13 Black River Tours to Build a Day Around

1.Dolphin Swim and Whale Watching by Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 595 reviews · 5 hours · from $129Our pick

Set out from Grande Riviere Noire on a speedboat with up to 14 passengers and two skippers. Swim with spinner and bottlenose dolphins, watch whales from the boat only, then snorkel over a tropical reef. Guides explain safe, low-impact wildlife practices. Expect spray, bumpy water, and no guarantee of whale sightings.

“Alan made us feel extremely safe and well looked after. He explained how you should not go too close to the whales as it distresses them, and he obeyed all the correct procedures. We were able to see amazing whales without emotionally harming the animals, unlike other companies we saw. As for the dolphins, again they made sure it was safe for us to enter the water and the experience was utterly magical.”

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2.Swim with Dolphin Speed Boat Tour with lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 279 reviews · 6h 30m · from $74

Join a small group of up to 15 people from Flic en Flac for a fast boat trip to see and swim with dolphins, snorkel near Crystal Rock, and visit Île aux Bénitiers. Guides such as Brian and Steven keep the day friendly and safety-minded, with a BBQ lunch, drinks, and beach time included.

“we had amazing Time during the tour. our captan cared everybody will be able to see the dolphins”

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3.Black River Gorges National Park 3-Hour Hike

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 100 reviews · 3 hours · from $64

Spend three hours hiking through Black River Gorges National Park with a small group of up to 10 people. Your English or French-speaking guide points out ebony trees, macaques, giant bats, and native plants before ending with a cool swim in the river. Guides such as Rowin, Jeremy, Henri, and Eliza are praised for patience and local insight.

“La nostra guida di oggi si chiama Jeremy ed è stato molto attento alle necessità del gruppo, seguendo il ritmo del più lento. Durante il percorso, la guida si soffermava su diverse curiosità che hanno arricchito l'esperienza. Abbiamo avuto la fortuna di avvistare delle scimmie, che hanno attraversato il nostro sentiero. Indubbiamente da inserire tra le attività della permanenza a Mauritius.”

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4.Hiking in the Black River Gorges National Parc – Native Forest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 76 reviews · from $61Best value

Join Yanature for a three-hour guided hike through Black River Gorges National Park. You’ll climb rocky, root-filled forest trails to viewpoints around 400 meters above sea level, look for Mauritian fruit-bats at Mare aux Joncs Gorge, learn about native plants and animals, and may take a refreshing dip in the Black River.

“The guide was so patient and helpful! Just be aware that it is an extremely steep climb on rocks and trees and tree roots. Unfortunately no waterfall...”

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5.Grande Riviere Noire: Boat Tour and Swimming with Dolphins

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 62 reviews · 2 hours · from $70

Join The Friendly Dodo in Grande Riviere Noire for a roughly two-hour sunrise trip along Mauritius’s west coast. Izel and the skipper take up to eight participants out in a new boat to look for spinner and bottlenose dolphins, with time to swim and snorkel nearby. Bring swimwear, a towel, and dry clothes. Dolphin sightings are never guaranteed.

“GENIAL ! Un grand merci à Izel et son skipper pour leur gentillesse et leur professionnalisme. Très respectueux des dauphins contrairement à d’autres bateaux que nous avons pu voir, ils ont tout fait pour que chaque personne puisse profiter et voir au mieux les dauphins. Je recommande vivement ! Encore un grand merci !”

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6.Wild Dolphin Encounter with Hotel Transfers

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 46 reviews · 2h 30m · from $114

Set out early from your Mauritius accommodation for a 2.5-hour boat trip near the west coast. Watch wild bottlenose dolphins, enter the sea when conditions allow, and snorkel by the coral reef if time remains. Your hotel transfer is private, while the boat experience can be shared or private.

“Nádherný zážitek. Řidič perfektní, všude byl včas, hezky se o nás staral. Průvodci na lodi byli také úžasní, pomohli nám při pozorování delfínů, potápěli se s námi aby nás nasměrovali. Moc děkujeme.”

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7.Guided Tamarind Falls Hike with Hotel Transfers

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 31 reviews · 3 hours · from $137

Follow a guide through the first waterfalls of Mauritius’ Tamarind Falls, also called 7 Cascades. Expect roughly 3 to 4 hours on forest paths, steep sections, river crossings, mountain views, a natural-basin swim, and homemade snacks. Hotel pickup, drop-off, and English or French guiding are included.

“obolazak je bio super. Priroda je nestvarna, vodopadi su prelepi! Ali ovo definitivno nije za pocetnike!!”

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8.Dolphins & Whales, Private Tour Snorkeling

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 21 reviews · 4 hours

Set out by private speedboat for four hours of dolphin snorkeling, whale watching, Crystal Rock, and a swim in Mauritius’s natural aquarium. Your French- or English-speaking skipper leads the trip, with Ali and assistant Bebe among the crew named in recent departures. Light drinks are included, but wildlife sightings and swimming conditions can vary.

“My husband and I had the best morning ever!! We were sadly let down by another outfit the day before, but Ikbal was very responsive with our last minute booking when I contacted him last night and sent his wonderful skipper, Ali and his assistant Bebe to give us the best experience this morning! Ali has great respect for nature and animals. He made sure we had good views on the numerous humpback whale sightings we had, but always respected the animal’s space. 🐋🐳 We swam with large pods of Spinner Dolphins afterwards. 🐬🐬 We can not thank Ikbal and his team enough for the great morning! We will definitely…”

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9.Dolphins & whale watching

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 17 reviews · 3 hours · from $129

Meet the Friendly Dodo team at La Balise Yacht Center for a sunrise boat ride along Mauritius's west coast. You may swim near dolphins, watch sperm whales year-round, and see humpbacks from June to September. Roman is one guide named in the feedback. The boat carries up to eight people, with snacks, water, masks, fins, and an onboard toilet.

“It was a great experience, to go deep into the sea to watch dolphins and whale. They gave ample time around dolphins, moving around to go near them, and then took us to baby whales spot first, and then sperm whales next. It was amazing to watch them swim so close. Guide was jovial and spoke well. A bit expensive, but overall it was a great experience.”

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10.Private Swim with Dolphins

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · 2h 30m

Meet your guide at La Jetée Road in Grande Rivière Noire for a private speedboat outing among wild dolphins. After a safety briefing, you can enter the sea when conditions allow, then snorkel over a coral reef. English and French guidance, gear, water, soft drinks, and lifejackets are included.

“Touristenfalle!!! Über 20 Bote verfolgen einige Delfine. Tierquälerei hoch 3!!!! Ein schreckliches Durcheinander, mussten beim Schnorcheln Angst haben überfahren zu werden. Sehr schlechte Sicht Unterwasser. Nicht zu empfehlen!!!!!!!!!!!”

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11.Private Dolphin Encounter and Whale Watching

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 7 reviews · 5 hours

Set out from La Jetée Road in Black River on a private speedboat for up to six people. Your English or French-speaking crew explains respectful dolphin rules, serves water and soft drinks, and takes you snorkeling before searching for whales. Dolphins may be swum with, but whale watching is from the boat only.

“Rigtig god tur. Guiderne var gode til at informere om turforløbet og vi syntes de tog meget hensyn til delfinerne/hvalerne når de sejlede efter/rundt om dem ift. mange af de andre både, hvor det virkede som om man nærmest jagtede dem og stressede dem.”

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12.Guided Hike in the Black River Gorges Valley

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 6 reviews · 4 hours · from $76

Spend four hours hiking through Mauritius’s Black River Gorges with a guide in a group of up to 10. Expect forest paths, mountain and valley views, rivers, birdsong, and a possible swim. Guides such as Stephano and Sha have been praised for their friendly care, but the route can include steep climbing, so bring suitable shoes and stamina.

“Als wanderung im Tal der rivière noire angeboten, entpuppte sie sich als wahre kletterpartie, 1 Stunde normal berauf, dann 2 volle Stunden wahrlich hoch krackseln! Horror! Dann den selben Weg wieder hinunter. Die Wanderung war null, da nicht so angekündigt. Nur der Guide war sehr lieb, führsorglich, freundlich, nur zu emphelen..”

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13.Hiking the Black River Gorges: Full-day with Lunch and Transfer

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · from $140

You’ll hike through Mauritius’s Black River Gorges National Park with a private guide, crossing forest trails, viewing waterfalls, and stopping for a river swim and picnic lunch. Hotel pickup, transport, water, snacks, safety equipment, and photography are included. The route is often easy, but steep muddy sections can make it hard going.

“We really enjoyed our day, but be aware that the route is pretty strenuous at times. It included some very steep ascents and descents, both of which were slippery where muddy. Our guide wasn't very talkative - he seemed more to see his rolRead more”

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