Best Things to Do in Cape Town
We’ve broken our guide down into four sections: our top recommendations, art and cultural activities, shopping and markets and beaches, hikes and outdoor spaces. If you’ve got only a short time in Cape Town, I recommend taking a look at our top options and seeing which ones take your fancy!
We have first-hand experience of each activity mentioned here, so feel free to ask in the comments if you have any questions.
Our Top Recommendations for Cape Town
- Paragliding off Lion’s Head
- Hop-on Hop-off Bus
- Beau Constantia Vineyards
- Whale Watching at Hermanus
- Table Mountain and Cable Car
- Boulders Beach Penguin Colony
Best Art and Cultural Activities in Cape Town
- National Gallery of South Africa
- District 6 Museum
- First Thursdays (plus Honest Gin Bar)
- Zeitz MOCAA
- Norval Foundation
- Bo-kaap Walking Tour
- Labia Theatre
Best Shopping and Markets in Cape Town
Best Beaches, Hikes and Outdoor Activities
- Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
- The Company’s Garden
- Big Bay Beach
- Lion’s Head
- Surf’s Corner in Muizenberg
- Kalk Bay’s Tidal Pools
- Sunset at Camps Bay
- Padel at the Mount Nelson
Our Top Picks of the Very Best Things To Do in Cape Town
Jaw-dropping, life-changing and intensely beautiful, Cape Town is a city of wonders and adventures that will excite even travellers who think that they’ve seen it all. If you have just a short time in Cape Town, I recommend trying to fit in as many of our six top picks as appeal to you. Our favourite activities listed here give you a real sense of Cape Town’s heady blend of fantastic nature, rugged landscapes and awesome wildlife.
1. Paragliding off Lion’s Head or Signal Hill
The views off Lion’s Head are breathtaking and there’s no better way to enjoy them than from the air. Paragliding is a fantastic activity, combining the tranquillity of gliding with the excitement of running off the side of a mountain. Even if you have no experience you can join a tandem dive where you are strapped to an experienced instructor. After the flight and a perfect landing by Camp’s Bay, I was completely buzzing with excitement.
You can book paragliding through Get Your Guide. After careful research, we went with Cape Town Tandem Paragliding, who seemed like the most reputable company. Technically due to the safety laws in South Africa, you are signing up as a student for a one-off lesson on paragliding. We met our paragliding team at Lion’s Head parking lot and after quite a lot of muddled waiting around and paperwork, we eventually walked half-way up the mountain to the launch site. Remember to weigh yourself before you set off, take some ID and pack some warm clothes.
If paragliding is something you’re interested in, I highly recommend booking it early on in your Cape Town trip, as it’s fairly likely to be cancelled if the weather conditions are bad. Our first attempt was cancelled due to poor weather and the weather wasn’t good enough for the next four days. Still, I was glad our experienced instructors weren’t taking any chances with the weather. As our instructor wisely said, it’s better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air, than in the air and wishing you are on the ground!
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2. See Cape Town’s Top Sights with the Hop-on Hop-off Bus
I must admit, we used to roll our eyes at this kind of tourist activity, but the Hop-on Hop-off Bus in Cape Town is un-ironically brilliant. One ticket (275 ZAR) gets you all-day access to four different routes, including a shorter central route, a longer route that takes you past some stunning bays and beaches and another which is specifically for Cape Town’s vineyards.
Highlights include Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Beau Constantia Vineyard, Hout Bay, Camps Bay and the V&A Waterfront. I’d go so far as to say that if you only have one day in Cape Town, no other activity will enable you to see as much as the city in as little time and effort.
3. Try Locally-Grown South African Wine at Beau Constantia Vineyard
If you really want to inspire jealousy among friends and family back home, the place to take a smug holiday photo is Beau Constantia Vineyard, preferably with a glass of wine in hand. This vineyard is well positioned, with views of the vines rolling out in one direction and Table Mountain in the other.
You can choose between a more casual seat on the terrace which is open on the weekends, or an upmarket but still reasonable seat in the Chefs Warehouse restaurant. Wine can be bought by the glass or the bottle, to have there or take home, and needless to say, everything is of an excellent quality. I can also recommend both the oyster mushroom bao from their How Bao Now pop-up and the cheese board, both of which were superb.
If you’d like to learn more about South Africa wine, the best option is to get the tasting set of four small glasses of wine (110 to 130 ZAR). If you don’t have a car, you can get to the vineyard, which is about twenty minutes outside Cape Town, either by the hop-on hop-off bus or by Uber.
The Cape wine region including the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek areas is also a must-see when in Cape Town. They can be visited as a day-trip, but we would recommend spending at least a long weekend there to really soak up the views and wine! The Constantia wine region is comparatively much closer to Cape Town and smaller, so makes for a better day or half-day trip.
4. Watch Whales in Hermanus (Day Trip from Cape Town)
Watching a twenty-three thousand kilogramme animal launch itself out of the water before crashing back beneath the waves is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you’re in Cape Town between June and November, then you’re in luck because it’s the season of the Southern right whale.
Hundreds of Southern right whales come to Hermanus to mate each year. Female whales come back to this bay, the same one they were born in themselves, to raise the next generation. They use the safety of the bay to teach the young everything they need to know before making the nearly seven thousand kilometre trip to their feeding grounds in the antarctic.
The Southern right whale doesn’t sing, it instead communicates by slapping the water with its body. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to see a whale leaping out of the water (breaching) either to communicate with others or to teach its calf the ways of the whale.
We booked our trip through Get Your Guide (2,200 ZAR) and our trip was provided by Ivanhoe Sea Safaris, who I highly recommend. Hermanus is a two hour thirty minute drive from Cape Town, but transport was arranged for us. We were picked up at 10 AM promptly by our driver from our accommodation. We stopped for a coffee in Hermanus town and were at the harbour in Gansbaai by 12:30PM.
The boat left at 1PM for a two-hour trip. We packed snacks, waterproofs, sea sickness tablets and sunscreen. We were quite nervous as our trip was on November 6th, which is near the end of the season. However, we were lucky enough to spot two whales with their calves.
The guides were very knowledgeable and the captain cut the boat’s engine engine a good distance from the whales. One of the curious calves came right up next to the boat to check us out, which was an awesome experience. The two hours flew by and it was reassuring to see how respectful the guides were in giving the whales plenty of space.
On the way back, our driver stopped in Hermanus so we could get some lunch. The town has a pleasant seaside vibe and you can see whales from the town itself if you are lucky. We noticed a crowd gathering and rushed over just in time to see a whale breaching in the distance!
Our driver took us on the coastal route back and took us to a beautiful lookout point over False Bay. This place used to be famous for its great white sharks and although we didn’t see any we did spot a final whale of the day in the bay as well as a troop of baboons on the roadside. We were dropped off back in Cape Town by 7 PM.
5. Hike to the Top of Table Mountain (and take the cable car back down!)
The views of Cape Town from Table Mountain are iconic and not to be missed. For the active and adventurous, it’s an enjoyable two-to-three hour hike to the top if you take the popular Platekipp Gorge route.
The Platekipp Gorge route is short and scenic but steep and reasonably challenging. We started hiking at 8:45 AM on a Saturday morning in November and the trail was pleasantly populated with other hikers. This is a bonus if you’re going without a guide as it means you can’t get lost and there are friendly faces around in case of an emergency.
Pack drinking water, sunscreen, a hat and a windbreaker for the top, which we found chilly even on an otherwise sunny day. At the top, you can take the cable car back down (ZAR 220, one way). Buy a ticket at the ticket office or online. It’s advisable to set off early to avoid the midday sun and the worst of the queues for the cable car.
You can use an app like Kamoot to navigate; this link will show you the exact route that we took. Note that starting and ending at the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway makes the route slightly longer than the standard Platekipp Gorge route, but I thought the additional stretch was worth it for the great views of Lion’s Head. The trailhead is fifteen minutes by Uber from the centre of town (ZAR 70).
6. See the Penguin Colony at Boulders Beach (Simon’s Town)
Standing on a white-sand beach, my feet in cool blue seawater and adorable penguins waddling all around — I found my happy place at Boulders Beach penguin colony. Nature lovers of all ages should not miss this experience when in Cape Town.
The Boulders Beach penguin colony is in Simon’s Town, which is a 45-minute drive from the CBD. If you’re coming from Cape Town, you’ll most likely stop at Foxy Beach first. It’s 176 ZAR for an adult ticket for an international visitor. Make sure you keep your ticket as it’s usable at two sites.
The Foxy Beach site consists of two short wooden walkways and a gift shop. When we visited (Saturday 3rd, December 2022) there were countless penguins! Most were just standing in the sun, but every now and then an individual or squad would come gliding out of the water at impressive speeds. Foxy Beach was fairly packed with tourists, so consider coming early in the day to beat the rush.
A short walk from Foxy Beach is Boulder’s Beach, which is where you can actually access the beach itself. On the walk to Boulders Beach, the thickets were filled with adorable dassies including many baby dassies that were trying out some limited independence under watchful parental supervision!
Boulder’s Beach is strewn with large boulders that the penguins dart between. There’s also sheltered swimming and it felt less crowded than Foxy Beach. You can safely swim here and if you’re lucky, a penguin or two might swim with you. Please keep a respectful distance from the penguins and don’t be tempted to crowd them, no matter how cute they might be.
Budget travellers can see the penguins without paying for a ticket by visiting Seaforth beach, which also has a smaller penguin colony. However, I’d recommend buying a ticket if you can afford it.
Best Art and Cultural Activities in Cape Town
Culture vultures won’t find themselves short of things to do in Cape Town. From the architecturally unique Zeitz MOCAA, to the see and be-seen crowd of First Thursdays, there are plenty of artsy and culturally enriching activities to take part in.
7. See the Artwork in the National Gallery of South Africa
The National Gallery of South Africa is home to a varied collection of art of different types and from different time periods. The pieces on display included both traditional paintings and some striking sculptures. It’s well worth seeing Jane Alexander’s creepy but compelling Butcher Boys sculpture. Admission is inexpensive and it’s well worth a visit if you happen to be in the Company’s Garden.
8. Learn about the Heart-Breaking History of District Six
The District Six Museum records the history of District Six, a poor but vibrant multi-racial community that was forcibly removed during apartheid. The museum houses a collection of recorded statements, objects and photographs from the not-so-distant past. It’s worth visiting the museum, which is inside an old church building, and you can visit the site in around 30 minutes, though the stories you will hear will stay with you for much much longer.
9. Enjoy Cape Town’s Art Scene on First Thursday (and enjoy a gin afterwards!)
Every first Thursday of the month, the art galleries of Cape Town open late to allow artists and art students to showcase their work. It’s a loose, unstructured vibe with small galleries and bars taking part across the centre of Cape Town.
We wandered between four or five small art galleries and enjoyed the buzz for an hour or so before settling down with a fantastic gin cocktail at the Gin Bar). The Gin Bar is a brilliant space with rustic dark wood floors and high-framed industrial style windows. It’s a popular place to end the evening when you’ve had your fill of art. Their artful gin menu consists of five signature cocktails. I tried ‘The Ambition’ a gin cocktail with tonic, elderflower cordial, cucumber and thyme and enjoyed it so much I ordered a second. You can also add rooibos gin, a South African speciality, to any cocktail.
The Gin Bar shares both a building and a beautiful secret courtyard with Honest Chocolate Cafe, Bubbly Bar and Bodega Ramen, which is an unparalleled collection of my favourite things in one place.
Learn more and plan your route on the First Thursdays website.
10. Appreciate Contemporary African Art at the Zeitz MOCAA
The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) in Cape Town is a must-see destination for anyone interested in contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. Located in the historic Grain Silo complex at the V&A Waterfront, the museum is home to a world-class collection of contemporary art, including paintings, sculptures, installations and more.
In addition to its impressive collection, the Zeitz MOCAA is also a stunning architectural achievement. The museum is housed in a series of interconnected silos that have been converted into gallery spaces, providing a unique and visually stunning setting for the art on display. A ticket costs 230 ZAR.
11. Combine Art, Nature and Food at the Norval Foundation
Set on a picturesque 18-acre property around thirty minutes from the centre of Cape Town, the Norval Foundation is home to a world-class collection of contemporary African art, featuring works from some of the continent’s most celebrated artists.
While I enjoyed the gallery, the sculpture garden and the Skotnes Restaurant are what make the place really worth a visit. The gardens, which take around 15 minutes to walk through, are landscaped in such a way that enables you to appreciate each sculpture in turn.
The Norval Foundation is open 10 AM 5 PM every day except Tuesday. Admission is 180 ZAR. Mains at the Skotnes Restaurant start at 110 ZAR and go to 235 ZAR.
12. Wander the Colourful Streets of Bo-Kaap on a Free Walking Tour
The brightly coloured neighbourhood of Bo-Kaap is famous for its beautiful colonial buildings and its traditional Cape Malay community. We joined a Free Walking Tour to experience the neighbourhood and its rainbow streets.
The tours are a couple of hours long and leave from Church Square on Parliament Street everyday. There’s no need to book, simply look for the bright green umbrellas and tell one of the tour guides that you’d like to see Bo-Kaap. The knowledgeable tour guides are paid entirely by tips and do accept card payments.
We decided to stay in Bo-Kaap after the tour ended and enjoy a meal at Faeeza’s Home Kitchen. As the name suggests, it’s a kitchen run out of a lovely lady’s home and it specialises in home-cooked Cape Malay dishes. I had a delicious butter bean curry with roti and sambal that was quite possibly the best meal I ate in South Africa! Though I didn’t try it, I was also tempted by koesiester, which is a spicy doughnut-like treat.
Interested in Cape Town’s cuisine? Check out our guide to Cape Town’s best vegetarian food.
13. Enjoy an Arthouse Movie at Labia Theatre
The Labia Theatre – so named after Princess Labia who founded the theatre in 1949, and not at all relating to ‘skin flicks’ – is Cape Town’s oldest and best cinema screening arthouse and independent films. Though small, the cinema has four screens, all kitted out with red-velvet seats.
Tucked in the corner between Kloof Street and The Company’s Garden, a flowered arch leads you into the cinema’s courtyard. It’s well-worth arriving half an hour early to have a pre-film drink. Don’t forget to grab yourself a popcorn which is a novelty in itself as it comes unflavoured and you shake on your own flavours (very retro!)
We watched the beautiful documentary ‘The Velvet Queen,’ about explorers searching Tibet for a wild snow leopard, at the Labia, which we’d also highly recommend.
Best Shopping and Markets in Cape Town
If you’re in need of gifts for friends and family back home, or just something to remind you of your time in South Africa, here are three of the best places to go shopping:
14. Eat, shop and enjoy the sea breeze at V&A Waterfront
If locally-made gifts and food are what you’re craving, then the Watershed at the V&A Waterfront has you covered. The V&A Waterfront (that’s Victoria and Alfred, not Victoria and Albert) is a glitzy part of town right on the waterfront. Once you’ve finished shopping, reward your stomach with something from the food hall next door, which stocks a wide variety of eateries including Hungarian, Cape Malay, dumplings and more!
15. Browse, eat and drink at the Old Biscuit Mill (Woodstock)
For Camden Market vibes in Cape Town, you can’t beat The Old Biscuit Mill. This popular community hub and creative draws in locals and tourists alike. Explore an array of shops and eateries, browse artisanal crafts, and relax afterwards with a drink and some live music.
I’d recommend going at lunchtime to enjoy something from the extensive food hall, which had falafel, barbeque, Korean food and much more, as well as plenty of beers and wines.
16. Treat your tastebuds at Oranjezicht City Farm Market (Waterfront)
Want to pick up fresh produce, shop for unique items and try locally-produced foods? The Oranjezicht City Farm Market in Cape Town is a great place to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables and artisanal goods.
We picked up a range of goodies, including locally-made hot sauces, spice mixes and freshly-ground coffee. To reward ourselves for a successful shop, we tucked into a fantastic vegan Cape Malay meal (ZAR 120) that included spiced chickpeas, cauliflowers, potatoes, rice, salad and fresh roti. There are plenty of food options available, including barbeque, burgers, Indian, Korean chicken, pizza and much more.
The Oranjezicht City Farm Market is open Saturday and Sundays until 2 PM, and on Wednesdays from 5 PM-9 PM.
Visit Cape Town’s Best Beaches, Hikes and Outdoor Spaces
Few capital cities on the planet can hold a candle to Cape Town; both the beauty and diversity of the landscapes are without rival. Mountains, forests, fynbos, vineyards, gardens and beaches, Cape Town has it all. Here are some of the best places to see:
17. Reconnect with Nature at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Did you know that there are only six floral kingdoms in the world and one of them is unique to the cape of Africa? But it’s not just the “fynbos” (unique fine shrubland) that makes this botanical garden special, it’s also its jaw-dropping setting on the slopes of Table Mountain.
If you need a break from the big city, I highly recommend heading out to Kirstenbosch to enjoy a picnic or lunch at one of the on-site restaurants. These botanical gardens are vast and connect to several hiking trips if you plan to make a longer day of it. Just watch out for the baboons as they’ve been known to open bags in search of snacks! Standard adult tickets are 210 ZAR.
18. Take a Stroll in the Company’s Garden
The Company’s Garden is a pleasant tree-lined space in the middle of Cape Town, the oldest in the city in fact. It’s a pathway flanked by greenery that runs from the Iziko Slave Lodge through to Mount Nelson Hotel. The Company’s Garden is also home to the National Gallery of South Africa and the pair make for an interesting way to spend a couple of hours.
Make sure you’re out of the garden way before it gets dark, as it’s not a safe place at night time. Make sure to read our guide to safety in Cape Town.
19. Enjoy Views of Table Mountain from Big Bay Beach
Big Bay Beach is an idyllic stretch of white sand thirty minutes from the centre of Cape Town, boasting immaculate views of Table Mountain. The water is icy cold, but that doesn’t stop the surfers from braving the waves.
If you’re not into water sports, this is a great beach for a long walk — if you’re lucky, you might even have long sections of the beach completely to yourself. Blaauwberg Nature Reserve, about halfway along the beach, is a good spot to stop for a picnic or a braai. There’s parking, toilets and a selection of cafes, restaurants and bars by the Big Bay Surf Lifesaving Club.
An Uber to Big Bay Beach from the centre of Cape Town is 150 to 200 ZAR.
20. Hike Lion’s Head for simply stunning views of Cape Town and Table Mountain
I’ve been lucky enough to have climbed many mountains over the years, but the views from Lion’s Head are among the very best. That’s because you’ve got a 360 panorama which includes Table Mountain, Cape Town and several pearly-white stretches of African coastline.
Lion’s Head is a popular hiking route. We did the hike on a Monday morning in October and the trail had enough other hikers that we never felt lost or isolated. You can take an inexpensive Uber from the city centre to the Lion’s Head car park where the trail begins and follow the crowd right to the top.
Be warned, although the hike is mostly easy and doable in two to three hours, the route branches into an easy route and a harder route. The route we took became a challenging scramble involving ladders, chains and staples! The route we took would’ve been tricky, possibly even dangerous, for inexperienced climbers so make sure you take the easier of the two paths if you are scared of heights or are not in good physical condition.
21. Surf with the Sharks at Surfers Corner, Muizenberg
Surfers Corners is a popular beach and surfing spot located in the suburb of Muizenberg, about a forty-five minute drive from the centre of Cape Town. It is known as a great place for beginner surfers as the waves are gentle and the beach is well-protected from strong winds. The shoreline is lined with colourful beach huts, restaurants, and cafes, though the area just behind the shoreline gets residential very quickly.
We weren’t able to surf on this trip as we couldn’t fit everything in, but we visited the surf school, which rents boards and wetsuits (that you’ll definitely need) for 155 ZAR per 90 minutes. Note that because the waves can get crowded, group classes don’t run during the South African summer, though private lessons are still available.
22. Take a Dip at the Kalk Bay Tidal Pools
If swimming with sharks isn’t on your South Africa wish list, you’ll be pleased to know that all sharks can be 100% avoided at the Kalk Bay tidal pools. There are four tidal pools at Kalk Bay, which are popular with adults and kids as they provide shelter from the open ocean.
I recommend the Dalebrook Tidal Pool or the St James Tidal Pool. The water here is cold but not as freezing as the water on the north side of Cape Town. Entry is free. Kalk Bay is a thirty-minute drive from the CBD. For tidal pools closer to the CBD, you can also visit the Camps Bay tidal pools.
23. Gaze at a Spectacular Sunset in Camps Bay
If you’d like to find yourself with white sand beneath your feet and a magnificent orange sunset on the horizon, then head on over to Camp’s Bay. Rolling waves meet glitzy beach-front bars just a short, fifteen-minute drive from the centre of the CBD.
If time allows and you like walking, I’d recommend getting a taxi to the Sea Point Pool and strolling for an hour or so to Camp’s Bay, enjoying views of Clifton’s beaches as you wander.
We ate at two places in Camps Bay: Surf Shack which is a typical beachfront pizza place, and Cafe Caprice, which is a bougie beachfront bar with an excellent vegan mezze plate.
24. Play Padel at the Mount Nelson Hotel
For those looking to get active and also check out a Cape Town landmark, playing padel at the Mount Nelson Hotel is a great option. Padel is an up-and-coming sport that’s like tennis (but better!) You can rent a court, plus balls and a racket, and play at the iconic Mount Nelson Hotel, even if you are not staying at the hotel. The person supervising the court reminded us of the rules and even ran a few drills with us to help us up our game.
Those that are less active might alternatively enjoy a cream tea at the Nellie!
Have you tried any of the activities mentioned here? Let us know what you did and what you thought in the comments section below. If we’ve missed anything special from the list, please let us know!
