Cape Town is one of the best cities in the world for families to visit but there is so much to do! It’s hard to know what are the best things to do in Cape Town with kids.
We have visited Cape Town many times over the years as we have family there and my husband works there so we have lots of fabulous suggestions.
We have included days out in Cape Town for families as well as day trips from Cape Town and given our accommodation and restaurant recommendations at the end.
See how you can incorporate Cape Town into a 2 week family holiday to South Africa.
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But just a few quick tips before we go any further with these things to do in Cape Town for kids.
Go2Africa
If you haven’t already organised your South African itinerary, we highly recommend speaking to the lovely people at Go2Africa. They have been massively helpful with so many of our itineraries and have great suggestions for families travelling in South Africa. Here’s a review of our experience booking with Go2Africa.
Cape Town City Pass
You might also want to take a look at the Cape Town City Pass. If you’re in Cape Town for a few days and have more than a couple of attractions on your to do list, it could save you money on your tickets.
A few examples of the Cape Town tours and attractions included are:
- Table Mountain Cable Car
- City Sightseeing hop on/hop off bus
- Sunset champagne cruise
- Two Oceans Aquarium
- Cape Wheel on the waterfront
GetYourGuide
GetYourGuide is one of the best tour booking platforms out there and their range of tours available in Cape Town is huge!
We use GetYourGuide for all of our tour bookings. Over the years we have found their choice of tours and customer service to be excellent. Most of the tours we have booked have been cancellable up to 24 hours in advance which is great as you sometimes need that flexibility when travelling with kids. Make sure you look at the tours we recommend or choose ones with lots of good reviews.
Things to do in Cape Town with kids
Table Mountain
Table Mountain is one of the most iconic mountains in the world. In fact, it is also one of the new 7 Wonders of Nature and you really should have a visit to Table Mountain high on your list of things to do with kids in Cape Town.
The views from the top are just magnificent and the good news is that you don’t have to expend too much energy to enjoy them.
You can take a return journey on the Table Mountain cable car from around $25 for an adult half price for children). See here for ticket prices.
If you are using the cable car it is best to book in advance as it is slightly cheaper. If you are driving, we would advise arriving early as parking fills up and you could end up parking a long way from the cable car entrance.
In our experience, it is better to get an Uber or Bolt or book this Hop on/Hop off bus tour which includes a visit to Table Mountain or this Table Mountain, Cape Point and Penguin tour.
The cable car will close in adverse weather conditions so make sure you check the status on their homepage before you go.
Most people take the cable car but if you have the time (and the energy) you can actually hike up table mountain. We would recommend a guide to take you up. It is a fairly adventurous hike so it is not recommended for kids under 4 or people with mobility impairments. See here for more details.
One last thing to consider when visiting Table Mountain with kids is to take extra layers. It is generally colder at the top and even if it is warm and sunny in the city, the weather can change quickly so it’s best to be prepared.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden was founded in 1913, making it the oldest botanical garden in the world.
They celebrated their 100th year in 2013 by building The Boomslang (named after a snake native to Southern Africa), a wonderful tree canopy walkway with beautiful views giving a different perspective of Table Mountain.
Whilst the kids may not be interested in admiring the native flora, they will appreciate the break from the city streets and the lovely green open spaces for a little run around.
There are restaurants there if you want to make a day of it or you can take a picnic. Check out Moyo for family-friendly, African food. There is also the Kirstenbosch Tea Room or the Vida e Cafe for something lighter.
Whilst you are on this side of the mountain, why not head to Constantia afterwards, the wine growing region in Cape Town. There are some beautiful wineries. We had the loveliest picnic at Groot Constantia. See our other suggestions for South African wine farm picnics for families.
V&A Waterfront
The V&A Waterfront is the tourist centre of Cape Town and there’s something for everyone. Families will enjoy the huge number of family-friendly restaurants, the large array of street entertainment and the excellent shopping at Victoria Wharf.
Some of the things we have enjoyed at the V&A Waterfront with the kids are:
- The children’s play area in front of Victoria Wharf.
- The Hamleys train that takes you on a tour of the V&A Waterfront
- The street performers.
- The giant TV screen for watching big sporting tournaments.
- Spotting seals in the harbour.
- Try out the street food at the Time Out Market
We always spend a few hours at the V&A Waterfront wandering around before dinner and enjoyed the buzz.
Two Oceans Aquarium
While you are in the V&A Waterfront area, you should pay a visit to the Two Oceans Aquarium.
Our kids loved all of the displays, particularly the glowing jellyfish and the huge sea kelp forest. It was mesmerizing watching sea life native to the area swimming in and out of the giant seaweed.
If you miss out on seing the penguins at Boulders Beach, there is a great display of them here.
All in all it is a great family day out in Cape Town and a brilliant learning experience and one of the most interesting things to do in Cape Town with kids.
It is also a good option to have up your sleeve if you need things to do in Cape Town with kids when it rains.
Penguins at Boulders Beach
Visiting Boulders Beach is considered one of the top things to do in Cape Town with kids.
It is actually around an hour’s drive from the centre of Cape Town to Boulders Beach and there is decent parking there but it can get busy. You can view the penguin colony from the wooden walkway. Some of the penguins come quite close to you.
If you don’t want to hire a car just to get down to Boulders Beach (or even Cape Point), then we recommend looking at these tours:
- Boulders Beach and Cape Point full day tour (10 hours)
- Boulders Beach half day (5 hours)
- Boulders Beach and Cape Point half day tour (5 hours)
Boulders Beach is more than half way to Cape Point so we recommend making a day of it and heading down to Cape Point after Boulders.
Insider tip – go to neighbouring Seaforth Beach if Boulders is crowded. There is parking and it is free.
Cape Point Nature Reserve
Cape Point Nature Reserve is at the southern point of the peninsula that runs south from Cape Town.
Driving through the reserve to Cape Point will almost feel like being on safari. Keep a look out for zebra, ostrich, leopard tortoise and lizards.
Once down at the point, you can take the Flying Dutchman funicular up to the lighthouse or you can walk up the steps. The views from different points are just spectacular.
There is a restaurant there (Two Oceans) but it can get very busy and you need to book in advance. There is also a gift shop.
It is best if you can get in early and be done by 12pm because the queues to get into the nature reserve were huge as we were leaving.
See above for tours of Cape Point in case you don’t want to drive.
Go to the beach
Cape Town has some incredible beaches but most of them aren’t great for swimming (for kids) because the waves can be rough and the water is freezing!
Clifton 4th is very popular. You access it by taking a lot of steps down from the road parking in the height os summer can be tricky). There are lots of rocks here which create some sheltered spots for swimming.
Camps Bay is probably the most well known beach in Cape Town. The huge expanse of sand is backed by a strip of restaurants. The water here can get quite rough. If you are worried about the waves you can walk east along the beach to the tidal pool. There are also great rockpools at this end of the beach!
Bloubergstrand is a little way out of Cape Town and is popular with kite surfers. It can get very windy here with sand getting everywhere but the water there is a lot calmer. You get beautiful views back over the Cape Town skyline and incredible sunsets.
Muizenberg is pretty good for swimming as the water here is a little warmer. There are some beautiful (if a little run down) colourful beach huts here and a small water park.
Hout Bay has calm, shallow water which is a decent temperature. There can be a fair bit of seaweed here. Whilst here, make sure to check out the Hout Bay Market which is jam packed with tourist memorabilia, live music and great food!
Cool Runnings tobogganing
Cool Runnings is the first downhill toboggan run in Africa. It is insanely fun! It is a fairly unique thing to do in Cape Town with kids and not on the usual tourist agendas but don’t be fooled into thinking it won’t be busy.
Obviously Capetonians with inside knowledge know about this place and it gets insanely busy, particularly during the school holidays and at weekends.
Kids under 8 must ride with an adult as the toboggans can go very fast and get out of control if not controlled properly. Trust us!
If it is raining, check if they are open as they may close on wet days due to safety.
It is about 30 minutes out of the centre of Cape Town towards the Durbanville Hills area (where there are also more wineries to visit!).
Actually, check out Canto Wines. We had a lovely sparkling wine with macarons tasting session!
Paddleboarding or kayaking
If you want to try out some watersports but don’t fancy tackling the large waves at the beach, paddleboarding or kayaking in the safe waters of the canals around the Waterfront may be for you.
Our Waterfront apartment overlooked the waterways and after watching many people paddleboarding past us we decided to give it a go.
We tried paddleboarding, kids kayaks and double kayaks and have to say, the kids had the most fun with the kiddie kayaks.
The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. They have loads of paddle boards including one enormous one which can take 4 people. There are less double kayaks or kiddie kayaks available so you may need to pre-book these.
You can book your paddle boarding experience with SUP Cape Town here with a flexible cancellation policy (up to 24 hours in advance).
Boat trip seal watching
A boat trip to watch seals is a really fun thing for the kids to do while in Cape Town. And the great news is that it is really really cheap|!
The tour takes you around the harbour and lasts around 30 minutes. Staying within the harbour means that you don’t encounter any choppy water.
We saw seals and also dolphins and had great views back of Cape Town and Table Mountain.
You can book your tickets here.
This is possibly more one for the adults because it includes 2 glasses of champagne but the kids will also enjoy a sunset cruise.
Make sure to arrive at least 15 minutes before the boat departs as you may need to collect your tickets from the ticket office before you board.
Hiking
If you have slightly older kids why not try out one of the many stunning hikes in Cape Town. We’ve already mentioned the hike you can do up Table Mountain but the Lion’s Head Hiking Trail and the Pipe Track are two of our favourite hikes in Cape Town with kids.
They are fairly easy but you should not hike any of these tracks alone and always wear suitable footwear.
The tracks are easy to follow and there is lots of information on the links I included above but if you prefer to do a hike with a guide, see here.
It’s a great way to get away from the tourist hotspots in Cape Town and enjoy some peace and quiet in nature. And obviously this is great if you’re looking for affordable things to do in Cape Town with kids!
Robben Island
Despite visiting Cape Town about 10 times with our kids, we haven’t made it to Robben Island with the kids yet.
It’s not that we don’t want to visit. We’re just waiting for the right time. We want them to fully appreciate the significance of Nelson Mandela’s story so we’re waiting until they are a bit older.
We know that we will be back again so it isn’t an issue for us but if you aren’t sure whether or not you will return to Cape Town, you should consider adding it to your itinerary.
Robben Island tours depart from the V&A Waterfront and take around 3 hours. You can buy your ferry tickets with guided tour of the prison here.
Old Biscuit Mill
If you don’t want to do anything too hectic and fancy a mooch around a market selling local crafts and food, the Old Biscuit Mill is a great option, particularly on a weekend.
It is located in the Woodstock area of Cape Town – an up and coming but still a little run down area.
Green Point Park
There is a lot going on at Green Point Park and it is a great place to take kids. There are play areas, sports stadiums, a biodiversity garden, minigolf, a minature railway, a cafe and lots and lots of green space.
If you fancy a walk you can take the Sea Point Promenade from Green Point to Sea Point ending with a street food meal at Mojo Market (Sea Point) or if you feel like something a bit more substantial, a steak at the Hussar Grill near Green Point if doing it the other way round.
The Iziko South African Museum
Founded nearly 200 years ago in 1825, The Iziko South African Museum is another highly educational thing to do in Cape Town with kids with 1.5 millions specimens of historic importance in the museum.
It is located in the Company’s Garden area of Cape Town which is where you’ll find the District Six Museum, the Planetarium and the South African National Gallery (neither of which we have been to but are reportedly worth a visit). Architecurally this is a very interesting area with lots of historic buildings.
We always like to visit a museum with the kids as there is a wealth of information about the local area. You never know when that information will come in handy. Of course, it’s another option for a rainy day in Cape Town!
Bo-Kaap
Finally – I’m going to put Bo-Kaap in here because it is such a beautifully vibrant and colourful part of Cape Town and it would be a shame to miss it if you have time.
The kids may not find it that interesting but if you do a tour like this one you will learn so much about the history, culture and traditions of the Cape Malay community. I’ll just leave this photo here and you can decide whether you think it is worth a visit or not.
Other things to do with kids in Cape Town
If you have the time, here are a few more suggestions to look into. We haven’t done all of these but as we visit Cape Town with kids at least once a year, we’re always ticking a few more things off our list.
- Cape Town Planetarium
- Cape Town Science Centre
- World of Birds
- Noordhoek Farm Village
- Bike Park at Constantia Uitsig (bikes can be hired on site)
Family day trips from Cape Town
OK, not things to do with kids in Cape Town as such but if you are looking for day trips from Cape Town, we have some great suggestions.
Visiting the Cape Winelands
Visiting the Cape Winelands may not sound like on of the most family friendly things to do in Cape Town but we promise it is – especially if you take the Wine Tram tour!
See also our family-friendly wine estate picnics and guide to family-friendly South African wine estates where you will find the best playgrounds!
If you are planning on sampling some of the wines then we would definitely recommend a tour over driving.
- This one transfers you by coach to the winelands where you join the famous Franschhoek wine tram tour. Wine tasting fees are not included.
- Stay closer to Cape Town with this hop on / hop off bus tour with wine tasting at Groot Constantia.
- Personally we’d recommend a private customizable tour when visiting with kids otherwise it can be a long and not very interesting day out for the kids. You can mention the wineries you’d like to visit. That might be determined by the wines you’d like to try or it might be determined by the play areas available for the kids!
We are such fans of the winelands that we don’t recommend limiting yourselves to a day trip. Take a look here to see what you can do in the Cape Winelands with kids.
If you do decide to stay a couple of days, we highly recommend Boschendal Farm Estate with their fabulous kids club, gorgeous cottages and top quality restaurants! We loved our stay here.
Whale watching in Hermanus
If it’s whale season (July to December), you might want to consider a trip along the coast to Hermanus, one of the best places in the world for whale watching.
It is around a 90 minute drive from Cape Town and easily doable in a day trip but we think it’s best to stay over there to really enjoy it.
While there, some of our favourite things to do in Hermanus include taking a hike in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve, checking out the wineries in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley (Creation and La Vierge in particular) and pop into Ficks for some outstanding pinchos and sundowners in an incredible location!
If you are looking at a whale watching trip, you can get tours from Cape Town.
You can book your Cape Town to Hermanus whale watching tour here with flexible cancellation (up to 24 hours in advance).
See here for all the things we recommend to do in Hermanus with kids.
Safari near Cape Town
We’ll be brutally honest and say that there aren’t really any great safari experiences near Cape Town. Sorry.
The closest safari to Cape Town would be Aquila which is doable on a day trip from Cape Town but it is quite commercial with lots of day trippers from Cape Town and really doesn’t give the once in a lifetime safari experience you might have dreamed of.
But if you are limited on time, then it is a good start. This is by far the most popular safari tour from Cape Town.
You may be incorporating a road trip along the Garden Route. Here are all the places you can do a safari on the Garden Route.
For a more authentic experience, you really need to get up to the Eastern Cape or further north to the Kruger National Park.
Read more on the best places to go on safari with kids in South Africa. South Africa is great for a family safari beause it has so many malaria free safari areas.
We also have a guide to the best destinations in Africa for a family safari if you need more inspiration.
Family accommodation in Cape Town
The V&A Waterfront is the main tourist centre of Cape Town and so many tourists choose to stay here. The location is excellent for visiting the Aquarium, the restaurants and shops, boat trips including Robben Island.
We stayed in this apartment which is located in a secure development with parking near the V&A Waterfront area overlooking the waterways. The shared pool was almost always empty.
If you want to stay in the centre of the Waterfront in a hotel rather than an apartment, the Victoria & Alfred is a great hotel for families. You just need to ask for adjoining rooms. Here is the same hotel Agoda as it is always good to compare prices.
If you want more of a beach location, Camps Bay is a good area to stay with kids. We have stayed in this incredible apartment in Camps Bay. It has 2 bedrooms, a sauna, a private lift, a pizza oven and pool. As well as being right by the beach, you can also access the Pipe Track, one of the many hiking trails in the Table Mountain National Park.
Don’t be put off by the lack of reviews on Booking.com. They usually rent out on Airbnb but after recent fee changes on that platform, it seems they have also recently listed on Booking.com. Unfortunately I’m not able to review it retrospectively but would give it 10/10!
If you prefer a hotel, The Bay Hotel is amazing. Check on Hotels.com or Booking.com.
Family-friendly restaurants in Cape Town
One of the best things about Cape Town is the food – and the fact that it is still very reasonable to eat out!
There are so many family-friendly restaurants in Cape Town but here are a few of our favourite ones.
Food
If you are big meat eaters – we recommend Nelson’s Eye Restaurant. There’s nothing particularly child-friendly about it – it just has THE BEST STEAK! It is located fairly close to the Iziko South African Museum.
We also loved The Yard, a Pan Asian restaurant next to The Silo in the Silo District near the Waterfront. Mum and Dad can enjoy a bottle of wine while the kids play boules.
For a quick bite, Tiger’s Milk (there are a few but the best is in Camps Bay) is great for families. Try to get an outdoor table before sunset and sit back and enjoy the view. There’s also one at the V&A Waterfront and on Kloof Street.
Obviously we also love all the delicious street food options at the markets previously mentioned (Old Biscuit Mill, Hout Bay Market, Time Out Market and Mojo Market).
Drinks
For sunset drinks, try The Lawns at the Roundhouse sitting high above Camps Bay. Whilst there are views of the Twelve Apostles from the venue but the views over Camps Bay on the drive down Kloof Road afterwards are even better. It is not too far from Table Mountain so you could stop in for lunch after visiting Table Mountain or for sunset drinks if visiting later in the day.
Try rooftop drinks at The Silo (book in advance) for great views over Cape Town or the Grand Africa Café & Beach a short walk from the Waterfront for a really cool Ibiza style setting. Maybe this one is more for the adults but the kids will love playing in the sand while you enjoy a drink!
Want to read more about visiting South Africa with kids? We have a section dedicated to South Africa with kids that we are adding to all the time.
We hope we have inspired you for your family trip to Cape Town and if you have any more suggestions for cool things to do in Cape Town with kids, let us know!
