Durban

Cosmopolitan Durban, South Africa’s third-largest city (known as eThekweni in Zulu), is sometimes passed over for her ‘cooler’ cousin, Cape Town. But there’s a lot more to fun-loving Durbs (as it’s affectionately known) than meets the eye.

A revamped waterfront, including the renewal of the promenade, has given municipal authorities new confidence and ambition, which you can see in the development projects all over the city. Home to the largest concentration of people of Indian descent outside of India, Durban also boasts an unmistakeably Asian feel, with the marketplaces and streets of the Indian area replete with the sights, sounds and scents of the subcontinent.

Explore Durban

Moses Mabhida Stadium
Durbanites are proud of their state-of-the-art stadium, constructed for the 2010 World Cup. Resembling a giant basket, it seats 56,000 people, and its…
uShaka Marine World
Divided into areas including Sea World and Wet’n’Wild, uShaka Marine World boasts one of the largest aquariums in the world, the biggest collection of…
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Campbell Collections
These collections are well worth seeing. Muckleneuk, a superb house designed by Sir Herbert Baker, holds the documents and artefacts collected by Dr…
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Durban Botanic Gardens
A 2000-sq-metre garden featuring one of the rarest cycads (Encephalartos woodii), as well as many species of bromeliad, this is a lovely place to wander…
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Phansi Museum
Found southwest of the city centre, this museum features a private collection of Southern African tribal artefacts, displayed in Roberts House, a…
B
Bay of Plenty Beach
At the heart of the beachfront along Durban's Golden Mile. Popular with sunbathers and beach-sports enthusiasts.
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Temple of Understanding
Situated in Durban’s west, this is the biggest Hare Krishna temple in the southern hemisphere. The unusual building is designed in the shape of a lotus…
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Gandhi Settlement
An often forgotten gem of Durban's historic past lies just outside the city in the Phoenix township. Here you can visit the house where Mahatma Gandhi…
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Vasco da Gama Clock
This florid Victorian monument on the embankment, just east of Stalwart Simelane St, was presented by the Portuguese government in 1897 to mark the 400th…

Moses Mabhida Stadium
Durbanites are proud of their state-of-the-art stadium, constructed for the 2010 World Cup. Resembling a giant basket, it seats 56,000 people, and its…
uShaka Marine World
Divided into areas including Sea World and Wet’n’Wild, uShaka Marine World boasts one of the largest aquariums in the world, the biggest collection of…
C
Campbell Collections
These collections are well worth seeing. Muckleneuk, a superb house designed by Sir Herbert Baker, holds the documents and artefacts collected by Dr…
D
Durban Botanic Gardens
A 2000-sq-metre garden featuring one of the rarest cycads (Encephalartos woodii), as well as many species of bromeliad, this is a lovely place to wander…
P
Phansi Museum
Found southwest of the city centre, this museum features a private collection of Southern African tribal artefacts, displayed in Roberts House, a…
B
Bay of Plenty Beach
At the heart of the beachfront along Durban's Golden Mile. Popular with sunbathers and beach-sports enthusiasts.
T
Temple of Understanding
Situated in Durban’s west, this is the biggest Hare Krishna temple in the southern hemisphere. The unusual building is designed in the shape of a lotus…
G
Gandhi Settlement
An often forgotten gem of Durban's historic past lies just outside the city in the Phoenix township. Here you can visit the house where Mahatma Gandhi…
V
Vasco da Gama Clock
This florid Victorian monument on the embankment, just east of Stalwart Simelane St, was presented by the Portuguese government in 1897 to mark the 400th…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Durban.

See
Moses Mabhida Stadium
Durbanites are proud of their state-of-the-art stadium, constructed for the 2010 World Cup. Resembling a giant basket, it seats 56,000 people, and its…
See
uShaka Marine World
Divided into areas including Sea World and Wet’n’Wild, uShaka Marine World boasts one of the largest aquariums in the world, the biggest collection of…
See
Campbell Collections
These collections are well worth seeing. Muckleneuk, a superb house designed by Sir Herbert Baker, holds the documents and artefacts collected by Dr…
See
Durban Botanic Gardens
A 2000-sq-metre garden featuring one of the rarest cycads (Encephalartos woodii), as well as many species of bromeliad, this is a lovely place to wander…
See
Phansi Museum
Found southwest of the city centre, this museum features a private collection of Southern African tribal artefacts, displayed in Roberts House, a…
See
Bay of Plenty Beach
At the heart of the beachfront along Durban's Golden Mile. Popular with sunbathers and beach-sports enthusiasts.
See
Temple of Understanding
Situated in Durban’s west, this is the biggest Hare Krishna temple in the southern hemisphere. The unusual building is designed in the shape of a lotus…
See
Gandhi Settlement
An often forgotten gem of Durban's historic past lies just outside the city in the Phoenix township. Here you can visit the house where Mahatma Gandhi…
See
Vasco da Gama Clock
This florid Victorian monument on the embankment, just east of Stalwart Simelane St, was presented by the Portuguese government in 1897 to mark the 400th…

Guidebooks

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Get to the heart of Durban with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.