Central Durban offers a range of attractions from bustling markets to museums, galleries, and a thriving nightlife.

All of these places can be visited either independently or as part of an organised tour, and a full day is sufficient to see the major city sights and still have time for a relaxing lunch.

A popular choice for an organised tour is to combine 2 or 3 city centre attractions with either the Ghandi Museum or the Valley of a Thousand Hills, both of which are around a 45 minute drive from the city centre.  For more on these, please see our Other Attractions page.

For a different way to get around the city centre, you can catch one of the rickshaws - a familiar concept for anyone who has travelled in Thailand.

City Hall (Museum and Gallery)

The City Hall is an attractive building, built in 1910 and modelled on the City Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

Inside, the Natural Science Museum houses an extensive display of stuffed animals, birds, reptiles and insects, as well as a dodo skeleton and South Africa's only ancient Egyptian mummy.   The eThekeini Art Gallery upstairs has an interesting collection of contemporary South African art.

Outside, the Francis Farewell Square has been the site of a local market ever since Durban's first European settlers set up a trading post here in 1824.

Victoria Street Market

The Victoria Street Market is one of the 'must see' attractions for many visitors to Durban.

The main bazaar area is a mix of curio stalls, Indian fabrics and herb and spice stalls, whilst the fresh fish and meat market has everything from the most tempting catch of the day to whole sheep heads.

Outside the main buildings there are numerous street vendors selling local medicines, which include all manner of lotions, potions as well as animal skeletons and whole monkey heads ...

Jumma Musjid

Claimed to be the largest Muslim house of worship in the Southern Hemisphere, Jumma Musjid is located right in the centre near the Victoria Street Market.

As well as being a beautiful and impressive building, a visit to the mosque also offers the opportunity to see how different cultures and religions live and work together in Durban today.

It is only possible to visit the inside of the Mosque after arranging an appointment with the Islamic Propagation Centre International (IPCS) at 124 Queen Street.

Wilson's Wharf and The BAT Centre

Any great waterside city needs to have a selection of bars and restaurants with great waterside views. Wilson's Wharf and The BAT (Bartle Arts Trust) Centre are both centrally located and offer distinctly different versions of how this can be done.

Wilson's Wharf is based around a marina that offers a number of restaurants and bars with views over the marina, harbour, and city skyline. 

There is something for everyone - from a fast-food court right through to a harbour cruise dining experience. A craft house and shops contain a wide variety of quality crafts and speciality items.

The BAT Centre is longer established, and supports visual and performing artists who may otherwise not have the opportunity to exhibit their work. The Centre is made up of a number of  converted warehouses which house an arts centre, several bars and restaurants, and a live music venue.

Snake Park

The Park is home to an assortment of indigenous snakes, as well as imported reptiles.  There are poisonous snake 'demonstrations' daily and feedings on the weekends - and of course, you have the opportunity to have your photo taken with one of the extremely large (and non-venomous) Burmese pythons. 

The Botanical Gardens

The Botanical Gardens are a lovely place to walk and relax, and it is worthwhile visiting the Orchid House to see their vast array of orchids.