Gansbaai in Three Days: A Base in Kleinbaai
How to Plan It
No packaged multi-day tour covers Gansbaai, so the practical approach is to pick a base and build the days yourself. Kleinbaai suits boat and shark trips because the harbour is there. De Kelders suits cliff walks, Klipgat Cave and whale watching. Two or three nights is enough for the main sights. Gansbaai is about 160 to 165 km from Cape Town, a drive of 2 to 2.5 hours, and a car makes everything easier.
Whales are the reason to time the trip carefully. Southern right whales are in the bay roughly from June to November, and some operators run whale trips into December.
Day 1: Kleinbaai
Book a shark cage dive or the Marine Big 5 boat trip for the morning. The cage dive with Marine Dynamics costs R3,655 for an international adult and R2,268 for a South African adult, plus a R150 conservation fee. Great white sharks are rare, and bronze whalers and sevengills are the likely sightings. The Marine Big 5 costs R2,340 for an international adult and R1,728 for a South African adult.
In the afternoon, visit the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary, which is free and open from 09:00 to 16:00, with public feeding at 15:00. Marine Dynamics lists its Great White House cottages at about R350 per person per night, so check the rates page when you plan.
Day 2: De Kelders and Platbos
Start at Walker Bay Nature Reserve through the De Kelders gate. Day entry is from R70 for an adult, gates are open from 07:00 to 19:00, and payment is by card or mobile only. The Klipgat Cave boardwalk leads to a two-chamber cave. Follow with the De Kelders cliff path for whales in season. For lunch, the Lomond Wine Estate tasting room on Avoca Road is open daily from 10:00 to 16:00, and prices for tastings and platters are best asked at the estate. Finish at Platbos Forest, open 08:00 to 17:00 for R50 per adult, no booking required.
Day 3: The Overberg
Grootbos tours need advance booking. The Florilegium Half Day Tour runs Wednesday to Sunday, and the Botanical Art Gallery Tour runs on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Both have a minimum age of 12. Pair this with a trip to Hermanus, about 40 minutes away, or Stanford. Cape Agulhas is about 2 hours each way and deserves its own day. De Hoop Nature Reserve is a long, partly gravel drive and does not fit as a short hop.
Where to Stay
De Kelders has the Whale Cove self-catering apartments, and some have balcony views of whales from June to November. Rates vary by unit. Platbos offers off-grid tented suites for two and the Old Olive Cabin with a hot tub, booked through Nightsbridge.
Read more: Gansbaai day trips for each outing in detail, or romantic getaways for places to stay.
Search stays on Booking.com , and check details on the Walker Bay Nature Reserve page and the Platbos site .