Things to do in Cape Town
Mediterranean in style with an African feel, Cape Town is a magnet for outdoors enthusiasts. Indigenous flora grows at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens and penguins inhabit Boulders Beach. On clear days, Table Mountain offers outstanding city views and if the temperamental Cape Doctor wind howls, test your windsurfing ability or go wine-tasting in Constantia. Both Robben Island and the South African National Gallery tell the story of the country's turbulent history.
South African National Gallery
History through art
Although small, the South African National Gallery near the Parliament
building is the country's premier art museum, with exhibits that reflect
South Africa's troubled history. Don't miss examples of the artworks once
dismissed as 'craft', such as outstanding Ndebele beadwork.
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Cost
R15; concessions R5
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-5pm
Address
Government Avenue, Company's Garden, Cape Town Cape Town 8001
Telephone
+27 (0) 21 467 4660
Robben Island Museum
Long walk to freedom
Once a prison housing Nelson Mandela, today Robben Island is a living museum
and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A series of exhibits, some in Mandela's
former cell, trace and interpret the emotions and conditions of prisoners
during apartheid.
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Cost
R200; under 18s R100
Opening Hours
Ferries depart at 9am, 11am, 1pm and 3pm; tours last 3 1/2 hours
Address
Private Bag, Cape Town 7400
Telephone
+27 (0) 21 409 5100
Groot Constantia
Wine route
Groot Constantia, 20km from Cape Town, is the oldest wine estate in South
Africa, established in 1685. Sample up to five varieties of wine with a
cellar tour or book an evening in period costume at the Manor House.
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Cost
R28-R33
Opening Hours
Daily summer: 9am-5.30pm; winter: 9am-4.30pm
Address
Groot Constantia Road, Cape Town 7848
Telephone
+27 (0) 21 794 5128
Table Mountain Cable Car
Aerial views
Enjoy a bird's-eye view of the mother city and beyond with a ten-minute
cable-car trip up Table Mountain. This table-shaped sandstone plateau is
1085 metres high and three kilometres wide but sometimes hidden by a cloud
or 'tablecloth'.
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Cost
R160 (return); concessions available
Opening Hours
Summer daily 8am-8.30pm (until 7.30pm Feb; 6.30pm Mar; 5.30pm Apr); winter daily 8.30am-5pm (until 6pm Sep-Oct; 7pm Nov)
Address
PO Box 730, Tafelberg Rd, Cape Town 8000
Telephone
+27 (0) 21 424 8181
Two Oceans Aquarium
Underwater world
Discover over 300 marine species, including fish, penguins, eels and turtles,
at the Two Oceans Aquarium, Africa's largest, near the V&A
Waterfront. The I&J Predator Exhibit showcases various different
species of shark in more than two million litres of seawater.
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Cost
R88; concessions R68; children free-R68
Opening Hours
Daily 9.30am-6pm
Address
Dock Road, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town 8002
Telephone
+27 (0) 21 418 3823
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
Cape flora
Home to indigenous South African plants, Kirstenbosch National Botanical
Gardens are nestled on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. 36 hectares of
cultivated area showcase everything from medicinal to scented species. Learn
how to conserve water at the Water-wise Garden.
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Cost
R35
Opening Hours
Daily 8am-7pm (until 6pm Apr-Aug)
Address
Rhodes Drive, Newlands, Cape Town 7735
Telephone
+27 (0) 21 799 8899
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront
All-day entertainment
A former working dock, the buzzing Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
complex is today Cape Town's most popular entertainment centre. Eat, shop,
watch movies or simply relax over a cup of coffee. Don't miss cultural
performances at the outdoor amphitheatre.
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Cost
Free entry
Opening Hours
Daily 9am-9pm
Address
Portswood Close, Portswood Ridge, Cape Town 8002
Telephone
+27 (0) 21 408 7600
Boulders Beach
Meet the penguins
Located south of Cape Town, near Simon's Town, Boulders Beach is the place to
get up close and personal with a colony of Jackass Penguins, so called for
their comical braying call. Drive on towards Cape Point to spot baboons.
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Cost
R35
Opening Hours
Dec-Jan 7am-7.30pm; Feb-Mar 8am-6pm; Apr-Sep 8am-5pm; Oct-Nov 8am-6pm
Address
Simon's Town, Cape Town 7995
Telephone
+27 21 786 2329
Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve
Ocean meets ocean
Cape of Good Hope witnesses a temperamental climate, stemming from its
position at the crossroads of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Spot
shipwrecks from the days of discovery voyages or diverse wildlife at the
Nature Reserve.
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Cost
R75
Opening Hours
Oct-Mar daily 6am-6pm; Apr-Sep daily 7am-5pm
Address
Cape Point Main Gate , Off Plateau Road, Simons Town, Cape Town 7995
Telephone
+27 (0) 21 780 9526
