Cape Peninsula Tour

We wanted to visit all the attractions around Cape Peninsula and decided to do this by booking a day excursion through GetYourGuide as this felt the easiest option. The stops on the cape peninsula tour included:

Camps Bay for a photo stop
Hout Bay with an optional add on for a 45 minute seal boat trip
Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point
Boulders beach with a stop off for lunch
Muizenburg for a photo stop
Bo - Kaap

The first couple of spots were short with a photo stop in Camps Bay for around 15 minutes and a stop in Hout Bay where you were able to book onto an optional short seal boat trip. We decided not to go on the boat trip after getting very seasick the previous day on a whale watching trip! We were able to sit in a cafe looking over the harbour for a quick snack, drink and people watching!

Top tip: Don’t get your photo taken in the harbour with the seals! Opportunists coax the seals out of the water with food in order to charge people for their photograph!

Camp’s Bay Hout Bay

After the first two stops we headed down to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. At Cape Point there is a short walk up to a gift shop and light house or you can pay to use the funicular. It offers viewpoints of the Atlantic Ocean and coves with bright blue water. Cape of Good Hope is the most south-western point of the African continent with a sign for a photo opportunity. We even saw some wild ostrich on the drive!

After this, we drove back up to Boulders Beach to visit the penguin colony that live here. This has to have been the highlight of the Cape Peninsula trip. It was so lovely to see wild African Penguins lounging on the sand and some waddling off into the ocean. We even got to see young penguins that still had some of their baby fluff! We were then taken to Seaforth restaurant for lunch which overlooked the ocean. The food was delicious there with lots of fresh seafood.

**Dassies relaxing near Boulder’s Beach**

On the way back into the city we stopped off at Muizenberg Beach for around 20 minutes to stretch our legs and take a few photos. After this our last stop was Bo Kaap for around 30 minutes before we were all dropped off back at our hotel.

The day didn’t feel too rushed although extra time at Boulder’s beach would have been nice.

Whale watching from Simon’s town

We visited Cape Town in August which is one of the peak months to see whales in Cape Town, this is because they’re migrating from Antarctica to warmer waters to breed. Although Hermanus is the best area to spot them, we didn’t have the time to travel that far and decided to book a trip to Simon’s Town and take a boat trip out to False Bay.

The company we booked with is called ‘Simon’s Town Boat Company’. They use small boats to travel out into the bay with a few crew members on board to help spot the whales. This company offers two whale watching trips a day. One at 10:30am and the other at 2pm and they both last around 2.5 hours. It costs 1850 South African Rand per adult which is around £80pp.

We were able to spot many different types of whale including Southern Right Whales, Brydes Whale and even some dolphins! At the end of the trip as we were making our way back towards the bay our guide spotted some activity and headed towards it, only for a whale to breach right infront of us!

The day that we went on the whale watching trip they had volunteers from a sea bird centre on the boat along with some gannets that had been rescued into the bay which was a lovely experience to see them out in the water for the first time in their life.

Top tip: Take sickness tablets before boarding the boat as the boat is quite small and the water was choppy, resulting in a few people feeling very sea sick!

Table mountain

Table Mountain is an iconic landmark in Cape Town, standing at 1,086 meters and can be seen from all over the city. It can be quite tricky to choose a time when to ascend the mountain due to cloudiness and visibility.

When it is cloudy and the clouds are rolling down over the top of the mountain, people refer to it as having a ‘table cloth laid at the table’.

In 2012, Table Mountain was officially listed as one of the new seven wonders of the world.

There are multiple hiking trails up to the mountain, the most direct route, Platteklip Gorge, takes between 2 to 3 hours to reach the top. It’s recommended that if you want to hike that you do this with a group or a guide due to thefts and muggings on the route and not to go alone.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to hike or you are time limited, you can always take the cable car up to the top. The cable car takes a few minutes to reach the top and the floor rotates slowly so it doesn’t matter where in the pod you are because you will be able to get views all around. You can book tickets in advance, however the weather and visibility can be slightly unpredictable so it can be best to buy on the day either online or in person. The return tickets cost 450 South African Rand for an adult with reduced prices for locals, pensioners and children.

Top tip: Aim to visit for sunset when the weather is cooler and for beautiful views over the city.

Signal hill to watch the paraglider’s and the photo frame

Signal hill is another iconic landmark in Cape Town that stands at 350 meters. It provides views over the city and the ocean with many hiking trails around. Again I would recommend either hiking in a group or with a guide as there have been thefts and muggings in this area.

Atop of Signal Hill is where the paragliders take off from and also where there is one of the many ‘photo frames’ around the city eith views of Table Mountain.

We got an Uber up to the top of Signal Hill, watched the paragliders take off and snapped some photos through the photo frame.

**Photo frame at the top of Signal Hill**

Cooking class

When visiting other countries it’s always nice to try the local cuisine and that is why we decided to book a Cape Malay cooking class to experience cooking a traditional meal in a locals home.

This was booked on GetYourGuide and was hosted in a locals house in the Bo Kaap area. The lady hosted 6 of us in her house and she taught us how to make the filling for the samosas and to wrap them. We also made chilli bites, chicken curry and roti. The food was all very delicious albeit on the spicy side.

It cost around £30pp which included all the ingredients to cook the meal and drinks.

Lions head

Lion’s head is again another iconic landmark in Cape Town standing at 669 meters and can be seen from all over the city.

Just like Table Mountain and Signal Hill, there are many hiking trails to reach the top but it is recommended that you do this in a big group or with a guide due to thefts and muggings on the trials.

We personally didn’t hike to the top due to time restraints but we were able to see the Lion’s head from different points around the city.

**View of Lion’s Head from Signal Hill**

Robben Island

Robben Island is located just 7km off the coast of Cape Town that was previously used as a prison from 1961-1996 before it shut down after it became obsolete during the fall of Apartheid. It is well known was holding Nelson Mandela as a prisoner during 1964-1982 and now holds a UNESCO world heritage title.

Nowadays it is a museum where former inmates lead tours for tourists who give personal accounts of their time on the island.

You can book a guided tour through the official website. The ticket price includes your guide, the ferry to and from the V&A Waterfront and your tour across the island, including visiting the cell that Nelson Mandela was held in. Tickets cost 600 South African Rand per international adult with reduced prices for locals, and children. This is roughly £27.

Unfortunately when we visited, Robben Island was closed for a few months due to maintenance works.

District six museum

The District Six Museum is a museum showing the history of what happened during Apartheid to the residents in the 1960’s and 70’s during the forceful clearance and relocation of residents in the District Six area.

It shows photographs, personal artifacts and accounts from people living in District Six at the time.

The museum is open Monday - Saturday from 9am to 4pm. Tickets can be bought online or at the ticket desk.

Bo Kaap

Bo Kaap is in a neighbourhood in Cape Town located at the foot of Signal Hill. This neighbourhood is well known for its colourful houses and Cape Malay heritage.

The reason the houses are brightly painted dates back to the 1990’s after the fall of Apartheid and the residents were no longer restricted to keeping their houses white. They painted them as a symbol of freedom.

The Bo Kaap museum is located on Wale Street and shows the history of the early settlers to the area. Bo Kaap is also home to the first and oldest mosque in South Africa, Auwal Mosque, located on Dorp Street.

The area can be quite lively and busy with tourists during the day, however it’s recommended not the visit after dark. We visited Bo Kaap twice, once on our Cape Peninsula Tour and again on a free walking tour of the area.

Personally, I felt slightly on edge during the Cape Peninsula Tour as it was later in the day and not as many tourists around. However the next day we wanted to explore the area a bit more so we booked onto a free walking tour with ‘Free walking tours Cape Town’.

We met the guide at a nearby cafe and booked onto the tour. The guide was extremely informative and we felt a lot safer than the previous day. The guide took us around the Bo Kaap area, visiting some of the more popular streets, the outside of the mosque, a lookout point and more. The walking tour is free but tips are very much appreciated by the guides.

Top Tip: visit this area with a group or guide

V&A Waterfront

The V&A Waterfront is a more lively and touristy area of the city with many shops, restaurants and hotels in the harbour. Our apartment was nearby and so we ventured into the waterfront a few times for groceries or for dinner one evening.

**The Cape Town sign is located outside the Victoria & Albert Hotel**

The area felt very safe and there were security guards dotted around that were more than happy to help with directions or advice. They are easily spotted wearing a uniform and white hats.

Top Spots in Cape Town