The 15 Tours in Hermanus That Earn Their Price

1.Boat Based Whale Watching Experience

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

Join Hermanus Whale Watchers at New Harbour for a 90-minute English-language cruise into Walker Bay. Expect a safety briefing, crew commentary, and time to watch whales from the boat or upper deck when conditions allow. Guides such as Philip and Peter are praised for spotting animals and explaining their behavior. Warm clothing and flat shoes are essential.

“It was focussed on the whales, nothing else. Guide and team were great! I will keep this moments forever.”

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2.Whale and Dolphin Watching Boat Trip

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

Join Southern Right Charters in Hermanus for a two-hour catamaran cruise with a whale specialist. Look for seasonal southern right and humpback whales, year-round Bryde’s whales, dolphins, and seals. Guides such as Ken and Jacques explain what you see, while the crew serves light refreshments and helps with photos.

“We saw hundreds of dolphins who kept and swam towards a Right Whale and her calf. The whales came to the boat and swam alongside providing a very memorable experience.”

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3.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 crew explains whale behavior, helps you find the best viewing spots, and provides light refreshments. Dolphins, seals, and seabirds may also appear. Children under 12 receive life jackets.

“Our family had an amazing day of whale watching. Great crew and very informative tour. Sighted many Southern Right Whales up close to the boat. Also saw dolphins. Highly recommend this trip to anyone.”

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4.Aquila Private Game Reserve: Sunset Safari with Entry Fee

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 158 reviews · from $63

Drive yourself to Aquila Private Game Reserve by 3:00 PM for a welcome drink, snacks, and a 2 to 3 hour sunset safari in an open 4x4. An English-speaking ranger leads the drive through Big Five territory. Afterward, enjoy the pool, labyrinth, giant chess, or curio shop. Spa treatments, horse rides, and quad bikes cost extra.

“The all experience, from the reception from the stuff members, the food and most of all the excitement of the big 5 reserve.”

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5.Whale Watching Walking Tours (Land-Based) – from JUNE 2025

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 88 reviews · from $57Best value

Meet Percy at Hermanus Whale Museum for a short introduction to local whales, dolphins, sharks, and marine life. Then ride in an air-conditioned private vehicle between 5 to 7 coastal viewpoints, walking paved paths to look for whales, coves, and inlets. The tour lasts about 2 to 3 hours and suits anyone who prefers shore-based watching to a boat trip.

“Alles perfekt geklappt. Percy hat dieses Erlebnis für mich toll gemacht..auf individuelle Wünsche eingegangen..Man merkt dass er seinen Job gern macht und dann aber auch noch die Extrameile geht und auch mit seiner Kamera Fotos macht zur Erinnerung . Danke”

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6.Shark Cage Diving and Viewing with transport from Hermanus

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 81 reviews · from $234

Travel from Hermanus to Gansbaai for a three-hour cage encounter near Shark Alley aboard Slashfin. A marine biologist explains shark behavior while you watch bronze whalers and possibly seven-gill sharks from the boat or underwater cage. Breakfast, gear, transfers, refreshments, and a free penguin visit are included.

“Nice boat, nice crew, no sharks :((( They were organized and made you feel safe. Breakfast was included.”

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7.Marine Big 5 Safari with transport from Hermanus

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 64 reviews · from $164

Travel from Hermanus to Gansbaai for a two to two-and-a-half-hour Marine Big 5 cruise around Dyer Island. A marine biologist and crew look for whales, great white sharks, Cape fur seals, dolphins, and African penguins. Hotel transfers, safety gear, refreshments, and entry to a penguin sanctuary are included.

“This is a must do! It was awesome. The tour operators are very kind and always attentive to your needs in addition to taking utmost care to spot the big 5. Unmissable and can be filled with memories”

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8.Cape Aghullas Van Tour with Hotel Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 42 reviews · 8 hours · from $311

Travel from Cape Town to Cape Agulhas in a small group of up to 10 people, with hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, and an air-conditioned van. Along the way, see Khayelitsha, Steenbras Dam, Hermanus, Bredasdorp, the Agulhas lighthouse, and rugged shoreline shipwrecks. Guide Johnny is praised for careful driving and thoughtful photo stops.

“The guide was so fantastic I booked another tour with her. So engaging and informative.”

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9.Full Day Hermanus Whale Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 20 reviews · 9.5 hours · from $120

Travel from Cape Town in a small air-conditioned minibus with an English-speaking guide such as Qiyam or Ivan. Watch for Southern Right whales from Hermanus between August and November, then visit Bouchard Finlayson on Wednesdays and Fridays or Stony Point penguins on Sundays. An optional whale-watching boat costs extra.

“Our driver was on time and friendly, and stopped at a lot of good places. He was very good. Going out on a boat to watch whales is NOT included in the price. We did this and saw two whales, but sea rough making it slightly unpleasant.”

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10.Shark & Whale Trip Combo

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 12 reviews · 3 hours · from $283

Cape Shark Adventures takes you from Kleinbaai Harbour to a shark cage, then on a separate whale-watching boat. English-speaking guides provide safety advice and wildlife commentary. You receive breakfast, a light meal, wetsuit gear, a hot shower, and bottled water. No prior scuba training is needed, but sightings and boat times depend on weather, tides, and animal activity.

“Seeing the sharks. Hospitality at sharp center was also great. Only negative was we had to do whale watching at 6:30 iso around noon.”

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11.Hermanus Whale Watching Shared Boat & Penguins

★★★★★★★★★★3.3 · 6 reviews · 1 day · from $246

Travel from Cape Town to Hermanus for a 2 to 3 hour shared whale-watching boat trip, lunch, town time, and African penguins at Stony Point. Your private English-speaking guide and vehicle handle the road journey. Guides Gabriel and Joel have received strong praise for their advice and flexibility.

“Gabriel was a terrific tour guide. The boat ride to see the whales was great. We got to see several whales on our ride. Would highly recommend this tour.”

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12.Cape Agulhas: Private Day Tour to Africa’s Southernmost Tip.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 8 hours · from $320

Travel privately with Jim, a certified English and Swedish-speaking guide, from Cape Town or Hermanus to Cape Agulhas. You’ll stand where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, follow mountain passes and coastal roads, look for Blue Cranes, stop for lunch, and return by a different scenic route.

“Jim is an excellent tour guide!! He seems to know everything about everything, and excels at getting the best experience regardless of weather. I would highly recommend Jim for any SA tour and thank him for his knowledge and flexibility.”

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13.Cape Agulhas and Stony Point Penguin Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 10 hours · from $249

Spend 10 hours with a private English or French-speaking guide traveling from Cape Town to Cape Agulhas. Visit Stony Point’s penguin colony, Hermanus, Struisbaai, L’Agulhas, and the Cape Agulhas Lighthouse. Pickup and drop-off are included, while lunch and drinks cost extra.

“Eine Private Tour mit PKW, sehr zu empfehlen. großartiger Guide, vielen Dank an Reagan.super nett und viele tolle Infos, hat viel Spass gemacht. Man hatte überall genügend Zeit und die Stationen sind wirklich toll. Nirgends voll und überlaufen, einfach beeindruckend .So hatten wir uns das vorgestellt. Tour ist den den Preis absolut wert.Vielen Dank für den wunderschönen Tag”

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14.Whale Watching and Wine Testing

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 5 reviews · 8 hours

Travel from Cape Town or Hermanus to Walker Bay for a two to three-hour whale-watching boat trip, followed by wine tasting at Benguela Cove or Spier Wine Farm. Private transport keeps the day comfortable, while guides such as Joseph and Kelly add local insight and flexible stops.

“Our guide Joseph was excellent, very informative and gave us plenty of time to relax and enjoy each part of the tour.”

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15.Private Tour: Cape Town to Cape Agulhas where 2 Oceans Meet

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 9 hours · from $370

Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle from Cape Town or nearby towns to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa. Guide Leonard Botha takes you along Clarence Drive, to Betty’s Bay penguins, Hermanus, Struisbaai, and the lighthouse where you can learn about the coast and photograph the meeting point of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

“We had an excellent trip to Cape Agulhas & Hermanus but were unfortunate not to be able to see the Penguins at Betty’s Bay as due to bad weather conditions the road was closed to traffic . Our guide Mr Leonard was very proactive , gave us a lot of information regarding South Africa , took care of us in every possible way and in spite of the extremely bad weather conditions he made this trip possible .”

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