Cape Town tours
Fifteen ways to see the Cape, each one a route we know by heart.
Every tour below runs as a private trip — your group, your pace, your driver for the day. From Table Mountain and Boulders Beach to the V&A Waterfront, Robben Island and Kirstenbosch, combine legs, extend a day into two, or start from any hotel in the Cape metro. Popular with independent travellers, families and small groups from Europe, the Gulf, Asia and the Americas.
-
01
Cape Peninsula & Cape Point tour
Collected from your hotel around 08:00, you'll drive the Atlantic Seaboard through Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay before climbing Chapman's Peak Drive, one of the most dramatic coastal roads in the world, cut into the cliff face 600 metres above the sea. From there it's on to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope inside Table Mountain National Park, where the old lighthouse marks the point most visitors mistake for where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. The return leg stops at the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach and historic Simon's Town, the former Royal Navy base on False Bay. Roughly 8 hours door to door, around 140km round trip, park and lighthouse entry fees not included.
-
02
Cape Winelands tour
A day through Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl — the three historic towns of the Cape Winelands, settled by Dutch and French Huguenot farmers from the 1680s onward. Stellenbosch's oak-lined Dorp Street holds one of the country's largest concentrations of Cape Dutch and Georgian architecture; Franschhoek's valley, ringed by the Franschhoek and Groot Drakenstein mountains, carries the strongest French heritage of the three; and Paarl sits at the foot of Paarl Rock, the world's third-largest granite outcrop. Roughly 7 hours, around 120km round trip, with time built in at each town to walk the main streets rather than just drive through.
-
03
City & Table Mountain tour
A half-day introduction to central Cape Town: the Company's Garden laid out by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, the Castle of Good Hope, and the Bo-Kaap's brightly painted 18th-century houses, before an ascent of Table Mountain by the rotating-car cableway to the summit for panoramic views over the City Bowl, Robben Island and the Atlantic coastline — weather and cableway operation permitting, so we build in a flexible time window. For guests who'd rather walk up, we can arrange one of Table Mountain's marked hiking trails instead of the cableway, with a driver waiting at the top or bottom to match your pace. A good first-day tour to orient yourself before venturing further afield.
-
04
Garden Route tour
Multi-day private touring east along the N2 through Oudtshoorn, George, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and the ancient Tsitsikamma Forest — one driver and vehicle for the entire route, so nothing gets repacked or handed over along the way. We can also route you inland via Route 62, one of the country's great scenic inland roads, and build in a stop at one of the region's natural hot springs. Typically 4 to 7 days depending on how many stops you want to linger at; itinerary and pace built around you.
-
05
Hermanus whale watching tour
A drive along the Whale Route to Hermanus, widely regarded as one of the best land-based whale watching towns on earth — Southern Right whales come in close enough to the cliff path to watch without a boat, typically from June to November with a peak in September and October. The route runs via Sir Lowry's Pass and the Overberg coastline, with a stop at the cliff path itself and time in the town. Seasonal and weather-dependent; we'll advise on timing when you book.
-
06
Gansbaai shark cage diving tour
A full day trip to Gansbaai, part of the same Whale Route coastline and known as one of the world's most reliable spots for great white and other shark species, run alongside a licensed dive operator. The drive itself passes through Hermanus and the Overberg farmlands; diving is weather-dependent and arranged with the operator on the day. Wetsuits and cage time are provided by the dive operator; transport, pickup and the day's logistics are ours.
-
07
Safari day trip
Malaria-free game reserves within around two hours of Cape Town, for travellers who want a genuine safari experience without the time or health precautions a Kruger-area trip requires. See the Aquila Big Five safari below for our primary safari offering; other reserves can be arranged on request.
-
08
Township tour
A guided visit into Cape Town's townships — Langa, the city's oldest, dating to 1927, or Khayelitsha, one of the largest in South Africa — led by guides who live in or grew up in these communities. The tour covers the history of forced removals under apartheid, the growth of the townships since, and the small businesses, art and food culture active there today. Run with respect for residents throughout; not a drive-by photo stop.
-
09
Aquila Private Game Reserve — Big Five safari
A full-day Big Five safari at Aquila Private Game Reserve in the Karoo, around two hours from Cape Town along the N1 — open safari vehicle game drives with a chance to see lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard, in a malaria-free area. Most day packages include a guided game drive and lunch on the reserve; we handle the return transport and timing so it fits into a single day from Cape Town.
-
10
Cheetah outreach, Stellenbosch
Cheetah Outreach, just outside Stellenbosch, is a conservation programme built around ambassador cheetahs and, on most visits, a supervised close encounter — sitting alongside a cheetah under staff guidance. We combine the visit with time in Stellenbosch itself, so the half day covers both wildlife and the Winelands.
-
11
Zip lining, Grabouw
Canopy zip lining through indigenous forest above Grabouw, on the Hottentots Holland mountain pass road roughly an hour from Cape Town toward the Garden Route — a series of cable runs and platforms through the forest canopy, run by a licensed adventure operator. A good half-day add-on to a Whale Route or Garden Route trip, since Grabouw sits on the way to both.
-
12
Quad biking, Grabouw
Guided quad bike trails through the orchards, farmland and fynbos of the Elgin Valley around Grabouw — the same area known for its apple orchards and, increasingly, cool-climate vineyards. Runs on the reserve's own trail network with a guide leading the group throughout; no experience necessary.
-
13
V&A Waterfront tour
A half-day at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town's working harbour turned shopping, dining and entertainment district at the foot of Table Mountain — the Watershed craft market, the Two Oceans Aquarium, and a harbour boat cruise out toward Robben Island and back along the Atlantic Seaboard, sea and weather permitting. Easy to combine with a City & Table Mountain tour earlier in the day.
-
14
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden tour
Kirstenbosch, set against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, is one of the great botanical gardens of the world and the first in a National Park to be devoted to a country's own indigenous flora. The visit includes the Boomslang canopy walkway above the tree line, with time to walk the fynbos and protea sections below. Combines well with a Constantia or Southern Suburbs itinerary.
-
15
Robben Island ferry transfer
Transport to and from the V&A Waterfront ferry terminal for the Robben Island Museum crossing — the former prison where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were held, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ferry tickets are booked directly through the Robben Island Museum; we handle the transfer and timing around the crossing.
Further afield
The Cederberg and the West Coast, for those with more time.
Beyond the standard day tours, we also arrange trips into the Cederberg mountains — a rugged wilderness of red rock formations and rock art around three hours north of Cape Town — and along the West Coast for the spring wildflower season, typically August to September, when the region's semi-desert turns into fields of daisies and other fynbos blooms. Both are arranged as private, multi-day or long-day trips built around when you're visiting and how far you want to travel.
Private tour pricing
We specialise in private, exclusive, family, group, event and wedding touring.
Every private tour is quoted for 1–2 passengers as a starting rate — larger groups and additional passengers are quoted on request.
-
A
Cape Point, Winelands, Table Mountain & City
A full-day private combination tour covering Cape Point, the Cape Winelands, Table Mountain and Cape Town city — 1–2 passengers.
-
B
Whale Route & Flower Route
A full-day private tour along the Whale Route to Hermanus and Gansbaai, or the seasonal West Coast Flower Route — 1–2 passengers.
-
C
Private Garden Route tour
Multi-day private Garden Route touring, transportation only, per day — including guide, guide accommodation and guide meals — 1–2 passengers.
Build your own Cape Town route.
Combine legs, add a transfer either side, or ask us to plan the whole trip.
Request a quote