Eight in the morning at the New Harbour. The kayaks lie on the ramp, the guide hands out life jackets and says the one line everybody wants to hear: we do not paddle to the whales, the whales come to us if they feel like it. An hour later the group is sitting still on the water, and fifty metres off a back rises. There is no activity in Hermanus that does not somehow involve the sea, and most of them cost less than dinner. The cage is the exception.
On the water
The whale boat is the main event in season: from the New Harbour, two hours on average, with a briefing on land and a guide on board. Adults pay R1,580 with Southern Right Charters (as of August 2026, confirm before booking), and there is more on the whales page. The kayak is the quieter version: Walker Bay Adventures takes groups out from the New Harbour into the bay, two hours, R550 per person (as of August 2026), fine without experience as long as the sea is calm. In season the appeal is obvious; outside it, you get seals, dolphins and the cliffs from below.
The abalone farm sits at the New Harbour as well. Heart of Abalone walks you through the tanks where the shellfish grow for five years, 35 minutes with a tasting at the end, R100 (as of August 2026). Short, cheap, and the only place you can legally try the protected animal. With more time, book the sharks at Gansbaai: a cage dive with Marine Dynamics is R3,655 plus a R150 conservation levy (as of August 2026), forty minutes down the coast, with more on the page about Gansbaai.
- Kayak
- R550two hours from the New Harbour (as of August 2026)
- Whale boat
- R1,580adults, from the New Harbour (as of August 2026)
- Riding
- R750a good two hours up the valley (as of August 2026)
- Wine Hopper
- R500day pass without tastings (as of August 2026)
On foot
The Cliff Path costs nothing and is the thing you end up doing every day whether you meant to or not. Twelve kilometres, level, with benches, described on the page about the Cliff Path. If you want height, go up into the Fernkloof Nature Reserve above the town: 60 kilometres of marked trails, from the hour-long blue route to a full day along the ridge, free to enter. Spring brings the fynbos into flower; in summer you go early, because the slope has no shade.
Then the beaches as walking routes: eighteen kilometres of sand from Grotto Beach to the Klein River mouth, empty in winter. And Hoy's Koppie in the middle of town, an hour-long loop with a view, for the afternoon when everything else is too far.
Up the wine valley
The Hemel-en-Aarde valley is a quarter of an hour away and there are three ways to take it. By car, with a driver who stays sober. By Wine Hopper, an open safari vehicle that shuttles between the estates, day pass R500 without tastings (as of August 2026), with pick-up in town. Or on horseback: Heaven and Earth Trails rides through vines and fynbos in a good two hours, R750 per person, beginners welcome (as of August 2026), with a tasting at an estate as an add-on. The horses are calm, and the view down the valley is the one a winemaker had from the saddle a hundred years ago.
Golf, wind, and water for children
The Hermanus Golf Club lies at the foot of Fernkloof, 27 holes between fynbos and mountain, and the twilight round over nine holes costs R320 (as of August 2026, the season rate to July). Surfers find their waves at Onrus and Voëlklip, and both beaches run beginner lessons in summer. For children the reliable fixtures are the lagoon at Onrus with its pedalos, the tidal pools in town, and the penguins at Betty's Bay; the whale boat from around six, if the child can manage two hours on a moving deck.
Our tipBook the whale boat and the kayak for two different days, both in the morning. That gives you two chances at a calm sea, and if the first day brings wind, the second is usually better.
What to book and what not to
You have to book the whale boat in high season, the shark cage every time, and the valley menu at a weekend. Kayaking, riding and the Wine Hopper often go the day before. In winter, the same morning. The Cliff Path, Fernkloof, the beaches and Hoy's Koppie need nothing but shoes. With two days, take one for the water and one for the valley; with three, hang the cage on the end.
Common questions about things to do
What is there to do in Hermanus?
Whale boats and kayaks from the New Harbour, the Cliff Path and Fernkloof on foot, the wine valley by Wine Hopper or on horseback, the shark cage at Gansbaai, golf at the foot of Fernkloof, and surfing at Onrus and Voëlklip. Nearly all of it has something to do with the sea.
What does kayaking in Hermanus cost?
R550 per person with Walker Bay Adventures, two hours from the New Harbour out into the bay (as of August 2026). No experience needed as long as the sea is calm.
What does shark cage diving at Gansbaai cost?
R3,655 plus a R150 conservation levy with Marine Dynamics (as of August 2026, confirm before booking). Gansbaai is forty minutes east of Hermanus. The cage always has to be booked ahead.
What do you need to book in advance?
The whale boat in high season, the shark cage always, and a valley menu at a weekend. Kayaking, riding and the Wine Hopper often go the day before, and in winter the same morning. The Cliff Path, Fernkloof and the beaches need shoes and nothing else.
What age can children go on the whale boat?
From four to six years depending on the operator, and the child should be able to manage two hours on a moving deck. The shark cage starts at around eight.
Is there hiking in Hermanus?
Yes. The Cliff Path runs twelve level kilometres, Fernkloof has 60 kilometres of marked trails from an hour to a full day, with free entry. Then Grotto Beach as a beach walk, and Hoy's Koppie as an hour-long loop in the middle of town.