Things to do

#01 Table Mountain cableway

The cable car is the most spectacular way to ascend Cape Town’s famous peak.

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#02 Ocean safaris

Take to the waves for incomparable encounters with South Africa’s whale and dolphin species.

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#03 Sundowners

Relax with a tipple as the sun turns into a glowing orb and sinks into the ocean.

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#04 Township tours

Touch the reality of daily life for most Capetonians in one of the city’s sprawling townships.

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#05 Sandboarding

One of the newest and most exciting rides for adrenaline junkies – boarding at speed down the peninsula’s dunes.

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#06 The Bo-Kaap

Meander through the city’s oldest and brightest quarter.

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#07 Penguins

Teeming with African penguins, Boulders Beach offers a surreal landscape of enormous sea-worn rocks and fine, safe swimming.

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#08 Cape Point

Roam the treacherous rocky promontory south of Cape Town and experience one of the most dramatic viewpoints in the country.

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#09 Winelands

The Western Cape's wine estates combine stunning scenery, Cape Dutch architecture and some fine and affordable vintages.

Cape Town also boasts a couple of great restaurants, to find out more about them and other restaurants in the South African regions - explore our guide to the the amazing food and drinks of South Africa.

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#10 Elephants

Addo Elephant National Park, the world-famous reserve at the end of the Garden Route, has some three hundred pachyderms to marvel at.

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#11 Mother City Queer Projects

The biggest and most outrageous ball of the year – Cape Town’s straight-friendly gay party.

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#12 Cape minstrels

Every January 2, minstrel bands hold an unmissable carnival through the streets of Cape Town.

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#13 Chapman’s Peak Drive

Take a spin along the precipitous cliff edge of the Atlantic seaboard for the most sublime views on the peninsula.

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#14 Canopy Tours

Swing through the treetops among the arboreal giants of South Africa's tallest indigenous forest.

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#15 V&A Waterfront

Find out why a huge harbourside shopping mall is Cape Town’s most popular tourist destination.

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#16 Robben Island

Visit the notorious offshore jail where some of South Africa’s most famous figures, including Nelson Mandela, were incarcerated.

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#17 Cape Town International Jazz Festival

Local musos come into their own at the most important jazz event of the year.

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#18 De Hoop Nature Reserve

Monumental dunes, zebras, bontebok and whales by the dozen make this one of the most compelling reserves in the Western Cape.

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