12 Most Popular Tourist Attractions In Cape Town
Cape Town, lovingly known as Africa's Mother City, is South Africa's epicentre and an incredible place to visit. I spent three nights there at the start of my two-week Garden Route Road Trip and loved it.
If you are looking for a destination that offers a sprinkling of everything from wildlife to history and from culture to cuisine, Cape Town will tick all those boxes.
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Is Cape Town Worth Visiting?
Absolutely, Cape Town is worth visiting, but it's important to know that It has two parts: the city centre and the Cape Peninsula. The city centre is walkable and a great place to explore on foot, but the Cape Peninsula can only be reached by car or on a tour, so consider that when planning your Cape Town itinerary.
Cape Town Central has many things to do, from scaling the mighty Unesco World Heritage Site, Table Mountain, and visiting the humbling Robben Island to dining in the best restaurants in the Victoria and Albert Waterfront and sampling fresh produce from the V&A food market.
You could spend all your time in the city and not run out of things to do. Nevertheless, exploring the Cape Peninsula that surrounds Cape Town is a must.
Discover unusual things like finding penguins on a beach or snorkelling in the kelp forests of Cape Town before relaxing on one of South Africa's best surf beaches. Hire a car to enjoy the sights along the famous Chapman's Peak Drive and end your day at Cape Point Nature Reserve.
If you like what you have read so far, this ultimate travel guide will highlight the best things to do in Cape Town, which you must include on your itinerary to get the most out of your trip to South Africa.
Take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain
Table Mountain is Cape Town's iconic landmark, standing imposingly above the city. The views from the top are incredible, and you can spot Robben Island, Nelson Mandela's place of imprisonment, from the summit.
Table Mountain Aerial Cableway will whisk you to the top in minutes, or if you like a challenge (like I did), you can hike to the top of Table Mountain!
Whatever your preference, a visit to Table Mountain must be put on your list of things to do in Cape Town. A trip to Africa's "Mother City" wouldn't be the same without this main attraction.
Book your tickets for the Table Mountain Cable Car here.
| Want to save money on sightseeing? Get a Cape Town City Pass for generous discounts on Cape Town’s top attractions. |
Hike Cape Town's Lion's Head Trail
A popular 5km round-trip hike in Cape Town is the Lion's Head Trail, which offers magnificent views of the ocean and the city. Depending on your speed and fitness levels, the hike will take 1-2 hours.
You can hike alone, but you must be vigilant, as occasional criminal activities happen on the trail.
Book your Lion's Head Sunrise or Sunset Guided Hike Here.
Get snapping in the Bo Kaap Neighbourhood
The most colourful neighbourhood in central Cape Town and one of the most photogenic places in South Africa is Bo Kaap. You can book a guided Bo Kaap walking tour here.
The houses that line Bo-Kaap's streets are all painted in vivid colours: green, red, blue, orange, yellow, and purple. After the abolition of apartheid, the houses were painted in different colours as a sign of individuality and freedom.
Find out about the history of Bo-Kaap at Iziko Museum, set in an 18th-century Bo-Kaap building.
Do you want to experience an authentic meal in Bo-Kaap? You can book a Cape Malay cookery course and sample one of Cape Town's traditional cuisines.
| Angie's Top Tip: Combine a visit to Table Mountain, Lion's Head, Signal Hill and Bo Kaap in one day. All four attractions are located close to each other. |
Hop aboard the City Sightseeing Bus
With multiple routes covering the city, mountains, and coast, you can hop on and off as often as you like, allowing you to tailor your adventure to your interests. Visit world-famous sights like Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront, Camps Bay, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, and the historic District Six. Whether you're in the mood for beaches, culture, nature, or food, there’s a stop for you!
Buy your ticket here for the Cape Town Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus and see the city's most important places.
Eat, drink and shop at Cape Town's Victoria and Albert Waterfront
The V&A Waterfront is a fantastic place to eat, drink and sleep, and Cape Town restaurants offer traditional and contemporary dishes.
I had a mixed platter at Karibu Restaurant, consisting of warthog, crocodile, kudu, and ostrich. Eating unusual meat was strange, but this is the norm in South Africa. Everything tasted okay to me, apart from the crocodile, which had a strange fishy taste!
Fashion boutiques, artisan shops, diamond dealers, and the fantastic V & A Waterfront food market are all waiting to be discovered.
I recommend staying around the V&A Waterfront as it is a perfect base for exploring Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula.
| Angie's Top Tip: I stayed at the Lawhill Luxury Apartments, which were spacious, beautifully decorated and a short walk from the V&A Waterfront. |
Best accommodation in the V&A Waterfront
The Table Bay Hotel is the ultimate 5-star luxury accommodation in Cape Town, with Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean as its backdrop.
The One and Only - The resort’s 5-star luxury vibe is contemporary while drawing on Africa’s culture and heritage. Rooms have views of Table Mountain.
Queen Victoria Hotel -Recognised as one of the top 25 luxury hotels in South Africa. The hotel is located in a historic precinct close to the V&A Waterfront.
Cape Grace Hotel - This premier hotel is located on a private quay by Cape Town's prestigious yacht marina. Expect first-class service and luxury.
Discover the Underwater World at Two Oceans Aquarium
Explore South Africa's underwater species at Two Oceans Aquarium in the V&A Waterfront.
Please find out about their Save Our Sea Shark Exhibit, which highlights the plight of these threatened creatures in South Africa's waters. Great White Sharks are declining in numbers due to the arrival of killer whales.
If you plan to do a Shark Cage Dive while in South Africa, you may like to visit the aquarium before or after your experience.
You will undoubtedly spot several Cape fur seals that spend their days resting on the specially built seal platform behind the Two Oceans Aquarium while you are by the aquarium.
Seals prefer to spend their time on offshore islands, like Duiker Island in Hout Bay, so getting such a close view is fantastic.
Discover World-Heritage Listed Robben Island
Before you visit Robben Island, you must look at the Nelson Mandela Gateway Museum in Cape Town's Victoria and Albert Waterfront.
Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in captivity, and the first 18 years in Robben Island Prison.
The Nelson Mandela Gateway Museum covers his life's political and personal aspects and is the departure point for trips to Robben Island.
You may like to read Nelson Mandela's autobiography - A Long Walk to Freedom, before your visit.
Robben Island is one of the most famous landmark attractions in Africa. A tour takes around four hours, so leave yourself plenty of time to explore.
The boat journey from the Nelson Mandela Gateway Museum takes 30 minutes.
| Recommended Robben Island Tours |
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| Robben Island Museum And Ferry Ticket. |
| Table Mountain And Robben Island Tour. |
| Robben Island Ferry Ticket And Guided Prison Tour. |
Relax on Cape Town's Best Beaches
Camps Bay
The white sands of Camps Bay make it one of the most popular beaches in Cape Town. With stunning views and a long sandy beach, it is the perfect place to dip a toe in the water. The water is cold - this is the Atlantic Ocean - but if you are brave, it is very refreshing.
The road alongside the beach is lined with restaurants, cafés, bars, and small shops. We chilled out in one of the bars with a cocktail while watching one of the famous Camps Bay sunsets.
Clifton Beaches
There are four white sandy beaches at Clifton, simple and inviting, drawing a regular crowd of sun worshippers. There are no trendy cafes or cocktail bars here, just sandy beaches and the ocean.
| Angie's Top Tip: Combine visiting the Victoria & Albert Waterfront with a trip to Robben Island, then relax on one of Cape Town's beautiful beaches. |
Get back to nature at Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens
For good reason, the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens is one of the world's leading botanical gardens. Over 5,000 plant species are located in the shadow of Table Mountain National Park.
Take a 20-minute drive from central Cape Town and see the beautiful botanical gardens. It's a great spot to relax and enjoy the spectacular views. Head to the Tree Canopy Walk and get a birds-eye view of the surrounding landscape.
Book your Kirstenbosch Garden entry ticket here to avoid the queues.
Enjoy wine tasting in Constantia
South Africa's Cape Winelands are a 60-minute drive from Cape Town. If you have time to spare, they are a worthy addition to your Cape Town itinerary.
The South African vineyards are home to some of the finest wineries in the world. You can enjoy wine-tasting tours, sample fabulous food and even stay the night at some incredible Cape wine farm properties.
Visit the wineries in a day on a self-guided tour or with a pre-arranged Cape Winelands Tour. By travelling around the different wine regions, you will sample a wide variety of South African grapes.
If you don't have time to spend a whole day in the Cape Winelands, there is an option. A 25-minute drive from central Cape Town will take you to Constantia, where you can sample wines from sensational wine farms such as Constantia Glen.
| Angie's Top Tip: Combine a visit to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and Constantia wineries. Both places are a 20-30 minute drive from Central Cape Town. |
You could also include these two stops on a road trip along the Cape Peninsula. Check out my 10 Sensational Locations on the Cape Peninsula post for more information and a route guide.
This is where you will get an up-close look at African penguins, incredible scenery, and Cape Point's diverse flora and fauna.
Make a stop at Cape Town's Museums
Visit the Cape Town Diamond Museum
No trip to Cape Town is complete without visiting the Diamond Museum.
An interactive museum in the heart of the Victoria and Albert waterfront, highlighting the history (the good and the bad) of diamond mining in South Africa.
Of course, the tour ends conveniently in the diamond showroom, so if you have some cash to splash, you may want to buy a gem to take home.
We enjoyed the museum and the showroom and weren't pressured to buy anything.
Learn about Cape Town's History at the District Six Museum
A museum exploring the memories of District Six and other communities affected in the 1970s by forced relocations and demolition of homes under apartheid. It is a poignant reminder of a marked time in South Africa's history.
The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa
If you like visiting art galleries, the world's largest Museum of Contemporary African Art, MOCAA, is in Cape Town.
MOCAA is located six floors below the unique Silo Hotel, the titleholder of the best city hotel in Africa 2020 and with one of the best rooftop pools in Cape Town.
The Silo Hotel is a work of architectural brilliance in its own right, adding a new dimension of luxury to Cape Town hotel accommodations.
| Angie's Top Tip: Visit the museums, then enjoy cocktails and dinner at the Silo Hotel. |
Adrenaline adventures in Cape Town
Helpful Information About Safety in Cape Town
Before we arrived, we were told to be extremely vigilant and that muggings and kidnappings always happen.
While this does happen, I have to say we always felt safe in Cape Town and during our Garden Route road trip. I believe the main reason is that we were VIGILANT.
Criminals generally target vulnerable people. They don't like it if visitors are hot on awareness and know what is going on around them. Of course, you ask for trouble if you head out dripping in diamonds with the latest camera slung around your neck, so be sensible and think before you act.
There is no reason for fear to overshadow your trip to one of the most beautiful cities in the world because, let's face it, bad things can happen to good people wherever you travel.
Checklist for staying safe in Cape Town
Please don’t take your passport and valuable items when you go out. Instead, please leave them in the hotel safe.
Don't drive with windows wide open - criminals can lean in and grab bags of front seats or worse.
Never leave stuff on the seats of a locked car - you may return to broken windows and missing belongings.
Wandering around the city at night is a No-No. Once it goes dark, the undesirables come out to hunt!
Make sure you only use official taxis like Grab. Don't get into a random car, even if the driver claims to be a legit taxi.
Don't hike up Table Mountain, Signal Hill or Lion's Head at night. Human predators are often waiting for susceptible prey!
Finally, always keep your bag with you. Never hang it off the back of your chair or leave it on the restaurant table when you go to the toilet. Keep it zipped up at all times so small hands can't remove the contents!
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Angela Price: is an accomplished travel writer bringing extensive expertise and passion to the world of travel.
With over 40 years of globetrotting adventures under her belt and with a keen eye for unique experiences, she has established herself as an authoritative voice in travel, offering invaluable insights for fellow adventurers seeking to uncover the delights of worldwide destinations.
Her motto is “live life wandering not wondering”. Read more about Angie.
Thanks for the information you shared about Things to do in Cape Town. I appreciate your efforts and taking the time and sharing this content.
Cape Town was one of the biggest surprises we have found on our travels. So much better than we expected it to be. We saw a lot on our visit but I can see from your post that there are great reasons to go back. And many more wineries to explore! A helicopter tour would be stunning here.
There is so much to see and do in Cape Town I can't wait to return.
Great post & brought back so many memories of the time, many years ago when I visited. Then I found my Robben Island visit just fascinating & heartbreaking. My top tip is that if Table Mountain is visible to the top, always go up on that day. When we were there it was clear on the day we decided to go up but every other day there was cloud sitting on the top. Great safety tips too!
We couldn't go on our first day as mist shrouded the iconic Table Mountain however on our second day all was clear and so we hiked to the top - very memorable!
Ah, my most favourite city in South Africa. A great post with useful tips - you're spot on!
Great piece with really good ideas. I hope to get b ack to Cape Town, we enjoyed it but did not get to see everything. Thanks for this I am saving.