The 9 Most Popular Hermanus Whale Watching Tours

1.Boat Based Whale Watching Experience

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

From Hermanus New Harbour, you’ll join an English-speaking crew for a 90-minute to two-hour boat trip across Walker Bay. Guides such as Philip and Peter explain whale behavior while you look for southern right whales, dolphins, seals, and seabirds. Boats have an upper deck, and coffee is served before departure.

“tour guides very knowlegable and got to see 2 types of whales one with calf and dolphins on the way back to habour.👌”

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2.Whale and Dolphin Watching Boat Trip

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

From Hermanus New Harbour, Southern Right Charters takes you into Walker Bay for two hours of whale and dolphin watching. A whale specialist explains the animals as you see them, while the catamaran gives you room to spread out. Southern right whales are seasonal, Bryde’s whales and dolphins may appear year-round, and onboard refreshments are included.

“Great afternoon out, saw lots of Southern Rightback Whales, some even had their newly born babies with them! Amazing experience! Boat was a bit bouncy on the way back, make sure you take the tablets if you need them…”

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3.Boat Based Whale Watching from Hermanus

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

Set out from Hermanus New Harbour on a purpose-built catamaran with a whale specialist, support crew, and videographer. The two-hour trip looks for southern right, humpback, and Bryde’s whales, plus dolphins and seals. Light refreshments are included, and children under 12 receive life jackets.

“Unfortunately our Hermanus Whale watching was cancelled due to poor weather. However I was very impressed with the operator, Southern Right Charters, who informed us at 08h00 of the cancellation and I was contacted within a couple of hours by Viator to offer mRead more”

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

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

Meet Percy at The Whale House Museum in Hermanus for a 2 to 3-hour private whale-watching walk. Start with a 20-minute look at whale skeletons and marine displays, then ride between 5 to 7 coastal viewpoints and walk paved paths in search of whales, dolphins, seals, and other sea life.

“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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5.Hermanus Land based Whale Tour with Dave de Beer

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · from $80

Join Dave de Beer for a private 2.5-hour whale walk in Hermanus. Start at the Whale House Museum, then follow the cliff path above Walker Bay, where southern right whales can approach close to shore. Dave explains whale behavior, age, history, and the best places to watch, making this a strong choice if you prefer land to boats.

“Dave pulled out all of the stops to enable us to see Whales. He was also incredibly informative and passionate and coped with all of our questions!”

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6.Full Day Hermanus Whale Watching Tour

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

Join a small English-speaking group from Cape Town for a 9.5-hour coastal trip to Hermanus. You’ll watch for Southern Right whales from shore, stop in Betty’s Bay, and visit Bouchard Finlayson for wine on Wednesdays and Fridays. Sunday departures replace wine with Stony Point penguins, time permitting. Guides may include Qiyam or Ivan.

“Pas du tout la prestation demandée, à aucun moment il était notifié qu'il y avait le bateau à prendre, seul chose intéressante de la journée mais 120€ pour deux en plus à payer. Pas de dégustation de vin comme notifié. payer 155€ pour deux juste pour l'aller retour c'est du vol, on aurait mieux fait d'y aller avec notre voiture de location. Une véritable arnaque”

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7.Shark & Whale Trip Combo

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

Meet Cape Shark Adventures at Kleinbaai Harbour for a safety briefing, light breakfast, and a shark cage encounter using supplied wetsuits, booties, masks, and life jackets. After a hot shower and light meal, continue to whale country by boat. Expect English guidance, changing schedules, and wildlife sightings that depend on weather 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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8.Hermanus Whale Watching Shared Boat & Penguins

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

Travel from Cape Town to Hermanus in a private air-conditioned vehicle, then join a 2 to 3 hour shared whale-watching boat. After lunch and free time in Hermanus, visit African penguins at Stony Point in Betty’s Bay. Guides such as Gabriel and Joel are praised for flexibility and local knowledge.

“Le chauffeur n’est pas venu nous chercher et je n’ai pas été remboursé (463€) Attention arnaque”

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9.Whale Watching and Wine Testing

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 5 reviews · 8 hours

You’ll travel by private vehicle from a selected Cape Town hotel to Hermanus for a two to three-hour Walker Bay whale-watching boat trip, followed by wine tasting at Spier in Stellenbosch. If you stay in Hermanus, the tasting takes place at Benguela Cove. English-speaking guides such as Joseph and Kelly are known for clear explanations and friendly service.

“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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