History · Cape Town · South Africa
7 historic sites to see in Cape Town
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Robben Island, Bo-Kaap and District Six Museum. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 11–14 hours across 4 areas; 2 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 11–14 hours
- Areas
- Table Bay, Bo-Kaap and City Bowl
Historic sites in Cape Town
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Historic site · Table Bay
1.Robben Island
Tours leave by ferry from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront, take about 30–45 minutes each way, and include a bus circuit of the island and a walk through the maximum-security prison, often guided by a former political prisoner.
- Time needed
- About 4 hours including ferries
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Iconic
Neighbourhood · Bo-Kaap
2.Bo-Kaap
Wale, Chiappini and Rose streets are the most photographed, and the small Bo-Kaap Museum on Wale Street shows a 19th-century home. Cooking classes here teach curries and samoosas.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- History
- Food
Museum · City Bowl
3.District Six Museum
A floor map covered with former residents' handwritten notes, street signs and personal stories make it one of the most affecting visits in the city.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Castle · City Bowl
4.Castle of Good Hope
Visitors can walk the bastions, see the military museum and the William Fehr collection of Cape furniture and paintings, and watch a key ceremony on some weekdays.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Kids
Garden · City Bowl
5.Company's Garden
Parliament, St George's Cathedral, the South African Museum and the National Gallery all border it.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- History
Museum · City Bowl
6.Iziko South African Museum
South Africa's oldest museum, at the top of the Company's Garden, covers natural history and early human history, with a four-storey whale well hung with whale skeletons, fossils from the Karoo and a planetarium next door.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Historic site · Constantia
7.Groot Constantia
It is about 20 minutes' drive from the city, so you can taste wine without a full winelands day.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Couples
- Food
- Architecture
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Table Bay | Robben Island | About 4 hours including ferries |
| Bo-Kaap | Bo-Kaap | 1–2 hours |
| City Bowl | District Six Museum, Castle of Good Hope, Company's Garden and Iziko South African Museum | 1–1.5 hours + 1–1.5 hours + 45 minutes + 1.5–2 hours |
| Constantia | Groot Constantia | 2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 2 free, 3 low cost, 2 mid-priced. Book ahead for Robben Island. The longest visit is Robben Island; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Robben Island: Tours sell out in summer and are cancelled in rough seas; book online several days ahead and keep a backup day free.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Table Bay): Robben Island, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Bo-Kaap and City Bowl): Bo-Kaap → District Six Museum → Castle of Good Hope, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (City Bowl and Constantia): Company's Garden → Iziko South African Museum → Groot Constantia, at least 4 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- June: highs of 18°C (64°F), about 10 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Wet and cool with cold fronts, but clear days between storms are crisp and calm; whales start arriving in False Bay.
- May: highs of 20°C (68°F), about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cooler and quieter, with the first winter rain; many hotels drop their rates.
- July: highs of 18°C (64°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Midwinter: rainy spells, snow on distant mountains and the lowest prices; South African school holidays add some domestic visitors.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- City Bowl and Gardens — Central streets below Table Mountain, from Bree Street restaurants to Kloof Street cafés
- De Waterkant and Green Point — Cobbled lanes of pastel cottages, Cape Town Stadium and the city's LGBTQ+ quarter
- Woodstock — Former industrial district with street murals, design studios and the Old Biscuit Mill
- Constantia — Leafy southern suburb of historic wine estates and country hotels
More of Cape Town
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Cape Town?
Robben Island. The island prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in detention is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
+Which of these are free in Cape Town?
Bo-Kaap and Company's Garden.