Excursions from Cape Town - 10 really cool tours & highlights

Cape Town is definitely one of our TOP 5 cities worldwide. In this city alone, you can probably discover and do something different 365 days a year, because this metropolis on Table Mountain is diverse, exciting, and colorful. Boredom is virtually impossible here (activities in Cape Town).

Many of our readers write to us while planning their South Africa travel plans and ask about possible excursions around Cape Town. For this reason, we’ve put 10 really cool excursions from Cape Town on paper for you. Have fun browsing!

What you should know about South Africa

What you should know about South Africa
1. Bloubergstrand Beach & Atlantis Dunes
2. Winelands of South Africa
3. Exciting Cape Peninsula
4. Helicopter flight from Cape Town
5. West Coast National Park
6. Whales in Hermanus
7. Shipwreck in Cape Agulhas
8. Exploring the Garden Route
9. Going on safari around Cape Town
10. Road trip along the R62
Conclusion on the excursions around Cape Town
Travel reading for your trip to South Africa

1. Bloubergstrand Beach & Atlantis Dunes

One of our favorite beaches around Cape Town is Bloubergstrand Beach. Although the beach is about 20 kilometers from Cape Town, a visit is still worthwhile. The sensational view of Table Bay and Cape Town’s skyline is truly impressive, and it’s hard to get enough of it. Since Bloubergstrand Beach often has a strong breeze, the beach is especially popular with kite surfers. But you’re sure to spot surfers in the water here, too.

Excursions from Cape Town Blouberg Beach

The water here is very cold (like almost everywhere in South Africa), and the bay is often very windy. For this reason, the beach isn’t necessarily for swimmers, but rather for the hardiest swimmers. The beach is easily accessible by bus lines T01/T02 and 214 (change at the “Table View” station). The stops for Blouberg Beach are “Bokkombaai” and “Kleinbaai.” You can also arrive with your rental car*.

The neighboring Milnerton Beach is just as beautiful. And here’s another tip from the community for you: The Atlantis Dunes are located just 45 minutes from Cape Town. Not only do they provide a beautiful photo opportunity (see here), you can also enjoy a variety of activities there, such as sandboarding, quad biking, or 4×4 driving.

Across the dunes on a quad bike*
Cape Town: Adventure tour through the desert & sandboarding*
Sandboarding in the Atlantis Dunes*

2. Winelands of South Africa

The Winelands of South Africa are, in our opinion, among the most scenic corners of the country. Around Franschhoek, Paarl, and Stellenbosch, you can visit countless wineries, participate in wine tastings, and enjoy delicious food. But it’s not just the delicious wine itself that’s the focus here, but also the fascinating landscapes.

Many wineries are located amidst lush green landscapes with fertile valleys, rugged mountain formations, and beautiful forests. Be sure to allow at least two days to visit a few of the wineries. Check out the routes of the famous Wine Tram. This nostalgic train runs between several wineries.

From Cape Town: Winelands Day Tour with Tastings*
Cape Town: Winelands Full Day Tour with Wine Tastings and Food*
From Stellenbosch: Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tour on the Southern Route*
From Cape Town: Franschhoek Wine Tram Hop-On Hop-Off Tour*

3. Exciting Cape Peninsula

You’ve probably already read something about the Cape Peninsula while planning your trip, right? Several highlights await you here. It’s best to drive across the peninsula on your own, past the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive, Hozt Bay, and Noordhoek Beach to the Cape of the Good Hope. Here at the “Cape of Storms,” you can usually expect a fresh breeze, plenty of wind, and plenty of tourists.

But take it easy; of course, everyone wants to stand here at the famous “sign” and take a souvenir photo. We hiked up the “mountain” and enjoyed the view from the top; it was simply amazing! It’s best to drive further to Simon’s Town and Muizenberg. Here you can marvel at the cute penguins and go surfing at Muizenberg Beach.

Cape Peninsula: Small Group Day Tour with Penguins*
Cape Town: Private Day Tour to the Cape of Good Hope*
Half-Day Trip to the Penguins*

4. Helicopter Flight from Cape Town

One of our absolute highlights of recent trips was our helicopter flight over Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula. Our tour started at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. We flew with a pilot for 20 minutes over the coastline towards the Cape of Good Hope. The view was magnificent and hard to describe in words.

In the best weather, we enjoyed the view of one of our favorite cities in the world, took incredibly beautiful souvenir photos, and were beaming from ear to ear when we had solid ground beneath our feet again. Absolutely recommended, it’s worth the money!

Cape Town: 12-minute helicopter flight*
18 minutes over Cape Town and the coast*
Cape Town Helicopter Flight over both oceans – 25 minutes*

5. West Coast National Park

We definitely recommend a visit to West Coast National Park. It’s located around 100 kilometers north of Cape Town and awaits you with fascinating landscapes. Covering 30,000 hectares, it’s one of the largest nature reserves on the South African coast. We were there again in November 2019 and January 2023 and enjoyed it so much. Click here for our trip along the west coast of South Africa.

According to the park, more than 250 bird species live there, and even migratory birds from Northern Europe stop over in the park. We particularly like the Langebaan Lagoon and the many flamingos in the water. Most visitors come between August and October, when you can see a sea of wildflowers. But even without the flowers, the park was really beautiful.

Langebaan: 2-hour sea kayaking tour in the West Coast National Park*
Cape Town: Guided e-bike safari tour*

6. Whales in Hermanus

Almost everyone would like to marvel at the giants of the sea in South Africa. A very good starting point is Hermanus, the world capital of whale watching (100 km from Cape Town). With a bit of luck, you can even spot whales from the mainland. In Hermanus, you’ll also find plenty of accommodations, restaurants, bars, supermarkets, small shops, and plenty of great views of the ocean.

The blue-green Atlantic, the bright blue sky, the rugged coastline, and the fresh breeze that caresses your ears—welcome to Hermanus. Between June and October, you have the best chance of seeing whales in the bay. Alternatively, you can also drive to Gaansbai and take one of the many tours to the famous Shark Alley.

Hermanus: 2-hour whale watching tour by boat*
From Cape Town: Whale watching boat trip in Hermanus*
Mountain bike sand dune trail in De Kelders*

7. Shipwreck in Cape Agulhas

From the incredibly beautiful De Hoop Nature Reserve, we continued on to Cape Agulhas. Cape Agulhas is a small town between Mossel Bay and Hermanus. This place isn’t really anything special, were it not for the famous “Southernmost Point of Africa.” Walk from the lighthouse to this point and take a photo at the “Southernmost Point” or “where two coeans met.”

This is where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean, at least geographically speaking. It’s also the southernmost point of the continent. Continue walking to the shipwreck of the Meisho Maru 38. We found the spot truly beautiful, even though the story behind it is, of course, very tragic. In total, more than 140 shipwrecks are said to lie off the coast.

From Cape Town: Excursion to Cape Agulhas*
From Cape Town: 3-day safari and coastal tour with transfer*

8. Explore the Garden Route

Do you have a little more time and want to explore the area for a few more days? Embark on the legendary Garden Route and be captivated by the diversity of this region. Whether it’s meter-high sand dunes, lush forest landscapes, deep gorges, wide valleys, stunningly beautiful beaches and bays, waterfalls, boat tours through lagoons, or even jumping from South Africa’s highest bridge – you’re guaranteed not to get bored here.

The Garden Route in South Africa is arguably the busiest road in the entire country. But who’s surprised? After all, countless cool places and highlights await you along this route. For us, the Garden Route in South Africa is a unique natural paradise, hard to beat in terms of diversity and variety.

But the best is yet to come: From Cape Town, you can easily explore the entire route or just part of the South African Garden Route by rental car. Even if you only have a few days.

Officially, the Garden Route stretches from Mossel Bay to the Tsitsikamma National Park, but opinions vary widely on this. But hey…that doesn’t really matter, because as soon as you leave Cape Town, one of the most exciting and varied sections along the coast to the Addo Elephant Park begins.

Tsitsikamma: Bungee Jump with Zipline and Sky Walk*
Plettenberg Bay: Canyoning Tour*
From Cape Town: 5-Day Garden Route and Addo Tour*
Stormsrivier: Green Route Tubing and Paddleboarding Tour*

9. Going on Safari Around Cape Town

Do you really want to see the Big 5, but don’t have time to go to the Krüger National Park or one of the many others? Around Cape Town, you’ll find many private reserves that offer you the opportunity to experience these beautiful animals up close.

Popular ones include the Aquila Game Reserve, the Garden Route Game Lodge, the Fairy Glen Game Reserve, and the Sanbona Wildlife Reserve. In a separate article, our co-author Alessia reported on some of the facilities: Safari options around Cape Town.

From Cape Town: Round trip to Aquila with Safari*
2-day safari at the Garden Route Game Lodge*
4-day Cape Town Essential Tour & Big 5 Safari in Inverdoorn*

10. Road trip along the R62

In December 2022, we finally took an extended road trip along the R62 and explored many amazing places. The R62 runs parallel to the N2, but not along the sea, but across the Karoo. It takes you through the arid landscapes, rivers, mountain passes, wine-growing regions, and past Oudtshoorn, Calitzdorp, Barrydale, Montagu, and Paarl.

It is even said that the R62 is the longest “wine route” in the world, as it connects many wine-growing regions. We highly recommend this route. Our journey along Route 62 in South Africa.

From Cape Town: 3-day Garden Route Highlights Tour & Safari*
Oudtshoorn: Swartberg Pass Tour & Traditional lunch*
From Cape Town: Garden Route, Addo National Park and Winelands*
Full-day group tour through the Cape Winelands*

Conclusion on the excursions around Cape Town

There is so much more to discover around Cape Town, but even we only have limited time there and cannot try out every tour. If you’ve had another great tour or can recommend an excursion around Cape Town, please let us know in the comments.

Travel reading for your trip to South Africa

We highly recommend the travel guide by Stefan Loose* as well as the guide from Dumont Verlag*. We’ve been extremely satisfied with both guides for years and always enjoy browsing through them. You can find even more travel guides about Cape Town and the Garden Route here: The best Cape Town travel guides.

10 really cool excursions from Cape Town