Choose from 133 Fun Things to Do in South Africa
Cape Agulhas
Practical Info
Castle of Good Hope
In the late 1600s, the Dutch East India Company constructed the Castle of Good Hope as a maritime resupply station, and over the years, it became the seat of administrative and military power in the cape until the settlement grew and the civilian functions moved into town.
Today, the castle is the oldest remaining building of the colonial era as well as the military's hub. Open to visitors, it houses the Castle Military Museum and the Iziko Museums of Cape Town. The latter is a fascinating collection of paintings, furnishings and ceramics dating back to the colonial period. Nearby the Castle and throughout Cape Town are the other Iziko museums, which include the South African Museum (dinosaurs, natural history and African artifacts), the Planetarium, the South African National Gallery and more. Also nearby are Green Point Common, an inner-city greenbelt, entertainment district and site of the new FIFA World Cup Stadium. Long Street, found in the nearby City Bowl neighborhood, is a bohemian neighborhood famous for its restaurants, shopping and bars.
Practical Info
In 2009, the castle hosted the Cape Town Military Tattoo, a series of military performances on par with world-famous tattoo in Edinburgh, Scotland. Visitors are treated to the majesty of military regalia and parade performance, most recently during the 2010 FIFA world cup.
Finding the castle is pretty easy - it's a 20-minute drive from Cape Town International Airport, on Strand St. near the Good Hope Centre
Camps Bay
Practical Info
Chavonnes Battery Museum
Practical Info
Cape Point Nature Reserve
Practical Info
Buffelsfontein Game and Nature Reserve
Practical Info
Atlantic Coast
The Atlantic Coast near Cape Town is dotted with wealthy suburbs and small, seaside villages. You'll find a variety of ocean activities; many of the small villages are the gateways to secret surf spots. Within these communities, you'll find vibrant nightlife, art galleries and trendy hotspots - gourmands take note, as some of these suburbs have high-end restaurants waiting to astound your palate.
Of note are the towns of Green Point, Sea Point, Bantry Bay, Clifton, Camps Bay, Llandudno and Hout Bay. Green Point and Sea Point are famous for their bustling night lives - Sea Point is more or less a 24 hour party town. The suburbs of Bantry Bay, Clifton, Camps Bay and Llandudno are enclaves for the rich and super-rich. If you like to marvel at multi-million dollar homes that have to-die-for views of the ocean, these are your towns.
If, however, you have no opinion on the houses of the rich and super-rich, continue north to Hout's Bay, where you'll encounter more restaurants and the World of Birds, a sanctuary for South Africa's fauna. From magpies to meerkats, the World of Birds is a great place for nature lovers.
Continuing north from Hout's Bay, you'll wind your way along Chapman's Peak Drive (a curvy road cut into a cliff face), one of the most amazing scenic drives in the world. Chapman's Peak Drive will take you to Kommetjie and Scarboroug, where you'll find Long Beach, one of the most sought-after breaks in the surfing world.
Practical Info
Exploring the peninsula's coast makes for a rewarding and scenic day trip. You'll head south on the M3 from Cape Town through the beautiful Constantina Valley, eventually hitting the False Bay coastline and continuing down to Cape Point. At Cape Point, you can round the peninsula and head north and west, where you'll run across more small suburbs, villages, and world-class surf spots.
Cango Caves
Practical Info
Delaire Graff Estate
Practical Info
Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve
- Not all tours include the entrance fee to Cape Point, so it’s best to check before you book.
- Many facilities, including the funicular, restaurant, and restrooms, are wheelchair accessible.
- Stairs lead to the lighthouse, making it inaccessible for wheelchair users.
- Cape Point offers a free, GPS-enabled audio tour that provides background information about your specific location.
Franschhoek Motor Museum
Practical Info
Delheim Wine Estate
Practical Info
Gold Reef City Theme Park and Casino
The Gold Reef City complex is built on the site of an old gold mine, and visitors can still descend into the pits and see how the precious metal is extracted. Those in search of their own windfall should head for the casino, where roulette, baccarat, black jack as well as slot machines are on offer round the clock. First time flutterers and hardened high rollers are well catered for.
The theme park component of Gold Reef City offers thrills for all ages, with rides including the Anacaonda, the Tower of Terror and a roller coaster which provides a great view towards central Johannesburg on its exhilarating journey.
Practical Info
Gold Reef City Theme Park and Casino is in Johannesburg’s south, and can be reached from the center of the city along the Villiers Graaff Motorway. Combine your visit with a tour of the adjacent Apartheid Museum for a fascinating contrast.
Groot Constantia
The property in Constantia was given to Simon van der Stel in 1685 by the Dutch East India Company, which had an outpost at the Cape of Good Hope. At the time, van der Stel was the Dutch East India Company’s Governor of this area, and it’s his name that later was used at Simon’s Town south of Cape Town. He built a manor house and began farming grapes for wine production.
In 1779, a wine-making family purchased the part of the Groot Constantia estate that included van der Stel’s manor house. It’s that family, the Cloetes, who is to thank for making Groot Constantia one of the area’s top wine estates, especially noted for its Constantia dessert wine. A fire in 1925 destroyed van der Stel’s original manor house, but it was rebuilt according to the original design.
Today, visitors to Groot Constantia can tour the wine-making facilities as well as the historic manor house (now a part of the Iziko South African Museum with rotating exhibits on display), the beautiful grounds, and enjoy a meal at one of the estate’s on-site restaurants. Groot Constantia is part of the scenic Constantia wine route, and the winery is also producing dessert wine again (it had stopped for more than 100 years) along with highly-rated red wines.
Dyer Island
Practical Info
Chapman's Peak Drive
Practical Info
Greenmarket Square
Practical Info
Cape Town Stadium
Today, visitors can catch a local Rugby match or even a live performance if the timing is right. But the stadium also offers daily tours for travelers on a budget—or those whose schedules don’t match up with the local calendar of events.