Discover the Cape

Today you'll arrive in Cape Town. There are three different guest house options to choose from in our Cape Town excursions module. Each of our guest houses are centrally located, near major attractions and only about 25 minutes from the airport. After you've had a chance to freshen up in the guest house, you'll have the entire remainder of the afternoon to have a look around Cape Town. 

The Waterfront is a wonderful place to visit, have a drink and enjoy the view. There are also countless bars, restaurants and a nice shopping mall nearby. If the weather is clear, you can even see Table Mountain from here; a captivating view. You'll also find Two Oceans Aquarium here. This is an impressive aquarium with hundreds of different types of fish as well as seals, penguins, sea horses and enormous sharks. You could spend the entire day here and then go out for a bit to eat before heading back to the guest house.

If you enjoyed a day at the Waterfront yesterday, you may enjoy spending today getting to know more about local culture while enjoying breathtaking scenery. 

Robben Island: you'll visit the prison where Nelson Mandela was an inmate for over 27 years. For just a short while, walk in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela and experience what it's like to be 'exiled' to this prison island off the coast of Cape Town. He and many others with him were sent to Robben Island in the 60's for opposing the Apartheid regime. Several boats head towards the island from the waterfront each day. Tickets are for sale at the clock tower and the boat ride will take approximately 45 minutes (if you're prone to sea sickness, you may want to take a pill for nausea before boarding the boat). Once you arrive on the island, you'll receive a guided tour by an ex-inmate of Robben Island.  

Tip: these Cape Town excursions are quite popular and are quickly fully booked in peak travel season (December - January and July - August). That's why we suggest you book this excursion right after your arrival in Cape Town. Whether or not the boats depart for the island, depends on the weather and at times their departure is delayed or cancelled; if this happens, your money will be returned to you. 

Table Mountain: After a very unique excursion to Robben Island, it's time to visit one of the most famous mountains in the world. Along with Mount Everest this is probably one of the most written about peaks in the world, as well as the centre piece of the city. Although this mountain is quite a bit easier to conquer than Everest. In just around 2 hours you'll be at the top of the mountain. For those who don't feel like climbing to the summit, there's a cable car with a 360 degrees rotating carriage for an increasingly more beautiful view. Once you reach the top, you'll have a view unlike any other in all of Cape Town. Sometimes you may be a bit out of luck if cloud cover appears. The mist that occasionally covers the top of the mountain is locally referred to as the 'table cloth'. 

After this impressive day, you may want to unwind a bit at one of the city's modern restaurants at the cosmopolitan Camps Bay beach. This beach is located behind the Table Mountain's 'Lion's Head' and the 'Twelve Apostles'. Coming from Table Mountain, you'll see the beach villas and beaches lying before you. Its many palm trees, beautiful beaches and trendy restaurants, have made this place a favourite among Cape Town excursion visitors for years. A walk on the boulevard is a perfect way to end the day. 

Chapman's Peak: after visiting two top Cape Town attractions yesterday, you may want to spend the day exploring the area surrounding the city. One of the most famous trails in the world is the Chapman's Peak Drive. This route begins in Cape Town and passes through places such as Chapman's Peak, Cape of Good Hope and the penguin beach, Boulders Beach.

The trail begins in Cape Town and continues on to the harbour town of Hout Bay. This small town lies in a 'bowl' and is surrounded by several mountains. You'll probably want to park the car and perhaps go on a seal tour here. Even while having a bite to eat at one of the friendly harbour restaurants, you'll likely spot quite a few seals. Next you'll drive on towards Cape of Good Hope. The drive will take you through the mountain roads surrounding Hout Bay and you'll have a spectacular view of white beaches and a turquoise sea. There are several places you can stop and park the car along the road to enjoy the view. 

Cape of Good Hope: about 2 hours further down the road you'll reach the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and the most southwestern part of the African continent. There are several places to picnic in the park where you'll be surrounded by sea and mountains. Be aware of the baboons walking around the reserve, before you know it they will have stolen your lunch.... Once you reach the most southwestern point, you'll have an opportunity to climb the top of the mountain in about (it should take about 1.5 hour). A little further down in the park lies Cape Point; this is where you can take The Flying Dutchman railway up to the top. 

Boulders Beach: the last major stop along the Chapman's Peak Drive excursion is Boulders Beach at Simon's Town; a true penguin beach. Walk across wooden boards onto this beach where you'll sea entire colonies of penguins waddling by. These penguins are also known as the Jackass penguins. There are more than 3000 (!) penguins to be seen in this area.

After this long, yet impressive day, it's great to relax and unwind in the guest house pool before preparing for a lovely dinner. We suggest having dinner at 'Mama Africa' on Long Street where there's live music after dinner each evening. We really enjoyed the atmosphere in the restaurant and the menu is very diverse; you could even eat spring bock, kudu or crocodile... A great place to have dinner. Be sure to make reservations though, this restaurant is usually booked full.

This Cape Town excursions module finishes after breakfast this morning. We can highly recommend visiting the Kirstenbosch Botanical gardens before you leave Cape Town. There's always something going on here, all year round. You'll see the most beautiful flora and fauna here while you walk through the gardens. During the summer months you may even be surprised by an outdoor concert and you'll be able to sit in the grass and enjoy the music. Whether you visit the gardens in the summer or in the winter (on sunny days), this place is great for ending your visit to Cape Town with an outdoor picnic. If the weather doesn't work in your favour, you can have a bite to eat in the bistro or the restaurant. This is a great way to begin (or end) your trip through South Africa. Continue your journey through South Africa with one of our Cape wine tours: Cape and Wine, Drive-n-Dine.