Things-to-do in and around Cape Town we most enjoyed

South Africa was splendid! We didn’t expect our vacay to be so superlative but it just was. Cape Town is a city you can easily fall in love with. It’s not too large, not too small and has everything you can hope for – with mountain peaks you can trek to and beautiful beaches you can relax at.

In this post we share some things-to-do that we enjoyed in and around Cape Town. Let’s start with the ones within the city:

• Hop-on-hop-off bus tour – Really good tours here which provide an excellent overview of the city and the audio commentary is informative and fun. We went with Citysightseeing on a 24 hours pass.
• Table Mountain – If a trek is not for you, then take a cable car up there as the views are quite stunning. For the more adventurous, you can also trek to Lion’s Head.
• V&A Food Market – Plenty of food vendors here with several vegetarian options available. Enjoy from a selection of coffees, juices, desserts, small bites, meats and everything in between.
• V&A Waterfront – Hang out at the waterfront, soak in capetonian vibes, grab a drink or a bite and take a picture at the giant yellow photo frame 😀
• Boat ride at V&A Waterfront – Extend your hop-on-hop-off experience by taking a boat ride here, soak in the views, ships at the harbour, hear the gulls and spot some sea lions if you are lucky.
• The Watershed – For some amazing local souvenirs, this is the place to go to. Our favourite were the ceramic bowls and mugs created by local artists.
• Free Walking Tours – Experience Cape Town, up close and personal on one or more walking tours with a local guide. Tours start at Green Market Square. The square is also good to shop for local souvenirs (be prepared to bargain here).
• Company’s Garden – Yes the garden built by the Dutch East India Company back in the 1650s and is now a heritage site. Take a walk amongst numerous pigeons and squirrels with Table Mountain in the backdrop. Also meet the city’s oldest citizen here. Breakfast at the restaurant here or stop by at the museums.
• The Neighbourgoods Market at The Old Biscuit Mill – This is a farmers market that is open every Saturday which of course sells local produce. Other than that you can also visit to enjoy breakfast or brunch from the many live food stalls.
• Sunsets at Camps Bay – The best way to spend your evenings in our opinion. Choose a sea facing cafe/restaurant/bar, order in the drinks and tapas and you are set for a few hours of bliss. All the while, you have the Twelve Apostles watching over you.

Now let’s look at options that we enjoyed as day trips from Cape Town:

• Wine Tour in Stellenbosch – this region has scores of vineyards from large commercial ones to family owned boutique ones. We booked a full-day tour with Wine Flies tours and it turned out to be a really enjoyable experience. The tour guide will pick you up in the morning, then drive you up to the wine region. You will visit five vineyards, see bottling in progress, walk around wine casks, stop at a lovely farm for lunch and end the tour at an organic farm where you can buy eggs 🙂 And you get to cuddle dogs!
• Cape Point – we took the Cape Explorer tour with CitySightseeing to get to Cape Point, which is supposed to offer amazing ocean views. Unfortunately, it was was overcast and raining the day we visited but that didn’t stop us from hiking to the Cape of Good Hope. The hike was led by our tour guide and although it wasn’t the best weather to be hiking, it still turned out to be quite an adventure.
• African Penguin Colony at Boulders Beach – Cape Explorer will also stop at Boulders Beach where you can get up close and see penguins in their natural habitat. Over the years the penguin colonies in South Africa have deteriorated but efforts are being made to restore the habitats. We really enjoyed it and the penguins are so cute!

Of course, there is much more to explore in and around this breathtaking city. Someday, we’d love to revisit and take our time exploring some more. Until then, we hope this post gives you a few ideas when planning your own trips. Cheers!