Stand at the top of Wale Street in the early morning and the slope of Bo-Kaap falls away below you in bands of pink, lime and turquoise, Table Mountain filling the sky behind. That view, and the smell of spices drifting out of a shop doorway, is as good an introduction as any to how this city works: a working neighbourhood with a mountain in its back garden.
Cape Town suits travellers who want to walk, eat, look at old buildings and get onto the mountain without much planning. The city centre is compact, the waterfront is walkable, and the wine estates and botanical garden sit within the same municipal area.
This guide covers the specific sights and experiences named in our source material, in the order worth doing them, followed by a one-day plan and answers to the questions visitors ask most.
Top things to do in Cape Town
1. Bo-Kaap (Malay Quarter)
A hilly neighbourhood southwest of the city centre, historically home to Malay Muslim descendants of slaves. The draw is the streetscape itself: bright buildings, mosques, quaint lanes, views back over the city, and street food sold along the side. It is a popular location for film shoots, so expect camera crews.
Allow about an hour to explore the quarter, then visit the Bo-Kaap Museum. Within the quarter is Atlas Trading, an old-fashioned spice shop where you can ask the manager to mix the spices for the meal you want to cook. The Noon Gun is about 1 km away.
2. Noon Gun
A cannon used as a time signal, fired at 12:00 from Monday to Saturday. A crowd gathers to watch, and the brief ceremony before and during the shooting is part of the appeal.
Time your morning in Bo-Kaap so you finish in time to walk over and catch the firing, then stay for the ceremony rather than arriving at the last second.
3. Castle of Good Hope
Popularly called "The Castle" by locals, this is the oldest surviving building in South Africa. It displays a wide range of historical military equipment and tools, an art collection, and the William Fehr Collection, which includes antique Cape Dutch furniture. You can buy wine and eat at the café or restaurant inside.
It is open 09:00–17:00 daily, with tours Monday to Saturday at 11:00, 12:00 and 14:00, and horse and carriage rides daily at 10:30, 12:45 and 14:45. Booking is necessary. It sits at the corner of Castle Street and Darling Street.
4. District Six Museum
District Six was an area near downtown that remained multiracial well into the 1960s despite attempts to declare it whites-only; eventually residents were evicted and the buildings bulldozed, and the area remains uninhabited. The museum explains the area, the eviction, the Group Areas Act and the people who lived there, and its director is a former resident.
Open Monday to Saturday, 09:00–16:00. There is a small bookstore with an excellent selection of books on South Africa's history, District Six and apartheid. Entry is R40, or R70 with a guide.
5. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
On Rhodes Drive in Newlands, this garden shows the highly diverse flowers and plants of the Cape, with plants from every South African bioregion on display, including a huge baobab tree, rare succulents from the Richtersveld and medicinal species. Paths meander throughout, and there are restaurants, an indigenous nursery and a gift shop. Art is frequently on display, including large Shona stone sculptures from Zimbabwe.
Open daily 08:00–18:00, until 19:00 from September to March. Guided tours depart from Gate 1 Monday to Friday at 10:00, 11:00 and 14:00 and Saturday at 10:00, and from Gate 2 at 11:00 Monday to Friday and 10:00 Saturday. In summer, sunset concerts are held in the open-air amphitheatre; enter early to find a good spot on the grass.
6. Victoria and Alfred Waterfront
A large shopping and entertainment area in the harbour, with a high density of shops, restaurants and amusements. Harbour tours and trips to Robben Island start from here, as do helicopter flights to the Cape Peninsula. It has more or less full wheelchair access.
Open 09:00–21:00 daily. Combine it with the Two Oceans Aquarium and Nobel Square, which are both along the waterfront.
7. Two Oceans Aquarium
At the V&A Waterfront, this aquarium showcases the biodiversity of the Indian and Atlantic oceans, with clownfish, seahorses, turtles, sharks and the local penguins, plus a live kelp forest and a microscope exhibit. A walk around takes about an hour, and there is a daily schedule of live feedings and an events calendar each month. Scuba diving with the sharks is also offered.
Open 09:30–18:00. There is also a viewing platform to see the Cape fur seals near the waterfront. Adults R265, children 14–17 R195 and children 4–13 R120.
8. Nobel Square
On Dock Road along the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, this square features sculptures of South Africa's Nobel Peace Prize winners, including Albert Luthuli, Desmond Tutu, F. W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela.
It is an easy stop on a waterfront walk, best folded into the same visit as the aquarium and the harbour.
9. Slave Lodge
At the corner of Adderley and Wale Streets, one of the oldest buildings in Cape Town, now housing a social history museum.
Open Monday to Friday, 10:00–17:00. Adults R30; children, students and seniors R15. Its Wale Street position makes it a natural pairing with Bo-Kaap.
10. Bo-Kaap Museum
At 71 Wale Street, in a home dating from the 1760s, this museum offers an insight into the cultural life of the Muslim community of the Bo-Kaap area, showing how a wealthy Malay family lived during the 19th century.
Open Monday to Saturday, 10:00–17:00. Entry is R20. Visit it as part of your walk through Bo-Kaap rather than as a separate trip.
11. City Hall
This Edwardian building, completed in 1905, is where Nelson Mandela made his first speech after his release from prison in 1990. It no longer hosts municipal offices and instead functions as a venue for exhibitions and performances, including those of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.
Check what is on before you go, since the building is used as a performance and exhibition venue rather than a conventional sight.
12. South African Houses of Parliament
On Parliament Street in the Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town is the legislative seat of South Africa. A tour acquaints you with the country's modern history and political system, and includes visits to the National Assembly, the National Council of Provinces and the old apartheid-era assembly now used only for caucus and committee meetings.
Tours run Monday to Friday and must be booked in advance. They are offered a few times per day in various languages, and entrance and tours are free.
13. Groot Constantia
On the Groot Constantia Estate in Constantia, one of the oldest wine estates in South Africa and well worth the fee for the internal tour and wine tasting.
Open daily 09:00–18:00, with tours departing hourly from 10:00 until 16:00. Wine tasting is R75; a wine tasting with a guided tour is R100.
14. South African Jewish Museum
At 88 Hatfield Street, a museum about a small community that has made large contributions in South African society and in bringing down apartheid. The subject is Jewish life, but non-Jewish visitors will find it interesting and informative.
Open Sunday to Thursday 10:00–17:00 and Friday 10:00–14:00. R60 for adults, R30 for students. Note the Friday early closing when planning your day.
15. Rhodes Memorial
On Rhodes Avenue on Devil's Peak, built on the lower slopes and designed in recognition of Cecil Rhodes, with the wooden bench he used placed under the memorial. It is a good spot for a picnic and a starting point for the bike and hiking trails heading towards Devil's Peak, which have become very popular.
If you explore the nature and trails in the area, do not go alone and do not carry valuables with you.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start in Bo-Kaap while the light is good and the streets are quiet, allowing about an hour to walk the quarter. Look into Atlas Trading for spices and visit the Bo-Kaap Museum on Wale Street. Then walk the roughly 1 km to the Noon Gun to watch the 12:00 firing and the brief ceremony around it.
Afternoon: Head to the Castle of Good Hope at Castle Street and Darling Street, open until 17:00, and join a tour if the timing works; booking is necessary. From there, make your way to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, open until 21:00, and spend about an hour in the Two Oceans Aquarium before walking over to Nobel Square.
Evening: Stay at the waterfront for dinner among the restaurants, then take a harbour tour or simply walk the quays. If your visit falls in summer and you would rather end the day outdoors, swap the waterfront evening for a sunset concert at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and arrive early to claim a spot on the grass.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Noon Gun fired?
At 12:00, Monday to Saturday. A short ceremony takes place before and during the firing, and a crowd gathers to watch.
Do I need to book the Castle of Good Hope in advance?
Booking is necessary. Tours run Monday to Saturday at 11:00, 12:00 and 14:00, and horse and carriage rides are offered daily at 10:30, 12:45 and 14:45. The castle is open 09:00–17:00 daily.
Can I visit the Houses of Parliament without arranging anything?
No. Tours are offered Monday to Friday but must be booked in advance. Entrance and tours are free, and tours are given a few times per day in various languages.
Where do trips to Robben Island leave from?
Harbour tours and trips to Robben Island start from the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, which is open 09:00–21:00 daily.
Decide which of these fits your days, check the booking requirements for the Castle of Good Hope and the Houses of Parliament, and start laying out your Cape Town itinerary.