Whether Cape Town is a port of call or a departure port for your cruise, you’re in for an amazing experience. Cape Town, South Africa is a fantastic port of call featuring a rich culture, a modern look and feel, incredible landscapes (and seascapes), great restaurants and shopping. The city’s attractions include the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, fantastic beaches with Table Mountain as a backdrop and a world class botanical garden.
Where Your Ship Docks
Cape Town has a modern cruise terminal offering public facilities. However disembarking varies by the individual ships gangway design and a ramp or even stairs can be encountered. For passengers using wheelchairs there can be difficulty disembarking. It is in a great location, just three or four blocks from the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. Taxis and Ubers are readily available and walking in the area at most times is fairly safe*.
This port area has a well developed wheelchair friendly infrastructure which is flat or has few inclines. Intersection crosswalks have hardly any issues with curbs or other obstacles.
Transportation
Using Taxis in Cape Town, South Africa
Metered Taxis are readily available in the city and offer a convenient way to get around. Fares are calculated based on distance and time, and you can expect to pay around US$3 to $4 per mile.
Prepaid Taxis are a good option for short trips or if you’re unsure of the distance. You can purchase a voucher from a taxi rank or kiosk, which will specify the fare in advance.
Uber is also a popular option in Cape Town and is usually a bit less expensive than taxis. It also has the advantage of paying in dollars right through the app.
Rental Cars are available but are recommended for drives outside the city like down the Cape Peninsula or into wine country.
Currency
South Africa’s currency is the Rand (ZAR) and 1 USD = 18.2746 ZAR. Credit cards are also welcome and ATMs are readily available but should only be used in very public areas. You can also convert currency at banks but be sure and have your passport with you.
Attractions
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront or just V&A is located a few blocks from the cruise terminal. V&A is the heart of the city and a major draw for visitors and locals alike. It features restaurants, numerous shops, a shopping mall, the Two Oceans Aquarium, a couple of interesting museums and the ticket office for the hop-on-hop-off buses (more soon on the bus).
Note: There are many locations around the world named after the English Queen Victoria & Albert her Prince Consort, but this is actually named after her son Alfred who actually visited Cape Town.
Table Mountain – The flat topped mountain dominates the skyline of the city built upon its lower slopes. In addition to the cable car there are a number of popular hiking trails up to the top. The mountain is composed of sandstone formed about 520 million years ago. It is part of the Table Mountain Group, which extends along the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa.
The Table Mountain Cable Car – A rotating cable car that takes visitors to the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town. It is South Africa’s most popular tourist attraction, offering stunning views of the city and surrounding area on sunny days. The cable car was first opened in 1929 and has undergone several upgrades over the years, including the installation of new cable cars in 2017. The ride takes about 5 minutes and offers 360-degree views of the city and surrounding area. Visitors can enjoy these views from the rotating cabin or from the viewing platform at the top of the mountain.
Kirstenbosch Gardens – Situated on the slopes of Table Mountain, just 10 miles from the city centre, the botanical garden offers something for everyone. There is a fragrance garden, a medicinal garden, 2,500 species of plants found on the Cape Peninsula, a Protea garden (best seen in spring!), a braille trail, and a cycad amphitheater. Admission for international visitors runs about US$12 for adults.
The Convention Center District – Called CPICC, the city has become a major convention destination as well as the focus of numerous concerts and festivals. The area is just about a mile from Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.
Hout Bay Harbour – On the southern edge of the city is the independent town of Hout Bay. A popular destination for boat excursions, great seafood, enjoying a long stretch of beautiful beach and seal watching.
Beaches And More Beaches – In Cape Town and up and down the coast you’ll find dozens of great beaches. Some offer a beach resort vibe while others are famous for their boat harbors and great seafood.
Cape of Good Hope – A great excursion along the west coast of the Cape Peninsula goes past some of South Africa’s most spectacular scenery and ends at the southern most tip of Africa. The Cape of Good Hope is actually in a wildlife sanctuary where you will often see ostrich, antelopes and seals.
The African Penguin – A popular trip out of Cape Town is to visit Boulders Beach and its current penguin colony. Boulders Beach is a sheltered area made up of inlets between granite boulders, from which the name originated. It is located on the Cape Peninsula in Simon’s Town in the Western Cape province. It is also known as Boulders Bay. It is a popular excursion because of a colony of African penguins that settled there in 1982.
South Africa’s Wine Country – The country’s wines are developing a good reputation locally and internationally. Only an hour or so drive out of Cape Town will take you to some excellent wineries. Discover Pinotage, a red wine grape that is South Africa’s signature variety. It was cultivated there in 1925 as a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut. It typically produces deep red varietal wines with smoky, bramble and earthy flavors. There are a number of winery tours available from Cape Town.
Hop On Hop Off Bus – A great option for an overview of the city and the main office is right at Victoria and Alfred Waterfront next to the aquarium or you can also buy tickets from the bus drivers. City Sightseeing is the official Hop-On Hop-Off Cape Town tour. It operates 3 hop-on-hop-off loops along with tours to the Cape and the wine country. A one day ticket on the bus includes all 3 loops and the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway. Adult basic ickets are about US$16 with a discount for an additional day.
*Please Note- Before our visit in early 2024 our research caused us to be concerned about street crime in the city. It’s always advisable that you be cautious and avoid areas of concern , however, once there, we felt perfectly safe walking ALMOST everywhere. Cape Town, like most major cities around the world, is dealing with rising homelessness, but they have adopted a pro-active plan to make their streets safe. City police, National police, neighborhood groups and business organizations have all gotten involved in patrolling the streets. Everywhere you go there is either a strong police presence or private security people out and about on patrol. It is difficult to go a block or two without finding a patrol or a security watch booth. If anything, Cape Town is doing a better job than most cities, and that includes those in the United States, with making their streets safe.
The Intentional Travelers 