Outdoors · Cape Town · South Africa
7 best outdoor things to do in Cape Town
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Discott, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway, Boulders Beach penguin colony and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 13–19 hours across 7 areas; 4 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 4
- Time to see them all
- 13–19 hours
- Areas
- Table Mountain National Park, Simon's Town and Newlands
Outdoors in Cape Town
Nature · Table Mountain National Park
1.Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway
Check the cableway's live status on the morning you plan to go and take the first clear, calm day you get; the 'tablecloth' cloud can roll in by midday.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Nature
Beach · Simon's Town
2.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
3.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 · Signal Hill
4.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
5.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
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
Beach · Muizenberg
7.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
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Table Mountain National Park | Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway | 3–4 hours |
| Simon's Town | Boulders Beach penguin colony | 1–2 hours |
| Newlands | Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden | 2–3 hours |
| Signal Hill | Lion's Head hike | 2–3 hours |
| City Bowl | Company's Garden | 45 minutes |
| Sea Point | Sea Point Promenade | 1–2 hours |
| Muizenberg | Muizenberg Beach | Half a day |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 4 free, 2 low cost, 1 mid-priced. Book ahead for Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway. The longest visit is Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway: Buying cableway tickets online lets you skip the ticket queue, which is long in December and January.
How to fit them into 5 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Table Mountain National Park): Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Simon's Town and Newlands): Boulders Beach penguin colony → Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Signal Hill and City Bowl): Lion's Head hike → Company's Garden, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Sea Point): Sea Point Promenade, at least 1 hour.
- Half-day 5 (Muizenberg): Muizenberg Beach, at least 3 hours.
The best months to be outside
- December: highs of 25°C (77°F), about 3 rainy days, very busy crowds. Hot, dry and windy summer holiday season; the busiest and highest-priced weeks run from mid-December into January.
- January: highs of 26°C (79°F), about 3 rainy days, very busy crowds. Peak summer: dry, sunny and often windy, with long evenings and the busiest beaches and restaurants of the year.
- November: highs of 24°C (75°F), about 4 rainy days, busy crowds. Early summer before the holiday crowds: warm days, long evenings, but frequent strong southeasterly winds.
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
- Sea Point — Apartment blocks along a seafront promenade with a public pool and ocean sunsets
- Muizenberg and Kalk Bay — False Bay surf beach with painted huts and a fishing harbour with antique shops
More of Cape Town
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Cape Town?
Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway. The flat-topped mountain rises about 1,085 metres above the City Bowl.
+Which of these are free in Cape Town?
Lion's Head hike, Company's Garden, Sea Point Promenade and Muizenberg Beach.