South Africa's favourite city, Cape Town is overflowing with sights, attractions and activities. But Cape Town itself only offers a small taster of the treasures and delights that await beyond the city limits. Those who venture out of the city are richly rewarded with spectacular scenery, thrilling adventures, Big 5 safaris, and more... For those with a little extra time to explore, here are the best places to visit near Cape Town.
To discover more activities and places in and around Cape Town city, see parts 1 and 2 of our Best of Cape Town series.
For a quick overview of when to visit, why to go and more see our free Cape Town guide.
Now, let's show you some of the best places to visit in the Cape, based on our experiences as local Capetonians.
A beautiful drive, whichever route you choose, Cape Point Nature Reserve forms part of the Table Mountain National Park to the southwest. The sea surrounding Cape Point was the bane of the early explorers and the origin of the name ‘Cape of Storms’. These days, radar has lessened the woes of sailors who float around these rugged rocks and cliffs.
The old lighthouse remains and now acts as the central monitoring point for all South African lighthouses. Take the funicular up and marvel at the views over the wild Atlantic (it’s a myth that this is where the Atlantic meets the Indian Ocean, but it’s a nice one!) littered with shipwrecks.
At the Two Oceans Restaurant, you can sit on the broad outside deck which offers spectacular views across False Bay while you feast on seafood.
Watching the budget? Pack a picnic and enjoy it at one of the beautiful seaside picnic spots within the Cape Point reserve.
There are several walks through the reserve, where you can get up close and personal with the beautiful fynbos while looking out for various antelope, zebra and smaller creatures that call the area home.
After a hot walk, we’d recommend cooling off in one of the tidal pools: Bordjiesrif and Buffels Bay.
If you’d prefer for everything to be done for you, join one of our tours that include Cape Point Nature Reserve, like the Cape Town Adventure & City Tour.
The great white shark is one of the most beautiful and misunderstood marine creatures and there’s no better way to find this out than to observe them in their natural habitat. At Gansbaai, you can do just that.
There are numerous shark diving operators in Gansbaai. They include Marine Dynamics, White Shark Ventures, and the White Shark Diving Company.
Feeling a little nervous about coming face-to-face with Jaws’ first cousin once removed? Fret not. Read about the shark cage diving trip experience in Eye-to-Eye with a Great White Shark in Gansbaai. If you’re still not convinced, see Is Shark Cage Diving Safe?
If you don’t have sea legs (or your budget can’t take a full sea trip), visit the penguins at the Dyer Island Conservation Trust. Entry is free but do leave a donation, as they do incredible work saving the highly endangered penguins. There’s also a little shop where you can buy all things penguins to take home.
Feeling peckish after all the sea air? There are several places to eat in Gansbaai. Thyme at Rosemary’s Restaurant offers home-cooked goodness in a pretty setting and at the Blue Goose, you can experience unexpected gourmet delights in this little coastal village. Watching your wallet? Head to The Fish Lady and get the freshest fish and chips takeaway in town.
If you want to sit back and relax while somebody else does all the organizing, join our Shark Cage Diving Day Tour, 2-Day Shark Dive Tour to Gansbaai or go full-on adventure with our Garden Route Adventure Tour from Cape Town, which includes bungee jumping at Bloukrans, diving with great white sharks in Gansbaai, and skydiving or sandboarding in Mossel Bay, to name a few activities.
To see our shark cage diving tours and more visit our Cape Town Tours page.
What’s a visit to The Mother City without a trip (or two) into the Cape Winelands? Known for their spectacular beauty and incredible wines, many of the wine farms now offer even more to delight the taste buds – cheeses, olives, charcuterie, and more.
Are you a fan of goats? Or cheese? Or wine? If the answer is yes to any of these three questions and especially if it’s a yes to all of them, then Fairview, near Paarl, is the place for you.
Here the goats enjoy their tower and provide milk for the delicious cheese made on the farm. They are also the inspiration behind Fairview’s delicious Goats do Roam range of wines. You can taste both the wines and the cheeses on the farm, or stock up on everything fresh at the deli (think picnic basket perfection). If you visit in September you’ll be treated to the new kids that arrive in spring. There is little to beat the cuteness of a frolicking kid.
Down the road (and around a corner or two) toward Stellenbosch, you’ll come to Villiera. Here, you will find their gorgeous terrace and old oak trees under which you can taste their wines and, our favourite, do a bubbly and nougat tasting.
Yip, you read right ... A nougat and bubbly tasting. Who could ask for more? Please note that you need to pre-book the bubbly and nougat tasting.
Dating back to 1685, Muratie is a gorgeous, old wine farm in the beautiful Knorhoek Valley, north of Stellenbosch. Revel in the history, taste their wines and eat a meal in the farm kitchen, all in a spectacular setting with views across to Table Mountain shaded by trees that can tell you stories from centuries ago.
Various mountain biking trails pass through the Muratie estate. Check out Dirtopia for routes, events, and bike hire. In fact, Stellenbosch and its surroundings have many great mountain biking routes and a number of places that offer guided trails and wine tours by bike. Check out Ride In for all things bike, or if an electric bike suits your desires more, Vine Bikes.
Middelvlei Wine Estate is a true family-run farm. Brothers, Tinnie and Ben, took over the running of the farm from their father, Stiljan, in the 90s. He, in turn, inherited the farm from his father.
Middelvei offers a daily ‘Boerebraai’ (booking essential) – a true South African tradition – which includes braaibroedjies (cheese toasties done over the fire) and pampoenkoekies (pumpkin fritters). Pair this feast with their wines and you’re A for away.
It’s impossible to write about all the farms, there are so many great ones, but for more on the wine farms, we listed just some of our favourites in our blog 15 Fabulous Cape Wine Farms.
Want us to organise everything for you and, more importantly, be the designated driver? Join our Cape Town Cultural & Winelands Package and we’ll do it all – you can sit back, sip on wine and admire the scenery.
If you want to do it by bike, we can help you with that too. Check out our Guided Cape Town Mountain Bike Tour or Guided Cape Town Road Cycling Tour which includes cycling through the incredible scenery of the Winelands, Hermanus and Cape Point.
Dating back to 1679, Stellenbosch is a beautiful town and well worth spending some time in. Wander its oak-lined streets admiring the architecture, pop into Stellenbosch institution De Akker for a drink to see the university students in their natural habitat and visit one of the many museums, like the fascinating Toy Museum in Market Street.
There are plenty of spots to eat scattered throughout Stellenbosch and there’s something to suit every budget. If you’re looking for fine dining, Jardine Restaurant is the place. Excellent coffee and sitting on the pavement to watch Dorp Street go by? 18 Coffee.
Searching for the perfect steak? The Fat Butcher. Watching the budget carefully? There are loads of little hole-in-the-wall places that run specials, Stellenbosch is not only a tourist destination but it’s a university town, so caters well for those on a budget.
If you’re lucky enough to be in Stellenbosch on a Friday night, do yourself a favour and head to Kayamandi where Amazink put on an incredible three-course South African meal and a show filled with the vibrant rhythms of Africa.
While we’re huge fans of the game parks further north, like Kruger, there are some excellent Big 5 game reserves near Cape Town (see the Best Big 5 Safaris near Cape Town. These affordable game reserves close to Cape Town are ideal for those with limited time and/or budget and offer a fantastic introduction to African safaris. We’re happy to tell you that you can see many of Africa’s favourite wild animals within two to three hours of Cape Town.
Just two-and-a-half hours northeast of Cape Town, in the beautiful Klein Karoo, lies Inverdoon. Here the Big 5 roam freely and you can visit on a 2-day safari staying overnight in a range of different accommodation options.
A little way south of Inverdoon and two hours by road from Cape Town is Aquila Game Reserve. Here, too, you can see the Big 5 animals and enjoy a day Safari or stay over. You can even do a horseback safari to really be one with nature.
Booking an affordable safari to either Aquila or Inverdoorn with African Budget Safaris is quick and easy. See our Budget Cape Town Safari Tours to compare options.
Those are just a few of the best places to visit in the Cape, near Cape Town city. For more activities and attractions in and around the city see:
Want to chill while everything’s organized for you? Book our Full-Day Cape Town Safari, 2-Day Cape Town Big 5 Safari, or 3-Day Cape Town Big 5 Safari.
At African Budget Safaris, we offer affordable safaris throughout southern and East Africa, but we're based in Cape Town and we include this beautiful city that we call home in many of our trips.
Whether your budget is big or small, Cape Town and its surroundings offer visitors just about anything their heart desires. Talk to a friendly ABS travel expert today and book your dream trip to South Africa, or start by browsing our well-priced budget-friendly Cape Town Tours.
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