Getting around · Cape Town · South Africa
Getting around Cape Town
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Cape Town is spread out, so most visitors combine ride-hailing apps within the city with a hire car for the Cape Peninsula and winelands. The MyCiTi bus network links the airport, CBD, Waterfront and Atlantic seaboard, and red hop-on hop-off buses cover the main sights. Not for the city itself, where ride-hailing is easy, but a car is the best way to explore the Cape Peninsula, Chapman's Peak and the winelands at your own pace.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Ride-hailing
- Airports
- CPT
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
- Travel pass
- myconnect card
Ways to get around
Ride-hailing
Ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Bolt are widely used, reasonably priced and the easiest way to get around at night or between neighbourhoods.
Check the number plate and driver name before getting in, and wait inside the venue until the car arrives.
Bus
MyCiTi buses run on dedicated lanes between the airport, Civic Centre, the V&A Waterfront, Sea Point, Camps Bay and Hout Bay. Fares are paid with a rechargeable myconnect card.
Buy and load a myconnect card at a station kiosk before your first trip.
Car
A hire car makes Chapman's Peak, Cape Point, Boulders Beach and the winelands easy. Traffic drives on the left, and roads are good, but city parking areas often have informal car guards.
Never leave bags visible in a parked car.
Train
Metrorail's Southern Line runs from the city along False Bay through Muizenberg and Kalk Bay to Simon's Town, a scenic coastal ride.
Travel in daylight, in busier carriages, and keep valuables out of sight.
Walking
The CBD, Bo-Kaap, Company's Garden and De Waterkant are close together and walkable by day, as are the Sea Point Promenade and the Waterfront.
Tickets and passes
myconnect card
The contactless card used to pay MyCiTi bus fares; load it with credit at station kiosks and tap on and off.
Hop-on hop-off bus tickets
One- and two-day tickets on the red sightseeing buses link the Waterfront, the cableway, Camps Bay, Kirstenbosch and Constantia wine estates.
From the airport
Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is about 20 km east of the city centre, typically 20–30 minutes by car outside rush hour. Ride-hailing pick-ups and taxis operate from the terminal, and the MyCiTi airport bus runs to the Civic Centre station in the CBD.
Do you need a car?
Not for the city itself, where ride-hailing is easy, but a car is the best way to explore the Cape Peninsula, Chapman's Peak and the winelands at your own pace. Many visitors hire one for two or three days of their stay.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car | Car or guided peninsula tour |
| Stellenbosch | About 45 minutes by car | Car, wine tour or train |
| Franschhoek | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car | Car or organised tour; Wine Tram between estates |
| Hermanus | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car | Car or whale-watching tour |
| West Coast National Park | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car | Car |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Cape Town?
Not for the city itself, where ride-hailing is easy, but a car is the best way to explore the Cape Peninsula, Chapman's Peak and the winelands at your own pace. Many visitors hire one for two or three days of their stay.
+How do you get from the airport to Cape Town?
Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is about 20 km east of the city centre, typically 20–30 minutes by car outside rush hour. Ride-hailing pick-ups and taxis operate from the terminal, and the MyCiTi airport bus runs to the Civic Centre station in the CBD.
+What is the best way to get around Cape Town?
Ride-hailing: Ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Bolt are widely used, reasonably priced and the easiest way to get around at night or between neighbourhoods.