Facebook-f Instagram Whatsapp
Book Now

Adventure without limits

Step away from the ordinary

Since 2002, AWOL Tours has helped travellers from around the world experience Cape Town, the Garden Route and Southern Africa in a more active, meaningful way. What began as a specialist cycling and hiking tour company has grown into a trusted provider of day tours, multi-day adventures and tailor-made journeys.

Our name captures what we believe travel should be: the freedom to step away from the ordinary, explore at your own pace and connect with a place through its landscapes, people and stories.

Whether you’re an experienced cyclist, a keen hiker or simply someone looking to experience more of the places you visit, AWOL creates journeys around the way you want to travel. From iconic routes and mountain trails to local neighbourhoods and shared meals, our experiences combine adventure with genuine connection.

We’re here for travellers who want more than simply seeing a destination. Our tours offer the opportunity to understand it, challenge yourself, meet the people who call it home and discover the stories beyond the guidebook.

Browse Tours

The AWOL difference

Six principles that shape every experience we create.

1

Experience Since 2002

We have been planning and leading hiking and cycling experiences since 2002, helping visitors explore Cape Town and beyond.

Local Connection

We create authentic interactions with local communities. Our guides are from the areas they lead tours in, bringing genuine insight, warmth, and lived knowledge to every experience. . 

2

Safety First

Safety is built in, not bolted on. Our experienced guides and support team know the region intimately and adapt when conditions change. Whether you need to slow down, take a break or change the plan, your safety and comfort always come first.

3

Small Group Ethos

We believe travel is better in small groups. Intimate tours mean more personal attention, flexibility, and meaningful connections. Most operators require a minimum group size before they’ll run a tour. We don’t. Every scheduled day tour departs as advertised, even if you’re the only guest.

4

Authentic Experiences

We don’t do tourist traps. From secret viewpoints to local restaurants and community visits, we show you the Cape Town that locals love, not just the postcard version. 

5

Flexible & Reliable

Guaranteed departures on confirmed bookings. No minimum group size. Solo travellers, couples, families, and small groups are equally welcome, and we keep group sizes small to ensure a personal, unhurried experience. We plan around your trip, not the other way around, so that your holiday always goes to plan.

6

Accreditations & Associations

AWOL Tours is a verified member of the industry’s most respected bodies, giving you complete peace of mind when booking with us.

Cape Town Tourism

Affiliated with Cape Town Tourism, ensuring destination credibility and up-to-date local knowledge.

Travellers' Choice

We’ve won this award 15 times,  placing us in the top 10% of experiences worldwide.

SATSA MEMBER

Independently vetted for financial stability, legal compliance, appropriate insurance and professional standards, providing peace of mind to guests. 

SA AIA MEMBER

Reflecting our commitment to professional standards, safety and responsible adventure tourism.

Travel that gives back

Responsible tourism has been part of the AWOL story since the beginning. For us, travel is about more than exploring incredible places. It is about creating meaningful connections and ensuring that the communities and environments we visit benefit from tourism too.

One of the projects we are proudest of is our long-standing work in Masiphumelele. Since 2002, we have operated community-based bicycle tours in partnership with local residents and Masicorp, giving guests the opportunity to experience the community through the people who call it home.

Ten percent of all proceeds from these tours go directly towards community initiatives. Guests can also make a practical difference through the Pack for a Purpose programme, bringing useful supplies for local schools and families.

In 2006, this work earned AWOL the First Choice Responsible Tourism Award for Innovation at World Travel Market in London. While the recognition was an honour, it is the lasting partnerships and impact within the community that continue to matter most.

Our commitment to responsible travel extends beyond the communities we work with. We believe in low-impact tourism that respects the natural and cultural heritage of the Cape, carefully choosing our routes, partners and practices with future travellers in mind.

Because the best journeys should leave you with more than great memories. They should leave a positive impact too.

The heart of every trip

The AWOL Team

Our guides are qualified and hand-picked for their experience, local knowledge, and ability to deliver safe, engaging and memorable experiences. Many are multilingual, leading tours in German, Dutch, Italian, French and English, and bring years of personal experience riding, hiking, and exploring the routes they share with you.

Sally Petersen

Founder

Sally founded AWOL Tours in 2002 and has grown the company from strength to strength to become Cape Town’s leading cycling and hiking tour company!

Read More...

Bevan Bailie

General Manager

Bevan is a born and bred South African and has been leading cycle tours across Southern Africa since 2010. He is a skilful mountain biker and seasoned road cyclist.

Read More...

Wendy Purdon

Sales Manager

Wendy joined the AWOL team in 2022. Wendy's role combines her love of people, marketing background and sharing the beauty of Cape Town with others.

Read More...

Caroline

Sales Manager

Originally from the Eastern Cape, Caroline joined AWOL Tours in 2025 and now coordinates sales and administration from the Waterfront office

Read More...

Lucas Jones

Tour Guide

Lucas Jones joined Awol Tours in 2019 as an intern, assisting guides and learning bicycle maintenance. In 2023, he qualified as a Tour Guide.

Read More...

Bradley Campher

Tour Guide

A native Capetonian, Bradley grew up around bicycles, learning the trade from his father, a bicycle mechanic, before becoming a mechanic himself.

Read More...
Sally Petersen

Founder

Sally Petersen (nee de Jager), founded  AWOL Tours  in 2002 and has managed to grow the company from strength to strength to become Cape Town’s leading cycling and hiking tour company.  She has been fortunate to maintain the core team of liked minded individuals who are dedicated and passionate to manage the daily operations of the Cape Town day tours, as she now embarks on furthering the aims of AWOL Tours to create memorable holidays as she expands to create multi day hiking and cycling adventures in Southern Africa.

She is an intrepid and experienced adventurer herself, having spent many years travelling and working in Europe, Asia and Africa. She was a finalist in Out There magazine’s ‘Adventurer of the year’ competition after completing an epic cycling journey from London to Cape Town. (Raising funds for Survival International) This inspired her to found AWOL Tours in 2002, not only to share her experiences, but to give back to the community too.

With 20 years under her guidance, AWOL Tours has consistently exceeded customer expectations on AWOL’s wide variety of scheduled and private tours. We are proud to still be holding the number one spot as Cape Town’s leading hiking and cycling tour operator on TripAdvisor.

Sally likes to go AWOL herself when she can, and has built up an amazing team of professional guides who all share the AWOL vision, integrity and ethos. When not out on her mountain bike, she can be found using her vast local knowledge perfecting unique and authentic AWOL Travel packages for guests to South Africa.

Bevan Hope Bailie

General Manager

Bevan is a born and bred South African; He has been leading cycle tours across Southern Africa since 2010. Originally from Durban, he learned his profession on the trails in the Valley of a thousand hills and now he knows all the best off the beaten tracks in Cape Town; he is a skillful mountain biker and seasoned road cyclist. Bevan loves combining his in-depth wine knowledge with scenic cycling on the AWOL Winelands cycling tours. Bevan is currently the General Manager for AWOL Tours ensuring all tours run smoothly at a world-class standard.

Wendy Purdon

Wendy returned to Cape Town in 2008 after living abroad for many years; The call of Africa was too strong. She has been involved with Corporates, SME’s and NGO’s and is a strong team player with a marketing and admin background. She joined the AWOL team in 2022. Her role combines Wendy’s love of people and sharing the beauty of Cape Town. When she is not coordinating the AWOL office Wendy enjoys walking with her pack of over-loved and under-disciplined Labradors and raising pups for #SA_GuideDogs.

Caroline Maqutyana

Originally from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, Caroline joined AWOL Tours in 2025 and now works alongside the operations managers, coordinating sales and administration from the Waterfront office. New to tourism, she enjoys discovering the industry and connecting with travellers from around the world.
Friendly and resourceful, Caroline has a knack for technology and is often the person to turn to when something technical needs solving. A proud isiXhosa speaker, she brings a little Eastern Cape spirit to the Mother City, where isiXhosa is one of three official languages.

Lucas Jones joined Awol Tours in 2019 as an intern, assisting guides and learning bike maintenance. He earned the nickname “the sweeper” for cycling at the back of the group, gaining valuable insights from experienced guides. By 2020, he transitioned to a sales consultant role, focusing on selling tours and logistics. As of December 2023, he qualified as a Tourist Guide and now leads tours through the heart of the Mother City, sharing his passion for South Africa with visitors.

Bradley Campher

A native Capetonian, Bradley grew up around bicycles, learning the trade from his father, a bicycle mechanic, before becoming a mechanic himself. His love of people soon led him into guiding cycling tours through the Cape Winelands, followed by overland cycling adventures across Southern Africa. Bradley joined AWOL Tours in 2024 and is now our resident mechanic and guide, known for his reliability, quick sense of humour and ever-present smile. He also proudly calls himself “Africa’s best guide”, and he will do his best to convince you that he is right.