Why go
- City in South Africa.
- Served by Virginia Airport (VIR).
History
Durban is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South Africa, on the Natal Bay of the Indian Ocean, Durban is the busiest port city in sub-Saharan Africa and was formerly named Port Natal. North of the harbour and city centre lies the mouth of the Umgeni River; the flat city centre rises to the hills of the Berea on the west; and to the south, running along the coast, is the Bluff.
Restaurants & places to go
Health Food, Cafe · Opening hours: Mo-Th 05:30-21:00; Fr 05:30-20:30; Sa-Su 06:00-19:30 · nu16.goreview.co.za
Burger, Fast Food · Opening hours: Mo-Th 09:00-20:30; Fr-Sa 09:00-21:00; Su 09:00-20:30 Features: takeaway, delivery · Durban, 4036 · location.steers.co.za
Steak House, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Th 08:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 08:00-22:00; Su 08:00-20:00 · 12 12 Radar Drive, Durban · spursteakranches.com
Fish And Chips, Fast Food · Opening hours: Mo-Th 09:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 09:30-24:00; Su 09:30-22:00 Features: takeaway · 20 Snell Parade, Durban, 4001 · locations.fishaways.co.za
Chicken, Fast Food · Opening hours: Mo-Su 08:00-21:00 Features: takeaway, delivery · 91 Somtsea Road, Durban, 4001 · order.kfc.co.za
African, Chicken, Portuguese, Fast Food · Opening hours: Mo-Th 10:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-23:00; Su 10:00-22:00 · 107 Marine Parade, Durban, 4001 · pedroschicken.co.za
Coffee Shop, Cafe · Opening hours: Mo-Sa 06:00-17:00; Su 06:00-16:00 Features: takeaway · seattlecoffeecompany.co.za
Seafood, International, Grill, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Su 11:45-21:00 · 411/413 Lilian Ngoyi Road · casablancafoods.co.za
Coffee, Pastry, Cafe · Opening hours: Mo-Sa 06:00-16:00 Features: outdoor seating · 14 Church Road, Westville, 3629 · lineagecoffee.com
Italian, Pasta, Pizza, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Sa 11:30-21:00; Su 11:30-20:00 Features: vegan options · lupa.co.za
Pizza, Fast Food · Features: takeaway · locations.debonairspizza.co.za
Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Su 06:00-16:00 · thepointwaterfront.co.za
Indian, Restaurant · Indian restaurant · 68 Adelaide Tambo Drive · panaji.co.za
Ice Cream · ice cream · locations.milkylane.co.za
Italian Cuisine., Restaurant · Italian Cuisine. restaurant · Durban · roma.co.za
Portuguese, International, Fast Food · Portuguese/International fast food · Lilian Ngoyi Road
Cafe · Features: outdoor seating · 112 Maryvale Road, Westville, 3629 · facebook.com
Regional, Fast Food · Regional fast food
Chinese, Restaurant · Chinese restaurant
Japanese, Restaurant · Japanese restaurant
Sandwich, Restaurant · Sandwich restaurant
Shawarma, Fast Food · Shawarma fast food
Fish, Restaurant · Fish restaurant
American, Restaurant · American restaurant
Donut, Fast Food · Donut fast food
Fast Food · fast food
Burger, Fast Food · Features: takeaway · Grays Inn Road, Durban, 4052 · mcdonalds.co.za
Steak House, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Th 08:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 08:00-22:00; Su 08:00-21:00 · Durban · spursteakranches.com
Fish And Chips, Fast Food · Fish And Chips fast food
Chicken, Fast Food · Features: takeaway · Julius Nyerere Avenue · chickenlicken.co.za
Coffee Shop, Cafe · Features: takeaway · bootlegger.coffee
Seafood, Restaurant · Seafood restaurant
Italian, Restaurant · Italian restaurant
Pizza, Fast Food · Features: takeaway
Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Su 08:00-23:00; Su 12:00-15:00 · 63 Snell Parade, Durban · southernsun.com
Indian, Restaurant · Opening hours: Tu-Sa 12:30-15:30, 17:30-22:00; Su 12:30-15:30, 17:30-21:00 · 77 Smiso Nkwanyana Road
Ice Cream · ice cream
Cafe · cafe · 2 Willowfield Crescent, Durban, 4001 · spcadbn.org.za
Fast Food · fast food
Burger, Fast Food · Features: takeaway · locations.wimpy.co.za
Steak House, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Su 08:00-21:00 · Durban · spursteakranches.com
Chicken, Portuguese, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Su 09:00-22:00
Coffee Shop, Cafe · Coffee Shop cafe · beangreen.co.za
Seafood, Restaurant · Seafood restaurant
Italian, Restaurant · Italian restaurant
108 more places in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →
Airports
King Shaka International Airport (DUR) 29 km to the centre
Durban, NL, ZA — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 6 airlines (South African Airways, British Airways, Comair, Mango…) · direct flights to 13 destinations incl. Cape Town, Johannesburg, Dubai, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 6 airlines, 13 direct destinations
- South African Airways SA (CRJ-200, ER3, J41, 737-800, A319, A320…) · 11 routes: Bloemfontein*, Cape Town, Dubai*, East London*, George*, Harare*, Johannesburg, Lusaka*, Maputo*, Mpumalanga*, Port Elizabeth*
- British Airways BA (737-300, 734) · 3 routes: Cape Town*, Johannesburg*, Port Elizabeth*
- Comair MN (737-800) · 3 routes: Cape Town, Johannesburg, Johannesburg
- Mango JE (737-800, 737-300) · 2 routes: Cape Town, Johannesburg
- Air Mauritius MK (A319) · 1 route: Plaisance
- Emirates EK (777-300ER) · 1 route: Dubai
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB) 63 km to the centre
Pietermaritzburg, NL, ZA — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day. ✈ 1 airline (South African Airways) · direct flights to 1 destination incl. Johannesburg (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 1 airline, 1 direct destination
- South African Airways SA (AR8, Dash 8-400, ER3, J41) · 1 route: Johannesburg*
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Virginia Airport (VIR) 10 km to the centre
Durban, NL, ZA — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
New Hanover Airport 73 km to the centre
New Hanover, NL, ZA
Howick Airport 84 km to the centre
Howick, NL, ZA
Greytown Airport 91 km to the centre
Greytown, NL, ZA
Getting there by ferry
Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal
Ferry terminal · 4.3 km from the centre
Where to stay
106 Kenneth Kaunda Rd, Durban North, Durban, 4051, South Africa · presidentialhotels.co.za
151 Snell Parade, North Beach, Durban, 4056, South Africa · belairesuites.co.za
42 Robarts Rd, Essenwood, Durban, 4001, South Africa · coweyscorner.co.za
63 Snell Parade, North Beach, Durban, 4001, South Africa · southernsun.com
20 Battery Beach Rd, Stamford Hill, Durban, 4001, South Africa · tsogosun.com
101 Florida Rd, Morningside, Durban, 4001, South Africa · quarters.co.za
315-319 Peter Mokaba Ridge, Musgrave, Durban, 4001, South Africa · coastlands.co.za
175 Snell Parade, Marine Parade, Durban, 4056, South Africa · bluewatershotel.co.za
73 Marine Parade, South Beach, Durban, 4001, South Africa · southernsun.com
211 Marine Parade, North Beach, Durban, 4001, South Africa · firstgroup-sa.co.za
125 Marine Parade, South Beach, Durban, 4001, South Africa · balmoralhotel.co.za
14 Monty Naicker Rd, South Beach, Durban, 4001, South Africa · baysidegroup.co.za
191 O R Tambo Parade &, Marine Parade, North Beach, Durban, 4056, South Africa · paradehotel.co.za
15 KE Masinga Rd, North Beach, Durban, 4001, South Africa · pavilionhotel.co.za
92-96 Victoria Embankment, Durban Central, Durban, 4000, South Africa · sites.google.com
214 Clark Rd, Bulwer, Durban, 4001, South Africa
Indoor
5 Mahatma Gandhi Rd, Point, Durban, 4001, South Africa · thepointwaterfront.co.za
32 S Beach Ave, Point, Durban, 4001, South Africa · ushakaflats.com
Indoor
Where things are
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping
base map © OSM
Photographs
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page
When to go
Tourist season
October – March
The warmer, longer-day half of the southern-hemisphere year.
Shoulder season
April – May, September
Milder and quieter, with better value.
Worth avoiding
June – August
The southern winter — check local conditions before travelling.
Getting there & around
Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Virginia Airport (VIR); 12 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: DUR has direct flights to 13 destinations on 6 airlines (incl. Cape Town, Johannesburg, Dubai, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein…). By water: 1 ferry terminal within 20 km (nearest: Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal, 4.3 km).
Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Durban. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.
Coaches & shuttles
Intercity coach
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.
Charter, FBO · Managed fleet · Charter and FBOs at Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.
Charter, management · Large-cabin & VIP airliners · Geneva-based operator known for large-cabin and VIP airliner charters.
Charter, management, FBO, MRO · Managed fleet worldwide · General Dynamics company: charter, completions and FBOs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US.
Tours & experiences
Walking Tour
Bike Tour