Stretching over 55 kilometres of the De Hoop Nature Reserve, offering unforgettable whale watching alongside walks through pristine fynbos, it’s no surprise that the Whale Trail is one of the most popular long-distance hiking routes in South Africa.
So popular, in fact, that securing a booking was always a challenging task, involving a fastest-fingers-first scramble to the telephonic booking office. You see, booking for the Whale Trail opens one year in advance, week by week, so if you wanted to secure a spot for a hike in 365 days' time, you had to sit by the phone. That’s changed a little, with CapeNature launching an online booking portal for the Trail for the very first time. The new online booking tool for the Whale Trail is open 24/7/365, but the bad news is that demand remains as fierce as ever. A quick glance through the online calendar shows the Trail as fully booked for the next year.
Then again, you’d have to be extremely lucky to find a gap anyway, so it’s worth starting at today’s date – but in a year’s time – for the most accurate chance at finding a slot.
What is a bit frustrating is that CapeNature hasn't created the most user-friendly tool here. Instead of being able to browse by calendar month to see where any gaps might be, the tool forces you to browse one week at a time, which gets boring quite quickly. But, it’s an improvement over waiting by the phone.
And perhaps we’re to blame for making it even harder to book your chance at the hike. In 2025, Time Out Travel named the reserve's renowned Whale Trail as one of the 20 best hikes in the world!
And, trust us: it really is. The Whale trail takes five days to complete, with 55 kilometres of glorious walking. It’s strenuous in parts, but if you’re reasonably fit you’ll be fine. That’s partly because it is (for a small extra fee) a slack-packing experience, with a porterage service to carry your food and clothes from one hut to the next.
Ah, yes, the huts.
The huts of the Whale Trail are a real delight, from the coastal charm of Noetsie to Hamerkop hut set in lush coastal forest. And you won’t be short on comfort: these are modern huts equipped with bunk beds and hot showers. There are solar-powered fridges as well, so cold beers are an option. Braai wood is delivered daily, allowing you to enjoy a campfire at the ocean’s edge.
And the best part? You’ll probably have it all to yourself. Only group bookings of six or twelve people are allowed, so book all 12 slots and you and your mates will have the Trail to yourselves. The Whale Trail costs from R2800 per person. Porterage is R560 per box. The tariff includes the shuttle service from Koppie Alleen, where the trail ends, back to the Potberg tourism office and the Whale Trail parking area.
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