Top 10 Things to Do in Cape Town
I wondered what Cape Town looked like for years, and couldn’t wait to finally see the city with my own eyes – and let me tell you, it was worth the wait to finally set foot in the Mother City itself.
View of Table Mountain from the V&A Waterfront; March 2025
Cape Town has a wide variety of things to do and see, from hikes, to beaches, to discovering the funky bars and cafés on Long Street or Kloof Street – this really is a city with something for everyone, making it a perfect escape from winter in Europe and North America.
If you’ve only got a few days in Cape Town, it can be hard to narrow down the city’s top sites – but I’m going to share some of my top favorite things I did when in Cape Town to help make your Mother City bucket list easier.
Here are some of the top things to do in Cape Town:
Top 10 things to do in Cape Town
1. Signal Hill
This was one of the first things we did in the city, and for good reason – it gave us the perfect first taste of Cape Town. We could see the Atlantic Ocean, the city’s hugging coastline, and Table Mountain from here.
I highly recommend coming here for pictures and just to take in the view, as it seems to be a more underrated spot for tourists.
View of Table Mountain from Signal Hill; Cape Town in March 2025
2. Boulder’s Beach
Perhaps one of the things I was most excited for when heading to Cape Town was to see the Boulder’s Beach Penguin Colony – because what trip to Cape Town is complete without seeing these icon penguins?
Penguin colony at Boulder’s Bay; March 2025
It’s worth noting that Boulder’s Bay not only has a great and relatively affordable gift shop, but it’s also near Simon’s Town and Boulder’s Beach – both of which are also worth seeing while you’re in the area.
If you didn’t already know, buying a ticket to see the penguins at Boulder’s Beach will help donate money to continued research to help keeps this African penguin species alive!
Boulder’s Beach outside of Cape Town; March 2025
3. Kalk Bay
One of the more underrated areas in the Cape Peninsula, Kalk Bay was one of my absolute favorites – it’s situated further away from the city center and closer to Boulder’s Beach, making it a perfect place to stop for lunch or dinner on the way back to Cape Town after a day of penguin sighting.
View of Kalk Bay; March 2025
We ate at the Brass Bell in Kalk Bay and everyone loved it. Sure, it can get a little windy – but the WiFi, music, vibes, and food were all good, and not to mention the stunning views!
Views of Kalk Bay at the Brass Bell; Cape Town in March 2025
Funnily enough, when walking around the town of Kalk Bay with a few Aussies – we all agreed that its bohemian vibe was reminiscent of Byron Bay in Australia.
Color vibes and lots of cute shops to explore in Kalk Bay; March 2025
4. Table Mountain
This may be an obvious one on everyone’s Cape Town list, but it really is worth going up – even if the ticket isn’t the cheapest thing you’ll find in Cape Town, as it’ll run you around $25 USD to take the Cable Car up to the top of Table Mountain.
View from the top of Table Mountain; Cape Town in March 2025
You could hike up to the top and take the Table Mountain cable car down if interested – but keep in mind that the hike takes anywhere from 1-3 hours one way depending on which trail up the mountain you opt for.
Regardless, the top has some really nice souvenir shops I couldn’t find anywhere else in Cape Town and beautiful places to watch the sunset.
Watching the sunset at Table Mountain in Cape Town; March 2025
5. Maiden’s Cove & Clifton Beach
I knew that Cape Town had some iconic beaches, but I wasn’t ready when we stumbled across Maiden’s Cove.
Maiden’s Cove in Cape Town; March 2025
Someone told me that while Clifton’s beaches are the most iconic in Cape Town, they require pesky steps to walk down to any of the 4 Clifton beaches – making Maiden’s cove the perfect place to for pictures and taking in the gorgeous view.
Honestly, the closest place I could think of to compare to Maiden’s Cove were the beaches I saw on the Amalfi Coast… but this was ten times more grandiose.
6. Chapman Peak’s Drive
There isn’t one spot specifically worth seeing, it’s being on the drive in general that will give you that I’m in Cape Town right now feeling – seeing the coastline and various beaches along the way will blow your mind.
View of Hout Bay on Chapman Peak’s Drive; Cape Town March 2025
7. Company Gardens
This is something I wouldn’t have thought to visit in Cape Town if it weren’t for the tour guide, but I’m glad we did – as the European in me loved this park, it’s views, and it’s calm aura.
Company’s Gardens in Cape Town; March 2025
You’ll see people here having family gatherings, taking a walk in the park, or just basking in the sun on a beautiful day.
100% worth checking out, and the views of Table Mountain from the park are stunning.
8. Cape of Good Hope
Although this is on the more touristic side of Cape Town, it is still a must-do when visiting the Mother City – as the views and coastline are stunning.
Coastline view from the Cape of Good Hope; March 2025
Not to mention, visiting the most southwestern part of the African continent is something really cool to have on your resume!
Seals in the southwestern most part of Africa; March 2025
9. V & A Waterfront
This… may have been… my favorite part of Cape Town.
My dad is from San Francisco, and I have since then traveled to a lot of coastal cities with waterfronts – but Cape town is probably has the prettiest waterfront I have ever seen.
V&A Waterfront in Cape Town; March 2025
There are seals to see, sweeping waterfront views, and even museums located right there – so you can eat by the water or go shopping right after sightseeing.
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town; March 2025
The color Dutch-inspired architecture, affordable waterfront restaurants, available shopping mall, singers on the boardwalk, and random dancers – all of it created a unique atmosphere I really hope to return to again one day!
Ferris wheel at V&A Waterfront in Cape Town; March 2025
10. Kloof Street
This is another thing I wouldn’t have known to do with a local’s advice, but this street is where some of the cutest cafés in Cape Town are – including vegan options such as The Conscious Kitchen with entrancing views of Table Mountain.
Sitting at a café on Kloof Street in Cape Town; March 2025
Overall, Cape Town has so many things to do – that this top 10 listen doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface: there are more beaches, hikes, and neighborhoods to explore.
However, I think this is list is a great place to start for a first trip in Cape Town.
Want to see some of these sights in action?
Check out my vlog in Cape Town below!
Looking for more advice to plan your trip to South Africa? Click here to read more about what to do in Cape Town and to see on the Garden Route.