South Africa · HERMANUS TOURS

Hermanus Tours: The 15 Best Days on the Whale Coast

56 tours  ·  from $52

Hermanus is two hours from Cape Town along a coast road that is worth the drive on its own. The 15 below cover the whale boats, the cliff path, Hemel-en-Aarde wine and the shark cages at Gansbaai, priced and season-honest.

Hermanus: Boat Based Whale Watching Experience - The boat ride across Walker Bay
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Hermanus: Boat Based Whale Watching Experience

1.Boat Based Whale Watching Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,180 reviews · 1h 30m · from $93Our pick

Board at Hermanus New Harbour for a 90-minute whale-watching trip with an English-speaking guide, safety briefing, and ocean wildlife viewing. The crew may spot southern right whales, dolphins, seals, and seabirds. You can use the upper deck in good conditions, and the boat stops with engines off near whales.

“A great trip out seeing the whales. 2 hours was the perfect amount of time, and we managed to catch many breaching whales at sunset too. Would highly recommend!”

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Hermanus: Whale and Dolphin Watching Boat Trip - Searching for southern right whales
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Hermanus: Whale and Dolphin Watching Boat Trip

2.Whale and Dolphin Watching Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 807 reviews · 2 hours · from $98

From Hermanus New Harbour, you’ll join Southern Right Charters for a two-hour catamaran cruise with an English-speaking whale specialist. Expect seasonal southern right and humpback whales, year-round Bryde’s whales and dolphins, light refreshments, and wide viewing areas. Guides including Ken, Jacques, and David have led past trips, with optional drone footage available to buy.

“Very well organised. They offered us coffee, tea, and cupcakes before the tour. Unfortunately, we didn’t see a whale, but since it was the last day of the season, that was understandable. Still, we had an amazing time with around 300 dolphins and even saw some seals. I would definitely do it again, just in the middle of the season to see the whales.”

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From Hermanus or Cape Town: Shark Cage Diving Experience - Breakfast at the lodge
Hermanus Tours, Shark Cage Diving, Tour Reviews

From Hermanus or Cape Town: Shark Cage Diving Experience

3.From Hermanus or Cape Town: Shark Cage Diving Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 684 reviews · 4.5 - 10 hours · from $137

Head from Cape Town or Hermanus to Gansbaai for a full shark encounter with White Shark Projects. You’ll receive breakfast, safety training, a 7 mm wetsuit, boat time, and about 20 minutes in the cage. The crew may introduce you to bronze whalers, seven-gill cow sharks, seals, or, less often, great whites.

“This activity was exceptionally well organized. Pickup was complicated for my location, but new arrangements were made and all worked smoothly. The Shark Project's team and facility is very welcoming with breakfast provided before the dive and a light lunch afterward. Also hot showers, towels, the works. The crew is super friendly, knowledgeable and capable and worked diligently to make this a great experience. The only downside is that the sharks were somewhat uncooperative, so encounters underwater were mostly quick glances of tails.”

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Gansbaai: Marine Big 5 Boat tour - Shark Alley and Geyser Rock
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Gansbaai: Marine Big 5 Boat tour

4.Marine Big 5 Boat tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 593 reviews · 2.5 - 10 hours · from $155

Cruise from Kleinbaai into the Dyer Island ecosystem with an English-speaking marine biologist. Look for whales, sharks, dolphins, Cape fur seals, and penguins, then warm up with soup and bread. Cape Town transfers can include the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary. Sea conditions decide both timing and sightings.

“It was good. Saw Southern right whales, sharks that were being baited by shark cage boat company. Seals were great, went to island with penguins. Couldn’t really see them because boat could not get close enough. That was disappointing.”

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Shark Cage Diving and Viewing with transport from Cape Town - The early pickup and scenic drive from Cape Town
Hermanus Tours, Shark Cage Diving, Tour Reviews

Shark Cage Diving and Viewing with transport from Cape Town

5.Shark Cage Diving and Viewing with transport from Cape Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 576 reviews · from $251

Travel from Cape Town to Gansbaai for a full-day cage encounter with wild sharks. Marine Dynamics provides hotel transport, breakfast, gear, a marine-biologist guide, boat time near Dyer Island, snacks, and hot refreshments. You may see great whites, bronze whalers, sevengills, stingrays, and seals, but sightings are never guaranteed.

“Despite the very early start and long drive it was a fantastic day. We were open minded about what we would see but we were not disappointed. We saw several bronze whalers, a sevengill, a couple of stingray and a very playful cape seal. As the sea is very murky it was quite difficult to see them below the surface but you had a great view of them swimming past the cage while your head was above water. It was amazing to get so close to them. The crew looked after us all day. We had a nice breakfast before we sailed and snacks, hot drinks on the boat with…”

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From Cape Town: Hermanus Whale Watching Boat Trip - An early pickup from Cape Town
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From Cape Town: Hermanus Whale Watching Boat Trip

6.Hermanus Whale Watching Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 378 reviews · 7 hours · from $221

Travel from Cape Town to Gansbaai, then cruise toward Hermanus aboard a speedboat limited to 25 people. Guides such as Alfonzo, Jean, and Muammer explain whale behavior as you look for Southern Right Whales, calves, dolphins, seals, penguins, and humpbacks. Expect a long road journey, about two hours at sea, cold weather, and wildlife sightings that depend on nature.

“the office contacted me to move our tour to 1 day earlier due to weather forecast not looking good for the day we booked. end up the day we move, weather is perfectly great to go out to the sea. 3 skippers on the boat to guide us of around 20 tourist. skippers are well prepared and knowledgable with the whales. we saw total of 4 whales and 2 mating right next to our boat. all are southern right whales. the return ride from cape town hotel to the port was smooth and scenery was excellent. driver Mr Cyril is also very friendly. highly recommended to tick off this bucket…”

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Steam Train to Elgin Railway Market - Table Mountain from a moving train
Hermanus Tours, Tour Reviews

Steam Train to Elgin Railway Market

7.Steam Train to Elgin Railway Market

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 375 reviews · from $51Best value

Spend about 10 hours riding the Ceres Rail Company’s return train from Cape Town to Elgin Railway Market. You’ll pass Table Mountain, False Bay, Strand, and Sir Lowry’s Pass, then have two hours for food, drinks, and crafts at the market. Bring patience: the train ride itself takes about seven hours, and delays can happen.

“It was a wonderful experience. It is surely something I would recommend others to do atleast once. The staff was very friendly and helpful, and the market was fun and entertaining. It is a whole day trip, which can get long for smaller children, but other than that is was a wonderful and exciting experience!”

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Whale Watching from Gansbaai - Dolphins, seals, penguins, and other marine life
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Whale Watching from Gansbaai

8.Whale Watching from Gansbaai

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 327 reviews · from $112

Join Ivanhoe Sea Safaris in Gansbaai for a two-hour cruise toward the De Keldar cliffs. A professional crew, including guides such as Jan, Johan, and Jean, looks for Southern right whales, calves, dolphins, seals, penguins, sharks, and other whales. The boat carries no more than 25 people, and the trip returns to the harbor.

“We did Whale Watching with Ivanhoe Safaris. It was not a nice experience. Approximately 15 drunk Russians sceaming every time we saw the whales coming out of the water. The guide did not tell them to shut up! The boat was smelly from petro, no drinks except water. Read more”

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Cape Town: Gansbaai Eco-Friendly Shark Cage Diving Cruise - Breakfast and briefing at the Great White House
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Cape Town: Gansbaai Eco-Friendly Shark Cage Diving Cruise

9.Gansbaai Eco-Friendly Shark Cage Diving Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 326 reviews · 6 - 10 hours · from $237

Travel from Cape Town to Gansbaai for a full-day shark cage experience with Marine Dynamics. You’ll ride the Slashfin boat, learn from a marine biologist, watch bronze whaler sharks from the cage or deck, and visit the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary. Great white sightings are not guaranteed.

“Absolutley incredible! Highlight of SA so far. Saw about 20 bronzer sharks, personally i dont think you can be disappointed about not seeing a great white when these are so amazing. Some were massive! Its not as scary as you think i felt super safe and what a view of these amazing animals. The whole tour was set up so well. Amy and Suzie were soo lovely and informative! And our videographer , so happy with the video. We saw a big pod of dolphins too! You must book! X”

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Half-Day White Shark Cage Diving from Gansbaai - Breakfast before the boat heads out
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Half-Day White Shark Cage Diving from Gansbaai

10.Half-Day White Shark Cage Diving from Gansbaai

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 310 reviews · from $166

Meet White Shark Projects in Van Dyks Bay at 7:00 am for a roughly three-hour great white shark cage experience. You’ll receive gear, breakfast, refreshments, a light lunch, towels, and hot showers afterward. The small group is capped at 20, but shark sightings and cage time depend on weather and animal activity.

“This was horrible- long and far from Cape Town, poor communication, and no one told us that the Great White are no longer coming around the waters they cruise. They did not even put the cage in the water and only 2 sharks came and went. NOT worth the money or the time. The only saving grace was the scenery down to the dock.”

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Shark Cage Diving - Why the 12-person limit helps
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Shark Cage Diving

11.Shark Cage Diving

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 221 reviews · from $118

Join Sharklady Adventures at Van Dyk’s Bay for about three and a half hours at sea. You’ll watch Great White Sharks from a 12-meter catamaran, then enter the floating cage for breath-hold, snorkel, or qualified scuba viewing. The trip includes wetsuits, snorkel gear, drinks, snacks, and educational talks, with no shark feeding.

“A lot of sharks were close to the boat. Good helpful staff. We had luck with weather. Sea was calm..”

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Boat Based Whale Watching from Hermanus - The 6:30 am start and transfer from Cape Town
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Boat Based Whale Watching from Hermanus

12.Boat Based Whale Watching from Hermanus

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 205 reviews · from $91

Join a whale specialist at Hermanus New Harbour for a two-hour catamaran trip in search of southern right, humpback, and Bryde’s whales. The guide explains whale behavior as you watch, while the crew provides light refreshments and helps passengers find the best viewing spots. Dolphins, seals, and seabirds may also appear.

“Informative pre meeting, very good guide informed us during the whole tour. Good service. Even the captain took the time to chat”

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Shark Cage Diving - Adventure Meets Conservation! - Taking turns in the eight-person cage
Hermanus Tours, Shark Cage Diving, Tour Reviews

Shark Cage Diving – Adventure Meets Conservation!

13.Shark Cage Diving – Adventure Meets Conservation!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 196 reviews · from $143

Meet at 9 Kus Drive in Gansbaai for breakfast, a safety briefing, and a 20-minute boat ride to the shark site. You take turns in an eight-person cage with wet suits, booties, and masks, while the rest of the group watches from the deck. Great whites are not guaranteed, but a no-shark voucher lets you return within two years.

“This is a great company doing important work. Their staff were professional and informative. Unfortunately, the day we went, visibility underwater was poor, there were maybe 7ft swells (lots of seasickness, I took Dramamine and was still queRead more”

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From Hermanus: Cruise with Shark Cage Dive and Lunch - What the shark encounter is really like
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From Hermanus: Cruise with Shark Cage Dive and Lunch

14.Cruise with Shark Cage Dive and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 184 reviews · 1 day · from $168

From Hermanus, travel to Kleinbaai Harbour for a shark cage encounter at Shark Alley. You’ll get breakfast, wetsuits, masks, boat drinks, lunch, and guidance in English or Afrikaans. Marine biologists explain shark behavior while a four or five-person cage rotates through the group. Great whites are not guaranteed, but bronze whalers often provide close views.

“Overall good - very nice service. But not many shark whne we was on the sea”

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From Cape Town: Full Day Guided Hermanus and Whale Tour - Rotary Way and the first great view of Hermanus
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From Cape Town: Full Day Guided Hermanus and Whale Tour

15.Full Day Guided Hermanus and Whale Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 155 reviews · from $51

Travel from Cape Town to Hermanus with an English-speaking guide, stopping at Gordon’s Bay, Rotary Way, Hermanus Harbour, Wine Village, and Peregrine Farm Stall. You’ll have free time in town, chances to see Southern Right whales, WiFi on board, and an included urban wine tasting. The boat trip costs extra.

“The coastal drive alone made the trip worthwhile but seeing the whales up close is something I will never forget. Our tour guides, Louis, wealth of knowledge was unbelievable and made the tour that much more interesting.”

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