Cape Town

Castle of Good Hope

Popularly called 'The Castle' by locals, it is the oldest surviving building in South Africa, having been built from 1666 to 1679. The castle displays a vast range of historical military equipment and tools, an art collection and the William Fehr Collection, which includes antique Cape Dutch furniture. Visitors can buy wine and eat at the café or restaurant within the Castle.

09:00-17:00 daily. Tours are offered Mon through Sat at 11:00, 12:00 and 14:00. Horse and carriage rides are offered daily at 10:30, 12:45 and 14:45. Booking is necessary · entrance fee for adults, for children and pensioners · Built 1666

Two Oceans Aquarium

A decent-sized aquarium showcasing the biodiversity within the Indian and Atlantic oceans. Displays include clownfish, seahorses, turtles, sharks and even the local penguins. Features a live kelp forest and microscope exhibit. There is an extensive series of events calendar for each month, and a daily event schedule including live feedings as well. Scuba diving with the sharks is also offered. A walk around the aquarium takes about an hour. There is also a viewing platform available to see the cape fur seals near the V&A Waterfront.

09:30-18:00 · Adults, children (14-17) and children (4-13) · Wheelchair accessible

South African National Gallery

Located in the Gardens area of Cape Town off Government Ave (about a 20-minute walk from downtown). Contains extensive displays of South African art, and information on the history of censorship of art during apartheid.

Daily 10:00-17:00 · Adults; children, students and seniors

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art

MOCAA

Established in 2017 as the largest museum of contemporary African art in the world. Built out of an old grain silo that was decommissioned in 2001.

10.00-18.00 daily, last admission 17.30 · Adults; R 190, Children under 18; free

Bo-Kaap

Malay Quarter

This neighbourhood, on a hilly area southwest of the city centre, is where historically Malay Muslim descendants of slaves had lived. It is a popular location to shoot films, since there are bright and colourful buildings, mosques, quaint streets, stunning views of Cape Town, and delicious street food sold along the side. It is worth exploring the quarter for about an hour, and then visiting the Bo-Kaap Museum, showing how a wealthy Malay family lived during the 19th century. Within the quarter is Atlas Trading, an old-fashioned spice shop. Ask the manager to mix the spices you need for making the meal you want. About 1 km from the Bo-Kaap is the Noon Gun which is a cannon used as a time signal. At 12:00 from Monday to Saturday the cannons are fired, never ceasing to amaze the crowd of people watching. Go and see the brief ceremony that occurs before and during the shooting.

Slave Lodge

One of the oldest buildings in Cape Town which houses a social history museum.

Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00 · Adults; children, students and seniors

Cape Town Science Centre

A world of discovery under one roof! Expect a wide variety of interactive displays and exciting activities for your enjoyment. Build a house in the exclusive 'kids only' Building Site, challenge your mind with Puzzling Things, experience weightlessness similar to that of space with a spin on the Human Gyroscope, play Mindball - the game where you control the ball with your brain waves and see and hear science in the Audio Kinetic Sculpture.

Mon-Sat 09:00-16:30, Sun 10:00-16:30 · for adults and children. Students, pensioners and group discounts

Cable Car to the top of Table Mountain

Table Mountain Aerial Cableway

One-way and return cable car ticket available. Wheelchair accessible throughout, with a separate lift entrance and friendly staff will help accessibility visitors. Weather conditions at the top of the mountain are not the same as at the bottom so always take something warm to wear when going up the mountain, even if it is a nice toasty 30˚C at the bottom of the mountain. Wear sunblock and carry a water bottle (there is also a free drinking fountain at the top near the cable station). There is a cafe with a limited range of snacks, coffee, beer and wine at the top. Table Mountain is the home of a small animal, the rock rabbit (known locally as the 'Dassie') whose closest relative, DNA-wise, is the elephant, and you can see them running around on the rocks at the top of the mountain. If you want to see the sunset, you can go on the last car up which ranges from 17:00 (winter) and 20:30 (summer).

07:00-22:00 (usually 08:30), last car down varies: 21:30 during high season to 18:00 in mid winter · return ticket (bought online), (bought on site), or for one way; tickets for children return, student special return

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

See the beautiful and highly diverse flowers and plants of the Cape in one of the most stunning botanical gardens in the world. Plants from every South African bioregion are displayed. These include a huge baobab tree, rare succulents from the Richtersveld, as well as fascinating medicinal species. Several paths meander throughout the garden. There are also many restaurants, an indigenous nursery and a gift shop located here. At certain times of the year there are concerts and performances in the open air amphitheatre. There is art frequently on display, including large Shona stone sculptures from Zimbabwe. The gardens are also home to the National Biodiversity Institute. The garden is special because it changes dramatically every season. You will see different birds, new flowers, etc. In the summer, sunset concerts feature excellent international and local music acts in various genres. Enter early to find a good spot on the grass amphitheatre. Come along for a picnic and revel in the music of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, popular local artists and rock bands.

daily 08:00-18:00 (19:00 September to March). Guided tours depart from Gate 1 Mon-Fri at 10:00, 11:00 and 14:00 and Sat 10:00, and from Gate 2 at 11:00 Mon-Fri and Sat 10:00 · for adults, for children

Maritime Centre

The museum documents the lives of the early seafarers voyaging around the Cape of Good Hope. Small craft, locally made and various maritime artifacts are also showcased. The huge model ships are the highlight of the museum.

Daily 10:00-17:00 · Adults; children, students and seniors

Victoria and Alfred Waterfront

A huge shopping and entertainment area in the harbour. It is very popular with tourists, because of the high density of shops, restaurants and amusement possibilities, like the Aquarium or the Marine Museum. Harbour tours and trips to Robben Island start from here, as well as helicopter flights to the Cape Peninsula. The V&A Waterfront has more or less full wheelchair access.

09:00-21:00 daily

Diving at Two Oceans Aquarium

You must hold a recognised diving certification, specifically a minimum Open Water 1 qualification and present it when you arrive. Swim along with the sharks, guitar fish, bass, bull rays and turtles. The dive masters are kind and knowledgeable and will accompany you into the aquarium ready to fend off the sharks with his broomstick should they become cuddly. Dive time is around 30 minutes. For advanced divers, the Kelp forest tank puts you into the water with more and bigger local reef fish than you will see in the sea.

09:00, 11:00 and 13:00 daily · ( if you bring your own diving gear), this includes the aquarium entrance fee

Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts

Kirstenbosch Gardens Concert Stage

A picnic style concert, so bring a blanket and a picnic basket. Children under 6 years do not require a ticket. All concerts take place irrespective of rain. Regret no refunds are issued. The Kirstenbosch concerts are completely non-smoking events. There will be no designated smoking areas. Gates to the concert area open at 16h00 (On New Year’s Eve, gates open at 19h00).

late Nov to early April: Sun 17:30-18:30 · -

The Cape Wheel

The Lawns, Breakwater Blvd

Monkeybiz

Island Centre Take Aways, 21 Paarden Eiland Rd

S.W.A.T Laser Tag

14 Barron St

Sea Point Research Aquarium

203 Beach Rd

Putt-Putt

Beach Rd

Marine Research Aquarium

Zip Zap Circus School