Things to Do in Cape Town: The Top Attractions & Must-Sees

The most beautiful things to do in Cape Town — on a map

When you’ve never been to Cape Town, the city can be hard to grasp from the outside. That was definitely our experience the very first time we started planning a trip here.

So we’d like to give you a bit of orientation for your South Africa planning right from the start, so you can map out your sightseeing more effectively.

To give you an idea of where the individual attractions in Cape Town are located, we’ve marked them on a map. Many are in the city center, but some are also a fair distance outside of it.

Does Cape Town have a city center?

Cape Town doesn’t have a classic city center. The V&A Waterfront is the tourist hub and the neighborhood that visitors can most easily compare to a typical downtown area.

In general, the so-called City Bowl is often referred to as the city center. These are the neighborhoods enclosed by Table Mountain, Signal Hill, and Lion’s Head.

The must-sees of Cape Town

Table Mountain

What do you need to know? Table Mountain rises more than 1,000 meters above Cape Town and is simply part of the city’s skyline. Its flat summit — which really does look like a table — is exactly how it got its name.

Is Table Mountain worth visiting? Absolutely. Table Mountain is Cape Town’s iconic landmark and one of the most famous sights in the world. From the top, you get a breathtaking panorama over the city. Anyone who comes to Cape Town and skips Table Mountain has seriously missed out.

Our tips for visiting Table Mountain: The easiest way up is by cable car, but you can also hike. Since there’s so much to know about visiting Table Mountain, we’ve written a detailed article covering everything — routes, timing, tickets, and more.

Bo Kaap

What do you need to know? Bo Kaap is a small neighborhood in Cape Town known for its brightly painted houses. This is where enslaved people — known as the Cape Malays — once lived. After they were freed from slavery, they painted the formerly colorless houses in vivid colors to celebrate their newfound freedom.

Is Bo Kaap worth visiting? Bo Kaap is one of the must-sees in Cape Town for us. The colorful houses and quiet streets make for a fantastic photo opportunity and a lovely contrast to the otherwise often loud and hectic city.

Our tips for visiting Bo Kaap: There’s a large attended parking lot on Shortmarket Street. From there, you’re right in the middle of Bo Kaap in just two minutes. You can easily combine a visit to Bo Kaap with a stroll along Long Street, which starts about 300 meters away.

Cape Peninsula

What do you need to know? The Cape Peninsula is located at the very south of Cape Town and stretches more than 50 km in total. The southernmost point of the peninsula is the Cape of Good Hope.

Is a trip to the Cape Peninsula worth it? 100%! The Cape Peninsula is one of the absolute highlights around Cape Town. You’ll find several outstanding attractions there, including the Cape of Good Hope, the penguins at Boulder’s Beach, the colorful beach huts in Muizenberg, and the spectacular coastal road Chapman’s Peak Drive.

Our tips for the Cape Peninsula: Set aside a full day for the Cape Peninsula — there’s so much to discover. We’ve written a detailed article about the Cape Peninsula and the Cape of Good Hope covering all the sights, restaurant recommendations, and the best route for a day trip.

Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

What do you need to know? The Waterfront is a former harbor area in Cape Town that has been extensively redeveloped since the 1990s and transformed into a lively entertainment district.

Why is the V&A Waterfront worth a visit? Pretty much everyone ends up at the Waterfront at some point — and for good reason. The area feels very different from the rest of the city. Everything is pedestrian-friendly and beautifully polished up. The Waterfront has plenty of restaurants, shops, and tourist offerings, with street musicians on every corner.

Our tips for visiting the V&A Waterfront: You can park easily and affordably at the Breakwater Parking Garage. The best ice cream in the city is at Unframed Ice Cream in the V&A Food Market. And don’t miss The Watershed — a market hall where African designers sell their work at over 100 stalls.

Robben Island

What do you need to know? Robben Island lies in the Atlantic Ocean right off the coast of Cape Town and was used as a prison island for a long time. The most famous inmate was Nelson Mandela, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and later President of South Africa. The prison was closed in 1996 and shortly afterward reopened as a memorial and museum.

Is a visit to Robben Island worth it? Absolutely. Robben Island is one of the most important sites in South African history, and we feel a visit is essential when you’re in Cape Town. Nowhere else will you learn so much about the country’s recent past. The tours are partly led by former prisoners, which makes the experience even more powerful.

Our tips for visiting Robben Island: Robben Island can only be visited as part of a guided tour. Tickets include the round-trip boat ride and a guided tour on the island. You can book online or directly at the Waterfront at the Nelson Mandela Gateway. We strongly recommend booking in advance during peak season from November to March — tours sell out fast.

Online tickets on the Robben Island website

Online tickets incl. hotel pickup at GetYourGuide

The most beautiful viewpoints in Cape Town

Signal Hill

What do you need to know? Signal Hill is a 350-meter-high mountain that borders directly on Cape Town’s central neighborhoods.

Is Signal Hill worth visiting? Signal Hill isn’t as spectacular as Table Mountain, but if you have extra time, we’d still suggest going. From the top you get a great view over the Waterfront as well as Green Point and Sea Point. It doesn’t take much time either, since you can simply drive all the way to the summit.

Our tip for Signal Hill: When you’re in Cape Town, you’ll quickly notice the many paragliders floating above the city. They launch from Signal Hill — and if you’re up for it, you can take a tandem flight over Cape Town from there yourself.

Book paragliding online

Lion's Head

What do you need to know? Lion’s Head is Cape Town’s third home mountain. It stands 669 meters tall and is instantly recognizable for its distinctive peak.

Is Lion’s Head worth visiting? The vista from Lion’s Head is spectacular — a full 360-degree panorama from the top. That said, the ascent is not easy. Some sections require scrambling, and it’s a real challenge if you’re not comfortable with heights.

Our tip for Lion’s Head: If you hike up Lion’s Head, do it at sunset. The light and atmosphere are incomparably beautiful. Just make sure to bring a headlamp for the descent.

Helicopter Tour

What do you need to know? Various helicopter tours are offered in Cape Town. The shortest flights last 12 minutes, while some routes keep you in the air for almost an hour as you circle the entire Cape Peninsula.

Is a helicopter flight over Cape Town worth it? Without a doubt! A helicopter tour is an unforgettable experience. Even though the view from Table Mountain is already spectacular, a helicopter flight tops it by far. You see the city in a completely different way — with much more intensity than from any traditional vantage point. We can’t recommend it highly enough.

Our tip for the helicopter flight: Don’t wait until your last day to book. Helicopters don’t fly in bad weather, so plan the flight earlier in your trip to give yourself a buffer of a few days in case conditions aren’t ideal.

Book a helicopter tour over Cape Town

The Rock

What do you need to know? The Rock is an off-the-beaten-path viewpoint in Cape Town. It’s not one of the well-known spots and is still something of a local favorite. From there you have a beautiful view of Camps Bay with the Twelve Apostles in the background.

Is The Rock worth it? It’s not a must-see, but if you’re already driving around Sea Point, the short detour is totally worth it. On the way up, you’ll pass some seriously impressive estates — some of the villas look like the headquarters of wealthy Bond villains. Truly wild.

Our tip for The Rock: The viewpoint isn’t signposted, but you can find it here on Google Maps.

The coolest neighborhoods in Cape Town

Long Street and Kloof Street

What do you need to know? Long Street is probably the most famous street in Cape Town, with many beautiful historic buildings lining the way. It’s known for its restaurants, bars, and cafés. Kloof Street is the extension of Long Street but feels even a bit hipper and more laid-back.

Are Long Street and Kloof Street worth a visit? You don’t have to see both, but they’re great for going out to eat and of course for a night out. Personally, we liked Kloof Street better.

Our tip for Long Street and Kloof Street: You can have a fantastic meal at the extremely hip Kloof Street House — just make sure to reserve a table in advance. For a quick bite in between, we love NY Slice Pizza. Excellent pizza slices at very reasonable prices. There are now many locations across South Africa, but it all started in the small shop on Kloof Street.

Sea Point

What do you need to know? Sea Point is a neighborhood in Cape Town located right on the ocean. It’s one of the more affluent and hip districts of the city.

Is Sea Point worth a visit? We really loved Sea Point. The long Sea Point Promenade right along the ocean is perfect for a stroll, and along Regent Road you’ll find plenty of great restaurants and cool cafés. Sea Point is also one of our favorite neighborhoods to stay in when visiting Cape Town.

Our tip for Sea Point: Make sure to stop by the Mojo Market. In this large market hall you’ll find more than 30 food stalls, all serving great food. There’s often live music too.

Camps Bay

What do you need to know? Camps Bay is a small suburb of Cape Town with a gleaming white sandy beach and many upscale places to stay and dine.

Is Camps Bay worth a visit? Camps Bay isn’t an absolute must for us. The location is truly beautiful, but it’s also always crowded.

Our tip for Camps Bay: Camps Bay itself isn’t a big highlight for us, but one of our absolute favorite restaurants is there: Codfather Sea Food and Sushi. The seafood restaurant has no menu — at the running sushi, you grab plates from the belt yourself, and at the fish counter you pick out your fish, which is then freshly prepared for you. Sushi as a starter followed by freshly grilled fish — simply incredible. At lunch you can usually just walk in; in the evening, you absolutely need a reservation.

Interesting museums in Cape Town

District Six Museum

What do you need to know? District Six was a neighborhood where people of many different backgrounds lived side by side. In 1966 the area was declared a “White Area” and all residents were forcibly removed. The scenes that played out were horrific. The District Six Museum documents the forced removals and many individual stories in a deeply moving way.

Is the District Six Museum worth a visit? If you want to engage more deeply with the era of apartheid, the District Six Museum is essential. It’s one of the most powerful things to do in Cape Town.

Our tip for the District Six Museum: You’ll get an even deeper impression on a guided township tour. With a private guide you get a real sense of how large parts of Cape Town’s population live outside the tourist areas. Tours often start in District Six, so you can easily combine them with a visit to the museum.

Book a township tour online

Zeitz MOCAA

What do you need to know? The Zeitz MOCAA (Museum of Contemporary Art Africa) is the world’s largest museum for contemporary art from Africa. It’s located directly at the V&A Waterfront.

Is the Zeitz MOCAA worth a visit? If you’re into art, definitely. The rotating exhibitions are seriously impressive, and the building itself is worth a look on its own — the architecture is spectacular both outside and inside.

Our tip for the Zeitz MOCAA: Don’t skip the museum shop. In addition to books and the usual souvenirs, you’ll find signed prints and editions by African artists — a way to buy genuine art at relatively affordable prices and bring home a truly special memento of your South Africa trip.

The most beautiful parks in Cape Town

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden

What do you need to know? The botanical garden at the foot of Table Mountain is one of the most beautiful of its kind in the world.

Is the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden worth a visit? The botanical garden is often cited as an absolute highlight in Cape Town, and it really is beautiful — you can spend a peaceful day here away from the hustle. In our honest opinion, though, it’s not something you absolutely have to see.

Our tip for the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden: The Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts take place in the botanical garden from late November through early April. In the evenings, African and sometimes international musicians perform on stage, and you can settle in with a picnic basket and a bottle of wine. It’s a truly special experience!

Company's Garden

What do you need to know? Company’s Garden is a large park right in the heart of the city. You’ll find several historic buildings here, such as the National Gallery and the Parliament building.

Is Company’s Garden worth a visit? If you need a break from the city, Company’s Garden makes for a nice change of pace. For us, though, it doesn’t rank among the top points of interest in Cape Town.

The best markets in Cape Town

Oranjezicht Market

What do you need to know? The Oranjezicht Market is a weekly farmers market that takes place every Saturday and Sunday morning and on Wednesday evenings. Locally produced food is sold, and at many stalls you can eat right on the spot.

Is the Oranjezicht Market worth a visit? The Oranjezicht Market is really lovely. If you’re not eating every meal at your hotel or in restaurants, you can stock up on all kinds of tasty treats here. For us, a visit to the market was always a great way to kick off a Saturday or Sunday.

Our tip for the Oranjezicht Market: On weekends, try to get there as early as possible — it’ll be much less crowded. The market is perfect for breakfast, so come hungry. And on Wednesdays from 5 PM there’s even live music!

Neighborgoods Market

What do you need to know? The Neighborgoods Market is the quintessential hipster market in Cape Town. It takes place every Saturday and Sunday on the grounds of the Old Biscuit Mill in the Woodstock neighborhood.

Is the Neighborgoods Market worth a visit? If you’re into hipster markets, this is a must. You’ll find clothing, jewelry, crafts, and of course a large food stall area. The crowd is very young and very hip. We loved it!

Our tip for the Neighborgoods Market: Your best bet is to take an Uber to the market. Parking around the market is a bit chaotic. You can usually find a spot, but it’s definitely less stressful without a car.

Bay Harbour Market

What do you need to know? The Bay Harbour Market is a market hall in the suburb of Hout Bay. You’ll mainly find clothing and accessories here, along with a large area with food stalls.

Is the Bay Harbour Market worth a visit? Compared to the other two markets, the Bay Harbour Market is smaller and less remarkable. We wouldn’t make a special trip to Hout Bay just for the market. But if you’re in the area anyway or even staying there, it’s worth popping in.

The most beautiful beaches in Cape Town

Llandudno Beach

What do you need to know? Llandudno is a small suburb with many expensive villas between Camps Bay and Hout Bay, centered around Llandudno Beach.

Is Llandudno Beach worth a visit? For us, Llandudno Beach is the most beautiful beach around Cape Town. The setting is dreamy, the sand is white and fine — a picture-perfect spot. If you only visit one beach in Cape Town, make it this one.

Our tip for Llandudno Beach: Llandudno is also a wonderful photo spot. We did a little photo shoot early in the morning and love the pictures. The beach is still deserted at that hour and the backdrop is perfect.

Clifton Beaches

What do you need to know? Clifton is a small area between Sea Point and Camps Bay. It has four numbered beaches, simply called Clifton Beach 1 through 4.

Are the Clifton Beaches worth a visit? The Clifton Beaches are really beautiful. If you want a beach day in Cape Town, Clifton is a great choice. The best beach for swimming is Clifton Beach 4, which is also monitored by lifeguards.

Our tip for Clifton Beach: If you’re coming by car, try to arrive as early as possible — parking is limited.

Bloubergstrand

What do you need to know? Bloubergstrand is a long, wide sandy beach north of Cape Town.

Is Bloubergstrand worth a visit? Compared to the other beaches, Bloubergstrand is less stunning and not your typical postcard picture. It’s ideal above all for wind- and kitesurfers. The view of Table Mountain is genuinely impressive, though. We wouldn’t make a special trip out there, but if you’re in the area, a quick stop is definitely worthwhile.

Practical tips for Cape Town

Getting around Cape Town

Since Cape Town is relatively spread out, you can’t easily reach most attractions on foot. Public transportation is minimal, so getting around takes a bit of planning. Here’s a rundown of your options.

Uber and taxis

Uber is the best and most convenient way to get around Cape Town. Just install the app and you can call a driver anytime, anywhere. It’s reliable, affordable, and safe.

Traditional taxis do exist in Cape Town, but there aren’t many. We’d generally recommend sticking with Uber.

Driving in Cape Town

Driving your own car on a city trip might sound unusual. But in Cape Town, having your own car is a great way to get around. Traffic is surprisingly manageable for a large city.

There are plenty of attended parking lots and parking garages near the main sights. Your best tool for finding them is Google Maps — parking lots and garages are marked there, and from the reviews you can quickly tell whether a spot is worth using.

Hop-on/hop-off bus in Cape Town

Normally we’re not big fans of hop-on/hop-off buses. Compared to public transportation, they’re often expensive and inflexible. But in Cape Town we can highly recommend them, simply because there aren’t many alternatives.

There are two bus routes in Cape Town that stop at most of the major sights. It’s very convenient and also relatively affordable. The 2-day ticket costs less than 20 euros.

Book a hop-on/hop-off bus in Cape Town

MyCiTi Bus

The MyCiTi Bus is Cape Town’s only public transit option. The relatively small buses are modern and run on various routes. However, we don’t recommend the buses for tourists. Buying tickets is relatively complicated and the buses are simply too inflexible.

How many days should you plan for Cape Town?

To see the most important attractions in Cape Town, you should plan for at least three full days. The Cape Peninsula alone takes a full day, and Table Mountain and Robben Island each require about half a day.

Most other highlights don’t take quite as long. If you want to see a bit more than just the biggest must-sees, we recommend staying at least five days in Cape Town.

Where is the best place to stay in Cape Town?

We recommend a hotel in the Green Point or Sea Point neighborhoods. Both areas are safe, centrally located, and have plenty of restaurants and cafés.

Alternatively, you can also stay at the V&A Waterfront. It’s a bit pricier there, though, and the area has less character than Green Point or Sea Point.

In our Cape Town hotel tips you’ll find our recommendations for every budget. Here are our top 3:

Are there good city tours of Cape Town?

If you’d rather not explore Cape Town on your own, we can recommend the city tours from Lokafy. You get a private guide who shows you around the city and, unlike pre-packaged tours, tailors the experience to your interests.

When booking, you can choose whether you’d like a German-speaking or English-speaking guide.

Book a city tour here

Is the Cape Town City Pass worth it?

Many major cities offer city passes that bundle access to attractions and sights. Cape Town has one of these city cards too.

Depending on the number of days, the pass costs between approximately 75 and 110 euros. With it you can use the hop-on/hop-off bus and get free admission to many sights, such as the Table Mountain cable car, Robben Island, and various museums. Several boat trips and a township tour are also included.

In our opinion, the city pass is only worth it if you plan to visit a large number of attractions within just a few days — in that case, you can save quite a bit.

If you prefer a more relaxed pace and don’t want to rush from one highlight to the next, the pass usually isn’t worth it.

Book the Cape Town City Pass

How safe is Cape Town?

The tourist areas of Cape Town are generally safe. It’s no problem to walk around the Waterfront during the day with a camera around your neck, or to stroll through Green Point, Sea Point, or Bo Kaap.

After dark, however, always take an Uber instead of walking.

And never head into the townships on your own — only ever as part of a guided tour.

When is the best time to visit Cape Town?

You can visit Cape Town at any time of year. The most beautiful time is during the South African summer, between December and March. Outside of those four months, the weather is more unpredictable, cooler, and rainier.

That said, there are also significantly fewer tourists during those quieter months and hotel prices are lower.

Is Cape Town worth it with kids?

There are some things to do in Cape Town that work really well for children, including the V&A Waterfront, the aquarium, Table Mountain, and the penguins on the Cape Peninsula.

Getting around with kids is not so easy, though, mainly due to the lack of public transportation. In our opinion, a few days in Cape Town is plenty when traveling with children. Other areas in South Africa, such as the Garden Route or the West Coast of South Africa with Paternoster, have more to offer for families.

Can you go on safaris from Cape Town?

Yes, you can! We’ve written an article introducing you to four great game reserves near Cape Town where you can go on safari.

Our top recommendation is the Sanbona Wildlife Reserve. It has the Big 5 and is enormous.

Conclusion: Our take on Cape Town

We arrived in Cape Town with extremely high expectations. Many people had raved about the city in the most glowing terms and told us it’s one of their absolute favorite places in the world. Cape Town’s nickname Mother City doesn’t seem to come from nowhere.

On our South Africa road trip, we spent a total of four weeks in Cape Town and on the Cape Peninsula, which gave us a really good feel for the city. We enjoyed it overall — but we can’t quite join in with the most enthusiastic praise.

What is truly exceptional is Cape Town’s unique location — right on the ocean, surrounded by mountains, with dream beaches right at the edge of the city. That combination is rare in the world; off the top of our heads, only Sydney and Rio de Janeiro come to mind.

There are great restaurants, outstanding sights, lovely markets, and you’re just a short drive from the Cape Winelands. All of that we loved — yet somehow the city didn’t completely win us over.

Part of it may be that we were in Cape Town with two young children and couldn’t fully take advantage of everything the city has to offer. At the same time, some of the downsides — like getting around with kids — hit us particularly hard.

The extreme gap between rich and poor (almost always synonymous with Black and White) is ever-present in Cape Town. That does cloud the overall picture for us, and it’s part of why the city hasn’t fully captured our hearts.

Even so, we can wholeheartedly recommend a trip to Cape Town.