South Africa · WHALE WATCHING TRIPS IN CAPE TOWN

Top 15 Whale Watching Trips in Cape Town

25 tours  ·  ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.5 average  ·  from $51

Every trip has one free day too few. These 15 whale watching trips in Cape Town justify the slot, priced and timed so you can decide in minutes and get back to the fun part of planning.

From Cape Town: Hermanus Whale Watching Boat Trip - De Kelders and the whale search: what the ride is really like
Boat Tours in Cape Town, Cape Town Tours, Cruises & Boat Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching, Whale Watching Trips in Cape Town

From Cape Town: Hermanus Whale Watching Boat Trip

1.Hermanus Whale Watching Boat Trip

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

Speedboat whale watching from Gansbaai, with early Cape Town pickup, expert crew, and close Southern Right Whales in De Kelders waters.

“It was a long drive from Cape Town but our guide gave some very interesting information on the way. Worth the drive to see many mother and baby whales and a couple of dolphins. All very respectful to the animals, we were the only boat in the nursery waters area and waited for whales to come to us, the babies were interested in checking us out and mum followed, everything on their terms. Would recommend.”

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From Cape Town: Full Day Guided Hermanus and Whale Tour - Gordon’s Bay Pitstop, where the photo moment starts early
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From Cape Town: Full Day Guided Hermanus and Whale Tour

2.Full Day Guided Hermanus and Whale Tour

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

Full-day guided trip from Cape Town to Hermanus for Southern Right whales, scenic stops, urban wine tasting, and farm food, plus panoramic coastal viewpoints.

“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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From Cape Town: Full Day Hermanus Whale Watching Tour - The coastal drive from Cape Town, with good stops built in
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From Cape Town: Full-Day Hermanus Whale Watching Tour

3.Full-Day Hermanus Whale Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 119 reviews · 1 day · from $120

Full-day Hermanus whale watching from Cape Town with small-group stops at Harold Porter, Fernkloof, Elgin, and Sir Lowry’s Pass.

“Nice trip. Hermanas is lovely. Nice coastline. Unfortunately no whales and no boats as it was windy. Still a beautiful place”

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From Cape Town: Whale Watching Tour in Hermanus and Gansbaai - Grabouw break and why the Peregrine Farm Stall stop is more than just shopping
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From Cape Town: Whale Watching Tour in Hermanus and Gansbaai

4.Whale Watching Tour in Hermanus and Gansbaai

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 110 reviews · 2 hours · from $249

Cape Town to Hermanus and Gansbaai for a 2-hour whale watching boat trip plus coastal stops, penguins, and a farm stall visit.

“perfect organisation, a verry charming and helpfull guide (neil fergusson) he was verry flexible from the route planing. we saw a lot of whales, direct in front of us. absolutly to recommended!!”

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Hermanus Whale Watching Shared Boat Trip and Private Wine Tour from Cape Town - New Harbour Boat Trip: What the 2 to 3 Hours Feels Like
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Hermanus Whale Watching Shared Boat Trip and Private Wine Tour from Cape Town

5.Hermanus Whale Watching Shared Boat Trip and Private Wine Tour from Cape Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 38 reviews · from $242

Early whale watching from Hermanus plus penguins at Stony Point and wine estate tastings, with private Cape Town transport.

“We had a great time seeing the whales and wine tasting. Our guide was Cornileus. He was very friendly and had a good knowledge of the area and wine. He took us to a wonderful spot for lunch and stopped at a few places on the trip for us to see animals and markets!”

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From Cape Town: Hermanus Whale Watching Full Day Tour - Morning route: quick coastal breaks that keep the day moving
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From Cape Town: Hermanus Whale Watching Full Day Tour

6.Hermanus Whale Watching Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 30 reviews · 8h 30m · from $68

Cape Town to Hermanus full day: coastal drive, Rotary Way lookout, shore whale watching, Hemel-en-Aarde wine tasting, optional cruise.

“Nice drive to and from Hermanus and we enjoyed the day. Sadly no whales. Probably frightened away by the number of people at the Whale Festival (very busy!) which we didn't know was on when we booked - this would have been useful info! We lost time in Hermanus because of the festival traffic and felt like our departure time was made earlier to ensure another passenger returned in time for a flight (why book the tour on that day!). We were also disappointed that we were not returned to our pick up point in the same vehicle and had to transfer/wait for a bus with vague instructions . This…”

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Hermanus Whale Watching Day Trip from Cape Town - Bouchard Finlayson wine tasting: included, but plan your time
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Hermanus Whale Watching Day Trip from Cape Town

7.Hermanus Whale Watching Day Trip from Cape Town

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 29 reviews · from $101

Shore-based whale watching in Hermanus from Cape Town, plus a scenic coastal drive and an included wine tasting at Bouchard Finlayson.

“The trip was very beautiful, passing through amazing landscapes. The guide Rodney was knowledgeable, though not a very good listener. Nevertheless, he made sure we got the best spots for each activity. We saw Whales and Penguins. Wine tasting was also done, though in short.”

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Boat Based Whale Watching from Hermanus - The On-Land Whale Briefing That Sets You Up to See More
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Boat Based Whale Watching from Hermanus

8.Boat Based Whale Watching from Hermanus

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · from $287

Early-morning boat whale watching from Hermanus New Harbour with a specialist guide, catamaran comfort, and optional video purchase.

“Paul was an exceptional guide during our boat-based whale watching tour in South Africa. His knowledge about the marine life and whales was both fascinating and educational. His professionalism and friendly demeanor added so much to our adventure.”

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Whale Watching Hermanus - Boat base - Clarens Drive Scenic Route: Why the Drive Matters Here
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Whale Watching Hermanus – Boat base

9.Whale Watching Hermanus – Boat base

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 17 reviews · from $228

Take a small-group boat trip from Cape Town to Hermanus for Southern Right Whales at Walker Bay, plus dolphins, seals, and coastal views.

“The boat was far too small for the number of people take onboard... much too small especially since the weather was not good and the seas were rough bouncing passengers around, many got seasick and there was no way for all to sit and get away from the vomit.... waveRead more”

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Hermanus Whale Watching & Penguins Shared Tour from Cape Town - Southern Right Charters Boat Time: Getting Close Without Overpromising
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Hermanus Whale Watching & Penguins Shared Tour from Cape Town

11.Hermanus Whale Watching & Penguins Shared Tour from Cape Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 14 reviews · from $144

Early pickup from Cape Town for a shared Hermanus whale boat trip plus Stony Point penguin viewing, with transfers and entry included.

“One of the best trips I have taken in Cape Town, this is not 5 star since the operator after I arrived to Hermanus Harber asked me to pay extra money and claimed that the price I payed according to the website is outdated…! So this reduced tRead more”

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Whale Watching Tour in Hermanus with Hotel Pickup - The Hermanus Town Break After the Boat: Photos, Lunch, and Sea-Air Reset
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Whale Watching Tour in Hermanus with Hotel Pickup

12.Whale Watching Tour in Hermanus with Hotel Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $215

Private whale watching in Hermanus with hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, and optional Betty’s Bay penguins for a smooth 6 to 8-hour day.

“Timbers made this experience one for the books for sure, the scenic view, the dinner, the whales, the penguins and the laughs he made this experience perfect from beginning to end! We are excited to do it again in the future for sure!”

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Whale Watching Tour from Cape Town - The day at a glance: coastal towns, gardens, and cliff time
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Whale Watching Tour from Cape Town

13.Whale Watching Tour from Cape Town

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 9 reviews · from $100

Full-day Hermanus whale watching from Cape Town with scenic coastal stops, cliff views, and optional boat time for closer sightings.

“The only reason this didn't get five stars from me is because I could only book the boat trip on the day, which relied on there being spaces. Since the whole reason for me booking this was to get on the boat trip, this was disappointing because at one point, it looked likRead more”

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Hermanus and Whale Route Trike Tour from Cape Town - Clarence Drive and the first coastal break at Rooi Els Beach
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Hermanus and Whale Route Trike Tour from Cape Town

14.Hermanus and Whale Route Trike Tour from Cape Town

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $344

Ride a trike from Cape Town to Hermanus with coastal stops on Clarence Drive for whale spotting, photos, and lunch.

“Fantastic day! A must do if you want to see the countryside up close and not from a bus! Willem is cool. He’s very knowledgeable and drives safely. You’ll take multiple photo stops and have lunch right on the sea!”

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From Cape Town: Hermanus Whale Watching Tour with Transfer - Langa and Khayelitsha: more than names, plus why the guide’s stories help
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From Cape Town: Hermanus Whale Watching Tour with Transfer

15.Hermanus Whale Watching Tour with Transfer

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 7 reviews · from $317

Whale watching from Hermanus with hotel transfer and a scenic drive, plus Southern Right whale facts and practical tips for value.

“Very expensive for what it is, poor management of registrations, the office where we were supposed to go did not identify us, they sent us elsewhere and after several phone calls we finally returned to the starting point, no excuses, we missed the basic debriefing and almost missed the start ... The information was very limited and accessible only to people on the upper pontoon. In case of bad weather they should perhaps cancel, poor visibility and the animals less visible ...”

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New in Whale Watching Trips in Cape Town

★ 5.0Whale Wonders: Majestic Marine Adventures in HermanusFrom $2433 reviews
★ 5.0Hermanus Whale Watching and Wine TastingFrom $2353 reviews
★ 5.0Hermanus Whale Coast Wine Tour (Cape To Grape Wine Tours)From $1503 reviews
★ 5.0Private Tour: Hermanus- Boat Based Whale Watching ExperienceFrom $3704 reviews

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