Gansbaai Itinerary: Two to Three Nights

Build Your Own Plan

Nobody sells a packaged multi-day tour of Gansbaai, so this plan is a template you can adjust. Base yourself in Kleinbaai for the boats or in De Kelders for the cliffs and the cave, and stay two or three nights. A car is the practical choice, as the drive from Cape Town is about 160 to 165 km and takes 2 to 2.5 hours.

Whale season shapes the dates. Southern right whales visit roughly from June to November, with some operators running trips into December.

Day 1: Kleinbaai

  • Morning: a shark cage dive or the Marine Big 5 boat trip. The cage dive costs R3,655 for international adults and R2,268 for South African adults, plus a R150 conservation fee. Sevengills and bronze whalers are the realistic sightings, as great whites are rare. The Marine Big 5 is R2,340 for international adults and R1,728 for South African adults.
  • Afternoon: the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary, which is free, opens 09:00 to 16:00 and feeds the penguins in public at 15:00.
  • Bed: Marine Dynamics advertises Great White House cottages at about R350 per person per night, so check the rates page.

Day 2: De Kelders, Platbos and Lomond

  • Morning: enter Walker Bay Nature Reserve at the De Kelders gate (open 07:00 to 19:00, from R70 for an adult, card or mobile payment only). Walk the boardwalk into Klipgat Cave, which has two chambers, and follow the cliff path for whales.
  • Midday: Lomond Wine Estate on Avoca Road. The tasting room is open daily from 10:00 to 16:00, and you should ask the estate for tasting and platter prices.
  • Afternoon: Platbos Forest, open 08:00 to 17:00 at R50 per adult with no booking.

Day 3: Overberg

  • Book a Grootbos tour ahead of time. The Florilegium Half Day Tour runs Wednesday to Sunday, the Botanical Art Gallery Tour runs Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and guests must be 12 or older.
  • Or drive to Hermanus, about 40 minutes away, or visit Stanford.
  • Cape Agulhas takes about 2 hours each way, so give it a day of its own.
  • De Hoop Nature Reserve involves a long, partly gravel drive and does not suit a short stop.

Places to Stay

  • Whale Cove, De Kelders: self-catering apartments, some with balcony whale views from June to November. Prices differ between units.
  • Platbos: off-grid tented suites for two and the Old Olive Cabin with a hot tub, reserved through Nightsbridge.

Read more: Gansbaai day trips for distances and road types, or romantic getaways for places to stay.

Look for rooms on Booking.com , and check the Walker Bay Nature Reserve page and the Lomond estate site .