Must-see attractions in Cape Town

  • Flowers in the Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens below Table Mountain.

    Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

    Cape Town

    Location and unique flora combine to make these 5.28-sq-km botanical gardens among the most beautiful in the world. Gate 1, the main entrance at the…

  • Cape of Good Hope

    Simon's Town & Southern Peninsula

    This 77.5-sq-km section of Table Mountain National Park includes awesome scenery, fantastic walks, great birdwatching and often-deserted beaches. The…

  • Table Mountain Aerial Cableway in Cape Town

    Table Mountain

    Cape Town

    Around 600 million years old, and a canvas painted with the rich diversity of the Cape floral kingdom, Table Mountain is truly iconic. You can admire the…

  • Prison Barrack on Robben Island

    Robben Island

    Green Point & ­Waterfront

    Used as a prison from the early days of the VOC (Dutch East India Company) right up until 1996, this Unesco World Heritage site is preserved as a memorial…

  • African penguins on the stone in evening twilight. African penguin ( Spheniscus demersus) also known as the jackass penguin and black-footed penguin. Boulders colony. South Africa
628098086
Endangered Species, Wilderness Area, Stone - Object, Sea Life, Colony, Two Animals, Water Bird, Bird Watching, Arrival, Coastline, Dusk, Dawn, Twilight, Cute, Jackass Penguin, Animal Foot, Animal Wing, Fun, Wildlife, Nature, South Africa, Uncultivated, Animals In The Wild, Penguin, Sea Bird, Freshwater Bird, Bird, Animal, Sunset, Boulder - Rock, Sand, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Sea, Surf, flightless, Footed, south-africa, blackfooted, black-footed, Life, Aquatic

    Boulders Penguin Colony

    Simon's Town & Southern Peninsula

    This picturesque area, with enormous boulders dividing small, sandy coves, is home to a colony of some 3000 delightful African penguins. A boardwalk runs…

  • District Six Museum

    Cape Town

    It's impossible not to be emotionally moved by this museum, which celebrates the once lively multiracial area that was destroyed during apartheid in the…

  • Groot Constantia manor house in Cape Town, South Africa.

    Groot Constantia

    Cape Town

    Simon van der Stel’s manor house, a superb example of Cape Dutch architecture, is maintained as a museum at Groot Constantia. Set in beautiful grounds,…

  • Silvermine Reservoir.

    Silvermine Nature Reserve

    Simon's Town & Southern Peninsula

    The Silvermine Reservoir, a beautiful spot for a picnic or a leisurely walk on the wheelchair-accessible boardwalk, is the focal point of this section of…

  • Landscape of Meerendal Wine Estate.

    Meerendal

    Cape Town

    Although it was established in 1702 and has some of South Africa's oldest pinotage and shiraz vineyards, as well as a handsome Cape Dutch homestead,…

  • Bloubergstrand Beach with Table Mountain in background.

    Bloubergstrand

    Cape Town

    The beaches beside this pleasant coastal suburb are where the British won their 1806 battle for the Cape. The panoramic view they provide of Table…

  • Scenic view of Sea Point Promenade, Cape Town, South Africa.

    Sea Point Promenade

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    Strolling along Sea Point’s wide, paved and grassy promenade is a pleasure shared by Capetonians from all walks of life. Once a white-only area, it’s now…

  • Buitenverwachting Wine Estate, Constantia, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.
1309062551
vine, buitenverwachting, spring

    Buitenverwachting

    Cape Town

    Buitenverwachting means ‘beyond expectation’, which is certainly the feeling one gets on visiting this Cape Dutch estate. It's a lovely estate to visit…

  • table mountain cape town

    V&A Waterfront

    Green Point & ­Waterfront

    This historic working harbour has a spectacular setting and many tourist-oriented attractions, including masses of shops, restaurants, bars, cinemas and…

  • Zeitz MOCAA Museum

    Green Point & ­Waterfront

    The Waterfront's old grain silo has been transformed into this state-of-the-art museum for the contemporary Southern African art collection of…

  • Guga S’Thebe Arts & Cultural Centre

    Cape Town

    Decorated with polychromatic ceramic murals, this is one of the most impressive buildings in the townships – even more so now that it has a theatre,…

  • Irma Stern Museum

    Cape Town

    The pioneering 20th-century artist Irma Stern (1894–1966), whose works are some of the most sought-after among modern South African painters, occupied…

  • Klein Constantia

    Cape Town

    Part of Simon van der Stel's original Constantia estate, Klein Constantia is famous for its Vin de Constance, a sweet muscat wine. It was Napoleon’s…

  • Langa Pass Museum

    Cape Town

    Step inside a grim apartheid relic at Langa's old pass office, where black people had to present their identity cards, and the attached court, where they…

  • Constantia Glen

    Cape Town

    There's a sweeping view of the vineyards from the terrace in front of the tasting room at this boutique winery, which is known for its sauvignon blanc and…

  • Bo-Kaap, Chiappini Street, Muslim Cape-Malay area.

    Bo-Kaap

    Cape Town

    Meaning ‘Upper Cape’, the Bo-Kaap, with its vividly painted low-roofed houses, many of them historic monuments, strung along narrow cobbled streets, is…

  • Company’s Garden

    Cape Town

    These shady green gardens, which started as the vegetable patch for the Dutch East India Company, are a lovely place to relax. They are planted with a…

  • Cape Point Vineyards

    Simon's Town & Southern Peninsula

    This small vineyard known for its fine sauvignon blanc has a spectacular setting overlooking Noordhoek Beach. Enjoy the wines with a picnic (R395 for two,…

  • The view from table mountain is breathtaking.
1137384860
Cityscape, Color Image, Looking At View, Scenics - Nature, Capit, Capital Cities, Landscape - Scenery, Adult, Outdoors, High Angle View, Cape Peninsula, Photography, Freedom, Romance, People, High Up, Travel, Western Cape Province, Couple - Relationship, Vacations, Heterosexual Couple, On Top Of, Embracing, Adventure, Lifestyles, Cape Town, Travel Destinations, Horizontal, Tranquil Scene, Getting Away From It All, Two People, Hiking, 40-49 Years, Adults Only, Table Mountain South Africa, Viewpoint, Mountain, Table Mountain National Park, Relaxation, Tourist, Copy Space, Summer, South Africa, Togetherness

    Table Mountain National Park

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    Stretching from Signal Hill to Cape Point, this 220-sq-km park is a natural wonder, its range of environments including granite and sandstone mountains,…

  • An aerial view of the beautiful Noordhoek Beach and Chapmans Peak in South Africa during summer
1445654367
chapmans peak, coastal, landscape, beautiful, vacation, coast, scenic, background, waves, seaside, outdoor, natural, aerial, top, skies

    Noordhoek Beach

    Simon's Town & Southern Peninsula

    This magnificent 5km stretch of beach is favoured by surfers and horse riders. It tends to be windy, and dangerous for swimmers. The Hoek, as it is known…

  • Parrots at the World of Birds in Cape Town.

    World of Birds

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    Barbets, weavers and flamingos are among the 3000 birds and small mammals – covering some 400 different species – at Africa's largest bird park. A real…

  • Two Oceans Aquarium.

    Two Oceans Aquarium

    Green Point & ­Waterfront

    This excellent aquarium features denizens of the deep from the cold and the warm oceans that border the Cape Peninsula. It's a chance to see penguins,…

  • The famous beach of Muizenberg with its colorful beach huts.

    Muizenberg Beach

    Simon's Town & Southern Peninsula

    Popular with families, this surf beach is famous for its row of colourfully painted Victorian bathing chalets. Surfboards can be hired and lessons booked…

  • View of the beach and Twelve Apostles mountain in Camps Bay near Cape Town in South Africa.

    Twelve Apostles

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    The name of the Twelve Apostles is said to have been coined by British governor Sir Rufane Donkin in 1820. There are actually well over 12 buttresses on…

  • Fishing boats and Cape Fur Seals in Hout Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, South Africa.

    Hout Bay Harbour

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    Partly given over to tourism with complexes such as Mariner’s Wharf, Hout Bay’s harbour still functions and the southern side is a fishing port and…

  • Clifton First Beach, Cape Town, South Africa.

    Clifton 1st Beach

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    The first of Clifton's four beaches strung along Victoria Rd at Clifton. As with the other three, it's almost always sheltered from the wind and offers…

  • Clifton 4th beach with people on Valentines day for a special open air concert event.

    Clifton 4th Beach

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    The only Blue Flag beach among the four sheltered stretches of sand strung along Victoria Rd at Clifton is popular with families. On calm summer evenings,…

  • South African Jewish Museum

    Cape Town

    You need a photo ID to enter the secure compound that's home to this imaginatively designed museum, which partly occupies the beautifully restored Old…

  • Casa Labia Cultural Centre

    Simon's Town & Southern Peninsula

    This magnificent seaside villa built in 1930 was once the palatial home of Italian ambassador Count Natale Labia and his South African wife. It now hosts…

  • Groote Schuur

    Cape Town

    The grandest of Cecil Rhodes' former residences was also home to a succession of prime ministers and presidents, culminating with FW de Klerk. The…

  • Imhoff Farm

    Simon's Town & Southern Peninsula

    There’s plenty to see and do at this attractive historic farmstead just outside Kommetjie. Among the attractions are craft shops and art studios; a cafe,…

  • Steenberg Farm

    Cape Town

    Steenberg's contemporary tasting bar and lounge, adjoining Bistro Sixteen82, is a gorgeous setting for sampling its great merlot, sauvignon blanc,…

  • Oranjezicht City Farm

    Cape Town

    Local residents and volunteers have created this fantastic nonprofit venture on land where, in 1709, 'Oranje Zigt', the original farm in the Upper Table…

  • De Grendel

    Cape Town

    Established in 1720, the closest of the Durbanville wineries to Cape Town has a jaw-dropping view of Table Mountain from its tasting room. There's also a…

  • Clifton 2nd Beach

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    The second of Clifton's four sheltered beaches strung along Victoria Rd. As at the others, vendors hawk drinks and ice creams along the beach, and sun…

Not Cape Town... but still worth the visit