Take a Hop-on, Hop-off Tour of Cape Town
As one of South Africa’s top tourism destinations, Cape Town offers a number of ways to explore its historic landmarks, cultural attractions and natural beauty. Popular options for getting around Cape Town are the hop-on, hop-off bus tours offered by City Sightseeing. Sightseers can choose from the Cape Town Red City Tour and Cape Town Blue Mini Peninsula Tour, each of which arrives and departs from the Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront. Passengers can hop-off at any of the stops along the tour, spend some time exploring the attraction and hop-on the next bus going past. The Red City Tour has buses departing every 15 minutes, while the Blue Mini Peninsula Tour departs every 20 or 25 minutes depending on what day it is.
The Cape Town Red City Tour features 18 stops, including the Table Mountain cable way, the Castle of Good Hope and the renowned District Six Museum. Starting at the fascinating Two Oceans Aquarium, the tour stops off at the V&A Waterfront’s Clock Tower (built in 1882), followed by a stop at the ultra-modern Cape Town International Convention Centre on the city’s Foreshore. Cape Town’s visitor information center is next on the list and passengers who would like to visit Green Market Square can hop-off the bus and take a walk to this historic landmark (dating back to 1696) in the centre of Cape Town. The next stop is at St George’s Cathedral, followed by the South African Museum. Founded in 1825, the Iziko South African Museum was the first of its kind in the country. Located in the beautifully landscaped Company’s Garden since 1897, the museum is a treasure trove of South African history and culture, as well as being the home of unique and significant collections relating to African zoology, archaeology and paleontology.
Located at the foot of Table Mountain, the Mount Nelson Hotel is the next stop on the tour. Referred to locally as the ‘Nellie’, this is Cape Town’s most famous hotel and a great place to stop off for a cup of custom-blended Mount Nelson Tea and some tasty treats. Find out about the Nellie’s on-site eco initiatives including its vermiculture centre used for processing leftover food and organic matter into compost, which is used for fertilizing the hotel’s spectacular gardens.
The SA Jewish Museum documents the history of South Africa’s Jewish community, while the District Six Museum pays tribute to the culture and history of this interesting part of Cape Town and the people who live there. The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest building in South Africa and stands as a testimony to the fine workmanship of those who designed and built it.
South Africa is known for its rich reserves of gold, and the Gold of Africa Museum offers insight into the history of the discovery of this precious metal, as well as the various extraction and processing methods used over several centuries. Jewel Africa offers local hand-crafted jewelry featuring the precious gems mined in South Africa.
The Table Mountain cableway is the next stop on the tour. The views from the cable cars (which revolve 360 degrees) and the top of Table Mountain are beyond description and well worth seeing. Camps Bay, Bantry Bay and Sea Point are next, followed by Winchester Mansions and ending at the Green Point Lighthouse. A day jam-packed with new memories of Cape Town.