Fun Activities in Cape Town (23 Unforgettable Experiences)

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Cape Town is a stunning city in South Arica with so much to see and do. During our time in Cape Town, we never came close to running out of things to do as there are so many fun activities in Cape Town.

The beautiful geography of Cape Town means that there are many outdoor activities. You can go hiking, surfing, kayaking, rock climbing, see penguins, and visit vineyards all within a short journey from the city center.

But Cape Town is also full of great restaurants, bars with live music, cafes, and history. So no matter what type of traveler you are there is a fun activity for you to do in Cape Town!

1. Explore Table Mountain (A must-do fun activity in Cape Town)

No matter where you are in Cape Town you will always see Table Mountain towering over the landscape. It is the star attraction for good reason and there are so many fun activities in Cape Town involving it.

The flat-topped mountain rises 1000m (3280 ft) straight up from the ocean and always makes a spectacular background no matter where you are in the city.

We never got sick of watching the clouds constantly pouring over the edge of the mountain which is a phenomenon called the ‘table cloth‘. It happens when the wind blows in a certain direction and moist air condenses at the summit causing clouds to form.

It is magical to see in person and no pictures can do it justice. But as beautiful as it is from the ground, no trip to Cape Town would be complete without making it up to the top of Table Mountain.

Two beers on a table with Table Mountain in the background
View of Table Mountain with the ‘table cloth’ spilling over the side

Table Mountain Cable Car

To go up Table Mountain you can either take a cable car or hike up. To take the cable car costs 390 Rand / 24 USD return. Once you are up the top there is a cafe and lots of well-constructed walkways and lookouts.

From there you will have amazing views over Cape Town and the surrounding beaches. The cable car station is only a 15-minute drive from the city center so it is a must-do while you are in town.

But in my opinion, the best way to get to the top is to hike up. Table Mountain is covered in beautiful tracks and it is a hiker’s paradise. There are multiple hikes you can take to the summit. It is hard work but worth it! 💪

Tip: Try to take the cable car down close to sunset because to see the sun setting from the summit above the clouds is amazing. Just make sure to check the schedule for the last cable car down. It changes based on the seasons so you do not want to miss the last ride down.

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2. Hike Lion’s Head

Lion’s Head is overshadowed by the much larger Table Mountain but it is still an amazing hike located right next to the center of the city.

Hiking up Lion’s Head is much easier than Table Mountain but the views are just as spectacular. Getting to the top will take you about 90 minutes and is not too hard as long as you are in decent shape.

There are some sections with quite big drops and some climbing is required. So if you have a big fear of heights it may not be the right hike for you.

The hike is also very popular at sunset as you can watch the sun dip into the ocean from the summit. We climbed Lion’s Head twice, once during the day and once at sunset, and both times it was amazing.

🥾 Read here: All you need to know about Lion’s Head hike

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Katharina standing on the top of Lion's Head at sunset watching clouds gathering on top
Sunset from the top of Lion’s Head

3. Do more Hikes!

I have never visited a city with so many great hikes so close to the city center as Cape Town. Not only are the hikes stunning (and keep you in good shape) but they are also one of the best things to do in Cape Town for free.

Even if you are not into hiking I recommend going on at least one as you are really missing out on the true beauty of Cape Town if you don’t.

⛰️ Read here: 7 best hikes around Cape Town (beginners + advanced)

A couple sitting on top of Lions Head looking over the view of beaches from the top of a cliff top a fun activity in Cape Town
Overlooking the amazing coastline of Cape Town

4. See the Penguins at Boulders Beach (One of the cutest fun activities in Cape Town)

If you are looking for fun activities in Cape Town involving wildlife then Boulders Beach should be your first stop. There is a penguin colony that you can visit at Boulders Beach a 45-minute drive from Cape Town’s center.

The entrance to the area is 152 Rand / 9 USD. The penguins you find there are African Penguins and can only be found on the coast of South Africa and Namibia.

It is awesome to just watch them waddling around and going for swims. The penguins are used to people so you can get quite close. But of course, you should keep a respectful distance as they are wild animals and endangered.

There is also a nice wooden boardwalk that takes you past the main breeding areas. If you look into the sand between the trees you can see penguins looking after their eggs in their nests.

To get to Boulders Beach you will need to hire a car and drive there yourself or take a tour:

  • The highly rated Boulders Beach Tour will also take you for a drive along Chapmans Peak Drive which is considered to be one of the most beautiful drives in the world.
  • Or you can visit Boulders Beach as part of the Cape Point and Penguin Explorer Tour which we did. Visiting Cape Point is another of the best fun activities in Cape Town you should not miss.

Tip: On the main beach you can climb over the rocks or swim around them to find more penguins away from the crowds.

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5. Join a Free Walking Tour

Joining a free walking tour immediately gives you a better understanding of the history of the city. In Cape Town in particular the recent history is quite dark and troublesome all visitors should learn about.

We did two free walking tours while we were in Cape Town called Bo-Kaap Tour and the Apartheid Tour by Free Walking Tours Cape Town. Both guides were excellent and entertaining.

  • The Bo-Kaap tour takes you through a colorful area of town that was historically settled by the Cape Malays. The Cape Malays were Muslims from South East Asia and they developed a unique culture in the area. Today the area is a dream for Instagrammers due to the colorful houses lining the streets.
  • The Apartheid Tour gives you a detailed history of apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was the system of racial segregation that was in place in South Africa until the early 1990s. It is a very sad and dark history but the tour guide was very good and made it a very interesting tour.

Tip: There is also a Cape Town Street Art Walking Tour if you are interested in art. This walking tour will contain a lot of history too as much of the art is related to the history of Cape Town and South Africa.

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6. Have a Beach Day at Camps Bay

Camps Bay is arguably the most famous beach in Cape Town. It has an amazingly beautiful background with the 12 Apostles of Table Mountain rising high into the sky behind the beach.

But be prepared for icy cold water! Even on a hot day, the water in Cape Town is freezing cold so you probably won’t be swimming for too long. Or you can come for sunset as we did many times.

If it is too windy you might want to head to Clifton Beach instead which is more sheltered from the wind and the next fun activity in Cape Town on this list.

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People enjoying a swim at Camps Bay one of the best fun activities in Cape Town
Camps Bay with the 12 Apostles in the background

7. Hang out at Clifton Beach

Clifton Beach is another great option for a beach day close to the city center. It is a beautiful beach that is separated into 4 sections. All four beaches have pristine white sand and clear blue water.

Clifton Beach is more sheltered from the wind so is a good option on windy days. Just be prepared for ice-cold water as the ocean in Cape Town is never warm.

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A crowd of people on Clifton Beach in Cape Town
Clifton Beach on a busy day

8. Visit Stellenbosch (A fun activity in Cape Town for wine tasting)

Stellenbosch is a student town just outside Cape Town and it is the center of South Africa’s most famous wine region. The area around Stellenbosch is full of vineyards and breathtaking landscapes.

Going for a tour of some vineyards or wine farms as they call them in South Africa is an awesome day trip. The landscapes are beautiful and doing a wine tasting is very affordable.

We visited the vineyards by hiring a car with a group of friends and having a sober driver. This was one of the best fun things to do in Cape Town with friends and I highly recommend it.

But if you are not lucky enough to have a sober driver you can book the highly-rated Stellenbosch Wine Tour here.

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Group of people sitting at a table at a wine farm in Cape Town
Visiting a vineyard close to Cape Town

9. Take selfies with Alpacas

We were not expected to visit an alpaca farm while in South Africa. But it was one of our favorite fun activities in Cape Town.

The Alpaca Loom Farm is located near the town of Paarl just outside of Cape Town. It is near the Stellenbosch wine regions so it is a good place to visit while you are checking out some wine farms.

When you visit the alpaca farm you can buy a cheap bag of food to feed the alpacas. It is a super fun activity and the Alpacas are super friendly and come running up to you for food.

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Katharina feeding alpacas
Who doesn’t love alpacas!?

10. Go on a Kayak Trip to see Dolphins!

If you are looking for fun activities in Cape Town on the water then I highly recommend going on a kayak tour! There are a few companies along the waterfront of Cape Town.

We chose Atlantic Outlook and had a great experience. The guides were super friendly and energetic and took us from the V&A Waterfront along the stunning coastline to the Green Point Lighthouse before returning to the starting point.

The view of Table Mountain and Lion’s Head from the water is very unique and different from seeing it from land. But the best part is the opportunity to see dolphins!

On our tour, we saw a pod of dolphins playing in the waves and jumping in the air. We also saw penguins and seals and if you are lucky whales can be spotted. Seeing all of this made kayaking for sure one of our most loved fun activities in Cape Town.

Tip: Book an early morning tour if it is summer as the light is beautiful at this time and you won’t get too hot. Plus, the chances to see wildlife are higher.

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11. Watch Sunset on Signal Hill

There are many great sunset spots in Cape Town but it is hard to beat Signal Hill. If you go to the car park at the top of Signal Hill there is lots of open space to sit and watch the sun drop into the ocean. It’s a great place to have a picnic and you will see lots of locals doing the same.

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A couple sitting enjoying the sunset on Signal Hill one of the many fun activities in Cape Town
Watching sunset on Signal Hill

12. Eat at Oranjezicht Market (A fun activity in Cape Town for foodies)

The Oranjezicht Market is a trendy farmers market located right next to the ocean at the V&A Waterfront. There you can find all kinds of fresh produce from the region as well as a bunch of food stalls selling lots of tasty meals and snacks. There is also often live music playing so it is a great place to grab a drink and hang out.

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A selection of colorful vegetables at Oranjezicht Market
Heaven for healthy food shopping!

13. Cruise Chapmans Peak Drive

Chapmans Peak Drive goes between Hout Bay and Noordhoek and has been described as one of the most stunning roads in the world. We can testify: Taking a drive along it is one of the most spectacular fun activities in Cape Town!

The road winds itself along the sheer cliffs of Chapmans Peak giving you amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean. There are many lookouts along the road to stop and admire the views so it is well set up for tourists.

The easiest way to get to Chapmans Peak Drive is to hire a car and drive yourself. It is a toll road so there is a 57 Rand / 3 USD fee. Alternatively, you could catch an Uber to Noordhoek via Chapmans Peak Drive and then Uber back.

Noordhoek has some nice restaurants and a beautiful deserted beach to check out. You should also consider hiking up Chapmans Peak which is an awesome day hike and overlooks Noordhoek and Chapmans Peak Drive.

Tip: Our Uber fare asked us to pay the toll when we booked the Uber. So make sure you double-check it’s included in the fare before you go on the ride so that the driver is not taking an alternative route or you pay it double.

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An aerial view of Chapmans Peak drive a fun activity in cape town
Chapmans Peak Drive from above

14. Drink along the Constantia Wine Route

Besides Stellenbosch, Constantia is another beautiful wine region that should not be missed. Constantia is more conveniently located to Cape Town than Stellenbosch and just a 25-minute drive from the city center.

Constantia is actually the oldest wine region in South Africa. Groot Constantia was established in 1658 and has been operating continuously since that date. Impressive!

10 vineyards in the region have joined together to form the Constantia Wine Route. So if you have a sober driver you can rent a car and do your own driving tour of the vineyards as we did.

Otherwise, you can take the Cape Town Hop On Hop Off Bus. The bus takes you to all the main tourist attractions in Cape Town plus to Constantia. In Constantia, there is the same red bus that goes around the wine farms and you can transfer to this bus from there. 2 in 1.

This must be by far the most fun activity in Cape Town to do on a bus!

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A bottle of wine in front of a sign with vine yards covering the hills behind
Beau Constantia a beautiful vineyard in Constantia

15. Visit Kirstenbosch Gardens (A fun activity in Cape Town for movie fans)

Kirstenbosch Gardens is a beautiful botanical garden located on the slopes of Table Mountain. The gardens are full of many endangered plant species. But it is the location of the gardens with Table Mountain rising up behind them that makes them really impressive.

Kirstenbosch Gardens are located on a part of Table Mountain that receives a lot more rain than other areas. This means that the area is lush and green in contrast to many parts of Table Mountain which are much drier.

There are many open grassed areas so it is a great place to go for a picnic on a sunny day. During summer there is also a popular open-air cinema that shows classic movies several times a week.

Tip: The entrance fee to Kirstenbosch is 210 Rand / 12 USD. But if you buy a ticket to the movies you can enter for 2 hours before the movie and save on the entry fee.

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Two people going for a walk through Kirstenbosch Gardens in Cape Town South Africa

16. Learn to Surf at Muizenberg Beach

Muizenberg Beach is the easiest beach to learn how to surf in Cape Town. The beach has much gentler breaking waves and warmer water than other parts of Cape Town. So if you are looking to surf this is the place to go.

Surf lessons at Muizenberg cost about 400 Rand / 24 USD for a 90-minute lesson. Or you can rent a board for 2 hours for about 100 Rand / 6 USD.

Even if you do not want to surf, Muizenberg is worth a visit to see the colorful beach huts and have something to eat. The huts were originally built in the 1800s to allow people to change close to the beach.

Today they are an icon of Muizenberg but in recent years locals have had to fight to keep them. They were threatened with removal due to falling into disrepair. So some locals banded together and formed the Beach Hut Trust. Amazing!

The aim of the trust is to maintain the huts and keep them in good condition so they can remain in Muizenberg forever. This is good news for all the Instagrammers out there!

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Colorful beach huts on Muizenberg beach
The colorful beach huts of Muizenberg

17. See Wildlife at Cape Point Nature Reserve

The Cape Point Nature Reserve is part of the Table Mountain National Park and is just over 1h drive from Cape Town. The Nature Reserve is the closest place to Cape Town where you can see wildlife such as baboons, ostriches, zebras, and antelopes.

The Nature Reserve has a very barren but beautiful landscape. Don’t expect a huge amount of wildlife but it is definitely still worth visiting.

Within the park, you can visit Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. There are both beautiful lookout points overseeing the ocean below.

You can either hire a car and drive to the Nature Reserve yourself or go on a Cape Point Tour as we did. And surprisingly it ended up being one of our favorite fun activities in Cape Town!

🦓 Read here: How to get to Cape Point and our tour experience

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Standing at the Sign of Cape of Good Hope - a part of visiting Cape Point
Our tourist snapshot with the Cape of Good Hope sign

18. Enjoy Truth Coffee (A fun activity in Cape Town for coffee lovers)

Truth Coffee is a cafe in downtown Cape Town with an interesting steampunk theme and amazing coffee. All the waiters are actually dressed up in costumes which makes it interesting.

But the main reason to go is the coffee! Every time we went the coffee was full of flavor and served in different interesting ways you can choose from.

Cape Town is full of good cafes actually. So If you can’t make it to Truth Coffee head to any other. We started this blog in the Bootlegger Cafe chain in Cape Town – digital nomads are welcome there! 🙂

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Katharina & Allan sitting in Bootlegger Cafe with their laptop
The beginnings of this blog in Cape Town

19. Check out the V&A Waterfront

The V&A Waterfront is one of the most visited attractions in Africa with 24 million people visiting annually. The waterfront area is full of restaurants, bars, a Ferris wheel, and a big shopping mall.

It is a good place to stroll around, get something to eat, or do some shopping as there is always a lively atmosphere. There are quite often groups playing drums that are great fun to watch.

One of our favorite things about the waterfront was spotting seals on the wharves. Where the famous Robben Island tour starts, there is a wharf where seals hang out and you can get quite close to them.

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20. Walk the Sea Point Promenade

Sea Point is a fairly wealthy area of Cape Town with a great promenade along its coastline. The promenade has a wide path with open grassy areas where you can work out for free. It is also a great place to head for sunset.

Sea Point is a great place to stay while you are in Cape Town. We spent a month there and loved it. There are lots of great restaurants, cafes, and stores and it was awesome being able to go for morning and evening walks along the promenade.

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People running and walking on the Sea Point promenade one of the best fun activities in Cape Town
Sea Point Promenade at Sunset

21. Play Mini Golf by the Ocean (A fun activity in Cape Town with Kids)

If you are looking for a non-touristy thing to do in Cape Town then this is for you. There is a basic but fun mini-course located right at the end of the Seapoint Promenade. You can hear the waves breaking behind you while you play!

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22. Eat at Old Biscuit Mill Market

The Old Biscuit Mill is an old biscuit factory that has been converted into a space for local artists and designers to display their work. On the weekends it hosts the Neighbourgoods Market from 9 am to 2 pm.

The main reason to go to the market is the street food vendors selling a wide range of food from all over the world. There is also a bar and a DJ set up, so it is a great place to grab a drink too.

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A coffee truck standing under a palm tree at Old Biscuit Mill market
Outdoor area at Old Biscuit Mill

23. Watch Sunset at Bakoven Beach

One of our favorite spots to watch the sunset is Bakoven Beach which is a small little Bay. To get there, you have to walk down a small path between some houses until you reach some big rocks you can sit on.

One of the best parts about sunsets in Cape Town is the way Table Mountain turns golden orange. A lot of time we would end up watching the mountains more than the sun dropping into the ocean. So make sure you don’t miss out on looking behind you too.

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People enjoying the sunset at Bakoven beach
Sunset at Bakoven Beach

Where to Stay in Cape Town

  • Hostels: If you are traveling solo then look for dorm beds on Hostelworld from 15 USD a night
  • Hotels: You can find good and basic hotels on Booking.com for around 50 USD a night
  • Airbnb: Especially for longer stays you should check out Airbnb for 40 USD a night
  • TrustedHouseSitters: Look after someone’s pet and get accommodation in exchange for free!

How to get around Cape Town

Cape Town is a fairly spread out city around mountains and unfortunately, the public transport is not too good. So the best way to get around is either by Uber, Bolt, DiDi or driving yourself.

Luckily ride-hailing is very cheap so when traveling within the city they are by far the best option. But if you want to go on longer trips, to Stellenbosch for example, or any regions further out then the best option is to rent a car.

Just remember that South Africa drives on the left-hand side and that you have to be aware of which roads to avoid due to security reasons.

Now you know which Fun Activities to do in Cape Town

That brings us to the end of my list of fun activities in Cape Town. It is an amazing city and one of my favorites of all my travels! There are so many unique and fun things to do there that I can’t wait to be back!

If there are any that you think I should add to the list let me know in the comments below!

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Travel, health and fitness fanatic from New Zealand. Co-founder of Happy Healthy Nomads and always on a hunt for good food.

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