iSimangaliso Wetlands & boat cruise tour from Durban

Hippos and crocodiles share the same waterway you're floating through.

A full-day tour from Durban to iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, combines a closed vehicle game drive through the reserve with a boat cruise on the St Lucia Estuary where hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds move through the same channels. Pickup from your hotel, port or airport is included. Lunch in St Lucia is at your own cost. The tour departs at 6am and returns the same day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day iSimangaliso Wetlands tour

• Depart from Durban at 6am
• Arrive at iSimangaliso Wetlands Park at 9am
• Game drive at St Lucia Isimangaliso Wetlands Park
• See wildlife and indigenous trees
• Enjoy birdwatching and scenic landscapes
• Lunch break in St Lucia (own cost)
• Hippo and crocodile boat cruise on St Lucia Estuary
• Return to Durban

The experience

You leave Durban at 6am and arrive at iSimangaliso Wetland Park around 9am. The first stop is a game drive through the reserve at the Dukuduku Gate in St Lucia, where the closed vehicle moves through grassland and woodland looking for elephants, giraffes, zebras, kudu, antelope, impala and wildebeest. The park spans a vast area, so sightings depend on where the animals are that day, but the landscape itself (indigenous trees, wetland birds, the scale of the reserve) fills the hours between them.

After the game drive comes the boat cruise on the St Lucia Estuary. From the water, hippos and crocodiles appear in their own habitat, along with waterbirds and other wildlife the land-based drive did not reach. The estuary is narrow enough that you see detail but wide enough that the animals are not cornered. The boat moves slowly enough to watch behavior rather than just pass through. A lunch break in St Lucia follows, where you eat at a restaurant of your choice at your own expense.

The tour runs 12 hours door to door. A live guide speaks English and French throughout. Children from age 5 are welcome, and the tour suits all fitness levels. You sit in the vehicle and the boat for most of the day, with short walks to and from each one.

What’s included

• Closed vehicle game drive through iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
• hippo and crocodile boat cruise on the St Lucia Estuary.
• hotel, port or airport pickup and drop-off.
• live guide in English or French.
• children welcome from age 5.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (13 to 90 years) · Child (5 to 12 years) · Under 5: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 90

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by African Saf Safaris

Is this one for you?Pickup from your hotel, port or airport means you do not need a car or local knowledge to reach the park. The full day settles the question of what to do if you have arrived in Durban without transport or are staying elsewhere in the city.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 12 years). Under 5: they can't be included in the booking.

What animals am I likely to see on the game drive at iSimangaliso?

Elephants, giraffes, zebras, kudu, antelope, impala and wildebeest all live in the reserve, though sightings vary by location and time of day. The indigenous trees and wetland birds are present throughout the drive.

Does the boat cruise get close to the hippos and crocodiles?

The St Lucia Estuary is narrow enough to see the animals in detail as they move through the water, and the boat travels slowly to let you watch them rather than rush past.

Is lunch included in the tour price?

Lunch in St Lucia is at your own cost. You choose where to eat during the break.

What time does the tour leave Durban, and when do I get back?

Departure is 6am from your hotel, port or airport. The full-day tour takes 12 hours, so you return in the late afternoon or early evening.

Do I need my own transport to get to the starting point?

Hotel, port and airport pickups are included, so you do not need a car. The guide collects you and drops you back at the end of the day.