Hermanus Whale Watching Boat Cruise & Penguins from Cape Town
Description
Enjoy a full-day shared whale watching tour from Cape Town to Hermanus, including a boat-based whale watching cruise and a visit to the Stony Point Penguin Colony. Travel with shared transfers from Cape Town, cruise into Walker Bay to search for Southern Right whales and other marine life, and enjoy one of the Western Cape’s most popular coastal wildlife experiences in one day. • Shared full-day Hermanus whale watching tour from Cape Town • Boat-based whale watching cruise included in the tour price • Search for Southern Right whales, dolphins, seals, seabirds, and seasonal marine life • Visit Stony Point Penguin Colony in Betty’s Bay • See African Penguins from the reserve boardwalks • Enjoy scenic coastal views along the Cape Whale Coast • Convenient shared pickup and drop-off from Cape Town • Great seasonal wildlife tour for nature lovers, couples, families, and first-time visitors
Tour Options
Itinerary
Begin with shared pickup from selected Cape Town hotels and accommodation. Pickup times may vary depending on the number of guests and collection points. Travel from Cape Town towards Hermanus, passing scenic mountain and coastal landscapes along the way. The route may vary depending on road conditions, weather, and the day’s whale watching cruise schedule.
Board a whale watching vessel in Hermanus for a boat-based marine wildlife experience in Walker Bay. Search for Southern Right whales during whale season, as well as possible sightings of Humpback whales, Bryde’s whales, dolphins, seals, seabirds, and other marine life. The boat cruise duration depends on sea conditions and the location of marine activity on the day.
After the boat cruise, enjoy free time in Hermanus for lunch at own account or a short walk along the coastal area, depending on the day’s timing and sea conditions. Look out for the whale crier who alerts us where to spot the whales from the shoreline.
Visit the Stony Point Penguin Colony, one of the Western Cape’s best places to see African Penguins. Walk along the boardwalks and enjoy views of the penguins and coastal scenery.
Relax on the shared return transfer to Cape Town. Drop-off will be at your original pickup point or selected Cape Town accommodation.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Your exact pick up time will be communicated to you the day before the tour. Please wait in the hotel lobby for your tour guide.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(15)
Excellent crew, and lucky enough to see the whales…couple of mama & calf and a big male too… enjoyed thoroughly and recommend to all…the water was rough, so few os us had sea sickness, but the crew was prepared for it.
Dear Abey_I, Thank you for your fantastic review! 🐋🌊 We’re thrilled you had the incredible luck of spotting mama whales, calves, and a big male during your Hermanus Whale Watching tour. Our crew always strives to provide excellent service and support, especially when the seas get rough. 🤗⚓ Your recommendation means a lot to us and future guests looking for unforgettable wildlife encounters near Cape Town. We hope to welcome you again soon for more amazing adventures with Beyond Africa Safaris! 🇿🇦✨ Warm regards, Evelyn Ntombela Guest Relations Manager | Beyond Africa Safaris #WhaleWatching #Hermanus #CapeTownTours #BeyondAfricaSafaris
Thank you Paul for welcoming us and sharing all the nooks and crannies , whales , seals , penguins, beautiful beaches , shark sites and the marine rodeo! lol very nice walks and excellent captain! Not to mention the dolphins when we return! Oceana boat club!
Dear Ben20002016, Merci pour votre merveilleuse évaluation ! Nous sommes ravis d'apprendre que vous avez passé un excellent moment lors de notre excursion en bateau pour l'observation des baleines à Hermanus avec Beyond Africa Safaris. Nous sommes heureux d'entendre que Paul a bien pris soin de vous et a partagé ses connaissances sur les magnifiques points d'intérêt tout au long de la journée, y compris les baleines, les phoques, les pingouins et bien d'autres merveilles. C'est formidable que vous ayez également eu la chance d'apercevoir des dauphins lors de votre retour ! Votre satisfaction est très importante pour nous, et nous vous remercions d'avoir choisi Beyond Africa Safaris pour vos aventures. Nous espérons vous revoir bientôt pour d'autres excursions incroyables ! Cordialement, Pinky Ntombela Marketing Manager Beyond Africa Safaris
Was a great trip, and that was due to our amazing guide Mr Papi(⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️), he made the day great including our unscheduled wine tasting at Benguela Cove. Negative was we didn’t spot our ticket did not include the cost of the Whale Watching trip! (Note to self to check small print)
Memorable Whale Watching Experience Great Trip Thanks to Our Amazing Guide, Mr. Papi! Thank you, Stephan, for sharing your experience on the Hermanus Whale Watching Boat Trip with Shared Transfers from Cape Town! We’re thrilled to hear that you had a great time and that Mr. Papi made your day special. Unforgettable Moments and Wine Tasting It’s wonderful to know that Mr. Papi's enthusiasm and knowledge enhanced your trip, along with the unscheduled wine tasting at Benguela Cove. We always aim to provide unique experiences that make your journey memorable. Important Notes on Pricing We appreciate your feedback regarding the whale watching ticket costs. Transparency in our pricing is essential, and we regret any confusion caused by the ticket details. We encourage all guests to review the fine print, and we’ll work to make our inclusions and exclusions clearer in the future. Thank You for Your Recommendation! Thank you for choosing Beyond Africa Safari and Tours. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for another adventure, where you can create even more wonderful memories! Warm regards, D Govender
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 the fun and excitement I had with the family even though I refused their request. The driver also stopped at a wine farm which was a waste of precious time.
Good day Valued Client Thank you for the review of this tour.We had not met your expectation and we do hope that when you are back with us again that we sure would make a difference. Travel safe
We have just returned from our trip to Hermanus to see the whales All I can say is wow My wife and I never expected to see so many and so up close to the boat . We felt so privileged to witness the Whales with the new calves passing by. The tour guide and driver Alfani was excellent picked us up and drove to a half way stop for breakfast, then on to Hermanus to the boat . The trip lasted a couple of hours and it was worth every penny . I highly recommend this trip at one point the boat was surrounded by whales of each side , totally amazing experience. We went on to a lovely restaurant In Hermanus town afterwards called Bientangs Cave for fish and chips it was lovely and the surroundings are unique. Your table is out on the rocks. After lunch finally we stopped off on the way back at the Benguela cove Vineyard for a cheese & wine pairing it was delicious and the property is stunning. A wonderful day . Thank you
Good day Valued Client Wow! Thank you for leaving such an amazing review of your fantastic experience. We wish you all the best with your future travels and hope to have you back with us soon again in Cape Town.
Enjoyed the whale watching and Hermanus is a lovely place to enjoy a drink/meal after. Possibly a little expensive especially with the added cost of the transport from Cape Town.
Good day Valued Client Thank you for choosing us for this tour. We’re glad to hear that you were satisfied with your experience. We look forward to welcoming you back in the near future
September 3 IVANHOE boat based tours took approximately 20 people on the tour to Walker Bay, Hermanus for a life changing engagement with the very entertaining Great Right Whales. We were privileged to enter their spawning and nursery bay. Whales surrounded the boat, but usually from a distance, during our 2 hour stay in the bay. A mother and her calve approached our boat twice so everyone on board got a fantastic view of the gentle giants. Our skipper informed us constantly about these whales and their migration to Walker Bay to breed. I saw numerous whales breech the water. And fins flapping, sending signals to other whales in the bay. A truly glorious outting.
Good day Valued Client Taking the time to leave such a great review about this tour, has really made our day! We always aim to delight our customers with our customer service and our attention to detail. It’s great to hear we delivered on our promise to WOW you. Travel safe
We have had a great day on the Hermanus Whale Watching Boat Trip with David as our guide. The tour was well organized. The communication in advance about pick-up time, etc. was very pleasant. We were picked up on time and brought to the boat in Hermanus. What a great experience! We saw a whale with young very close by. After the boat trip, our guide had arranged a stop at Estate Benguela Cove. What a beautiful location, nice lunch and nice wine tasting! Our guide was kind and friendly and had a lot of knownledge about Cape Town, history and the surrounding area. He was able to answer all our questions very well. Thank you for the great day!
Our driver, Barnabas, was outstanding!! We have already recommended him to others and our Tour guide. He was so informative, accommodating, and a pleasure to spend the day with.
2 days prior to the appointment was informed that we will be picked up at 4am. Since this trip was important to us, we accepted this one. The day before the trip we would be cancelled at 4pm due to supposedly bad weather. We carried out the trip to Hermanus without an organizer. The weather was great, cloudless and not a strong wind. The boats also sailed.... so... Well... It was nice there even without organizer... Seen whales and even saved money.
