10 Best Things to Do in Cape Town

1. Visit Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Wander through one of the world's great botanical treasures, where the slopes of Table Mountain cradle rolling lawns and bursts of fynbos. Kirstenbosch showcases the extraordinary Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest yet richest of the planet's six floral kingdoms. Among its living jewels are prehistoric cycads dating back to the time of dinosaurs and the famed “Boomslang” canopy walkway, which lets you stroll through the treetops and enjoy panoramic views.

The gardens are immaculate, serene, and endlessly photogenic, making them an easy top contender for things to do in Cape Town for both locals and visitors alike. Spread out a picnic blanket, and you might even spot hadedas with their unmistakable cry foraging on the grass.

Don't Miss: in summer, Kirstenbosch comes alive with open-air concerts set against the mountain backdrop, one of Cape Town's favourite local traditions.

2. Take a Walking Tour Through the City Centre

Compact and bursting with character, Cape Town's city centre is best explored on foot. The city hums with contrasts: colonial-era architecture beside glassy high-rises, public art tucked into leafy squares, and the mountain always watching from above.

Top places to visit in Cape Town include:

• Bo-Kaap: candy-coloured houses and Cape Malay spice shops perfuming the streets.
• Company's Gardens: the city's “green lungs,” home to museums, galleries, and a planetarium.
• Greenmarket Square: a lively historic square with African crafts and curios.
• Bree, Long and Kloof Streets: buzzing strips filled with eateries, boutiques, and galleries; and perfect for nightlife.

Top Tip: join a guided walking tour to uncover hidden stories from apartheid history and colonialism to modern street art movements.

3. Shop and Dine at the V&A Waterfront

Part working harbour, part cultural hub, the V&A Waterfront is where Cape Town's energy converges and one of the best  places to visit in Cape Town. Here, you'll find luxury shopping, world-class dining, and attractions ranging from sunset cruises to museums and galleries. The setting itself is unbeatable, with Table Mountain rising behind the masts of docked boats.

Duck into the Watershed Market for beautifully crafted South African design ranging from pottery, jewellery, leatherwork, and more. Across the way, the Two Oceans Aquarium reveals the wonders of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans (don't miss shark feeding times!).

For art lovers, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa is a striking architectural landmark and home to groundbreaking exhibitions.

Did You Know? The V&A is named after Queen Victoria and her son, Alfred, who tipped the first stone to build the harbour in 1860.

4. Bask on Sun-kissed Beaches

Cape Town's coastline is a dreamscape of golden sands, turquoise seas, and dramatic backdrops. The Atlantic Ocean is icy, but that hardly stops surfers, sunbathers, and sunset-watchers from flocking to its shores. Each beach has its own character, meaning there's a perfect spot for every mood.

Top Beaches in Cape Town:

• Camps Bay: family-friendly, with restaurants and bars right on the strip.
• Clifton's Four Beaches: from off-leash dog walks on First to the classic, lively Fourth.
• Llandudno & Beta Beach: more secluded coves beloved by locals.
• Muizenberg: warmer waters, colourful huts, and beginner-friendly surf.
• Boulders Beach: a bucket-list stop to meet the African penguin colony.
• Noordhoek Beach: vast sands perfect for horse riding.

Best For:

• Sunsets: Clifton Fourth
• Unique Experience: penguins at Boulders
• Surf: Muizenberg

Note: Drinking alcohol on South African beaches is prohibited.

5. Go Wine Tasting in the Cape Winelands

Just beyond Cape Town, the Winelands unfold in a patchwork of rolling vineyards, whitewashed Cape Dutch estates, and rugged mountain backdrops. This is the birthplace of South Africa's wine industry, dating back to the 1600s, and still one of the most enchanting regions to explore today.

Your holiday in the “Mother City” is the perfect opportunity to sip your way through Constantia's heritage estates, where you can taste vintages in elegant manor houses shaded by oaks. Venture a little further to Stellenbosch, the lively heart of the Cape Winelands with over 200 estates, or to Franschhoek, the country's gourmet capital where fine dining meets world-class wines. With a private driver-guide, the day becomes a bespoke journey, tailored to your tastes.

Pair this With: A leisurely lunch under the trees or a food-and-wine pairing menu at one of Franschhoek's acclaimed restaurants.

6. Understand History on Robben Island

A short ferry ride from Cape Town lies Robben Island. Albeit small in size, this stretch of land carries great significance. Once a leper colony, and later a prison, it became the world's focus during the apartheid era when Nelson Mandela and other leaders of the liberation movement were held here. Walking through the stark prison blocks and seeing Mandela's tiny cell is a powerful and moving experience, sometimes led by former inmates who share firsthand accounts.

Beyond its human history, the island is also a sanctuary for wildlife, from African penguins and tortoises to flocks of seabirds that circle its rocky shoreline.

Did you know? Robben Island has been a World Heritage Site since 1999 and is one of South Africa's most visited cultural landmarks.

7. Hike or Take the Cable Car up Table Mountain

It would be safe to say your visit to the Mother City would be incomplete if “Experiencing the iconic Table Mountain” isn't on your list of things to do in Cape Town. The city's most iconic landmark is as dramatic as it is ancient –

about six times older than the Himalayas. Table Mountain's flat-topped summit rises abruptly above the city, its sandstone cliffs draped with hardy fynbos.

Adventurers can hike one of the many scenic trails to the summit, while those seeking a gentler ascent can glide up in the revolving cable car. At the top, the views are spellbinding: the curve of Camps Bay beach, Robben Island adrift in the ocean, and the endless blue horizon. Keep an eye out for the comical dassies (rock hyraxes) basking on the rocks.

Top tip: Visit early morning or late afternoon to avoid queues and capture the mountain in its most photogenic light.

8. Explore Cape Point

At the tip of the Cape Peninsula lies Cape Point, a dramatic headland of cliffs and crashing waves that has inspired myth and legend for centuries. Part of the Cape Point Nature Reserve, it's a wild and rugged escape where eland, zebra, baboons, and seabirds roam free. Walking trails weave to lookouts, beaches, and picnic spots with unending ocean views.

Ride the Flying Dutchman funicular up to the old lighthouse for panoramas across False Bay or hike the paths for a more immersive experience. On misty days it's easy to imagine the ghostly ship that inspired the Flying Dutchman legend, eternally lost at sea.

Don't Miss: springtime, when the reserve explodes with wildflowers, turning the rugged landscapes into a painter's palette of colour – a dreamy African summer.

9. Go on an Outdoor Adventure

Few cities embrace the outdoors like Cape Town. With mountains, oceans, and open skies right on its doorstep, the Mother City is a playground for thrill-seekers and nature lovers alike. Hike the rocky trails of Lion's Head or Devil's Peak for sweeping panoramas or take the leap with a tandem paragliding flight off Lion's Head, soaring over the glittering Atlantic Seaboard.

If water is your element, kiteboarders flock to Bloubergstrand for world-class wind conditions, while snorkellers can join Cape fur seals in their kelp-forested playground. Mountain bikers, meanwhile, can carve through a maze of trails in Table Mountain National Park, surrounded by fynbos and ocean views.

Cape Town's Favourite Outdoor Adventure Activities: paragliding, abseiling off Table Mountain, kiteboarding, mountain biking, and seal snorkelling.

10. Take a Scenic Helicopter Flight

For the ultimate perspective on Cape Town's beauty, nothing compares to a helicopter flight. Lift off over the city bowl, circle the sheer cliffs of Table Mountain (you will soon understand that there is no limit to how many times the sight of it will leave you mesmerised), and trace the rugged coastline of the Cape Peninsula. From this vantage point, you'll see how the city is cradled between mountain and ocean – a landscape of beautiful beaches, gently sloping vineyards, and dramatic headlands.

Flights can be tailored to your preference, whether it's a short hop over the city or a longer loop that sweeps past Cape Point. It's a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime way to experience the Cape's grandeur.

Top Tip: book a late-afternoon flight to watch the sun sink into the Atlantic as the city glows below.

Ready To Start Planning Your Cape Town Holiday?

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