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Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town

Solo travel · Cape Town · South Africa

Solo travel in Cape Town

How to enjoy Cape Town at your own pace.

Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team

Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0

Quick answer

Cape Town has a large backpacker and digital-nomad scene, friendly hostels and plenty of group activities such as hikes, surf lessons and wine tours. Use ride-hailing at night and join groups for hikes. Many solo travellers base themselves in City Bowl and Gardens.

Key facts

Base
City Bowl and Gardens
Getting around
Ride-hailing
Emergency number
112 from mobiles; 10111 police; 10177 ambulance
Language
English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa

Solo travel tips

  • Stay in Gardens, Sea Point or the City Bowl, where hostels and guesthouses cluster near restaurants and bus routes.
  • Hike popular routes such as Lion's Head and Platteklip Gorge with others and in daylight, and tell someone your plans.
  • Join a group wine tour or surf lesson to meet other travellers.
  • Sit at the bar in Bree Street restaurants for an easy solo dinner.
  • Avoid walking alone through quiet streets after dark; a short ride-hail is inexpensive.

Where to stay

$$ · Best for first-timers, food lovers, nightlife and solo travellers

City Bowl and Gardens

The City Bowl is the amphitheatre between Table Mountain, Lion's Head and Devil's Peak. The CBD around Bree, Long and Loop streets holds many of the city's best restaurants and bars, while Gardens and Tamboerskloof uphill around Kloof Street are leafier, with guesthouses and the lower cableway station a short ride away. The Company's Garden and the South African Museum are on the doorstep.

Good
Walkable to restaurants, bars and museums; Wide range of guesthouses and hotels; Quick ride to the cableway
Watch out
Long Street is noisy at night; Some CBD streets feel empty after dark
Nearby
Company's Garden, Bo-Kaap, Table Mountain Cableway, District Six Museum

Great on your own

Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway, Cape Town
Photo: Danie van der Merwe from Cape Town, South Africa, CC BY 2.0

Nature · Table Mountain National Park

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
Robben Island, Cape Town
Photo: South African Tourism from South Africa, CC BY 2.0

Historic site · Table Bay

Robben Island

Sit on the left side of the ferry heading out for the classic view back to Table Mountain.

Time needed
About 4 hours including ferries
Cost
Mid-priced
  • History
  • Iconic
Bo-Kaap, Cape Town
Photo: SkyPixels, CC BY-SA 4.0

Neighbourhood · Bo-Kaap

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
Lion's Head hike, Cape Town
Photo: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0

Viewpoint · Signal Hill

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
Chapman's Peak Drive, Cape Town
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0

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
Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town
Photo: Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0

Gallery · V&A Waterfront

Zeitz MOCAA

Look up from the centre of the atrium, then take the stairs rather than the lift to see the carved tubes up close.

Time needed
1.5–2 hours
Cost
Mid-priced
  • Art
  • Architecture
  • Rainy day

Meeting people

  • Bo-Kaap cooking class — Local hosts in Bo-Kaap teach small groups to fold samoosas, roll rotis and cook a Cape Malay curry in their own homes, followed by a shared meal.
  • Saturday market at the Old Biscuit Mill — The Neighbourgoods Market in Woodstock fills a converted biscuit factory with food stalls, craft beer and local producers on Saturday mornings; go early to avoid the crush.
  • Bree Street — The city's best concentration of wine bars, cocktail bars and restaurants, with a slightly older, food-focused crowd.
  • Long Street — Backpacker bars, balconies and late-night clubs; loud, cheap and busiest on weekends.

Sensible precautions

Opportunistic theft is the main risk for visitors: keep phones and bags out of sight, use ride-hailing after dark, and never leave valuables in parked cars. Hike in groups on well-used trails, and swim only where lifeguards or shark spotters are on duty.

Emergency number
112 from mobiles; 10111 police; 10177 ambulance
Staying connected
Local SIM cards and eSIMs from Vodacom, MTN and others are sold at the airport and in malls; most cafés and hotels have Wi-Fi.

Questions travellers ask

+Is Cape Town good for solo travellers?

Cape Town has a large backpacker and digital-nomad scene, friendly hostels and plenty of group activities such as hikes, surf lessons and wine tours. Use ride-hailing at night and join groups for hikes.

+Where should solo travellers stay in Cape Town?

City Bowl and Gardens: Central streets below Table Mountain, from Bree Street restaurants to Kloof Street cafés.