Cape Town is an incredible city in South Africa that is full of adventure, culture, and great food. There are a ton of things to do in Cape Town and you could spend weeks and not get bored, but here I’ve narrowed down some of the most unique, fun, and best things to do. Don’t forget to drop me a comment to let me know if you’ve tried any of these things or if I missed something important!
Boulders Beach/Simon’s Town/Muizenberg
A trip to the Cape Town suburb of Simon’s Town can be done as a day trip, but I recommend you stay overnight so you can go early to Boulders Beach to see the penguins. That’s right, I said PENGUINS! The famous African penguin colony here is one of only three on the African mainland, and you can even swim with them in certain spots!
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If you adore spotting wildlife like I do, this is one of the BEST things to do in Cape Town! I wrote an extensive blog post about visiting the penguins, which you can read here.
Simon’s Town is also a cute town with a ton of charm, and makes a great base for the surrounding area if you want to visit Muizenberg Beach or engage in an water activities in False Bay.
Getting there:
By car, it takes about 40-50 minutes. If you take the straighter shot, you can swing by Muizenberg beach to see the colorful (and highly Instagrammable) beach huts. It’s a great spot to have lunch and also a popular surf spot, for the brave souls out there. Have lunch at Tiger’s Milk, where you can get a great burger and a beer for cheap.
If you choose the scenic route, you can combine the trip with a few other of the best things to do in Cape Town, Camp’s Bay and Chapman’s Peak Drive. It’s a little bit longer at about an hour and ten minutes. Well worth it for the scenery, though!
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You can also take the train from Cape Town station via Muizenberg to Simon’s Town. It takes about an hour and is said to be immeasurably scenic! Simon’s Town train station is also the southern-most train station on the African continent, in case you’re weird and into that kind of stuff like I am!
The Bo-Kaap Neighborhood
Another Instagram hotspot, Bo-Kaap is a very colorful neighborhood right in Cape Town’s city center. Although it’s a multi-cultural area, the majority of its residents are Muslim. This is evident when the Call to Prayer sounds around the streets each day. The noon gun on Signal Hill also fires at midday, making the area a noisy and lively place.
While mostly popular for the colorful houses and cobbled streets, there’s actually a very interesting cultural history to the area. You can get some background info at the Bo-Kaap museum after taking your many Instagram shots.
We stayed at the Hilton Cape Town City Centre hotel when we were there, which is right on the corner of Wale Street (the start of the neighborhood). The location was perfect because we got up early and were able to explore the area before the tour buses and throngs of tourists arrived. This place gets busy during the day, so I recommend going early.
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That said, Cape Town and South Africa in general have a bit of a crime problem. I wouldn’t wander the streets of the city after dark, just to err on the side of caution.
Getting there:
You can take an organized tour, as mentioned there are tour buses that stop at the area. It’s a very small area though and easily doable on your own in a couple of hours.
You can drive and park if you’ve rented a car and want to brave driving in downtown Cape Town, or you can take an Uber. Uber is ridiculously easy and cheap in Cape Town, so I recommend that.
You can also take a public bus to the Alfred 2 station, and it’s about a 15-minute walk from there.
Table Mountain
If you went to Cape Town and didn’t visit Table Mountain, did you even go to Cape Town? I would argue no. The flattop mountain literally looms over the city, standing sentinel just outside downtown with Lion’s Head nearby beckoning brave hikers.
The national park area is rife with over 350 hiking trails, ranging from easy beginner to not-for-the-faint-of-heart. You can hike all the way to the top at 3,558 feet, or choose Lion’s Head for a spectacular sunset view that is popular with visitors.
For those with less time, ability, or motivation, there’s the famous Table Mountain cable car. The tickets at the time of writing are about $20 USD per adult, round trip, although this price seems to change often. I would suggest booking your tickets online ahead of time to avoid the long line at the box office when you get there.
The top is flat and a fairly easy walk, it’s even wheelchair accessible! This makes it a way for those with physical difficulties to see the incredible views without a tough hike. Even the restaurant at the top is accessible, although it can often be crowded.
Heading to the top of Table Mountain is definitely one of the most iconic things to do in Cape Town, and is well-worth the energy it will take to hike, as you’ll be rewarded with absolutely breathtaking views from the top. It’s even worth the price of the cable car ticket if you only go for a couple of hours, which is what Kevin and I did since we were short on time. 10/10 recommend!
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Getting there:
The cable car loading station is only about a 12-minute drive from the city center. Parking was a bit tricky because the tram is a very popular thing to do (we went just before sunset), but we were able to snag a spot along the road. The Tafelberg road is where you will find the trailheads to most of the hikes, as well. You can also take an Uber, which from the city center will cost you less than $5 USD. Uber is seriously cheap in SA, y’all.
You can take the (free!) MyCiti bus to get to the aerial tramway as well, which is a welcome recent addition to the Cape Town public transportation. Read about how and where to catch the bus to the tramway (cable car) here.
Great White Shark Diving
Disclaimer: At the time of writing, the Great White shark population has greatly declined in South African waters, so the chances of seeing them have also declined. Hopefully they will return soon and the cage-diving industry will recover and allow more tourists to see these great predators close-up. Just know if you go cage diving, you may not see Great Whites.
Cage diving with Great White sharks is one of my all-time favorite travel experiences. Observing wildlife is always at the top of my travel list and it’s always incredibly exciting to see predators in their natural habitats. South Africa is one of the most famous places in the world to see the white sharks, made famous by how they jump out of the air to catch their prey (“Air Jaws”).
You can book a shark diving tour that goes out of Cape Town for convenience, but Gansbaai (about a 2.5-hour drive from Cape Town) is known as the great white shark capital of the world.
If you do choose to go out of Gansbaai, I recommend staying the night the night before (since it’s such a long drive) and going on the earlier tour (usually there’s one in the morning and one in the evening). A lot of times the wind will pick up and the afternoon tour will be cut short or cancelled.
Most tour companies don’t use scuba, they’ll either use a kind a snorkel-like hose contraption, or they’ll just tell you where the sharks are and you hold your breath and dive under for a few seconds. My experience was with Great White Shark Tours and they provided wetsuits and masks, and we just dove under when the guides saw the sharks. It was nice because we knew exactly when and where to look.
Many of the tour companies these days focus on conservation, but research your chosen company if you want to be sure. Much of the price of your ticket should go toward shark conservation, to encourage responsible tourism. The website should state that the chum they use to attract the sharks is made of legal ingredients and doesn’t include any bits of other sharks in it (gross, but necessary to know).
The time of year for the best visibility in the water is during the winter months, although tours operate year-round. No matter when you go however, make sure you bring a wind jacket for the boat ride out and back, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
If you love wildlife like I do, cage diving with the Great Whites is such a treat and easily one of my favorite things to do in Cape Town.
Getting there:
Cape Town tour operators are in Simon’s Town, as False Bay is the best place close by to see sharks. Check out the paragraph about Boulder’s Beach above to get info on how to get to Simon’s Town.
Gansbaai is a little more of a journey, but well-worth it in the eyes of a shark-enthusiast. Driving your own car or booking private transport is pretty much the only way to get there from Cape Town, although you may be able to have your tour company arrange it for you.
Tea at the Belmond Mount Nelson
The Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel is nestled right against the base of Table Mountain; it is very luxurious and it it also very pink (makes for great Instagram shots!)
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The hotel opened in 1899 and was re-painted pink in 1918 to celebrate the end of World War I. It is a pink landmark in Cape Town, with what are said to be South Africa’s oldest public gardens.
The grounds are straight out of an English countryside dream, except with much better weather! The Afternoon Tea service rivals any in London, and is often booked out days in advance, so I highly recommend making a reservation.
Kevin and I didn’t do that, however, so we just showed up and luckily there was a cancellation and we were able to slip in. It’s absolutely a steal at less than $30USD per person (more to add a glass of pink champagne, which I may or may not have done).
The amount of food they give you is definitely enough to count as lunch, if you go for the afternoon service. We were able to pick from a long list of different teas (including some local varieties). We received dish after dish of finger foods, both savory and sweet (gotta have those scones with cream), and on top of all that there’s a to-die-for dessert buffet.
I will add that you do get two other chances with morning tea and evening tea services as well, just make sure to book ahead! You can click here to learn all about the tea service and to make a reservation.
Afterward, be sure to explore the property a bit. The grounds are extremely well-manicured and very lovely to take in on a sunny day, the perfect reprieve before going back to the hustle and bustle of Cape Town.
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Getting there:
The hotel is a 5-minute drive from the Cape Town city center. I recommend grabbing an Uber, as to avoid having to find parking. Parking at the hotel is for guests only.
There is also a bus that goes from the city centre, the 113 line. Check bus schedules for more information.
Camps Bay & Chapman’s Peak Drive
Camps Bay is a suburb that is a 12-minute drive southwest from the Cape Town city center. It’s this side of the peninsula where you’ll get the beautiful western beaches and the boutique hotels perched in such a way that perfectly catches the sunsets.
Locals and visitors alike flock here to hang out along the beaches, where there are plenty of spots to eat a meal and lounge about. It does definitely get crowded, though! But Camps Bay is definitely worth a visit, because it may be one of the most dramatic beach views you will get, looking south toward the Twelve Apostles mountains.
This brings me to the second part of these “must dos”, which is Chapman’s Peak Drive. If you want one of the most spectacular and dramatic drives in South Africa, you don’t have to go far from Cape Town city center.
The road is a toll road (going from north to south), and will cost you R50 for a regular vehicle (about $3 USD). You must pay at the checkpoint in cash. You can get a free day use pass if you’re not planning on driving the whole road, and you can picnic or hike up until the toll checkpoint.
The road is incredible but not for the faint of heart! There are lots of bends and precipitous drop-offs. It may be closed if there is inclement weather, you can check the condition of the road here.
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Getting there:
Camps Bay is a 12-minute or so drive from downtown Cape Town, along the M62 route. Chapman’s Peak Drive is another 25 or so minutes to the southern end, so it’s not long but it packs a punch with its scenery. You’ll want to pull over many times to check out the view!
Public buses go right to Camps Bay from central Cape Town, so it’s pretty easy to get there and back for a day trip. Along the coast you can take the 109 or 118 bus, or the 107 which is a shorter route. Click here to check out schedules!
There is no public transportation that traverses Chapman’s Peak Drive, unfortunately.
V&A Waterfront
The Victoria & Alfred (or V&A) Waterfront is a shopping and dining destination at the Cape Town harbor. It’s easy to while away an afternoon here, as you can ride a ferris wheel, have a drink on the water, shop in the mall, and watch street performers to your heart’s content.
It’s a vibrant area that attracts all walks of life, and with Table Mountain as the backdrop, it’s a great place to people watch locals and visitors alike. Or check out one of the many museums on-site, to get a real dose of culture!
This is also where you can catch many tours of the harbor, take an aerial helicopter tour, rent a bicycle, and watch a talent competition (this happened while we were there, very entertaining). There’s so much to do that it’s easy to spend hours walking around just looking at everything (and just as easy to spend a ton of money!).
I highly recommend coming to the waterfront before you do anything else in Cape Town, because you can really get an idea of the vibe of the city from this one area. Grab a drink, sit back and just check out the colorful vibes down at the harbour!
Getting there:
The Waterfront is about a 10-minute drive from the city center. I recommend grabbing and Uber so you don’t have to worry about parking or if you have a couple of waterside drinks! If you do choose to park however, it’s very affordable so you can spend the day there and not spend a fortune.
To use public transporation, take the T01 bus from downtown.
Chill in a coffee shop
Coffee culture in Cape Town is king (say that three times fast). You’ll find a ton of quality coffee shops sprinkled around the city, many who roast their own beans.
Capetonians have become so spoiled with their selection of coffee that they often want to know if their beans are roasted small-batch and ethically sourced. They want fair-trade, high quality coffee and they want it yesterday.
A number of the shops are hybrid shops where you can get caffeinated and also admire vintage cars, get your bicycle fixed, take a gander at an art exhibition, or snap Instagram photos.
So if you’re feeling run down from your African exploration, slide into one of Cape Town’s dozens of shops to sip on some delicious brews and gain back your energy.
Getting there:
Check out this list of Condé Nast Traveler’s Best Coffee Shops in Cape Town and adjust accordingly! (don’t forget about the super-cheap Uber rides!)
Robben Island
Robben Island is an island that’s about four miles off the coast of Cape Town, and it’s significant historically and politically for South Africa because it was where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
The prison closed permanently in 1996 and has been a tourist attraction ever since. Many of the tour guides are former prisoners themselves, so they can give firsthand accounts of life there.
Robben Island prison is one of the best things to do in Cape Town because it’s such an important historical site and will help visitors understand South Africa’s recent history a little bit better. As a bonus, I recommend coupling a trip to Robben Island with a visit to the District Six Museum (Cape Town’s apartheid museum) to really get an idea of South Africa’s racial struggles, which weren’t so long ago.
The ferry to the island goes from the V&A Waterfront and takes about 30 minutes. It’s a beautiful ride and you might see sea life, but it can be rough so don’t forget the dramamine if you get seasick.
You can buy tickets at the counter at the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A, or you can book your tickets online here. Tours are around $30 USD per person and the whole trip including the boat rides will take about four hours.
Getting there:
See directions for getting to V&A Waterfront, above. Take a designated boat from there.
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