Things to do in Cape Town
Table Mountain
Table Mountain is a natural wonder of the world and has the Central Business District (CBD) nestled under it’s imposing height while providing a backdrop for most of the city. The cable car and ticket office are easily accessible by Uber from the CBD. The cable car costs about 300ZAR for non-nationals and the last cable car will make its descent at sundown so you are able to see the sunset from the top near the station. The floor of the cable cars will also rotate so everyone is able to get a 360 view of the journey up to the top and over the city center. If you would rather not take the cable car there are several hiking trails around Table Mountain which you can use Google Maps to navigate and visit the mountain for free.
When you exit the cable car you can follow the main trail toward your left which will lead you all the way to the opposite end of the mountain where you can catch a glimpse of Robben Island. The whole trek will take 2- 3 hours. It’s all very flat and easy on your feet. The path on the way back will lead you to some great spots for pictures overlooking Cape Town and Signal Hill. Once you complete the loop the terminus of the path will deposit you behind the service station you saw when exiting the cable car. This is a great spot where you can have an apero-hike with beer and aperol spritz on tap while enjoying the view. The pro tip here is to start the hike in the mid afternoon and bring items for a picnic. Here, you can have a few drinks, set up a picnic and get ready for the sunset. There were a decent number of people who had gotten the hint – unfortunately we did not so I am passing it on to you. The sunset is best seen from the upper cable car station side of the mountain.
robben island
Robben Island is small island off the coast of Cape Town. It is infamous as the place where Nelson Mandela and other apartheid fighters were imprisoned. Now, it is an essential place to visit during your stay in Cape Town to feel the weight of what happened during this unfortunate period of South Africa’s history. Set your visit up soon as currently the tours are being given by former inmates on the island who can really convey the powerful emotions they experienced during those turbulent times. You are able to schedule and pay for your tour on this website. The whole tour including the ferry ride will take about four hours and there are several scheduled every day. Unfortunately, due to the ferry ride, the tours are dependent on good weather so if the sea is turbulent then the tours will be cancelled. You will be notified via email (or upon arrival at the tourist center) if the tour is cancelled. The summer wind can really pick up the waves so the earliest tour time is your best bet if you’re worried about the tour being cancelled.
Bo kaap
Bo Kaap, formerly known as the Malay Quarter, is a popular photography and culinary destination sitting just above the bustling streets of Cape Town CBD. It is very accessible from downtown on foot and only about a 20 minute walk away from the V&A Waterfront. It was declared a Muslim only area in the 1950s and during this time lessees had to keep the outside of the buildings white. When these rules were eventually lifted, tenants bought the properties and painted the outsides bright colors to express their new found freedom. It is very pleasant to walk around and explore this neighborhood and it’s generally safe to visit on your own. You can also find plenty of culinary treats like curries, rotis and bunny chow so definitely arrange your visit around lunch time!
district 6 museum
District Six is a notorious district in Cape Town which saw the displacement of thousands of people during the apartheid regime. What was once a bustling downtown district with a healthy art scene soon became an epicenter of human rights abuses, protests and riots. This is a museum dedicated to keeping the memory of these happenings alive in the public mind so that they may never happen again. The museum is located at 25A Buitenkant St. I would highly recommend attending a tour for your visit which are offered Monday – Saturday at 9:30am, 10:30, 11:30 and 1:30pm. The reason being is that the layout of the museum is very information dense and you’ll need to have a lot of local historical knowledge to follow the events well. A tour guide can help deliver the contents of the museum in a concise way while answering any questions you might have.
first thursday!
If you have the luxury, I would definitely recommend trying to be in Cape Town for the first Thursday of the month. It is a very popular night in Cape Town where security is ramped up and several streets turn into a block party. Many art galleries open their doors with fully stocked bars and DJs playing tunes. Bree street is closed down for traffic and the crowds from the many bars and restaurants spill into the street. It is the biggest party night of the month and an awesome way to experience in Cape Town! I would plan for an early dinner (4:30 / 5 p.m.) and then start visiting a few galleries from 6 p.m. From there you can ramp up your night as you wish but being early is key as everywhere will be packed. I found this website you can consult to learn more about the many art galleries that participate in First Thursdays.
beyond the central business district
the cape of good hope
This was one of the destinations I was most excited about. I couldn’t help but recall all the times it was brought up in history classes and it felt surreal that I was finally going to see it for myself. There are a number of full day tours like this one which depart from the Central Business District on a daily basis and have a number of other stops along the way including a visit to the penguins in Simon’s Town. Some hostels will help organize tours and I would imagine most hotels could help you find one as well.
I would say that the Cape of Good Hope is most easily visited by car. It is located at the end of a sprawling national park and game reserve so if you do rent a car to visit, be sure to take some of the other roads to get out and walk around. Watch out for baboons and ostrich though.
We opted to climb up to the top of Cape Point instead of actually trekking to the Cape of Good Hope itself which is the southern most tip of Africa. From the lighthouse on the top of Cape Point, which was built in 1860, you can get an awesome view of the Cape of Good Hope as well as a humbling view of the deep blue ocean which stretches before you as far as your eyes can see.The views are more impressive here though it is not technically the most southern terminus.
Penguins in simon's town
This is often bundled with a tour to the Cape of Good Hope from the Central Business District but if you’re staying outside of the CBD in the towns along False Bay, you definitely want to make the stop by. You can pay at the ticket office located here to get special access to the walkway which leads up to the main beach where the penguins nest and sunbathe. They are adorable and cool to see in the ‘wild’. You may see them along the other walkways along the coast as well as few Rock Hyrax or “Dassies”. They are small groundhog-like animals and the closest living relative to the elephant (on land that is). Bring or wear your swim trunks to go for a swim in some of the hidden beaches nearby the ticket office. You may even get to swim with some penguins which occasionally venture from their protected nesting area.
surfing in Muizenberg
I wrote extensively about Muizenberg in this post here. It is a great spot to visit if you would like to do some surfing. The waves are beginner friendly and there are a number of surf schools/rental shops which supply boards and wet suits. There aren’t really any hotels however so you will need to rely on Airbnbs which we found to be modestly priced – especially if you have a group of people. Surfer’s Corner is a relaxing place to spend a few days with great cafes and a few restaurant options which I covered here. From Surfer’s Corner in Muizenberg you can also walk along the bay all the way to Kalk Bay or further on to Fish Hoek. It takes about thirty minutes or so and there are a few tide pools spread throughout the walk so you can take a dip as the sun heats you up.
alternative things to do
1. Cage Dive with Great White Sharks – there are a number of providers like Apex Predators.
2. Visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden – I am fan of visiting botanical gardens and unfortunately had to leave this one for “next time”.
3. Visit the Castle of Good Hope
4. Snorkel with Seals – Oceans Africa offers this experience
5. Go whale watching – there are a number of tour options including one with Oceans Africa
6. Enjoy the sunset at Cape Point Vineyard
*I am not affiliated with any of the tours mentioned*
Cape Town of course has way more to offer than what I have mentioned on this page but I hope this gets you off to a good start.