A full day of stunning scenery awaits, as we embark on an exploration of the Cape Peninsula. We see the trendy beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay, before crossing over to a quaint fishing village. Continuing along Chapman’s Peak, one of the world’s most breath-taking coastal drives, we make our way to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Board the funicular (optional and for own account) for a trip to the top of the Peninsula for incredible panoramic outlooks over the perceived meeting point of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Next up, the naval base of Simon’s Town is a richly historic destination of museums, and home to Boulders Beach, renowned for its African Penguin breeding colony. We take some time to wander along the boardwalks, marvelling at the antics of these amusing creatures. Our final stop is Kirstenbosch Gardens, then return to your hotel.

A fabulous day of tastings and pairings, taking in superb mountain ranges, vineyards and Cape Dutch homesteads along two of the Cape’s famed wine routes. Celebrated wine and food destination, the beautiful Franschhoek Valley was established by French Huguenot refugees in 1688 and offers a captivating blend of European charm and spectacular verdant scenery.  Franschhoek’s main street boasts exclusive boutiques, gourmet restaurants and art galleries. Cape Dutch-style farms in the valley produce all the noble and classic cultivars – from superlative whites such as Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Semillon and Chenin Blanc, to intense Syrah, complex Pinot Noir and the famed Méthode Cap Classique sparkling wines. The vibrant heart of the winelands, Stellenbosch, is a paradise of bars and bistros. Grapes have been cultivated in this area for more than 350 years, and it produces South Africa’s finest reds. Our day is completely flexible and adjusted to your wine and cultivar preferences.

‘Colourful’, ‘Vibrant’, ‘Busy’, ‘Welcoming’…just some of the adjectives that describe township life!

This township experience is about meeting with the locals and sharing experiences on an engaging, rewarding and uplifting tour where you will be left feeling inspired by the pride of the communities living in the township of Langa. For an authentic township cultural experience, you need to walk, to hear, smell, touch and taste.

You will be escorted by a local guide on a journey of discovery, exploring the daily lives and culture of the Xhosa people. In Langa, the streets are the lifeblood of the community. It is in the streets where the kids play soccer, where locals trade, walk, socialise and gather.

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 excursions 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 cost goes directly to uThando charities. Private excursion on request only.

 Enjoy a day of discovery and you link Table Mountain and the Constantia Wine valley, two of Cape Town’s greatest icons, during a morning of easy walking along forested trails. After collection from your hotel, you’ll discover the splendour of the Cape Floral Kingdom in the beautiful Kirstenbosch Gardens as you begin your day with a casual stroll before snaking your way through the tree-top canopy of The Boomslang walkway. Hike up the lower slopes of Table Mountain and out of the gardens onto the forested contour path with its’ scenic views across the False Bay Coastline. Your path will lead you all the way to Constantia Nek where you will be re-united with your vehicle and driver. Enjoy a light lunch at a Constantia Estate while enjoying the sweeping views down the Constantia Valley before spending some time sampling wines from the local estates.

Today you will discover rich local history and cultures of Cape Town with a focus on the Jewish heritage of South Africa and the impact that the Jewish Community has had on the commercial, cultural and civic life of the city.  

Your day will begin with a short orientation drive through the city where you’ll visit the District Six site which became the first home to many of the Lithuanian Jewish refugees who escaped the pogroms of Eastern Europe in the early twentieth century.  From there you’ll head to the city centre where your tour will resume on foot as you meander your way through the city and past many of the historical buildings while your guide weaves a facinating story.  Some of the points of interest on the walking tour will include the Houses of Parliament with the story of anti-apartheid activist Helen Suzman, St George’s Cathedral where the first Jewish wedding took place, the National Galley with the Liberman Doors before your walk ends with a visit to the Jewish Campus which includes The Cape Town Holocaust Centre, the SA Jewish Museum, opened by Nelson Mandela in 2000, and the Great Synagogue which dates back to 1905.  You can also extend your time at the Jewish Campus to enjoy lunch at Cafe Riteve (additional cost). 

When most people think about Mandela and Cape Town they don’t see beyond Robben Island, but Cape Town has a captivating Mandela story to tell as it provided the setting for the unfolding of a series of significant and secretive meetings that led to the surprise release of Mandela and the unbanning of the ANC in February 1990.

This 2.5 – 3 hour walking tour covers approximately 2km of the historic and cultural heart of Cape Town, is rich in elements of human drama with key players being a president, a chief of prison, a spy and a prisoner.

This private tour includes return transfers from city based hotels.
Combine with Robben Island for a full day experience.

Enjoy a morning of fine wine and spectacular scenery on this exclusive tour of the lush Constantia wine region, one of South Africa’s premier wine-tasting destinations and culinary hotspots. On this tour of the Winelands, we combine the best of the Cape with an insightful morning tour at a notable estate, followed by a scenic wine drive, in the company of a local expert who grew up in this beautiful corner of the Cape.

Nestled just a cork’s throw away from the city, the affluent and lush Constantia Valley is the perfect choice for time-pressed wine enthusiasts. Synonymous with premium, award-winning reds and whites, especially Sauvignon Blanc, Constantia is ideal for a one-day tasting tour as the whole route is only 7.25km from one end to the other, affording the opportunity to see a good mix of new-age boutique wineries and historic, Cape Dutch-style estates. During the 18th and 19th centuries the luscious sweet wines that came to be produced here were hailed as the finest in the world. Constantia was Napoleon Bonaparte’s tipple of choice during his exile on St Helena and the likes of Baudelaire, Dickens and Jane Austen all extolled the wine.

You will head less than half an hour south this morning, on a scenic drive to the Constantia wine country, the oldest wine region in South Africa. The first vineyards here were planted in the 1600’s and the area is rich in beautiful Cape Dutch architecture. First off, you will visit Buitenverwachting for an intimate tasting, followed by a walk through the estate. This beautiful farm on the east-facing slopes of the magnificent Constantiaberg and barely 12km from False Bay, originally formed part of the Constantia Estate, which was founded by Simon van der Stel, the first Governor of the new Dutch colony at the tip of Africa. A down-to-earth farm, it is surrounded by sprawling vineyards, and is rich in history and bucolic charm. The views are spectacular, with sprawling lawns and 250-year-old trees completing the picture.

From here, you will continue along a farm road to neighbouring Klein Constantia, South Africa’s oldest commercial vineyard. While they first came to fame for their delicious sweet wine, Vin de Constance from the Muscat grape (still one of their finest wines today), the winery also produces a superb range of varietal wines, including a brilliant Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. You will be met by Alan, who has been part of the Klein Constantia team for over 20 years for an informative introduction to the history of this premium Cape wine estate. Here, you will jump onboard a 4×4 vehicle for a delightful drive that winds its way through superb mountain ranges and vineyards of the scenic Klein Constantia estate, stopping at vantage points along the way, to learn all about the various varietals, finally stopping at the farm dam and tasting deck to enjoy a wine tasting with a difference, set right amidst the vines. Following your 4×4 drive, you will return to the winery for an informative tour of the cellar and a further intimate tasting in an underground ‘dungeon’ cellar.

 Your morning of sipping and swirling concludes with lunch at The Bistro at Klein Constantia, before your return to the city and drop off at your hotel.

Nowhere is this newfound celebration of African art quite so intoxicating as in Cape Town. Already a hub for artists, the opening of the 100,000-square-foot Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art (MOCAA) at the Waterfront in September 2017 has set the spotlight firmly on the Mother City. Housed in the city’s historic grain silo and designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick, the Zeitz is the biggest public art space to open on the continent for more than a century. But while the Zeitz MOCAA has drawn the attention, Cape Town already has a vibrant gallery scene that has been steadily growing for the last decade and an art fair each February, and both are now profiting from the world’s attention.

Join our specialist art guide, as she leads you on a tour through Cape Town to the very best art galleries, including visits to the City Centre, V&A Waterfront and Southern Suburbs. Your day of Art in the City can be fully customised and curated to fit a specific interest in painting, sculpture, design, photography, printmaking, architecture, special historical art collections and ceramics, and may also be influenced by the exhibitions and showings taking place during your visit. Typically, on a half day City Art tour, we will visit up to four galleries or three galleries and one studio. Should you wish to include a visit to the Zeitz MOCAA on a half day tour, we will be able to visit one or two additional galleries in the Waterfront precinct area, which may include The Guild, Everard Read or Circa Gallery. This will depend on the time spent at the museum.

For the serious art buffs, our Collectors Art Tour (best enjoyed as a full day) offers a curated and insightful experience to learn more about a specific artist or to acquire art for a personal collection. Here it is crucial to have as much detail and information as possible, to custom design the ultimate collectors experience. You will enjoy exclusive access to the storage areas as well as the viewing rooms of the top art galleries in the city – and a studio visit to an internationally acclaimed South African artist, can also be included. Galleries visited will depend on what is being exhibited, and could include, for example, The Goodman Gallery, Stevenson Gallery, Everard Read Gallery, Gallery MOMO, and SMAC Gallery.

Still much of Cape Town’s creative core is rooted in Woodstock. An important hub for Cape Town’s mixed-race community and a few blocks away from the infamous District Six, Woodstock had a painful past under Apartheid. Today, it’s undergoing gentrification with new boutiques, restaurants and entire streets lined exclusively with galleries and artist studios. Although rapid development has obvious implications for the local community, Woodstock’s regeneration has transformed it into the centre of Cape Town’s – and arguably Africa’s – contemporary art scene. On our Fringe Art Tour (full or half day options available) we will visit the edgier fringe art areas of Cape Town, including the home of a mural art project in Woodstock, a design hub and a studio visit to a prominent South African artist, as well as contemporary art galleries, and the workspace of a wonderful ceramicist duo …to name but a few!

A morning of art can also be combined with an afternoon of local, sustainable shopping, from interiors, to gifts, décor, clothing, and jewellery, we can arrange a shopping experience to delve into the collections of the very best local designers and upcoming talents. The possibilities are endless.

*Tours on Saturdays are only available as a full day tour if combined with the Zeitz MOCAA or Norval Foundation.
*Art tours are not available on Sundays as most galleries are closed.
*Zeitz MOCAA is closed on Monday & Norval Foundation is closed on Tuesday.

Lunch can be arranged at an additional charge.

Guests may also choose an itinerary from specialist galleries.

Our day begins with a tour of Table Mountain to soak up panoramic vistas of the Mother City and the surrounding oceans (weather permitting & cable car fee not included). We wander through the Company’s Garden before venturing on to the Slave Lodge which explores the history of these unwilling immigrants and how they have contributed to the richness and diversity of South African history. As you travel through the city you’ll get a good feel for the city and the cultural melting pot that it is. Continue onto the Castle of Good Hope which was built by the Dutch East India Company, between 1666 and 1679, as a maritime replenishment station and is the oldest surviving building in the country.

Drop off at the vibrant V&A Waterfront for some time out to explore the restaurants, pubs and shops at your own leisure (or return to your hotel).  

Travel to the naval hamlet of Simon’s Town, and embark on a sea kayaking experience (scheduled) from the waterfront, passing the civilian and Naval Harbour, and out to the penguins at Boulders Beach. Head out to explore the waterways and secret coves hidden amongst pristine beaches and the natural environments of the many wildlife species that call the area home. After a beach landing you will return to Seaforth Beach to change into dry clothing before continuing to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and the iconic tip of the Cape Peninsula. This part of the park is home to an array of fynbos, over 250 species of birds, buck, baboons and Cape Mountain zebra. In addition to breathtaking viatas there are isolated beaches, tidal pool and trails thorugh scenic landscapes. 

Return to Cape Town along the scenic route via Noordhoek, Chapman’s Peak Drive and Hout Bay.

Named for the Afrikaans phrase meaning “above the Cape”, Bo-Kaap is the oldest and most historic residential area in South Africa with its origins dating back to the Dutch colonists who brought with them slaves from Indonesia, Batavia, Malaysia, India and Africa. It is this heady mix of cultures that culminates in the unique and incomparable Bo-Kaap culture, custom and cuisines. Today, the area still boasts architecture typical of that time, as well as the picturesque cobblestone streets that meander between the pastel-coloured houses.

This authentic walking tour is conducted by experienced tour guides, residing in the Bo-Kaap with a passion and drive to support other entrepreneurs within the community. You will meet with your guide outside the Bo-Kaap Museum and from here, make your way on foot, through the vibrant neighborhood. As you interact and engage with locals through their heritage, tradition and culture, you will learn about the history of the enslaved people and political exiles. Your walk will take you past the Auwal Mosque, the oldest Mosque in South Africa, dating back to 1794, when it was started by slaves in defiance of Dutch law, and make your way to a local’s home to enjoy a traditional treat and a cup of rooibos tea. The host will regale you with stories of this historical neighborhood, its people and cultures, often with the melodic sound of the muezzin’s call to prayer in the distance.

Setting off once more, explore the most photographed street in South Africa as you make your way towards Cape Town’s famed spice shop, Atlas, filled with the heady aromas of spices used in everyday Cape Malay cooking. These are the same spices used by slaves as an expression of freedom in their masters’ kitchens.

Your walking tour concludes with a visit to a community-based project or the Bo-Kaap Hub, a living heritage museum and exhibition that aims to further explore the culture and traditions of Cape Malay Muslims and offers a glimpse into the unique customs and way of life of the area. By joining a Bo-Kaap Walking tour, you are directly contributing to projects that impact and support impoverished communities, living on the periphery of the city centre.
Note: When it comes to food, Bo-Kaap has much to offer – from cooking classes, to fine dining Bo-Kaap style, savoring the tastes of fragrant Cape Malay meals, accompanied by entertaining Ghoema Music performed by local artists. Enquire for more details on additional tours and experiences in the Bo-Kaap. 

OR extend your time in the Bo-Kaap and end your tour with a traditional Cape Malay meal. The experience concludes with a taste of true Cape Malay cooking. Your taste buds will be delighted by Cape Malay curry, roti, samoosas, Cape Malay koesiesters, sambals, falooda and cardamon tea.