join a local cooking class
Learning to cook local dishes can be a great way to understand a destination, and Prince Albert is no exception. At the African Relish cooking school, the team give guests the chance to join a variety of half day classes to learn more about Karoo cooking and traditional South African dishes.
Visit The Fransie Pienaar Museum
This well small but very well maintained museum is on the high street. It’s well worth visiting to learn more about the cultural and natural history of Prince Albert. There’s plenty to see about the town’s recent history, but also artefacts dating back to the mining period in the late 19th century, and further back with a small Stone Age exhibition.
Go hiking, cycling or trail running
The area surrounding Prince Albert is quite incredible for outdoor pursuits. One of the most popular walking routes, is the circular 11km Bloukop Hiking Trail, which can be found near Tierberg on the Bloukop Mountain.
Shorter hiking options include Bushman Valley Trail (4km) and the much shorter Prince Albert Koppie route (1.4km). For some really adventurous routes, consider some of the difficult trails around the Swartberg Pass (12.8km).
For mountain biking enthusiasts, consider the Gamkapoort Dam route.
Where to eat in Prince Albert?
As you may have picked up by now, Prince Albert is really renowned for excellent local produce. Each and every meal in Prince Albert is a mouth-watering journey. You can sample traditional Karoo dishes, to local takes on popular classics.
Make sure to time your trip to Prince Albert with a weekend too, as Saturday is Farmer’s Market day, which showcases the best of the area’s delicious local produce. Also, make sure to pop by the Prince Albert Country Store for the most delicious homemade lemon ice cream!
If you visit Prince Albert in April, it’s also worth making time for the Olive Festival.
Lazy Lizard is probably the most popular breakfast and brunch spot, with a sunny courtyard and a great menu. And we had the most memorable dinner at The Rude Chef too! Highly recommend.
Prince Albert Guide
So there’s my guide to this awesome small town in South Africa, a must-visit on any alternative Garden Route drive.
I hope this Prince Albert guide is useful for planning a trip in South Africa’s Western Cape. If you need other guides to the region, I have the following posts:
- Cape Town Guide: The Best Things to Do in Cape Town, South Africa
- Cape Town Itinerary: Ideas for Planning 3, 5 and 7 day Itineraries for Cape Town, South Africa
- Visiting Robben Island on a Tour from Cape Town: A Detailed Guide
- Cape Town Foodie Guide: The Best Places to Eat in Cape Town, South Africa
I also have this guide here to another charming village in South Africa called Matjiesfontein which is closer to Cape Town and I’d highly recommend visiting.
For more information, feel free as always to reach out via email and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can.
Disclaimer: This is an independent guide to Prince Albert and is based on a personal trip. There was no gifting or hosted involvement from any local companies or the tourist board.
