Last Updated on October 5, 2024 by Hannah Stephenson
I’ve lived in Cape Town for a few years now and I’ve done SO many fun tours during that time. From sightseeing to adventurous experiences like paragliding and shark cage diving, I feel like I’ve pretty much done it all by this point.
But if you’re only in Cape Town for a couple of weeks, which tours are worth it and which ones should you skip?
Obviously, the best choices vary from person to person, but I’m going to give you my personal ranking to help you choose. Let’s go!
1. The Franschhoek Wine Tram
Price: R750
Includes: wine tram tickets, return transport between Franschhoek and Cape Town
Free cancellation? Yes
Coming in at number one has to be the Franschhoek wine tram. It’s a full day tour and it’s just SO. MUCH. FUN.
The wine tram explorer tour makes it easy to do the wine tram from Cape Town, because it includes return transport between the city and the Franschhoek Valley.
I think it’s the easiest and most affordable way of enjoying the wine tram, and I had a blast!
You can read my full review of the wine tram, but I’ll give you the abridged version below.
We left the Aquarium at about 8 am and got to Franschhoek just before 9 am. The bus left to go back to the city around 5:30 pm, so we had plenty of time to go tasting!
Trams and tram buses go about once an hour, so you can do four or five wine farms over the course of the day. The staff at the wine farms will always let you know when the next tram is coming, to make sure you don’t miss it!
The wine tram explorer tour usually takes you on the Navy route. There are eight wineries to choose from, and we visited the following:
- Plaisir
- Vrede en Lust
- Bartinney
- Le Pommier
All of the wine farms were beautiful, but Bartinney was my favorite. The views were stunning, the cheese boards were amazing, and we snagged the prime table out on the balcony!
Click here to book your spot on the wine tram explorer tour
2. Paragliding
Price: R1,475
Includes: tandem flight, all equipment, transport back to launch site if necessary
Free cancellation? Yes
Okay, so whereas the wine tram was a full day experience, a tandem paragliding flight only takes about five minutes.
But my goodness, what a five minutes!
My wonderful friend, Sarah, bought me a tandem flight for my birthday. It’s one of the best gifts I have ever been given! You can read my full review here.
Flying off of Signal Hill, over Sea Point, and towards the ocean was just incredible. The views were gorgeous and I really don’t think that anything can beat the feeling of flying.
I was pretty nervous when I rocked up at Signal Hill, but the crew were so friendly and put me at ease. I’m not very good at jumping off of things, but paragliding isn’t scary at all because you run and the wind just takes you. The next thing you know, you’re soaring through the air!
Sara bought me the GoPro footage, and I’m so thankful she did as I love the photos. This usually costs around R300 extra, and I got the footage uploaded onto my phone right after we landed.
You can book your tandem paragliding flight here!
3. Sunset Champagne Cruise
Price: R650
Includes: boat ride, one bottle of sparkling wine per pair
Free cancellation? No
As someone who grew up miles from the ocean, I take any chance I can to get myself on a boat! But what I love even more than that is sparkling wine and sunsets!
So of course I couldn’t resist the chance to take some of my friends on this cruise, and we had so much fun. You can read my full review here!
The sunset was beautiful – we got all shades of purple and orange on the night we went! The bubbly wasn’t the best quality, but we got a bottle between two people, which was pretty generous given the price point of the tour. You can buy more if you run out, but we were almost back to shore by the time we finished ours.
I think that this cruise is super well priced for such a fabulous experience, but if you’re looking for something a little cheaper, there’s also a pre-sunset version for R360.
You can book the sunset champagne cruise here!
4. Constantia Wine Bus
Price: R325
Includes: bus ticket – you pay for your tastings on the day
Free cancellation? Yes
I almost feel bad for putting the Constantia wine bus in fourth place, because some of my favourite days in Cape Town have been wine tasting on this tour!
However, if you’re short on time and it’s a question of Franschhoek vs. Constantia, I would have to pick the former.
Still, the Constantia wine bus is fun, cost-effective, and a very convenient way to go wine tasting. It’s also super flexible, as it’s a hop-on hop-off experience.
I’ve written an entire guide to the Constantia wine bus, but basically, it works like this:
- Buy a sightseeing bus ticket, which you will use to take the blue route to Constantia
- Catch the bus from outside the Aquarium from 9 am onwards (or 8 am during festive season)
- Ride to Constantia Nek
- Change to the smaller purple route bus and go to Groot Constantia
- Come back to Constantia Nek, walk to Silvermist
- Walk from Silvermist to Beau Constantia, and catch the bus back to the city from there – the last one goes at 5:22 pm
It’s a great day out and the wine farms are just beautiful – especially Beau Constantia. I usually book a tasting for that one at around 3 pm as it’s so popular, but for the other two, you can just turn up!
You can book your spot on the Constantia wine bus here
5. Seal Snorkelling
Price: R950
Includes: boat ride, wetsuit, snorkelling equipment, hot chocolate and cookies
Free cancellation? Yes
I LOVED seal snorkelling in Hout Bay. It was an absolute blast and I saw hundreds of seals!
The experience was very well organised and there were only three people in my group. This meant we had our guide’s full attention, and he helped us spot so many seals.
In fact, I have to give a big shout out to Clemen here because he was just so friendly and really made the experience what it was.
One thing I really liked about this tour is that they don’t bait the seals at all. It’s purely about observation. Clemen taught me that the best way to attract a seal is just to float there, because these curious creatures are sure to come and say hello!
My only regret from the day is that I lost the footage from the GoPro I rented (and obviously, that’s entirely my own fault). It was a fantastic experience and I would most definitely do it again – in fact, you can read my in-depth review here.
Click here to book your spot on the seal snorkelling tour
6. Aquila Safari
Price: R4,600
Includes: hotel pickup, welcome drink, 1-2 buffet meals, 2-hour game drive
Free cancellation? Yes
I mean, come on, pretty much everyone who visits South Africa wants to do a safari!
However, they’re usually a flight away from Cape Town, so if you’re short on time or just don’t have the budget to visit another part of the country, you can do a safari on a game reserve.
I have never actually done a “proper” safari, but I don’t think this is quite the same thing. However, I’ve done it twice with friends who have come to visit and it is pretty amazing.
So I’ll say it’s not a true safari, but for safari virgins like myself, it’s probably the next best thing. You can read my in-depth review of the experience here!
I’ve done the Aquila safari and a few things change between the summer and winter – basically, you get more meals in the winter but you can use the pool during the summer.
However, the gist of it is this: we were picked up in Cape Town, driven two hours out to the game reserve, had a welcome drink and a meal, and went on a 2-hour game drive.
Both times, I saw four out of the Big Five. I’m yet to spot a leopard, which is the most elusive one of them all!
Click here to reserve your spot on the Aquila safari
6. Horse Riding in Noordhoek
Price: R850
Includes: horse ride
Free cancellation? No
There are actually lots of great places to go horse riding in and around Cape Town, and I just couldn’t pass up the chance to go riding on the beach!
Noordhoek beach is quiet and absolutely stunning, and the 1.5 hour ride also took us through wetlands and a lagoon, so we got to see it all.
The riding company we went with was really accommodating and I ended up with the most beautiful horse. She was so well-trained, and they did a good job of matching horses and riders.
My much more experienced friend, Sophie, got given a very “spirited” gal, while I got a much more obedient horse, since this was only my second ever ride.
We paid R850 for the experience, and we booked directly with the company. We submitted the form and then they emailed us asking for more details, and sent a payment link.
The tour doesn’t include transport, so we drove ourselves to Noordhoek, which took about 50 minutes from the CBD.
7. Bo Kaap Free Walking Tour
Price: free
Includes: guided tour of Bo Kaap
Free cancellation? You don’t even need to book!
I was really impressed by the quality of the free – or, let’s be honest, tip-based – walking tour I did in Bo Kaap!
I had already lived in Cape Town for a while, so I kind of knew the area anyway, but it was still very interesting.
The free walking tours company are also super chilled out, so you don’t need to sign up. All we had to do was turn up in Parliament Square at either 2 pm or 4:20 pm and look for the green umbrellas.
Then, we walked from there to Bo Kaap and learned so much about the area as we explored. Our guide gave us a fantastic recommendation so we stayed behind afterwards and had a yummy 3-course meal at Faeza’s Home Kitchen.
I can’t recall exactly, but I think we tipped around R100 each for this tour. My former housemate, Marianne, is now one of the guides, so if you’re in her group please tell her that I say “hello!”
8. Dolphin Kayaking
Price: R550
Includes: guides, all equipment
Free cancellation? No
I loved the kayak tour that I did, because I saw several dolphins!
After a glowing recommendation from a friend, I booked to do a 2-hour kayaking tour with Kaskazi. I loved it, although I did get a little nauseous, so I would recommend popping a seasickness tablet beforehand.
Anyway, I still had a fantastic and I would definitely go again! As well as dolphins, we saw sunfish, seals, and even a penguin!
Our guide was really funny and snapped some photos for us, too. Meanwhile, the kayaks had rudders which made the steering super easy.
I went through Kaskazi Kayaks, who operate in Sea Point, and I would definitely recommend them. However, there are a few different tour options that leave from all over the city, including the Waterfront, Hout Bay, and Simon’s Town.
9. Cape Point Explorer Tour
Price: R600
Includes: transport, guide
Free cancellation? Yes
When my friend, Liam, came to stay, visiting Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope was on high on his list of things to do. I didn’t have a car, so we booked this sightseeing tour and off we went!
We had pretty bad weather, but Cape Point is very scenic.
And hey, it’s not everyday that you get to visit the southeasternmost point of Africa – aka the Cape of Good Hope! I was also really excited by how much wildlife we saw there, as there were tons of ostriches and baboons around.
The tour also took us to see the penguins at Boulders Beach, which is a total must-visit in my eyes. It’s a gorgeous beach and the penguins are so cute, so visiting is always a treat.
We loved our tour guide and the day was really well-organised. It’s such an easy way to explore the Cape peninsula, with no stress or planning involved!
If you’re hiring a car, then you could totally just do this by yourself. However, this tour actually ended up being the most convenient and budget-friendly option for Liam and I! You can check out my full review here.
The tour costs R600, but we had to pay for our entry to Boulders Beach and the Cape Point Nature Reserve on the day, so it comes to about R1190 in total.
Click here to grab your spot on this tour!
10. Cape Winelands Tour
Price: R750
Includes: transport, 3 wine tastings, charcuterie board, chocolate pairing, guided walk through Stellenbosch
Free cancellation? Yes
I had a really good time on the Cape Winelands tour!
Liam and I did this tour together. He was keen to visit both Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, so we booked this tour because it covers them both, plus Paarl.
Oh, and the fact it has over 2,100 5-star reviews definitely appealed to us!
We had an absolutely brilliant day, so I would absolutely do this tour again. We met the nicest people from all over the world and visited three lovely wineries.
The day started off strong with a sabrage demonstration, a cellar tour, and a delicious cheese board at one of Stellenbosch’s top wineries. Then went for lunch (and another tasting) at a nice restaurant in Franschhoek, and finnaly a wine and chocolate pairing in Paarl.
The tasting experiences in Stellenbosch and Paarl really were standout wine tasting experiences for me, and it truly was a wonderful day. Probably the only downside was that I kept getting sleepy on the bus!
I was really happy with how much was included for the price! We did have to pay for our own lunch in Franschhoek, and this cost me about R120. But even so, I thought the tour was excellent value for money.
You can book your spot on the winelands tour here!
11. Quad Biking
Price: R499 (plus R118 permit fee)
Includes: quad bike, helmet, guide
Free cancellation? No
The sheer variety in Cape Town just blows my mind, even after all this time. As if the beaches and mountains weren’t enough, the city is also home to pristine white sand dunes – and what better way to explore them than on an ATV tour?
Now, I wouldn’t say that this tour is a must-do while you’re in Cape Town. If you’re only here for a week, there are definitely other activities that should take priority.
But if you’re renting a car and want some seriously cool photos for Instagram, then I can’t deny that this hour-long quad biking tour is a lot of fun.
I was nervous, but driving the ATVs was surprisingly easy. By the end of the tour, my confidence had grown a lot.
We also stopped for a while and our guide took tons of pictures of everyone, with plenty of guidance on how to pose!
This was a really fun activity, but I would only recommend it if you’re renting a car because the dunes are about an hour out of town.
If you do this tour, my insider tip would be to you could always stop for a cheeky wine tasting at De Grendel on your way back into Cape Town. The views of Table Mountain from here are just magnificent!
Click here to find out more and back
12. Shark Cage Diving
Price: R4,050
Includes: transport, breakfast, lunch, boat ride, wet suit, snorkel mask, cage dive
Free cancellation? Yes
You may be surprised to see shark cage diving at the bottom of my list of tours. After all, it’s an iconic Cape Town activity!
To be honest, when I booked the tour, I didn’t think it would end up so far down either, but there we go…
The reason that I’m putting it so far down is because it requires SO. MUCH. TRAVEL. TIME.
It takes 2.5 hours to get from Cape Town to Gansbaai, where you do the dive. However, my friends and I booked a really cheap tour and we had a few delays on the way there and back.
We were also crammed onto the boat like sardines and only got a 20 minute cage dive!
Personally, I think there are better ways to use your precious time in Cape Town than by going shark cage diving!
However, if you do really want to go, I would recommend booking a more reputable tour than the one I did, like this one.
This tour gives you two hours on the boat, and you get breakfast and lunch in a popular local restaurant. It has over 400 5-star reviews, so it must be somewhat decent!
All in all, shark cage diving was a very cool experience and I don’t regret doing it, but for me, it just wasn’t worth all of the travel time.
If I haven’t put you off, then you can book your shark cage diving tour here!