Book Cheap Flights to East London

East London: your gateway to the wild coast of Africa, iconic wildlife, and perfect waves

East London is South Africa's only river port city in the Eastern Cape province. With over 267,000 residents, it is the gateway to the Wild Coast and the Sunshine Coast. East London offers you its wonderful selection of alluring resorts. The top attractions of this destination include Nahoon Beach, Hemingways Mall, and Mpongo Park Game Private Reserve.

Treat yourself to an amazing time in this scenic coastal city, because cheap flights to East London are now available for a limited time! East London is the home of East London Airport (ELS), which is a 10-minute drive from the city centre. East London Airport serves a number of airlines, including Airlink, FlySafair, Kulula, South African Airways and Mango Airlines. Direct flights to East London are available from Johannesburg. The flight duration from Johannesburg is approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes.

Popular flights to East London

Flight Route Airline Trip Type Travel Dates Searched Price From
* Please note that the prices are subject to availability and block out dates do apply over peak season.

Why visit East London

Gonubie Beach East London

Scenic Beaches

Go horseback riding, spot dolphins, or just soak up the sun at the selection of beaches in and around the city, including Nahoon Beach and Gonubie Beach.

White Lion Inkwenwezi East London

Amazing Wildlife

There are plenty of opportunities to meet the animals in the Eastern Cape region, with venues such as the East London Coast Nature Reserve, the Lion Park and the East London Aquarium.

Sandboarding East London

Outdoor Activities

With exciting things to do, such as canoeing, mountain biking, exploring 4x4 trails and going skydiving, you’ll definitely leave East London with a wealth of memories!

General information

Essential details you need to know before your trip

Country South Africa
Currency South African Rand
Language Xhosa / Afrikaans / English / Sotho
Hub Airport East London Airport (ELS)
Airline South African Airways
Time Zone GMT+2
Travel Adaptor Type D / M / N

Destination review

4.1
33 reviews

Best time to visit East London

East London enjoys warm days, moderate to cool nights, and rainfall throughout the year. When it comes to visiting the wildlife reserves around East London, the best times to visit are from December to January (early to mid-summer) and April to September (mid-autumn to early-spring), when the rainfall averages around 10 days a month and the temperatures comfortably range from the low to mid-20s. Be prepared for higher accommodation rates and longer queues at attractions, and make sure you book a hotel room well in advance. If you’re willing to brave more wet weather to get more availability and better accommodation costs, then visit from February to March (late-summer – early-autumn), when the rainfall is at its highest, but the temperatures still sit around the low to mid-20s.

Weather & Climate in East London

Average temperature (°C) & rainfall (mm) per month

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Low °C 18°C 18°C 17°C 15°C 13°C 10°C 10°C 11°C 12°C 14°C 15°C 17°C
High °C 25°C 25°C 24°C 23°C 22°C 21°C 20°C 21°C 20°C 21°C 23°C 24°C
Rainfall (mm) 70 81 97 66 51 36 38 52 76 92 88 75

East London is a charming and historic port city in the southeast part of South Africa. Sitting on the Buffalo River, you have the guarantee of delightful access to the destination’s lovely coastline, which is a popular spot for horseback riding! Besides its superb location, this city offers you a variety of natural, cultural, and adrenaline-pumping activities, meaning that you can expect a memorable holiday experience in the Eastern Cape.

Treat the family to a holiday in East London, with visits to Lion Park, a mini game reserve that offers fun-filled activities for the children and more than just lions, but additionally giraffes, tigers, cheetahs, camels, zebras, and various bird species and many. Meet all the fascinating creatures of the sea at the East London Aquarium, the oldest aquarium in South Africa.

For the thrill seekers, take surfing lessons at Bunkers Hills, discover all the 4x4 trails in De Kraal, or test your balance and endurance, and admire the scenery at the 3 Silos Adventure Park.

Compare and book flights with SAA and Mango Airlines with popular flight routes from Cape Town to East London, Johannesburg to East London and more.

If you’re visiting from abroad, you will need a tourist visa to enter South Africa. Tourist visas are valid for 90 days. Visit your local consular website to find out if your country is exempt from obtaining this visa.

Contact the Department of Home Affairs for more information (phone +27800601190 or visit their website).

Before you depart for East London, make sure to get all the routine vaccinations. Additionally, you should take care to prevent getting hepatitis B (transmittable through sexual contact, contaminated needles, and blood products), hepatitis A, and typhoid (these last two being transmittable through contaminated food and water). Since you may be spending time outdoors, make sure to prevent mosquito bites (there is a small risk of malaria infection in South Africa) and take care when interacting with animals due to rabies, which is spread from the bites of infected mammals. There is no risk of yellow fever in the country, but if you do travel through a country that is afflicted by this disease, you will need to get the necessary vaccination and a yellow fever certificate.

When exploring East London take care to practise the following:

• Secure your valuables in a hotel safe

• Keep your hotel door locked at all times

• Decide on your route before you leave your hotel

• Ask for advice on the surrounding area from your host or hotel personnel

• Valuables, such as phones and cameras should be kept out of sight

• Always keep your car doors locked

• Lock any personal items and luggage in the boot of your car

• Park in well-lit areas when you’re out at night

• For alternative transport, use only credible taxi companies

• Never swim alone

• And avoid leaving belongings unattended on the beach.

Item Johannesburg Cape Town East London
Meal (inexpensive restaurant) R 90.00 R 100.00 R 100.00
Domestic beer (0.5 litre draught) R 22.00 R 20.00 R 25.00
Cappuccino (Regular) R 19.00 R 20.00 R 22.34
Taxi 1km (Normal tariff) R 10.00 R 12.00 R 10.00
Pack of cigarettes (Marlboro) R 35.00 R 35.00 R 37.00

A large number of hotels, guest houses, and self-catering units are available throughout East London. Many of these establishments offer TVs in the rooms, pools, free Wi-Fi, outdoor barbecue areas, breakfast, and free parking. The most popular areas to stay in include Quigney, Gonubie, Cambridge, and Dorchester Heights. The cost of accepting one of these accommodation offers ranges from R 500 to R 1,700 per night.

The best way to travel around East London is by taxi, a cost-effective option which you can book in advance. There are car rental agencies at the airport, but if you visit from abroad, you will need an international driving licence valid for at least one year.

Travelling from the airport will be no trouble at all with the EL Bus Shuttle service (a small red bus). This safe, reliable, and valuable service can take you anywhere in East London from the airport. You can book a seat by phone or email, and the bus will wait at the airport with your name on a sign. There is no risk of overcrowding; the bus will depart as soon as all the booked passengers have gotten onboard.

Main attractions in East London

Amathole Museum

Amathole Museum

East London Zoo

East London Zoo

Inkwenwezi Private Game Reserve

Inkwenwezi Private Game Reserve

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