The Best Family Adventures Between Mountain and Sea

Cape Town is often described as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and while the mountain-meets-ocean scenery is reason enough to visit, it’s also a dream destination for families who like their holidays with a side of adventure.

This is a city where you can hike through forested gorges in the morning, slide down a toboggan track after lunch, and watch the sun sink into the Atlantic from a sidecar motorbike by evening. If your family enjoys trying activities that go a little beyond the ordinary, Cape Town has a long list of unusual experiences to keep the family energised and happy.

Tobogganing: Summer Snow Without the Snow

You don’t need snow to race downhill at speed. Cape Town’s Cool Runnings Toboggan Track uses a twisting steel course where families can whizz down in bobsled-like carts, controlling their own pace with a handbrake. Brave souls push for maximum speed, while cautious riders can take it steady. Either way, the thrill is infectious, and the best part is hauling the sled back to the top for “just one more go.” It’s adventure, Cape Town style—sunshine instead of snow.

Acrobranch: Monkey Business for the Whole Family

Nestled in Constantia’s leafy greenbelt, Acrobranch lets families test their balance, bravery, and sense of humour on treetop obstacle courses. Kids and parents can wobble across rope bridges, zip between platforms, and cheer each other on from the ground.

Courses are colour-coded for age and height, so no one gets pushed too far, too fast. Expect plenty of giggles, especially when mom or dad discovers their inner monkey is slightly rustier than the kids’.

Aerial Boardwalk: Strolling Among the Giants

Kirstenbosch is not just Latin names and botany. The promise of an aerial boardwalk at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens should get the little ones excited. The winding walkway, nicknamed “The Boomslang” (tree snake), rises gently above the canopy, curving through the forest with views of Table Mountain as a backdrop. It’s stroller-friendly, safe for toddlers, and offers one of the city’s most magical family strolls.

With the birds calling around you and the garden below, it feels like walking through one of David Attenborough’s documentaries.

Sandboarding: Surfing the Dunes

Cape Town’s Atlantis Dunes provide a playground of soft white sand just outside the city. Families can strap on boards and glide down the slopes, discovering that sandboarding is equal parts skill, tumble, and laughter.

The dunes are wide open and safe, and younger kids can slide down seated on their boards. Bonus: falling into sand is a lot softer than most sporting mishaps.

Sidecar Tours: Motorbiking with a Twist

Want to make your kids feel like movie stars? Climb into a vintage sidecar and cruise the Atlantic Seaboard with the wind in your hair. These tours are family-friendly, with helmets small enough for children, and the thrill is more about style than speed. From Camps Bay’s palm-lined promenade to the dramatic Chapman’s Peak Drive, riding in a sidecar is the kind of quirky adventure that turns heads and makes for unforgettable holiday photos.

 

More Mountain-and-Sea Family Fun

Cape Town has no shortage of unusual family adventures to round out your itinerary:

  • Sea kayaking in Simon’s Town, where playful penguins sometimes paddle alongside.
  • Scootours down Signal Hill, riding oversized, off-road scooters with Table Mountain as your backdrop.
  • Horse riding on Noordhoek Beach, a windswept, endless stretch of sand that feels like a movie set.
  • Ziplining, yes it’s an old favourite but its been around so long because it works!

 

Why Cape Town Works for Families

What makes Cape Town special for adventurous families is the variety. Within a short drive, you can go from mountain top to rolling dunes to the open ocean, usually with the occasional appearance of some charismatic creature (dassies, penguins, seals, whales or even the cheeky red-winged starling) that just ramps the whole experience up.

The activities aren’t just for thrill-seekers either—they’re adaptable, inclusive, and often built with kids in mind. One day might leave you sandy, the next might leave you a little windswept, but all of them will give you stories worth retelling.