Durban from Within : An Immersive City Tour
Description
Start the day strolling through Africa’s oldest surviving Botanical Gardens with our passionate horticulturalist tapping into its history and unique collection. Time to meet Mama Nkosi otherwise known as the dancing curator of one of the largest collections of traditional art as she reveals indigenous beliefs and tribal culture. Tuck into lunch (own cost) and sample the popular flavours of Durban — ever tried a bunny chow? With your energy levels restored, enter into the beating heart of the city — Victoria Street Market — and meet local merchants as they peddle their wares. Drive through the city centre as your guide brings it to life with historical anecdotes and an encyclopaedia of knowledge. Moses Mabhida Stadium isn’t just great to look at, it’s also terrific to jump off (own cost).
Tour Options
Itinerary
The first stop on this tour is the Durban Botanical Gardens. Here we will meet a passionate local horticulturalist who will help you unlock this living museum after all these gardens have museum status. Explore the gardens and which is home to the loneliest man on the planet (don't stress, it's a plant).
Phansi Museum is home to one of the largest collections of indigenous art and craft in South Africa. Meet Phumzile, the dancing curator of the museum, as you explore South Africa's cultural diversity through art and design.
If you're looking for a keepsake from South Africa, there's no better place. Visit the KwaZulu Natal Society of the Arts and browse their gift shop. Everything sold at KZNSA is sourced from sustainable programmes throughout the province or from one of the many NGOs that partners with the gallery.
If you've not heard about Durban's famous "Bunny Chow" by now, you're in for a happy surprise. Lunch is at CaneCutters Restaurant home to Durban's best "Bunny Chow" — well according to us and a few awards that is. Try the traditional "1/4 mutton bunny" or one of the various options from vegetarian to local delicacies. Lunch is at your own expense.
There are 2 ways of visit the markets, the touristy way and the immersive way. We prefer the latter after all, the Victoria Street Market is only 1 of the many markets at Warwick Junction. Meet our colleagues from Asiye eTafuleni (a local NGO) that works intimately with the traders of the Markets. Explore the various sides to the markets from the Lime Ladies to Muthi Bridge and beyond.
Travel through the inner city as your guide unlocks the history and heritage with anecdotes and city secrets. Take in the colonial architecture and art deco buildings. Check out Moses Mabhida Stadium and if you are an adrenaline junkie, perhaps sign up for the BigRush (Jump off the Tallest Swing on the planet).
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please ensure that you are ready at your hotel or guesthouse lobby/reception 15 minutes prior to pick up time. Pick up times may change slightly depending on the pick up locations of other guests. For airport pick ups, we will have a welcome board with your name on it and you will meet your guide at arrivals.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(5)
Very well organized, our guide was excellent, all the sights were great, and we gained many insights from the locals.
Great experience that covered so many different aspects of Durban. We had been to Durban a few times before this tour, but on this tour we visited sites we didn't know existed. The added bonus was the personalized tour and info provided at each site by a resident expert. We highly recommend this tour to first time visitors, plus people who visited before as well. You won't be disappointed!
Excellent tour with David from Wild Routes, we throughly enjoyed our visit to Durban with a range of activities. David was prompt, polite and the van was clean and cool. The botanical gardens are full of surprises we were whizzed around in a golf cart and shown highlights of the interesting flora and fauna. The museums, art gallery and especially the markets added to our most fascinating day.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your Durban tour with David and that the Botanical Gardens, museums, and markets left such a great impression. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to him. It was a pleasure having you on tour, and we hope to welcome you on another Wild Routes adventure soon!
Thabo is an experienced guide with a wealth of knowledge. Together with Lindo they were the perfect dream team to see Durban from lots of different sides. The tour involves different people so that you always have the 'best person for the job' and different small businesses and organisations can participate. The day just flew by. We can wholeheartedly recommend the tour.
Thank you for the 5 star review, we're all so passionate about what we do and love sharing it with others.
From the moment we met in the hotel lobby, we just clicked! Justin and Thabo are fantastic people and we had a wonderful day with them. And the people we met along the way were just as lovely. We explored the street art scene with Mook and it was absolutely fascinating. We really did feel like we were spending the day with old friends. And it didn't feel like a typical sightseeing excursion. It truly felt like local friends, passionate about their town, showing us around. And we loved every minute of it. From taking the plunge at the Big Rush, to checking out the market, to a bunny chow lunch, to rounding it all out with gin AND gelato tastings, it was a great way to spend the day and see Durban. Highly recommend!
