Oudtshoorn is one of the ten most popular tourist venues in South Africa and therefore the tourist is very well catered for. Activities abound and you can do just about anything from diving with crocodiles to exploring the beautiful cango caves. Oudtshoorn has an airfield about 15 km's from town.

The most popular venues are the Cango Wildlife Ranch, situated 3 km outside of Oudtshoorn on the R62, the Cango Caves, also on the R62, and the ostrich farms. Keep in mind not all ostrich farms are show farms and therefore may not be accessible to the public.

The town of Oudtshoorn was proclaimed in 1863 and named after Baron Pieter van Rheede van Oudtshoorn. Oudtshoorn, according to some, is the ostrich capital of the world. In 1826 some ostrich feathers were exported, but it was not until 1867 that ostrich farming was commercially viable.

For twenty years before the First World War ostrich feathers were in high demand and it started the "feather baron" trend. Huge, expensive homes were built, and ostrich farmers lived in opulence. But the boom did not last and many ostrich farmers went bankrupt.

Oudtshoorn has camping and caravan facilities. It also has several hotels, self-catering chalets, bed and breakfast lodges and guesthouses. Facilities include hiking, outdoor pools, golf, air conditioning, fireplaces, bowls, horse riding, squash courts, satellite TV and Internet access.