Sightseeing at Gansbaai and De Kelders
The sights around Gansbaai are easier to plan once you know which ones are open when. This page sorts them by access rules. Prices are in South African rand (R).
Open Whenever You Like
The De Kelders cliff path
Free and always walkable, the path above the village is the best vantage point for whales. Southern right whales come close to the cliffs roughly from June to November, and some operators report them into December. The nature reserve notes offshore sightings from about August to November. Whales keep no schedule, so bring binoculars and allow time.
Open Daily, With a Fee
Walker Bay Nature Reserve and Klipgat Cave
CapeNature manages the reserve, and its gates open from 07:00 to 19:00. There are three entrances, at De Kelders, Uilkraalsmond and Stanford, and the De Kelders gate leads to Klipgat Cave. Day access starts at R70 for adults and R50 for children aged 4 to 17. Since 2 February 2026 the gates take cards and mobile payment only, or you can pre-book on capenature.co.za.
The cave has two chambers and a boardwalk with some rock-hopping, so wear shoes with grip. Its oldest occupation dates to the Middle Stone Age, and estimates run from about 65,000 to 85,000 years. Herders of the Khoe later used it, in a layer 1,600 to 2,000 years old.
Open on Set Days Only
Danger Point Lighthouse
The 1895 tower is octagonal, 18 m high and has 99 steps. It opens on scheduled days or weekends rather than on a fixed weekday timetable, and recent open days ran from 10:00 to 14:45. Adults 18 and over pay R20, ages 10 to 17 pay R10 and under 10s are free, with donations welcome by cash or EFT. Call Gansbaai Tourism on 072 291 5564 to confirm a date.
The waters off the point are where the HMS Birkenhead struck Birkenhead Rock on 26 February 1852, and more than 400 people died. Treat the place with respect. The reefs and rips there are still dangerous, so stay back from the water’s edge.
Only From the Water
Dyer Island and Geyser Rock
These two provincial nature reserves lie about 8 km offshore and can be seen only from a licensed boat, usually one leaving Kleinbaai. Landing is not allowed. Geyser Rock supports tens of thousands of seals, and the channel between the islands is called Shark Alley.
A Long Drive Away
Cape Agulhas
The southern tip of Africa lies about 110 km and 2 hours away on sealed roads. The 1848 lighthouse stands in a precinct that reopened in April 2026, and SANParks can give you the current fee and hours. The gravel route through Elim is much slower, so choose the tar road if your day is short.
Read more: walking tours around Gansbaai for trails on foot, and the Cape Town guide for the way in.
Check the CapeNature Walker Bay page and the lighthouse open days notice , and compare local tours on Viator .