richards bay shore excursions

THE 10 BEST Richards Bay Tours & Excursions

Richards bay tours.

• Ports of Call Tours
• Private Tours
• Sightseeing Tours
• Historical & Heritage Tours
• Cultural Tours
• Up to 1 hour
• 1 to 4 hours
• 4 hours to 1 day
• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 3.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 2.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• The ranking of tours, activities, and experiences available on Tripadvisor is determined by several factors including the revenue generated by Tripadvisor from these bookings, the frequency of user clicks, and the volume and quality of customer reviews. Occasionally, newly listed offerings may be prioritized and appear higher in the list. The specific placement of these new listings may vary.

1. Half Day Private Tour in iSimangaliso Wetland Park

2. Hluhluwe/iMfolozi Game Reserve Full Day Game Drive

3. Hluhluwe and Imfolozi Safari Day Tour from Richards Bay

4. Big 5 Luxury Safari at Manyoni Private Game Reserve + Binoculars

5. Shore Excursion Richards Bay Big 5 Safari Experience

6. Duma Zulu Cultural Village Day Tour from Richards Bay

7. Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park Excursion

8. Richards Bay Shore Excursion: Private Small Group Hluhluwe Safari

9. St Lucia Boat Safari Day Tour from Richards Bay

10. Emdoneni Wild Cat Project Day Tour from Richards Bays

11. Richards Bay Shore Excursion: Pvt Small Group Hluhluwe & DumaZulu

12. Richards Bay Shore Excursion: Small Group Hluhluwe & St Lucia

13. Richards Bay Shore Excursion: Small Group Isimangaliso & St Lucia

Keep the fun going with other experiences in the area.

Shoreline Hippo and Crocodile Boat Cruises, iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park Full Day Big 5 Safari Tour

iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Full Day Tour

Cape Vidal Snorkeling Adventure

Hluhluwe Game Drive - Full day with lunch

iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Night Drive Safari

Full-day Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park Big 5 Safari Experience

Half-day Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park Big 5 Safari Experience

Hluhluwe Game Drive - Half day

What travelers are saying.

Top Tours in Richards Bay, South Africa

Richards bay tours.

• Ports of Call Tours
• Private Tours
• Sightseeing Tours
• Historical & Heritage Tours
• Cultural Tours
• Up to 1 hour
• 1 to 4 hours
• 4 hours to 1 day
• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 3.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 2.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• The ranking of tours, activities, and experiences available on Tripadvisor is determined by several factors including the revenue generated by Tripadvisor from these bookings, the frequency of user clicks, and the volume and quality of customer reviews. Occasionally, newly listed offerings may be prioritized and appear higher in the list. The specific placement of these new listings may vary.

1. Half Day Private Tour in iSimangaliso Wetland Park

2. Hluhluwe/iMfolozi Game Reserve Full Day Game Drive

3. Hluhluwe and Imfolozi Safari Day Tour from Richards Bay

4. Big 5 Luxury Safari at Manyoni Private Game Reserve + Binoculars

5. Shore Excursion Richards Bay Big 5 Safari Experience

6. Duma Zulu Cultural Village Day Tour from Richards Bay

7. Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park Excursion

8. Richards Bay Shore Excursion: Private Small Group Hluhluwe Safari

9. St Lucia Boat Safari Day Tour from Richards Bay

10. Emdoneni Wild Cat Project Day Tour from Richards Bays

11. Richards Bay Shore Excursion: Pvt Small Group Hluhluwe & DumaZulu

12. Richards Bay Shore Excursion: Small Group Hluhluwe & St Lucia

13. Richards Bay Shore Excursion: Small Group Isimangaliso & St Lucia

Keep the fun going with other experiences in the area.

Shoreline Hippo and Crocodile Boat Cruises, iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park Full Day Big 5 Safari Tour

iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Full Day Tour

Cape Vidal Snorkeling Adventure

Hluhluwe Game Drive - Full day with lunch

iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Night Drive Safari

Full-day Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park Big 5 Safari Experience

Half-day Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park Big 5 Safari Experience

Hluhluwe Game Drive - Half day

What travellers are saying.

Shore Excursions from Richards Bay 2023

The first real season of shore excursions from Richards Bay has been a fantastic opportunity to flex our tourism muscles post covid.

• Post author By shelldon
• Post date March 20, 2023
• No Comments on Shore Excursions from Richards Bay 2023

The last few weeks have really been busy thanks to the cruise ships which had delivered 1000’s of tourists from around the the world to the shores of Durban. Now this is not unusual (well, pre-covid that is) but what is unusual is that many of our tours have actually been in Richards Bay.

In the past I guess there were enough tour guides in Richards Bay to handle the cruise ships arriving but these days is seem not to be the case. So because there was a shortage, I started getting a number of queries and bookings from guests arriving in Richards Bay.

Quicklinks to the tours

• Rorkes Drift and Isandlwana Excursion
• Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve Excursion
• Elephant Experience and Hluhluwe Game Reserve Day Trip
• St Lucia Estuary Cruise and Game Reserve

Shore Excursion Options from Richards Bay

Richards Bay is actually a great port to explore Zululand from. If you are into wildlife and safari excursions, then there is the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve, St Lucia (iSimangaliso), Mkuze and a few others; there are the many reserves to enjoy an overnight safari to as well.

If history is more your thing, or perhaps you just want to do something a little different, you can visit the battlefields of Rorkes Drift and Isandlwana and even turn the visit into an overnight visit starting in Richards Bay and finishing in Durban.

Many of the cruise ships to plying their trade around our coastline will stop at Richards Bay on one day and then head to Durban the next (or visa versa) which means you can arrange on overnight stay at someplace different.

Here are the options I offer for shore excursions in Richards Bay.

1. Day trip to Rorkes Drift and Isandlwana

Rorkes Drift is about a 3 hour drive from Richards Bay, so easily accessible to cruise ship passengers. Typically we want to get going as early as possible, so the day excursion really depends on what time the ship docks.

On the way to Rorkes Drift and Isandlwana I (or my able colleague) will cover the reasons for the war in the first place which will help pass the time, although no one cane get bored on this trip as the views are astounding!

Typically we’ll spend around 4 hours on the battlefields themselves which includes a picnic lunch. We visit both Isiandlwana and Rorkes Drift battlefield. Then it’s back into the vehicles and we return to Durban.

Because of the roads, the distances involved and the type of tour this is, we restrict the tour to just 8 pax per vehicles, and usually have 2 vehicles.

If you’re wanting a little bit of a deeper experience, you can turn this in to an overnight tour and stay at the beautiful Rorkes Drift Hotel. This means you can explore not only Rorkes Drift and Isandlwana, but Fugitives Drift or Spionkop as well before being dropped off back at the cruise ship in Durban.

Click the links below for more info;

• Day trip to Rorkes Drift and Isandlwana
• Overnight (2 day) trip to Rorkes Drift and Isandlwana

2. Hluhluwe Imfolozi Day Trip

The Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve is the oldest proclaimed reserve in Africa and is home to the big 5. The park is just 90min from Richards Bay which means it is a perfect destination for those wanting to enjoy the great outdoors.

On this day trip you’ll head to the park with us and on the way you’ll get to learn a bit more about South Africa, Zululand and of course the park. On arrival you’ll then transfer into an open safari vehicle and get to enjoy a couple of hours of beautiful, natural African veld and spot the animals that live there.

Lunch will be in the park and depending on the numbers of guests, will be a light picnic lunch or a traditional South African braai (barbecue). Typically we get going back to the ships again at around 4pm depending on what time we entered the park.

Now if the ship is travelling the next day to Durban, then you can turn your visit into an overnight safari tour. You’ll stay at Hilltop Camp in the game reserve and get to visit St Lucia for a 2 hour cruise on the trip back to Durban.

For more info on this shore excursion, click on the links below;

• Day tour to Hluhluwe Imfolozi
• Overnight (2 day tour) to Hluhluwe Imfolozi

3. Elephant Experience and Hluhluwe Tour

Around 2 hours from Richards Bay is the private reserve of Bayete Zulu. Living their best lives on this reserve are Rachel and Rambo, two adult elephants that were orphaned when their herd was culled many years ago, today they roam free on the reserve with their own personal minders.

Once a day, at around 11am, these two elephants make their way to a boma where they know they’ll get some treats – and this is where you’ll get to meet and interact with them.

The whole experience is truly magical and I have witnesses burst into tears out of cheer joy when the get to meet the elephants – such a special moment for everyone!

After this we’ll head into the nearby Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve where you’ll get to enjoy a picnic lunch and then spend a few hours enjoying the game the park offers before heading back out to Richards Bay.

This tour like the others can be made into an overnight experience. For more info, click the links below.

• Elephant experience and game drive day trip
• Overnight safari experience to Hluhluwe Imfolozi

4. St Lucia Estuary and Game Reserve Day Trip

Around an hour and fifteen minutes away lies the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here you can enjoy a 2 hour estuary cruise viewing hippo in the estuary as well as crocodile and other animals.

Afterwards you’ll get to enjoy a game drive through the Eastern Shores Game Reserve as well as have a spot of lunch in the nearby town of St Lucia, famous in South Africa for the random hippos strolling up the main road.

This in of itself is a full day out, but you can add an overnight component and stay in St Lucia for the night or head to Mpila Camp in the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve and spend day 2 spotting the big 5 at Africa’s oldest proclaimed game reserve, the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve.

For more info on the St Lucia estuary day trip, follow the links below;

• Day excursions to St Lucia Estuary
• Overnight excursion to Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve

There are great options for cruise ship excursions in Richards Bay, many more than I have mentioned here such as overnight stays at luxury camps such as Thula Thula and more.

For more info on any of my tours, or if you’re a travel agent putting together shore excursions, or you just want to say hi, then use the convenient contact form below and get in touch!

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• Tags Battlefields , Richards Bay , Shore Excursions , Wildlife

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+27 82 318 1898

Richard’s Bay Shore Excursions

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Richards Bay Shore Excursion: Private Small Group Hluhluwe Safari

• Light lunch
• Return transfers from Richards Bay port
• Services of a qualified guide
• Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
• Entry/Admission - Hluhluwe - iMfolozi Park Wilderness Area
• Richards Bay Harbour, Richards Bay, South Africa
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Departure times can be tailor made to suit your port times
• A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
• At time of booking, cruise ship passengers must provide the following information: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
• Not recommended for travellers with back problems
• Not recommended for pregnant travellers
• No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
• Most travellers can participate
• Cullinan Guided Journeys strictly follow the SA Government approved TBCSA Health and Safety COVID-19 Protocols. Should guests present COVID-19 symptoms, COVID testing and quarantine will be at their own cost. We recommend that you ensure that your guests take adequate personal travel insurance cover before departure from home.
• Ship should arrive night before or early morning and guests need to be disembarked by 07h30
• Ship departure time should not be before 20h00
• Small Group Tour, guests may be joined by other guests who are on the same Cruise ship.
• This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
• All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties.

Similar experiences

• You'll start at Richards Bay Harbour Richards Bay Harbour, Richards Bay, South Africa See address & details
• 1 Hluhluwe - iMfolozi Park Wilderness Area Stop: 3 hours - Admission included Enjoy either open / closed vehicle game drives (depending on option selected). Game Drive time is subject to ship arrival and departure time. Read more
• You'll return to the starting point
• Springbok Atlas Day Tours 272 South Africa Joined in February 2011
• gagizzz 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Rough Sailing The staff were incredible. The met every need. However the water and weather was way too rough to sail. There 8 to 10 ft swells and two squalls. 80 percent of the group was sick. The trip should have been canceled. Mr partner is a retired Navy Ship captain and was worried as was one of the crew. Read more Written 23 May 2024
• lwethuk2024 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Excellent service from Miss Silindile (waitress) at wimpy and the food was very delicious I'm willing to come back again There's this waitress named Silindile, light skinned, she served me very well, I am coming back to wimpy just because of her service. Read more Written 21 May 2024
• GaynelleStJ 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles Anticipation and excitement high! Thrilling to ride up relatively close to the animals. Great photos! Our transport there and back was great. Our driver was friendly, knowledgeable, and very safe. The first site of the facility increased our excitement. Beautiful place. Lunch was very tasty, everyone was polite and eager to assist. Our safari guide was friendly and very knowledgeable. Gave us lots of interesting information about the animals we saw. Though we did see lots of different animals, I wish there were more. However that didn’t dim the initial excitement. We all took lots of pictures and had a great time! It was a very good first safari!!! Read more Written 16 May 2024
• timandliz2019 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Wonderful staff, small reserve with limited animal quantities If you've never been on a game drive before, and/or are taking children, Aquila is great. Rustic lodge, good food, wonderful staff. If you've done a larger game drive/safari on a larger property, this may feel slightly underwhelming. It's always cool to see animals (and we did see hippos, giraffes eland, springbok, lions, elephants, baboons and zebra), but this has more of a feel of a conservation refuge (which it is) rather than seeing animals in the wild in their natural habitat. Kudos to staff for handing out blankets and ponchos, as we went on a rainy day! Read more Written 10 May 2024
• LaTriece P 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great! Loved this experience. My friend is an animal lover and I am happy she got to experience this. We saw all of the animals and I was particularly excited to see the lions. We saw them all gathered together like a family. It was amazing. Read more Written 29 April 2024
• Dreamer08065622723 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles wholesome experience It was an amazing and wholesome experience to see those gorgeous animals up close (most of them). Lunch was wholesome too. Read more Written 29 April 2024
• moas878 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Would love to go back! This was one of the highlights of our trip to Cape Town. We splurged a little bit and reserved a private safari vehicle and did not regret it. Our guide was exceptionally knowledgeable and explained things in a straight forward and fun way. We came so close to the lions we could almost reach out and touch them (although our guide gracefully reminded us to keep out hands inside the vehicle!). We hope to return one day and bring more friends and family with us. Read more Written 24 April 2024
• VReynolds61 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles A great experience for the family This was a fine day out for our family, two of whom had never experienced a safari before. Our driver was prompt and courteous, and our guide was knowledgeable and fun. The lunch buffet was a bit chaotic, but otherwise perfectly satisfactory. That being said, it is a safari mill. They have it down to a science. That is fine, if you have not experienced a more comprehensive safari elsewhere in Africa. You will see animals, and you'll enjoy yourself. Our newbie guests loved it. If you only have one day to experience a safari, go for it. You will be satisfied. It's good value for money. Read more Written 24 April 2024
• 919tonyg 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Danger to life, but great views of the animals (read detail). The actual safari driver through the reserve is fantastic. Great guide, saw many animals, and felt safe throughout. However, the transport service provided by Aquila is a different matter. The driver collects from hotel/accom, and then there is a two hour drive to the location (and return later afternoon). The transport driver was dangerous. rarely had two hands on the wheel, often no hands, while he fiddled with phone, drink, music etc. Regularly 2 or 3 meters behind vehicle in front at fast speeds. Not smooth with braking, and insisted on "pumping the brakes" in time to the music several times. Many of the 10 passengers felt unsafe, and were glad to get out. I am an advanced-trained driver and i know what i'm talking about - this driver is a danger to life and unprofessional and should be sacked. Driving passengers is a big responsibility, and drivers should be regularly assessed - which clearly they are not at Aquila. Was also asked to sign a waiver form, and wass refused when i asked for a copy of the form. weird. Read more Written 22 April 2024
• Martin H 0 contributions 2.0 of 5 bubbles Should have known better Disappointed. We chose Aquila as we wanted to have a safari experience and this was on our route back to Cape Town. The trip got off to a bad start as it was freezing cold and very windy and the bus was ten minutes late and all the staff had disappeared so we all cowered miserably trying to stay warm. When the bus did show we asked about the ponchos which reception had told us would be given out on the bus but none were available and the driver gave out some blankets which were grabbed by two women at the front of the bus leaving the children huddled and wet. The bus followed a rutted route past the animals which were clearly being fed so that they could be seen by the tourists. We got very limited amounts of information about the animals or conservation efforts (to be fair to the driver, it was clear everyone was freezing and wanted the trip to end). The lions were in a dismal patch of fenced off upland. Overall, we felt this was basically a large zoo and very different to the type of safari experiences that we’d previously had in South Africa (and wanted our kids to experience). Read more Written 22 April 2024
• sophiamcneill 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles What an amazing experience We were a bit reticent after some of the other reviews, but we had a great day. Our game reserve driver was good, too, and we felt safe in the truck. I'm not sure if the animals were fed before our drive, but we managed to see 4 of the big 5, as well as the many other animals there, and it was an amazing experience!!! Just remember, this isn't a national park. It is a reserve, but you still can't be guaranteed to see the animals. We were lucky, and I have some of the most amazing photos. Lunch wasn't great despite the various options, but we hadn't been well, so we ate little anyway and got snacks on the way. Bring plenty to drink as they aren't provided as part of lunch or get them when your driver does the pit stops. The complimentary wine was interesting. The journey there and back was longer than expected as we were 1st/last pick up, and the route was a bit uncomfortable at times, but the guide was very nice. And ge treated us to a stop with the rescued lion cub!!! Don't forget cash for tips for both drivers if you are happy with your experience. Read more Written 4 April 2024
• 864sur 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Best experience I came for a safari or two, and that is what I got. The morning safari was better than the late afternoon one as it was cooler and more animals were out and about. To be so close to magnificent wild animals is fantastic. Aquila itself was ok. The spa area was very relaxing, sun loungers around the pool comfortable and entertainment from the local monkeys trying their luck - sometimes quite comical watching the staff chase them away. The food was standard and a buffet. The room, however, wasn't the best. We had a funny smell on entry and, on further investigation, discovered dirty sanitary wear in the bathroom bin. Once emptied, the smell disappeared. There was way too much furniture, making it seem cluttered, and the bathroom door was opaque - you could see the outline of the person using it. Read more Written 27 March 2024
• SJ1577 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Good game drives, horrible food, mass tourism. Good game drives, horrible food, mass tourism. The game drives were good traveling with 2 small kids. The guide was passionate and it was fun discovering the animals with him. The rest of the resort was not really enjoyable. The room was not cleaned properly (we found used underwear) and the food was disgusting. Read more Written 26 March 2024
• 23KathyG 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles Great day out! Brilliant day out, really great game reserve and excellent lunch. Saw 4 if the "bug 5" plus lots of extras - woukd recommend if yiu are in cape town for sure! Read more Written 17 March 2024
• hopeful74 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles Fun Experience We had a great time at Aquila. This is the perfect experience if you want to get a taste of what a real safari could be like. It is on a preserve. But we did see all the animals including lions, rhinos, elephants and zebras. We really did have fun and our tour guide was knowledgeable and personable. The breakfast and lunch buffets included were fine. You will find something to eat if you choose to. I recommend this experience. Read more Written 15 March 2024

Richards Bay Shore Excursion: Private Small Group Hluhluwe Safari provided by Springbok Atlas Day Tours

THE 10 BEST Richards Bay Shore Excursions

Shore excursions in richards bay.

• Ports of Call Tours
• Private Tours
• Sightseeing Tours
• Historical & Heritage Tours
• Cultural Tours
• Up to 1 hour
• 1 to 4 hours
• 4 hours to 1 day
• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 3.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 2.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• The ranking of tours, activities, and experiences available on Tripadvisor is determined by several factors including the revenue generated by Tripadvisor from these bookings, the frequency of user clicks, and the volume and quality of customer reviews. Occasionally, newly listed offerings may be prioritized and appear higher in the list. The specific placement of these new listings may vary.

1. Half Day Private Tour in iSimangaliso Wetland Park

2. Hluhluwe/iMfolozi Game Reserve Full Day Game Drive

3. Hluhluwe and Imfolozi Safari Day Tour from Richards Bay

4. Big 5 Luxury Safari at Manyoni Private Game Reserve + Binoculars

5. Shore Excursion Richards Bay Big 5 Safari Experience

6. Duma Zulu Cultural Village Day Tour from Richards Bay

7. Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park Excursion

8. Richards Bay Shore Excursion: Private Small Group Hluhluwe Safari

9. Emdoneni Wild Cat Project Day Tour from Richards Bays

10. Richards Bay Shore Excursion: Small Group Hluhluwe & St Lucia

11. Richards Bay Shore Excursion: Small Group Isimangaliso & St Lucia

What travellers are saying.