Introduction
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Hiring a car

East London travel guide

East London Tourism | East London Guide

You're Going to Love East London

With a population of 478,676, East London is a must-see destination in Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything East London has to offer.

Article

When to visit East London

East London in November
Estimated hotel price
£18
1 night at 3-star hotel
East London in November
Estimated hotel price
£18
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to East London in January, when the average temperature is 21 °C, and the highest can go up to 25 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is June, when it can get as cold as 10 °C, with an average temperature of 15 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in March, when precipitation is around 90 mm. In contrast, June is usually the driest month of the year in East London, with an average rainfall of 30 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to East London

Plane

When flying to East London, you’ll arrive at East London (ELS), which is located 5 miles from the city centre. The shortest flight to East London from the United Kingdom departs from London and takes around 15h 55m.

Train

The train station in East London is called East London Station, and is located 0.2 miles from the city centre.

Car

Another option to get to East London is to pick up a car hire from Port Elizabeth, which is about 147 miles from East London. You’ll find branches of Firefly and 1First Car Rental, among others, in Port Elizabeth.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to East London, including Delta Coaches, Intercape and Big Sky InterCity. From Port Elizabeth, the bus ride to East London takes 235 miles and will cost you around £14. From Bloemfontein, the ticket costs about £15 for a journey of 480 miles. The most popular bus station is East London Intercape Office, located 0.3 miles from the city centre of East London. East London Windmill Roadhouse is also a commonly used station, and is 0.5 miles from the city centre.

Plane

When flying to East London, you’ll arrive at East London (ELS), which is located 5 miles from the city centre. The shortest flight to East London from the United Kingdom departs from London and takes around 15h 55m.

Train

The train station in East London is called East London Station, and is located 0.2 miles from the city centre.

Car

Another option to get to East London is to pick up a car hire from Port Elizabeth, which is about 147 miles from East London. You’ll find branches of Firefly and 1First Car Rental, among others, in Port Elizabeth.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to East London, including Delta Coaches, Intercape and Big Sky InterCity. From Port Elizabeth, the bus ride to East London takes 235 miles and will cost you around £14. From Bloemfontein, the ticket costs about £15 for a journey of 480 miles. The most popular bus station is East London Intercape Office, located 0.3 miles from the city centre of East London. East London Windmill Roadhouse is also a commonly used station, and is 0.5 miles from the city centre.

Airports near East London

ELSEast London

Airlines serving East London

Lufthansa
Good (7,045 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,334 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,845 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,588 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,447 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,696 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,217 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,564 reviews)
Qantas Airways
Good (829 reviews)
FlySafair
Excellent (113 reviews)
Cemair
Good (16 reviews)
Airlink
Excellent (67 reviews)
Show more
Find flights to East London

Where to stay in East London

Average rates range from around £33 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to £70 and up for a 5-star experience.

Where to stay in popular areas of East London

Most booked hotels in East London

See all
See More Guest House
4 stars
Excellent (9, Excellent reviews)
£23+
View
Premier Hotel East London Icc
4 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
£67+
View
Blue Lagoon Hotel and Conference Centre
3 stars
Excellent (8, Excellent reviews)
£58+
View
Premier Hotel Regent
3 stars
Good (7.8, Good reviews)
£55+
View
The Thatch Hide
4 stars
Good (6.5, Good reviews)
£20+
View

Hiring a car in East London

Hiring a car in East London costs £21 per day, on average, or £62 if you want to hire it for 3 days.

You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 51% more expensive than at East London.

Expect to pay £0.90 per litre in East London (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between £10.69 and £14.25. The most frequently booked car type in East London is Intermediate (Class Intermediate Car or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini car hire (Kia Picanto or similar) is, on average, 69% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in East London costs £21 per day, on average, or £62 if you want to hire it for 3 days.

You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 51% more expensive than at East London.

Expect to pay £0.90 per litre in East London (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between £10.69 and £14.25. The most frequently booked car type in East London is Intermediate (Class Intermediate Car or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini car hire (Kia Picanto or similar) is, on average, 69% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Find car hire in East London

East London Travel Guide - View the KAYAK East London city guide for the best East London travel tips. To help you organise your East London trip ideas, this East London visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.