Day trips

The 15 Best Day Trips from Durban

Drive times, distances, what to see, and a sample day plan for every place worth the trip.

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There are 15 good day trips from Durban, South Africa, led by Pietermaritzburg, KwaDukuza, Mpumalanga. The closest is Ntuzuma, about 25 min by car, and 5 of them fit into half a day. Below: drive times, distances, what to see, and a sample day plan.

Day trips from Durban at a glance

DestinationDistanceDrive timeBest as
Pietermaritzburg67 km NW1 hr 15 minFull-day trip
KwaDukuza64 km NE1 hr 15 minFull-day trip
Mpumalanga38 km W45 minHalf-day trip
Ntuzuma15 km NW25 minHalf-day trip
Tongaat33 km N40 minHalf-day trip
Port Shepstone113 km SW1 hr 45 minFull-day trip
eSikhaleni138 km NE2 hr 10 minFull-day trip
Mandeni87 km NE1 hr 20 minFull-day trip
Folweni26 km SW40 minHalf-day trip
Margate128 km SW2 hrFull-day trip
Empangeni148 km NE2 hr 20 minLong day or overnight
Howick88 km NW1 hr 25 minFull-day trip
Richmond73 km W1 hr 25 minFull-day trip
Mpophomeni88 km W1 hr 25 minFull-day trip
Ballitoville40 km NE45 minHalf-day trip

Drive times are estimates from the distance. Check live traffic before you leave.

The best day trips from Durban

  1. 1

    Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 15 min by car67 km north-west of Durban2 hr 30 min round trip

    Known for Kwa-Zulu Natal National Botanical Gardens.

  2. 2

    KwaDukuza, South Africa

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 15 min by car64 km north-east of Durban2 hr 30 min round trip
  3. 3

    Mpumalanga, South Africa

    Half-day trip
    About 45 min by car38 km west of Durban1 hr 30 min round trip
  4. 4

    Ntuzuma, South Africa

    Half-day trip
    About 25 min by car15 km north-west of Durban50 min round trip
  5. 5

    Tongaat, South Africa

    Half-day trip
    About 40 min by car33 km north of Durban1 hr 20 min round trip
  6. 6

    Port Shepstone, South Africa

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 45 min by car113 km south-west of Durban3 hr 30 min round trip
  7. 7

    eSikhaleni, South Africa

    Full-day trip
    About 2 hr 10 min by car138 km north-east of Durban4 hr 20 min round trip
  8. 8

    Mandeni, South Africa

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 20 min by car87 km north-east of Durban2 hr 40 min round trip
  9. 9

    Folweni, South Africa

    Half-day trip
    About 40 min by car26 km south-west of Durban1 hr 20 min round trip
  10. 10

    Margate, South Africa

    Full-day trip
    About 2 hr by car128 km south-west of Durban4 hr round trip
  11. 11

    Empangeni, South Africa

    Long day or overnight
    About 2 hr 20 min by car148 km north-east of Durban4 hr 40 min round trip
  12. 12

    Howick, South Africa

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 25 min by car88 km north-west of Durban2 hr 50 min round trip
  13. 13

    Richmond, South Africa

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 25 min by car73 km west of Durban2 hr 50 min round trip
  14. 14

    Mpophomeni, South Africa

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 25 min by car88 km west of Durban2 hr 50 min round trip
  15. 15

    Ballitoville, South Africa

    Half-day trip
    About 45 min by car40 km north-east of Durban1 hr 30 min round trip

A sample day trip: Durban to Pietermaritzburg

A realistic pace for Pietermaritzburg, 67 km from Durban. Packy AI builds this for any place on the list, with a route, opening hours and timings you can edit.

  1. 08:30Leave Durban
  2. 09:45Arrive in Pietermaritzburg (1 hr 15 min drive)
  3. 10:00Kwa-Zulu Natal National Botanical Gardens
  4. 12:00Lunch
  5. 13:15Explore the old town, markets and cafes of Pietermaritzburg
  6. 15:45Head back to Durban
  7. 17:00Home in Durban

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

What are the best day trips from Durban?
The best day trips from Durban are Pietermaritzburg, KwaDukuza, Mpumalanga, Ntuzuma, Tongaat. The closest is Ntuzuma, about 25 min away by car.
What is the closest day trip from Durban?
Ntuzuma is the closest, 15 km north-west of Durban, roughly 25 min by car. Best as a half-day trip.
Where can I go within an hour of Durban?
5 places are within about an hour's drive of Durban: Ntuzuma (25 min), Folweni (40 min), Tongaat (40 min), Mpumalanga (45 min), Ballitoville (45 min).
What is the biggest city near Durban for a day out?
Pietermaritzburg is the largest city in day-trip range, 67 km north-west of Durban and about 1 hr 15 min by car. With that much to see, start early or stay the night.
How far is too far for a day trip from Durban?
Up to about two hours each way keeps the day relaxed. The farthest place on this list is Empangeni at 148 km, around 2 hr 20 min by car, which is better as a long day or an overnight stay.

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