Last Updated on May 9, 2025 by Hannah Stephenson
The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is one of the best parts of Cape Town to hang out in. It’s home to beautiful views, excellent shopping, great restaurants, and resident seals!
There’s a ton to do around here and I always really enjoy the laid back but convivial atmosphere at the Waterfront.
The Waterfront is actually a pretty big area. Did you know that it’s divided into nine different districts? There are shops, covered markets, and even luxury apartments around here, so there’s no shortage of things to do.
Since this area is so big and so popular, I felt that it was only right to create a guide containing all of the best things to do at the V&A Waterfront. You don’t want to miss out on this part of Cape Town!
- 1. Visit the Oranjezicht Market
- 2. Go Shopping at the Victoria Wharf Mall
- 3. Enjoy a Marine Safari
- 4. Go SUPping
- 5. Ride the Cape Wheel
- 6. Do a Sunset Cruise
- 7. Go gin tasting
- 8. Go Kayaking
- 9. Spot Seals
- 10. Grab Cocktails at Cause & Effect
- 11. Have Drinks at the Silo
- 12. Visit the Two Oceans Aquarium
- 13. Visit the Zeitz MOCAA
- 14. Watershed Market
- 15. Playdate Superpark
- FAQs about the Waterfront
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1. Visit the Oranjezicht Market
The Oranjezicht Market is my favourite thing to do at the V&A Waterfront, and I’m definitely not alone in that. It’s super popular among locals and tourists alike!
The market is located in Granger Bay and it’s perched right on the water’s edge. You’ll find a ton of tasty food stalls from local restaurants here, but the star of the show is Vadas Bakery and their pastéis de nata, which are famous around here.
There are also lots of artisan goods on offer, from locally made gins and jams to fresh produce, clothing, and leather goods. And of course, there’s plenty of beer and wine on the menu!
The market is open from 8:15 am until 2 pm on Saturday and 9 am until 2 pm on Sunday. However, it gets busy during the summer so I suggest arriving early! Lots of stalls sell out of food by the end.
There’s also a Wednesday night market from 4 pm – 9 pm during the summer months. I recommend getting there early, though, as it can take a while to find a seat and if you turn up after 6 pm you might have to queue to get in.
2. Go Shopping at the Victoria Wharf Mall
The Victoria Wharf is a huge shopping mall where you can find a huge range of international stores. You can find pretty much anything here, from H&M to Chanel and everything in between.
There are also some nice restaurants in Victoria Wharf, most notably Willoughby & Co. It’s a seriously popular sushi spot. I’ve never been, but it’s always really busy. And I mean always. I’ve seen queues here at 3 pm on weekday afternoons!
Given that it doesn’t look like much and a lot of the seating is right in the middle of the mall corridor, I can only take this to mean that the sushi is really something special.
3. Enjoy a Marine Safari
Cape Town is home to some amazing marine life, but this Big 5 Marine Safari still WAY exceeded my expectations. I mean, we saw four whales, a pod of dolphins, African penguins, and tons of seals. Who wouldn’t want to do that?
I did this cruise during the summer so I wasn’t expecting to see whales, as winter is the prime time for whale watching. So imagine my surprise when one surfaced so close to our boat that I could have reached out and touched it!
You can read my full review of the marine safari here, but the long and short of it is that I highly recommend it.
It departs from the Waterfront at 10:30 am and lasts for 1.5 hours, so you’ll be back just in time for lunch. It costs R1,000 per person, and I thought it was so worth it.
Book your marine safari here with FREE cancellation!
4. Go SUPping
Stand up paddleboarding (aka SUPping) is a really fun way to explore the waterfront.
We booked our board rental online, which currently costs R313 per person. And if it’s your first time, you can even book a lesson for R616!
I had so much paddling the 3-kilometre loop through the waterfront canals. The route goes past luxury hotels and swanky apartments. There’s also a mischievous resident otter who may or may not try to climb on your board!
The loop takes about an hour to complete. The water here is super calm – way calmer than the ocean! – so it’s really an ideal spot to go SUPping.
You can book your board rental anytime between 9 am and 4 pm. However, I think that it’s best to go in the morning as the wind tends to pick up during the afternoon.
Book your Waterfront SUP board experience here with FREE cancellation!
5. Ride the Cape Wheel
Riding The Cape Wheel is a quick and fun thing to do at the V&A Waterfront. It offers beautiful views of the entire area, as well as Table Mountain, Signal Hill, and the Green Point Stadium.
The wheel is really easy to find because it’s right outside of the Victoria Wharf Mall. You can’t miss it. It would also make a great date, especially at sunset.
The ride lasts for 15 minutes and costs R175 for South African residents, or R250 for international visitors. Kids can ride for R95, no matter where they’re from.
You can just turn up and buy a ticket for the Cape Wheel from the kiosk on the day. However, if you prefer you can also book them in advance online.
Either way, once you’ve bought your tickets, you can redeem them at any time on that particular date. It’s open from 10 am – 10 pm during summer but has slightly reduced hours during the winter.
Grab your Cape Wheel tickets here!
6. Do a Sunset Cruise
A sunset cruise is a beautiful way to end a day in Cape Town, and they depart right here at the V&A Waterfront!
I did one with my friends on my third summer in the city, and I couldn’t believe that I had waited so long. It was a blast! You can read my full review of the experience here.
On the champagne cruise, you get a bottle of bubbly between two while you sail along the Atlantic coastline at sunset. I’ll admit, it’s sweet J.C. Le Roux sparkling wine, so it’s not THE BEST stuff I’ve tasted in Cape Town (not by a long shot, actually), but the experience was so fantastic that it didn’t really matter.
Plus, there’s usually a well-stocked bar onboard where you can treat yourself to a few more drinks, at an additional cost.
Obviously, the departure time changes throughout the year as the days get longer and shorter, but the cruises usually last for about 90 minutes.
We did ours in early January and we departed at 7 PM, but this will be closer to 5 PM in winter. It costs R680 per person.
Click here to book your sunset champagne cruise!
7. Go gin tasting
Gin tasting is always fun! And at Pienaar & Son, you can go and enjoy a tasting for just R80 per person. That’s pretty generous considering you get to try five different spirits!
The tasting experience at Pienaar was excellent. The staff were really enthusiast and welcoming, and I loved the tasting room.
But if you really want to take things to do the next level, you can also book this gin cruise!
It’s an hour-long catamaran ride that sails from the Waterfront right round to Camps Bay for breathtaking views of the Twelve Apostles. Oh, and you’ll get to enjoy two crisp gin and tonics along the way. No wonder it has hundreds of glowing reviews!
8. Go Kayaking
Kayaking in Cape Town is SO much fun, and you can start right here from the Waterfront.
This small group kayaking tour is an amazing way to spot a ton of marine life. I went during the summer and saw seals, penguins, and dolphins. You may even be lucky enough to spot whales, especially during the winter!
But even if you didn’t spot a single thing, it would still be worth going kayaking just for the skyline views from out on the water!
And you really don’t need to be an experienced kayaker to do this tour. I have NO upper body strength and I was just fine!
The staff are also super friendly and encouraging. They made me feel really safe despite my novice status, and there are hundreds of 5-star reviews that attest to how great they are! But since it’s a popular tour, it’s well worth booking in advance.
Book this exciting kayak tour here, before it sells out!
9. Spot Seals
One of my favourite things about the V&A Waterfront is that you can see the resident seals swimming around the harbour!
On pretty much any given day, you can catch them sunning themselves on the pontoon right outside the Aquarium Bootleggers.
But perhaps the best way to get up close to these cuties is on this short and sweet harbour cruise! It’s 30 minutes long and it takes you for a quick spin around the harbour to spot seals and learn a little bit of Capetonian history. I think it’s especially ideal for families!
Book your harbour cruise here!
10. Grab Cocktails at Cause & Effect
Cause & Effect is definitely one of the best bars in Cape Town and it’s known for its novelty concoctions. It’s really more about the production value than the drink itself here!
Some of the best cocktails on the menu include the Table Mountain cocktail, which comes in a glass shaped like the famous peak, with a Cape Fynbos flower on top for that extra touch of authenticity.
I could keep going, but you get the point. Pretty much every cocktail on the menu at Cause & Effect is an elaborate affair.
You’ll find Cause & Effect near the harbour, next to the big Scottish and Irish taverns. They also do bottomless mimosas from 10 am until 11:30 am daily.
Address: The Rocket Shed, 280 Dock Road
Open times: 10 am – 1 am (opens at 9 am on weekends)
11. Have Drinks at the Silo
The Silo is one of Cape Town’s most luxurious hotels, and while a stay here is a little out of my price range, I love coming to the rooftop for drinks!
I had lunch here recently for a friend’s birthday and it was wonderful. We enjoyed great views of the Waterfront, lovely cocktails, and the most delicious poke bowl I’ve ever had.
This place is probably best enjoyed at sunset, but Sophie’s birthday is on Valentine’s Day, so we weren’t able to get an evening reservation. Oh, on that note, you’ll need to make a reservation to come here, and pay a R150 per person deposit. It’s worth it!
12. Visit the Two Oceans Aquarium
The Two Oceans Aquarium is home to over 8,000 different types of marine creatures, and there are lots of display galleries designed to educate visitors of all ages (although of course, kids particularly love aquariums). The Jelly Hall is especially amazing!
The aquarium is open every day of the year from 9:30 am until 6 pm, or from 9 am on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets cost:
- R265 for adults
- R195 for 14 – 17 year olds and students
- R120 for kids aged 3 – 13
13. Visit the Zeitz MOCAA
The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (aka the Zeitz Mocaa) is a true cultural gem. It’s housed inside an old grain silo complex, only now it stores masterpieces instead.
It’s a truly huge museum – in fact, it’s the largest of its kind in the whole of Africa. You’ll find art here that spans a whole range of mediums, from painting and sculpture to insane video installations.
The art here is all about celebrating the diversity of contemporary African art because, spoiler alert, Africa is NOT a country.
The Zeitz MOCAA has played a big role in putting African art and culture on the global map, so I definitely recommend going to check it out while you explore the Waterfront.
It’s open from 10 am until 6 pm every day except Sunday, and if you’re an African citizen you can visit for free until 1 pm on Fridays. Otherwise, it costs R250 per adult.
Skip the queues book fast track tickets for the Zeitz MOCAA here!
14. Watershed Market
The Watershed Market is a covered market where you’ll find crafts, fashion, and jewellery from talented local designers. It’s all about supporting small scale local businesses and independent artists, and there’s always a good atmosphere around here. Plus, it’s a fantastic place to pick up thoughtful gifts or simply discover your new favourite artist.
15. Playdate Superpark
If you’re a parent and want to take your kids somewhere they’ll really love, head to Playdate Superpark. It’s like an extreme adventure park, but it’s adapted and made super safe for kids.
There’s a highline course, a 3D maze, and a zipline, so if you want to tire your kids out, this is the place to do it.
It costs R95 for one hour, R140 for 90 minutes, R170 for 2 hours, or R220 for an all day pass.
Adults need to accompany super young kids, but they pay just R30 per hour. Meanwhile, the first hour is free for kids under 1, or costs just R35 for under 2s.
If your kids are older than 5, there’s also a Drop & Go system, so you can leave them to run riot while you go and check out some of the other fabulous things to do at the Waterfront.
Playdate Superpark is open from 10 am until 5 pm daily.
FAQs about the Waterfront
Is there parking at the V&A Waterfront?
Yes, there are over a dozen different paid parking lots in the area.
Parking usually costs around R20 an hour although the hourly rate can vary slightly depending on how long you’re there for.
I usually park in Victoria Wharf or the Granger Bay lot if I’m heading to the market, but they’re all within walking distance of one another.
Can you walk to the V&A Waterfront?
Yes, you can easily walk to the Waterfront from Green Point, Sea Point, or De Waterkant. It’s perfectly safe to do this during the day, but I recommend taking an Uber after dark.