Cape Town Travel Guide

Things to do in Cape Town

From museums and historic sites to scenic drives and beaches, Cape Town has plenty to offer visitors in the way of attractions and excursions. The open-top, hop-on hop-off Explorer bus operates two routes with 13 stops each at sights within the central city, as well as further afield in the suburbs, which is an easy way to see many of the city''s top attractions in one day. The city centre is easy to navigate on foot, with Table Mountain and the gentle slope of the city toward the sea providing a point of reference and making it difficult to get lost. At the very least, visitors usually include a trip up Table Mountain in the cable car on their itinerary, and many make time for an outing to Robben Island, Cape Point, the Winelands and of course any one of the city''s many magnificent beaches.

Summertime visitors rarely come to Cape Town without at least one day spent enjoying its Blue Flag-rated beaches, whether lounging with the bronze bodies in Camps Bay and Clifton, or snorkelling with penguins in Simonstown. There are many active pursuits available in Cape Town as well, from kayaking with whales in the Atlantic Ocean, to hiking up Table Mountain or in the Tokai forest, to paragliding from Signal Hill to Camp''s Bay.

For those with a bit more time, there are many museums that offer a glimpse into the apartheid era such as the District Six Museum, and an increasingly popular tour is to one of the predominantly black townships which usually includes a look at community projects, a visit to a craft market and a drink at a local shebeen.