Hi travel fam! Cape Town is one of the most dynamic, fun cities I have ever been to and I am so excited to share some must see things for you all to do while you are there! Before we get into it too much, here’s some logistics.
Getting Around
Getting around Cape Town is extremely easy! Uber, Uber, Uber! Uber is cheap and reliable in Cape Town. I’ve heard that taxis often rip off tourists, so Uber is the best way to go to ensure you get a fair price for your ride. For towns that may be farther apart, there are trains that connect them. We never used them, but I have heard they are affordable and trustworthy.
Having international cell service was really helpful in Cape Town to call Ubers and use navigation to get around when walking. If you don’t have international service, plenty of places have Wifi, but I highly recommend getting a plan if you can.
Traps to Avoid
In Cape Town, people wearing bright orange vests will often try to give you directions to where you want to go. They also hang out in parking lots and act as parking attendants, but they are not really hired by the city! This is a classic scam to try and get tourists to give them some sort of a tip, so avoid getting caught up in it and just politely refuse their services.
Where to Stay
So, we had a very interesting experience staying in Cape Town. I was with a large group so we chose a house that would accommodate us. It was on Union Street, which was a great location as far as being in close proximity to all the major attractions, but it wasn’t the safest area of town. We had frequent squatters on our front porch, and I wouldn’t recommend females being out at night in this area alone! We always made sure we had at least one male with us.
Being closer to Union Street will be cheaper, but if I were to go back to Cape Town, I would spend the money to stay near one of the major beaches (see below for my favorites!). To me it would be worth the peace of mind! All that said, overall Cape Town is a very safe city full of friendly people, so if you use your common sense you will be just fine.
What to Do:
Now, here are things you must do while in Cape Town!
1. Cape of Good Hope
This is an absolute must see. The national park surrounding Cape Point is lush and beautiful, with cliffs that contrast the clear blue water below them. There is hiking galore, or you can just snap a quick picture at the Southern most part of the African Continent.
If you want to splurge for an absolutely delicious lunch, eat at Two Oceans. The seafood was fresh and the view was unbeatable.
We actually did this as part of a private day tour that included a visit to Boulders Beach and a winery. For more information about the tour we used, click here. I loved our guide and would highly recommend them to anyone who is looking for an easy, stress free way to see a lot in one day!
2. Boulders Beach
The Boulders Beach Penguin Colony is one of the few land based colonies in the world. If you enter from the parking lot, the first entrance is the one that is to the main boardwalk. If you pay to go in this entrance, you will not actually be on the beach with the penguins. Instead, walk past the entrance and follow the wooden bridge all the way around until you reach the other side of the beach. If you get to that side, you can go on the beach directly with the penguins and it is a lot less crowded! On the wooden pathway, you will see penguins galore and you might even see a baby or two being guarded by a protective mother.
3. Wine Tasting
South Africa is famous for its wines, and you can find dozens of wineries around Cape Town. We headed to Groot Constantia, the oldest winery in the Southern hemisphere. The grounds were incredible, and the wines were flavorful and delicious. I’m a wine lover, so I obviously recommend seeing at least one winery during your time in Cape Town!
4. Shark Diving
This one is not for the faint of heart (or stomach). We spent the day with White Shark Ventures for a crazy cage diving experience. The company itself was amazing. They picked us up and dropped us off in Cape Town and fed us both breakfast and lunch. We spent about two hours out at sea on the boat and we got to see over ten different sharks, several being Great Whites. Seeing such majestic animals up close was indescribable, and the company educated us about the conservation efforts that protect the sharks in the area.
***I definitely do not recommend if you get seasick at all! The boat gets really rocky, and we had several people in our group get sick over the side, but if you want to see sharks, Cape Town is the place to do it.
5. Bo Kapp
These colorful houses are a remnant of the old housing divisions that used to exist in Cape Town. Now they serve as one of the most Instagrammable places in town! Spend some time wandering around these charming neighborhoods, but go early to beat the tour buses.
6. Green Market Square
For all your souvenir needs, Green Market Square is where you want to be. Haggle prices among the rows of stalls and enjoy some more traditional African crafts. This is an easy and safe walk from both the V&A Waterfront and Bo Kapp, so if the weather is nice enjoy a nice day out exploring the town.
7. V&A Waterfront
This cute harbor was one of my favorites in Cape Town. There is shopping and food galore along with a beautiful view of Table Mountain. I definitely recommend checking out the V&A food market for a yummy selection of any kind of cuisine you could want. Just wandering around here could be a day long event, listening to live music and riding the ferris wheel. Sit back, and enjoy the sea!
For a store that has the traditional African crafts you see at the markets (but way cheaper), check out African Trading Port!
8. Hiking
Cape Town has some incredible hikes, but let me warn you, they are not for inexperienced hikers (especially Table Mountain). We hiked both Lion’s Head and Table Mountain and I enjoyed them both. If I were to go back, I would still do the hike up Lion’s Head, but I would simply take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. The hike itself is not overly spectacular along the way, but there is so much along the top to explore.
9. Beach Time
There are so many beaches to choose from in Cape Town, and there wasn’t a single one that we didn’t enjoy. That being said, Camp’s Bay was my absolute favorite. It is wide and has very soft sand leading into water bluer than most beaches in the area. It is a beautiful place to play a pickup game of sand volleyball or sit and enjoy a sunset picnic.
Sea Point is a great area for several beaches, tide pools, sea glass searching, and you can check out the nearby Mojo Market for live music, crafts, and delicious coffee! Walk along Sea Point Promenade for plenty of options for some yummy food, especially pizza.
Hout Bay Harbour is another fun area, but be careful! Uber directly to Hout Bay Harbour Market. From here you can enjoy shops and delicious food. Walk outside towards the water and you are almost guaranteed to see sea lions swimming offshore. I would NOT recommend walking anywhere from this area. The market is extremely nice and safe, but the surrounding area gets very sketchy very quickly, so simply Uber to your next destination.
10. EAT!
Cape Town is home to some crazy delicious food. The seafood was my favorite, and we even ate at an all you can eat rotating sushi buffet for under $9 per person (Check out 1890 House Sushi and Grill for this deal)! The city is very modern, so there are plenty of vegan and gluten free options everywhere you go. Find some place that’s busy on the inside, and rest assured that it will be delicious.
So there you have it: the top ten things to do in Cape Town. We only had a few days to get a taste of this amazing city, but we loved every second of it! As always, ask me questions below and subscribe to my blog for the latest news and updates. Happy travels, fam!