Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Durban (South Africa). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: uShaka Marine World, Durban Botanic Gardens, and Kings Park Stadium. Also, be sure to include Suncoast Casino in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Durban (KwaZulu-Natal).
Table of Contents
UShaka Marine World
Theme park in Durban, South Africa. uShaka Marine World is a 16-hectare theme park that opened on 30 April 2004 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It has a total capacity of 4.6 million gallons containing 10,000 animal species.[1]
Address: 1 King Shaka Ave, 4001 ITheku (Durban City)
Durban Botanic Gardens
Also known as: Durban Botaniese Tuin
Botanical garden in Berea, Durban, South Africa. The Durban Botanic Gardens is situated in the city of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is Durban's oldest public institution and Africa's oldest surviving botanical gardens. The gardens cover an area of 15 hectares in a subtropical climate.[2]
Address: 70 St Thomas Road, 4000 ITheku (Durban City)
Kings Park Stadium
Also known as: Kings Park-stadion
Stadium in Durban, South Africa. The Kings Park Stadium, is a stadium located in the Kings Park Sporting Precinct in Durban, South Africa.
The stadium was originally built with a capacity of 12,000 and opened in 1958, extensively renovated in the 1980s and then again in time for the 1995 Rugby World Cup. It currently has a capacity of 52,000 and is the home ground of the Sharks. The stadium has also been used by Durban-based Premier Soccer League football clubs, as well as for large football finals.
It was previously also known as the ABSA Stadium, Mr Price Kings Park Stadium and Growthpoint Kings Park due to sponsorship deals.[3]
Address: Durban, Jacko Jackson Drive,, Durban,, South Africa
Suncoast Casino
Suncoast Casino, Hotels and Entertainment is an entertainment complex situated at the northern end of Durban's Golden Mile, adjacent to the Kings Park Sporting Precinct. Besides the casino, the complex houses many restaurants, a beach bar, cinemas and its own semi-private beach, which was rated as one of the top 3 beaches in South Africa. The design of the complex is aimed to complement the vast art deco heritage that is found across Durban. Suncoast houses the largest Casino complex in South Africa.
The casino is used by many recreational cyclists as a base for their training rides up the North Coast, as well as start of the Tour de Nandos cycle race in September, and the end of the Amashovashova National Classic in October. Furthermore, the A1 Grand Prix of Nations is held in the streets surrounding the casino during the end of January. This is the only street race in the entire A1 calendar.
Many restaurants are located within the complex, and the casino offers both smoking and non-smoking sections. Suncoast is owned wholly by Tsogo Sun[4]
Address: O R Tambo Parade, 4056 Durban (Durban City)
Juma Masjid Mosque
Also known as: Juma Masjid-moskee
Mosque. The Juma Mosque of Durban is a mosque located in Durban, Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa. Also known as the Grey Street Mosque, it represents a spiritual center for Durban's Muslims.[5]
Address: Ipci Ctr, 124 Denis Hurley St, Durban (Durban City)
Emmanuel Cathedral
Cathedral in Durban, South Africa. The Emmanuel Cathedral or simply Cathedral of Durban, is the name given to the Catholic Church which is located at 48 Cathedral Road in the heart of the city of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
It is a religious building that follows the Roman or Latin rite and functions as the headquarters of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Durban (Archidioecesis Durbaniana) which was created in 1951 with the bull "Suprema Nobis" of Pope Pius XII.
It was built to replace an old church dedicated to St. Joseph who had been in use since 1881. The first stone was laid by Bishop Charles Jolivet in January 1902 and the temple was officially dedicated in November 1904. Some parts of the old church were joined to the Emmanuel Cathedral. Beside the Cathedral is the Juma Masjid Mosque. Across the road from the Cathedral is the Victoria Street Market.[6]
Address: Joseph Nduli Street, Durban (Durban City)
Mitchell Park Zoo
Zoo with small animals and a playground. Mitchell Park Zoo is also known as Mitchell Park or Mitchell's Park. Situated in the Morningside suburb of Durban, South Africa, it is the only zoo in Durban.
The zoo was established as an Ostrich farm in 1910, but was unprofitable and started adding other animals. At one time it was home to many large animals, the most notable of which was an Indian Elephant named Nellie. Nellie was given to the zoo by the Maharajah of Mysore in 1928, and could blow a mouth organ and crack coconuts with her feet.
Today the Zoo holds various smaller animals such as blue duiker, small South American Monkeys, raccoons and various birds. The largest animals in the zoo today are Aldabra giant tortoises.
The zoo also includes a children's playground, a walk-through aviary, and the Blue Zoo tea garden, as well as a large lawn area for picnics. It is adjacent to Jameson Park, which was once a pineapple plantation and now displays some 200 species of roses.[7]
Address: 10 Ferndale Rd, 4001 Durban (Durban City)
Durban South Africa Temple
Church of jesus christ of latter-day saints in Blackburn, South Africa. The Durban South Africa Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Durban, South Africa. The intent to construct the temple was announced by church president Thomas S. Monson on 1 October 2011. The temple was announced concurrently with the Barranquilla Colombia, Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo, Star Valley Wyoming, and Provo City Center temples. When announced, this increased the total number of temples worldwide to 166 and the number in South Africa to two.
A groundbreaking ceremony, to signify the beginning of construction, took place on 9 April 2016, with Carl B. Cook presiding. On 18 June 2019, the LDS Church announced that a public open house is scheduled to be held from 22 January through 1 February 2020, excluding Sunday. The temple was dedicated on 16 February 2020 by Ronald A. Rasband.
In March 2020, along with all the church's other temples, it was closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.[8]
Umgeni River Bird Park
Tropical bird center with exotic species. The Umgeni River Bird Park is a bird zoo located in Durban, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.[9]
Address: 490 Riverside Road, 4051 Durban (Durban City)
Soofie Masjid
Mosque. The Riverside Soofie Mosque and Mausoleum is a provincial heritage site in Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
In 1980 it was described in the Government Gazette as
This mosque was erected by the celebrated Soofie Saheb, who immigrated to South Africa in 1895. He was responsible for the construction of 11 other mosques, the establishment of 13 madresas and the laying out of a large number of cemeteries. Soofie Saheb passed away on the 29th June 1911 and his body lies interred in the octagonal mausoleum which he had originally built for his spiritual master.[10]
Port of Durban
Also known as: Durban-hawe
The Port of Durban, commonly called Durban Harbour, is the largest and busiest shipping terminal in sub-Saharan Africa. It handles up to 31.4 million tons of cargo each year. It is the fourth largest container terminal in the Southern Hemisphere, handling approximately 4.5 million TEU in 2019.[11]
Address: Victoria enbankment, Durban (Durban City)