9 Hermanus Whale Watching Tours Worth the Early Start

1.Hermanus: 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 guide and spend 90 minutes to two hours on Walker Bay looking for whales, dolphins, seals, and seabirds. Guides such as Peter and Philip explain whale behavior, while the crew keeps a respectful distance and may stop the engines for close sightings.

“Again we had a nice trip into the bay with Hermanuns Whale Watchers :-) We did this also in 2022 and 23 so because we were happy clients we are coming back. Now in 2024 we are late in the whalewatching season - it took the captain some time to find some of the whales being still in the bay. But all efforts have been taken. So better come in August or Oktober to make sure there are lot´s of whales in the bay. We recommend this compnay because their boats have the biggest upper deck compared to other services in Hermanus. The overall impression from all 3 trips is…”

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2.Hermanus: Whale and Dolphin Watching Boat Trip

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

Join Southern Right Charters for a two-hour cruise from Hermanus New Harbour. A whale specialist explains southern right, humpback, and Bryde’s whales as the crew searches for dolphins and seals. The large catamaran offers open viewing areas, light refreshments, and optional drone footage.

“We were at the end of the whale season but we saw hundreds of dolphins and at the end of the tour a whale, the tour a half hour longer so we could see the whale. Guide knows what he’s talking about.”

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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 onboard videographer. A two-hour trip may bring close views of southern right, humpback, or Bryde’s whales, plus dolphins, seals, and seabirds. Light refreshments are included.

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

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

Join Percy Tours in Hermanus for a private, land-based whale watch. Percy drives you in an air-conditioned vehicle to 5 to 7 coastal viewpoints, walks paved paths to coves and inlets, and begins with a 20-minute visit to the Whale House Museum.

“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 experience in Hermanus. Start at the Whale House Museum, then walk the cliff path above Walker Bay, learning how to spot southern right whales, read their behavior, and choose the best viewing points without boarding a boat.

“We had a brilliant morning with Dave who is extremely knowledgeable and very personable. Highly recommended.”

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6.Cape Town: Full Day Hermanus Whale Watching Tour

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

Travel by air-conditioned minibus from central Cape Town to Hermanus, with shore-based whale watching, coastal viewpoints, and a stop in Betty’s Bay. Wednesday and Friday include Bouchard Finlayson wine tasting; Sunday offers Stony Point penguins instead. Guides such as Qiyam and Ivan lead some departures.

“We had an incredible day with Qiyam, his insights into Cape Town’s history and diverse cultural influences made the journey truly special. The penguin colony and whale watching were unforgettable highlights, and we felt so lucky to witness multiple sightings of Southern Right and Bryde’s whales.”

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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 breakfast, safety training, and a shark cage encounter in provided wetsuits and masks. After a hot shower and light meal, continue to a separate whale-watching boat for Southern Right, Humpback, or Bryde’s Whales, dolphins, and seals.

“It was an awesome experience! We loved it! The entire crew and team were so supportive and welcoming. Totally worth it! Everything very planned and organized, towels, bath, food. We really recommend Cape Shark Adventures for Shark Cage Diving in Cape Town!”

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8.Cape Town: Hermanus Whale Watching Shared Boat & Penguins

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

Travel from Cape Town with an English-speaking private guide to Hermanus for a 2 to 3-hour shared whale-watching boat trip, lunch, and town time. Visit Stony Point in Betty’s Bay for African penguins. Guides Gabriel and Joel are noted for flexible suggestions and local insight.

“Aucun avis l'activité a été annulée et je suis toujours en attente du remboursement...”

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9.Hermanus: Whale Watching and Wine Testing

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 5 reviews · 8 hours

Travel from Cape Town or Hermanus to Walker Bay for a 2 to 3 hour Southern Right whale boat trip, then taste regional wines at Benguela Cove or Spier. Private transport keeps the day comfortable, with guides such as Joseph or Kelly adding useful local insight.

“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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