Free things to do · Cape Town · South Africa
8 free things to do in Cape Town
Cape Town without the ticket prices: sights, walks and views that cost nothing.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Olga Ernst, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
You can fill at least 3 days in Cape Town without paying an entry fee: V&A Waterfront, Bo-Kaap, Lion's Head hike and Company's Garden are all free. Restaurants and wine are very good value for visitors earning in euros, pounds or dollars; a fine-dining tasting menu costs a fraction of its European equivalent.
Key facts
- Free sights in this guide
- 8
- Low-cost extras
- 6
- Cost level
- Affordable
- Lowest hotel prices
- June–July
Free sights and experiences
Waterfront · V&A Waterfront
1.V&A Waterfront
Take a short harbour cruise at sunset for a view of Table Mountain from the water.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Shopping
- Food
- After dark
Neighbourhood · Bo-Kaap
2.Bo-Kaap
This is a residential area with mosques; photograph the houses respectfully and avoid posing on people's front steps.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- History
- Food
Viewpoint · Signal Hill
3.Lion's Head hike
If you go for sunset, carry a head torch for the descent and walk down with other hikers.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Active
- Outdoors
Garden · City Bowl
4.Company's Garden
Walk through it between Bo-Kaap and Kloof Street; it is the most pleasant route across the city centre.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- History
Viewpoint · Signal Hill
5.Signal Hill
Arrive at least 45 minutes before sunset on summer evenings, when the parking area fills up.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- After dark
Waterfront · Sea Point
6.Sea Point Promenade
Walk or cycle it in the early evening and stop for an ice cream as the sun sets over the ocean.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Active
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Neighbourhood · Kalk Bay
7.Kalk Bay harbour and village
Buy fresh fish straight from the boats when they come in, or eat hake and chips by the harbour.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Off the beaten path
- Photo spot
Beach · Muizenberg
8.Muizenberg Beach
Book a surf lesson in the morning before the wind picks up, and check the shark-spotter flag before swimming.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Active
- Outdoors
- Free
Free sights by area
| Area | Free sights | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| V&A Waterfront | V&A Waterfront | Half a day |
| Bo-Kaap | Bo-Kaap | 1–2 hours |
| Signal Hill | Lion's Head hike and Signal Hill | 2–3 hours + 1 hour |
| City Bowl | Company's Garden | 45 minutes |
| Sea Point | Sea Point Promenade | 1–2 hours |
| Kalk Bay | Kalk Bay harbour and village | 2–3 hours |
| Muizenberg | Muizenberg Beach | Half a day |
Worth a small ticket
Beach · Simon's Town
Boulders Beach penguin colony
Go early in the morning before tour buses arrive, and combine it with Cape Point further down the peninsula.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Nature
- Iconic
- Photo spot
Garden · Newlands
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Bring a picnic; the lawns below the mountain are one of the best places in the city for a long afternoon.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Kids
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · Hout Bay
Chapman's Peak Drive
Drive it from Hout Bay towards Noordhoek in the late afternoon, when the light falls on the bay behind you at the lookouts.
- Time needed
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Photo spot
- Couples
Museum · City Bowl
District Six Museum
Ask whether a former resident is guiding that day; their talks bring the exhibits to life.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Castle · City Bowl
Castle of Good Hope
Pair it with the District Six Museum, a five-minute walk away on Buitenkant Street.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Kids
Museum · City Bowl
Iziko South African Museum
Combine it with a planetarium show on a rainy afternoon with children.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
More ways to save
- Restaurants and wine are very good value for visitors earning in euros, pounds or dollars; a fine-dining tasting menu costs a fraction of its European equivalent.
- Many of the best experiences are free: Lion's Head, the Sea Point Promenade, Signal Hill and the beaches.
- Visit between May and September for the lowest accommodation prices outside the July school holidays.
- Self-catering apartments in Sea Point or Gardens cut costs; supermarkets sell good wine at low prices.
- Share a hire car for peninsula and winelands days rather than booking several separate tours.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Cape Town expensive to visit?
Cape Town is affordable for most visitors, but 8 of its best-known sights are free, which makes a tight budget workable.
+What is the best free thing to do in Cape Town?
V&A Waterfront: Take a short harbour cruise at sunset for a view of Table Mountain from the water.