50 Unique Things to do in Cape Town
Introduction
Welcome to the beautiful city of Cape Town in South Africa! If it is your first time visiting this drop-dead-gorgeous city, then please take a moment to visit my posts Cape Town Survival Kit and Best Things To Do In Cape Town For The First Time Visitor. These are detailed write ups from my own personal experience of having lived in Cape Town for a year and from 4 other shorter visits. You’ll find out what you need to know before travelling to Cape Town, as well as the iconic ‘best of’ in a jam-packed one week itinerary.
For those of you wanting to experience a handful of lesser well known but original, quirky things to do in the Mother City, then read on for my 50 unique things to do in Cape Town!
(If you enjoy this read, then stay posted for my next post – ’50 MORE unique things to do in Cape Town’!!!)
1. Sit in box position behind the stage to watch the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra at Cape Town City Hall
2. Dress up for High Tea & Jazz at Winchester Mansions Hotel, Seapoint
3. Shop the local artisan market and enjoy local food and drinks at Sunday Sessions, Mojo Market, Sea Point
4. Lap swim at Sea Point Pavillion with the glistening Atlantic Ocean before you
5. Have a champagne brunch at trendy Lily’s, Mouille Point
6. Experience some quirky art at Everard Read Art Gallery, Portswood Road, Green Point
7. Find a vintage bargain or boutique treasure at the Kalk Bay seaside markets
8. Enjoy a retro boogie night at DecoDance Night Club, Seapoint, which plays the greatest hits of the 60s, 70s and 80s
9. Have high tea in an art mansion at Casa Labia, Muizenberg
10. Savour your favourite tipple in an old bank vault at The Taj Hotel, Cape Town City
11. Watch tight rope walkers across the pools at Brass Bell Restaurant, Kalk Bay
12. Get fancy for high tea at Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, Gardens
13. Enjoy rooftop drinks in the heart of the city at The Silo Hotel, V&A Waterfront
14. Have dinner at Nonna Lina Italian Restaurant and then see a movie at old-school Labia Theatre, Gardens
15. Shop local artisans & take home a one-of-a-kind piece from V&A Watershed
16. Go down into The Crypt to watch live jazz, Cape Town City
17. Enjoy the vivacious atmosphere at Sea Point pools on a hot day
18. Savour a glass of wine overlooking the Cape Town Aquarium
19. Treat yourself to fresh oysters and sparkling MCC from the Knysna Oyster Company, V&A Waterfront
20. Sway to the live music in the famous Nobel Square, V&A Waterfront
21. Try local produce at Oranjezicht City Farm Market, V&A Waterfront
22. Have a coffee in the opulent lobby at Table Bay Hotel, V&A Waterfront
23. Soar above the city on the Cape Wheel, V&A Waterfront
24. Enjoy the best sashimi and champagne at Life Grand Cafe Waterfront Restaurant, V&A Waterfront
25. Have a beer brewed by monks at Den Anker Cafe, V&A Waterfront
26. Check out the Cape Fur Seals sunbathing at Collier Jetty, V&A Waterfront
27. Get the gang together for Thursday night drinks at Cape Point Vineyards Community Market
28. Live your best life enjoying live music on a Friday night at Bay Harbour Market, Hout Bay
29. Visit the museum and hospital where the first heart transplant occurred, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory
30. See the statue with the missing nose at Rhodes Memorial, an act of defiance by protesting university students
31. Hang off a huge rock and play in the snow while hiking in Jonkershoek Nature Reserve
32. Sit in the wildflowers at West Coast National Park
33. Stay in a guest house at the base of Hangklip Mountain, Pringle Bay
34. Get up early for a chance to see the wild horses at Kleinmond
35. Go whale watching at Hermanus
36. Taste the next-level world-famous apples (and wine) in picturesque Elgin
37. Visit a ‘padstal’ for ‘padkos’ (roadside stall for takeaway food!)
38. Capture a great picture of Cape Town city at Bloubergstrand Beach
39. Go 4WDing in the Atlantis sand dunes
40. Stay in a Scout’s Hut overnight on the iconic Table Mountain
41. Step back in time with breakfast at the laid back, country-style Cafe Paradiso
42. Create imaginative photographs in Woodstock Cave, Table Mountain Nature Reserve
43. Take in glorious views of the Atlantic Seaboard and Lion’s Head along the Pipe Track
44. Spend a morning relaxing at Beta Beach & Bakoven Beach with Bootlegger coffee
45. Try one of the Cape’s craft beers (can’t go past Devil’s Peak Brewery!)
46. Swim in a dam on top of Table Mountain
47. Sing at the top of your lungs at the Christmas carols at Kirstenbosch at the base of Table Mountain
48. Climb the domed Paarl Rock
49. Pick flowers and have some scones at Chart Farm, Wynberg
50. Wander through the University of Cape Town’s old vine-lined buildings, Rondebosch
