Things to do

written by Eleanor Aldridge

updated 4/27/2021

Related tailor-made travel itineraries for South Africa

#01 Table Mountain cableway

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

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#01 Table Mountain cableway
#02 Ocean safaris
#03 Sundowners
#04 Township tours
#05 Sandboarding
#06 The Bo-Kaap
#07 Penguins
#08 Cape Point
#09 Winelands
#10 Elephants
#11 Mother City Queer Projects
#12 Cape minstrels
#13 Chapman’s Peak Drive
#14 Canopy Tours
#15 V&A Waterfront
#16 Robben Island
#17 Cape Town International Jazz Festival
#18 De Hoop Nature Reserve

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#02 Ocean safaris

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

© Martin Prochazkacz/Shutterstock

#03 Sundowners

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

© Andrea Willmore/Shutterstock

#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.

#06 The Bo-Kaap

Meander through the city’s oldest and brightest quarter.

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In-depth, easy-to-use travel guides filled with expert advice.

#07 Penguins

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

#08 Cape Point

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

#09 Winelands

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

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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.

© Johan Swanepoel/Shutterstock

#11 Mother City Queer Projects

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

© ClaudioDoenitz/Shutterstock

#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.

© Andrey_Fokin/Shutterstock

#14 Canopy Tours

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

#15 V&A Waterfront

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

#16 Robben Island

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

#17 Cape Town International Jazz Festival

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

#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.