Cape Town, South Africa — Where to Go
Cape Town Sightseeing Overview
Cape Town may have undergone an overhaul for the 2010 World Cup, but its favorite attractions haven’t changed. Table Mountain not only provides a beautiful backdrop, but also a makes a handy point of orientation so you’ll never be entirely lost. The city center is compact enough to explore on foot, while the V&A Waterfront is a stunning example of urban regeneration, with old-style harbor warehouses and buildings transformed into beautiful shopping centers, luxury hotels, restaurants and craft barns.
No visit to Cape Town would be complete without visiting Robben Island,the most enduring symbol of apartheid, where former president Nelson Mandela was held for 18 of his 27 years in jail.
Another legacy of apartheid was the creation of massive slum-filled townships, which are still a part of life for most black Capetonians. Township tours to Kayalitsha, Langa and Gugulethu provide a source of income generation to these communities. The Bo-Kaap area, distinguished by its pastel-colored homes, is a multicultural quarter which still retains a distinct, lively atmosphere.
Cape Town Tourist Information
Cape Town Tourism Visitor Information Center
Corner of Burg Street and Castle Street
Tel: 021 426 4260.
Website: www.tourismcapetown.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1800, Sat 0830-1400, Sun 0900-1300 in summer. Closes slightly earlier in winter.
There is also a visitor information center at the Clock Tower Precinct at the V&A Waterfront (tel: (021) 405 4500) and one at the airport.
Cape Town Sightseeing
The Go Cape Town card gives you discounted entrance to Table Mountain Cableway, the Two Oceans Aquarium and the City Sightseeing tour bus. Valid for three months from date of purchase. Available from tourism offices or online at www.webtickets.co.za
Cape Town Sightseeing
The Go Cape Town card gives you discounted entrance to Table Mountain Cableway, the Two Oceans Aquarium and the City Sightseeing tour bus. Valid for three months from date of purchase. Available from tourism offices or online at www.webtickets.co.za
Key Attractions in Cape Town, South Africa
Table Mountain
Cape Town's defining landmark is also one of its greatest tourist attractions. A revolving cable car trip to the summit offers thrilling views from the top. There are several trails to explore at the peak, worth considering for the ocean and city panoramas. Many tourists choose to hike back down, but this is no casual stroll. The combination of sheer cliff faces and buffeting winds can be lethal. The weather can change within minutes and a blanket of mist often covers the mountain like a tablecloth.
Cable station - Tafelberg Road
Tel: (021) 424 8181.
Website: www.tablemountain.net
Opening hours: Daily 0830-1700 (winter); daily 0800-18.00 (summer).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront
Transforming a rundown harbor into a booming center for tourism, culture, leisure and business was a stoke of genius. Renovated Victorian warehouses and buildings house craft markets, shops, restaurants and a cinema. Boat and yacht operators offer innumerable cruises, while ferries to Robben Island depart from here. It’s hugely popular at night, thanks to its street musicians and lively atmosphere.
Dock Road
Tel: (021) 408 7600.
Website: www.waterfront.co.za
Opening hours: Daily. Shops generally open 0900-2100, restaurants until late.
Admission charge: N.
Disabled access: Y.
Two Oceans Aquarium
A world-class aquarium where feeding sessions in the huge predator tanks are a highlight for many visitors. Its position at the V&A Waterfront makes it ideally positioned to display marine life from the converging Atlantic and India Oceans. It houses 3,000 living sea animals, including sharks, turtles and a colony of penguins in light and airy display areas. A Children’s Center offers fun activities for kids aged four to 10. A bird hide overlooking the rockhopper rookery offers a place to sit and relax. You can also arrange a diving session with ragged-tooth sharks, shoals of large predators, rays and turtles.
V&A Waterfront, Dock Road
Tel: (021) 418 3823.
Website: www.aquarium.co.za
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1800.
Admission charge: Y
Disabled access: Y.
Robben Island
Visiting Robben Island, 12km (7.5 miles) from Cape Town in Table Bay is a profoundly moving experience. The infamous prison was Nelson Mandela’s enforced home for 18 of his 27 years in jail. Book a visit with Robben Island Tours from the V&A Waterfront. Tours of the prison and the island are given by former political prisoners, who provide an insight of their experiences and struggle against apartheid. The museum in the prison also offers a wealth of information.
Depart from the V&A Waterfront
Tel: (021) 413 4263/4.
Website: www.robben-island.org.za
Opening hours: Ferries depart at 0900, 1100, 1300 and 1500 (weather permitting).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
UNESCO site: Y.
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
These a magnificent sprawling gardens boast 5,000 indigenous plant species, justifying its rating as one of the top botanical gardens in the world. Beautiful formal gardens are dotted with African sculptures, while other areas include a forest trail for the blind, a protea garden, water-wise garden, a useful plants garden and a fragrance garden. Kirstenbosch is a delightful place for a picnic, or an energetic hike through the natural fynbos (indigenous plants unique to the Western Cape). Sunset concerts are held every Sunday at 1730 between late November and April.
Rhodes Drive, Newlands
Tel: (021) 799 8783.
Website: www.kirstenbosch.co.za
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1900 (Sep-Mar); daily 0800-1800 (Apr-Aug).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Company Gardens
Not just a collection of plants and trees, but a city center relaxation area surrounded by striking buildings. The gardens were planted in 1652 to serve as a fruit and vegetable supply for the Dutch navy. It’s also home to several of the city’s key attractions such as St George's Cathedral, which became a potent symbol of anti-apartheid resistance as the site of political rallies. Until 1996, Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu was its archbishop. Also here are the Houses of Parliament, where the architect of apartheid, Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd, was assassinated in 1966. Nelson Mandela also presented his inaugural speech from here as president of the new South Africa in 1994. Art buffs can visit the South African National Gallery, while The South African Museum documents the country’s natural and political history. There is also the Planetarium, Jewish Museum and Holocaust Center which compares the consequences of racism and oppression in apartheid South Africa to the experiences of survivors of the Nazi occupation of Germany.
Queen Victoria Street
Tel: (021) 400 2521.
Further Distractions
Castle of Good Hope
Construction began on this five-pointed, star-shaped castle (originally a Dutch fortress) in 1666, which makes it the oldest colonial building in the country. The castle became the apartheid government's military headquarters in 1948. Now very much a museum of the people, it hosts regular art exhibitions and cultural events.
Enjoy daily guided tours on weekdays, horse and carriage rides and a restaurant. Also within the castle, the William Fehr Collection offers a superb record of colonial Cape art and culture.
Corner of Darling Street and Castle Street
Tel: 021 464 1260/4.
Website: www.castleofgoodhope.co.za
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1600.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Century City
Just a short drive from the city center is Century City, a massive and architecturally astounding entertainment complex with clubs, pubs and restaurants and shops. Its Canal Walk shopping center is the second largest mall in the southern hemisphere. The MTN Sciencenter provides a myriad of scientific distractions for children of all ages, with over 250 interactive displays. Man-made Intaka Island is a haven for bird life, while canal boat rides are also available. There’s a golf practice center and Ratanga Junction, an amusement park that opens during school holidays.
Century City, Century Boulevard, Milnerton
Tel: (021) 550 7000.
Website: www.centurycity.co.za
Opening hours: Daily.
Admission charge: Y (for some attractions).
Disabled access: Y.
