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Cape Town Day Tours
Summary:
1. Half day city tour
2. Full day Peninsula
3. Full day Winelands
4. Full day Cape Highlights (Peninsula and Stellenbosch) |
5. Full day Walk to Freedom
6. Half Day uThando Community Projects Involvement
7. Full day Cape Riviera and Wines
8. Full day boat based whale watching tour |
All of these are available on a private basis as well.
1. SCHEDULED HALF DAY CITY TOUR
| Days |
Twice Daily |
08h30-13h00/13h15-17h45 |
| Departure |
Sea Point Hotels
Waterfront Hotels
Downtown Hotels |
08h15 / 13h00
08h30 / 13h15
08h45 / 13h30
|
| Duration |
4.5 hours |
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| Entrance included |
Castle of Goodhope & SA Museum |
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This morning you will be met by your guide and coach for a morning exploration of the Cape Town, known affectionately as the Mother City. Your tour will take in the Houses of Parliament, the Castle (built between 1666 and 1679, this is South Africa’s oldest building), lively Greenmarket Square with its daily market, the Company Gardens and of course Table Mountain which will give you spectacular views over the city and Peninsula (cable car fee is not included as it is weather dependent).
On our descent, we stop at the Bo Kaap, home to the Cape Malay community, with its cobbled streets and brightly coloured houses. You will have the choice of being dropped off at the Waterfront to experience this vibrant location at your own pace, with its many shops, restaurants and pubs or at your hotel at the end of the tour. |
2. SCHEDULED FULL DAY CAPE POINT & PENINSULA TOUR
| Days |
Daily |
08h30 – 17h30 |
| Departure |
Sea Point Hotels
Waterfront Hotels
Downtown Hotels |
08h15
08h30
08h45
|
| Duration |
9 hours |
|
| Entrance included |
Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve,
Boulders Penguin Colony &
Kirstenbosch botanical garden |
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Today we embark on a full day tour of the Cape Peninsula. We take in the beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay, before crossing over to Hout Bay, where you may choose to join an optional boat cruise to Seal Island. From here we drive to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve via Chapman’s Peak, one of the world’s most breathtaking coastal drives, where you will board a funicular to the top of the Peninsula to witness the symbolic meeting of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans as well as have spectacular views over False Bay. We enjoy lunch near here (not included – own account) before continuing to Simonstown, the naval base, and visiting the African Penguin breeding colony at Boulders Beach. En route back we stop at the world renowned Kirstenbosch Gardens before arriving at your hotel for overnight.
3. SCHEDULED FULL DAY WINELANDS
| Days |
Daily |
08h30 – 17h30 |
| Departure |
Sea Point Hotels
Waterfront Hotels
Downtown Hotels |
08h15
08h30
08h45
|
| Duration |
9 hours |
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| Entrance included |
3 wine tastings |
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You will be met this morning by your guide and small group and set off for the Winelands, a delightful drive which winds its way through superb mountain ranges, vineyards and Cape Dutch homesteads. Our first stop is Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa, with canal lined avenues, and magnificent examples of Cape Dutch architecture where we enjoy our first wine tasting, coupled with a chocolate and dessert tasting. Onward over the scenic Helshoogte Pass, to Franschhoek, founded by French Huguenots over 350 years ago, and widely regarded as the culinary capital of South Africa. Its beautiful setting and café lined streets will charm you and a further wine tasting is included at one of the renowned estates here. Our final stop is at the town of Paarl, at the foot of a cluster of remarkable granite domes where we enjoy our final wine tasting before heading back to Cape Town.
4. FULL DAY CAPE HIGHLIGHTS TOUR
| Days |
Daily |
08h30 – 17h30 |
| Departure |
Sea Point Hotels
Waterfront Hotels
Downtown Hotels |
08h15
08h30
08h45
|
| Duration |
9 hours |
|
| Entrance included |
Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve &
Boulders Penguin Colony and Cellar Tour & Wine tasting |
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| Comments |
The drive via Chapman’s peak is subject to the
road being open; alternatively we will drive via
Ou Kaapse Weg. |
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You will be collected this morning for a tour which combines two of the highlights of the Cape – The Cape of Good Hope and Stellenbosch, in the Winelands. We take in the beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay, before crossing over to Hout Bay, where you may choose to join an optional boat cruise to Seal Island. From here we drive to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve via Chapman’s Peak, one of the world’s most breathtaking coastal drives, where you will board a funicular to the top of the Peninsula to witness the symbolic meeting of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans as well as have spectacular views over False Bay. We enjoy lunch near here (not included – own account) before continuing to Simonstown, the naval base, and visiting the African Penguin breeding colony at Boulders Beach.
Onward to Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa, with canal lined avenues, and magnificent examples of Cape Dutch architecture where we enjoy a wine tasting and cellar tour, before drop off at your hotel in Cape Town late this afternoon.
5. CAPE TOWN WALK TO FREEDOM - FULL DAY - TOUR DESCRIPTION
Specialist Cultural Day Tour
| Days |
Daily |
08h30 – 17h30 |
| Departure |
Sea Point Hotels
Waterfront Hotels
Downtown Hotels |
08h15
08h30
08h45
|
| Duration |
9 hours |
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| Entrance included |
District Six Museum, guided township walk & Robben Island |
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This is a tour which delves deep into South Africa’s political past and opens up doors to communities not always encountered in the city itself. You will start off at the colourful Bo- Kaap, home to the Malay community and one of the oldest residential areas in the city, before crossing over to District Six, once a vibrant Coloured neighbourhood, before forced removals under the Group Areas Act of Apartheid turned it into a desolate wasteland. The museum makes for interesting viewing.
From here, we visit one of the townships – created specifically for black residents under Apartheid. We join local community workers on a walk about through the township, meeting many friendly faces en route and also seeing the changes being brought about here with the advent of the New South Africa.
We also stop at one of the many successful projects operated by uThando, a non profit organisation dedicated to the upliftment of communities. |
On our return to the city, we board a ferry to Robben Island. Here we will be joined by a local guide – someone who spent time on the island during the Apartheid years – and thus able to give a personal and often moving account of time spent there. You will also learn something about the island’s most famous prisoner – Nelson Mandela – and see his cell where he spent nearly 27 years of his life.
We return to the Waterfront where you will be dropped off at your hotel.
Note: Half Day Walk to Freedom is as above but does not include Robben Island in the afternoon.
6. uTHANDO COMMUNITY PROJECTS TOUR
Specialist Community Involvement Tour
| Days |
Mon - Fri |
13h30 – 16h30 |
| Duration |
3 hours |
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| Entrance included |
Donation to uThando charities |
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Uthando South Africa is our chosen charity in South Africa and serves as an umbrella for a wide range of highly effective community projects across the country. In order to showcase these and also to offer a glimpse into the work being done to uplift the disadvantaged in South Africa, they offer daily scheduled excursions visiting the sprawling townships around Cape Town, with particular emphasis on visiting at least three of the social development projects being funded through Uthando.
The Uthando tours offer a unique and authentic introduction to the social problems confronting so many millions of South Africans, while also illustrating the innovative and inspirational ways in which they are being handled by these marginalised and destitute communities. Very importantly, the projects are not treated as tourist attractions and the tours are designed in such a way as to educate, inform and inspire while also respecting the dignity and privacy of the people concerned. The projects are, after all, places where people live, work and in most cases, just survive. |
You will be collected at your hotel in the Cape Town area and dropped off at the end of the trip. A portion of the tour cost goes directly to uThando charities.
7. FULL DAY CAPE RIVIERA & WHALES TOUR
Tour runs throughout the year, although whales are only seen from June-November
| Days |
Daily |
08h30 – 17h30 |
| Departure |
Sea Point Hotels
Waterfront Hotels
Downtown Hotels |
08h15
08h30
08h45
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| Duration |
9 hours |
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| Entrance included |
Harbour Museum and Harold Porter Botanical Gardens |
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| Meals |
None |
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June to November is usually the best time to see the Southern Right Whale in the Cape waters and Walker Bay, in front of the town of Hermanus is the best place to see them –indeed Hermanus is described as the best land based whale watching spot in the world, with the whales coming as close as 50 metres to shore.
We depart Cape Town, travelling via the apple growing area of Elgin, to the renowned Hamilton Russell Vineyards, in the spectacular Hemel and Aarde Valley (Heaven and Earth Valley). We will have time in Hermanus for some land based whale watching and a chance to wander this quaint seaside town. Our route back is via the dramatic Platinum Coast, which winds past beautiful bays such as Betty’s Bay and Pringle Bay. We stop en route at the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens. This beautiful, secluded garden is set between mountain and sea, in the heart of the Cape fynbos region and encompasses 10 hectares of cultivated fynbos garden and 190.5 hectares of pristine natural fynbos. We drive via the splendid coastal route to Gordon’s Bay, to arrive back in Cape Town late this afternoon.
8. FULL DAY BOAT BASED WHALE WATCHING TOUR
| Days |
Daily |
06 h00 – 17h00 |
| Departure |
Sea Point Hotels
Waterfront Hotels
Downtown Hotels |
05h45
06h00
06h15
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| Duration |
Boat trip – 2.5 hours |
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| Entrance included |
Boat cruise |
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| Meals |
Light snacks and drinks on board |
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Set off this morning early from Cape Town for the 2 hour transfer to Kleinbaai Harbour at Gansbaai, the launch pad for whale watching cruises in this area remarkably rich in marine life. After an introductory talk, we depart for Dyer Island, 8 kms from shore and a protected island for its many bird species, including African Penguins, Cape Gannets and Giant Petrels. Adjacent is Geyser Rock, home to 60 000 Cape Fur Seals – the channel between these two islands is known as Shark Alley as Great White Sharks cruise the waters in search of their favourite prey. In and around these waters are strong numbers of Bryde’s Whales and Humpback Whales, as well as dolphins which make for very rewarding – and close up – sightings. Return to shore and enjoy a warm drink while watching a DVD of your day before returning to Cape Town.
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