The Best Cape Town Adventures!
It’s hard to believe that one city could contain so many quality adventure activities but when you look at Cape Town’s playground of land and seascapes you can begin to understand how it might be possible. And our weather! “Africa sky blue, Africa sky blue will you bless my life?” go the lyrics of South Africa’s iconic rocker Johhny Clegg’s song. And we are so blessed. Tantalise your adventure-spirit and take a ‘tour’ through our compilation of over 50 of Cape Town’s best adventures all run by reliable operators specialising in their field. Referring to our Dirty Boots list of best Cape Town adventures will ensure a holiday out in nature exploring the must-see areas of our national park surrounded city and coastal suburbs as well as immersing yourself in the natural heritage Cape Town is famous for. From abseiling and balloon rides to snorkeling trips and skydiving.
1. Abseiling
This is the best way for an adrenalin seeker to experience Table Mountain. Step back over the vertical cliffs of our monumental mountain and hang almost 1 vertical kilometre over Cape Town’s Atlantic seaboard. Safely harnessed and in the hands of experienced adventure guides you’ll have a chance to survey one of the most beautiful cities in the world taking in landmarks like Lions Head as you do so.
2. Acrobranch
This is a family favourite activity set out in a forested area on the slopes of the Table Mountain chain. Designed with imagination and built with attention to detail this aerial adventure playground in the trees offers hours of fun as well as an amazing all body work out.
3. Action Shooting
Located in a quarry surrounded by beautiful mountains with the stunning expanse of False Bay behind you, Cape Town Action Shooting, as with most activities here, is all about having fun outdoors under our wide blue skies. What makes it even more fun is you can choose from a wide variety of guns from a super cool magnum 45 to a hard-core AK47.
4. Aerial Boardwalk
Step onto an aerial arboreal boardwalk and experience one of Cape Town’s most acclaimed attractions, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, in a very special way. The boardwalk, swaying slightly as you walk amongst the treetops affords stunning views of the lush east side of Table Mountain.
5. Aquarium Diving
Become part of the exhibit and, depending on your level of scuba diving proficiency, dive in a variety of incredible exhibit tanks at Cape Town’s Two Oceans Aquarium. The predator tank and the Kelp forest tank are two underwater adventures you should consider doing if you are a scuba diver holidaying in Cape Town.
6. Beach Horse Rides
South of the city lies one of Cape Town’s most idyllic beaches (and we have many!) Long Beach - an 8-kilometer arc of snowy white sand, lapped, and sometimes pounded, by the Atlantic Ocean. This is a beach made for horse riding and our professional riding operators and their thoroughbred horses will give you the ride of your life.
7. Boat Trips
Since Cape Town has a rich maritime history and is surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean home to penguins, dolphins and seals and visited by whales, a boat trip is a pretty obvious choice of adventure. Head out from the V & A Waterfront for spectacular views of Table Mountain and the city bowl or explore from the quieter harbour of Simonstown.
8. Canopy Tours
Spend the day in the Cape Mountains whizzing from cliff-clinging platform to platform over fynbos covered ridges and ravines on a zipline canopy tour. An energising and exhilarating activity that will suit all types of travellers from an adventurous family, group of friends, couples and solos.
9. Clay Pigeon Shooting
You don’t have to be a sharpshooter to enjoy this Cape Town based activity. The competitive thrill and light-hearted comradery of Clay Pigeon Shooting is what this sport is all about.
10. Coasteering
Explore a stunning section of the False Bay coast-leaping into aquamarine water, peeking into rock pools encrusted with marine life so bright and beautiful they look like jewels, climbing and scrambling over giant granite boulders and searching for penguins and seals as you go; this is an adventure in the best sense of the word!
11. Croc Surfing
Capetonians are surf mad so new forms of surfing crop up all the time and this time its Croc Surfing! Luckily the croc we’re talking about is not the man-eating type but rather a fun inflatable boat that makes catching waves and having the time of your life in the surf possible for everyone.
12. Deep Sea Fishing
Deep sea fishing off spectacular Cape Point will be a highlight for any keen fisherman visiting Cape Town. Hosted by experienced and professional crew in boats designed for our waters, Tuna, snoek, yellowtail as well as many other species can be caught.
13. Cycle Tours
Cape Town is well set up for cycling and there are many local adventure operators offering a range of bicycle tours that are designed to take full advantage of Cape Town’s stunning scenic routes. Jump on a bicycle and explore coastal roads, wine farms and nature reserves.
14. Dragon Boat Racing
Cape Town’s iconic V & A Waterfront is the centre of Dragon Boat Racing in South Africa. If you’re in Cape Town with a group and want to experience an activity that is inclusive and truly different then come and master a new technique and have a crazy water-churning workout under the watchful eye of Table Mountain.
15. Fly-Fishing
Put a ‘Gone-Fishing’ sign on your hotel door and head into the hills! A guided fly-fishing trip to the trout abundant mountain pools and dams near Cape Town is a great option whether you’ve mastered this fine art of flies, tackle and quiet contemplation or just a little intrigued by it. You’ll get away from the hustle and bustle of the city as well as get to see some lesser know scenic area of Cape Town.
16. Guided Hiking
If you’re into hiking, there’s probably no better city to be in then Cape town -you could hike every day for a year and still not explore the length and breadth of the Table Mountain chain. A guided hiking trip will take you off the beaten track and onto rugged cliff sided trails where you’ll be enchanted by the flowers of the spectacular fynbos, amber streams and breath-taking views of Cape Town.
17. Gyrocopter Flights
Up…up and away on a gyrocopter for a nifty flight and an opportunity to see the topography of Cape Town and the surrounding landscape- its famous mountain, the city-scape, farmlands, the beautiful Cape Peninsula and the long wiggly sea-misted line of the west coast of South Africa. A suitable outing for those who love their adventure fast and high!
18. Harley-Davidson Tours
Tour the spectacular mountain and coastal roads of Cape Town on an iconic Harley-Davidson. With famous stretches of serpentine tar like Chapmans Peak Drive to explore, a Cape Town Harley-Davidson Tour is a must for any biker.
19. Helicopter Flights
Always a favourite, a short helicopter flip over the city bowl and Table Mountain, or a longer flight down the Cape Peninsula to Cape point and even over the beautiful winelands area, will give you a fantastic overview of Cape Town. Celebrate a special occasion with this exciting and glamorous ride.
20. Hot-Air Ballooning
Celebrate your visit to the Southern tip of Africa with a whimsical ride over Cape Town’s winelands and a befitting champagne breakfast afterwards. Floating in the still morning air you will witness the land flush gold as the sun rises over the Hottentots Holland Mountains, lighting up Table Mountain in the distance.
21. Kayaking
Not only does Cape town boast a stunning coastline with sheltered sandy white coves, aquamarine water and towering mountain peaks, but going kayaking off the peninsula either from Simon’s Town or the V & A waterfront is like being on a marine safari. Whales, dolphins, penguins and playful seals are all regular paddling companions on a Cape Town kayak trip.
22. Kiteboarding
Our summer winds are legendary. Our beaches are wide and long. Cape Town is a mecca for kiteboarders; the perfect place for Kiteboarding beginners and pros.
23. Kloofing (Canyoning)
Kloofing (or Canyoning) is the art of descending a mountain river and Cape Town’s ancient geologically tortured mountain ranges offer plenty of opportunity for this. Leaping into pools, swimming through narrow riverine tunnels, abseiling off cliffs; this is a sport for the seeker of wild places and wild fun.
24. Microlight Flights
Feel like you belong to the African sky with a microlight flight in the area of the unspoilt West Coast with magnificent views of Cape Town- Table Bay, Table Mountain, Robin Island and Lions Head- in the distance. Though you’ll be hosted by highly experienced pilots, the tiny and fragile looking Microlight and low-level flying will have you at the edge of your viewing seat!
25. Motorcycle Tours
Cape Town’s scenic roads are legendary and beyond the city and suburbs, quiet rural roads snake over mountains connecting charming wine land towns and passing through breath-taking scenery. This is all waiting for you when you take one of Cape Town’s professionally curated motorcycle tours.
26. Paragliding
A tandem paragliding adventure swooping around Lion’s Head with the whole of Cape Town below you and all of Cape Town’s most dramatic features in view- Table Mountain, Robin Island and the Twelve Apostles- has been the holiday highlight for many travellers to the mother city.
27. Power Boating
Experienced skippers take expert control of these powerful boats providing you with an exhilarating wake-making whip around the Cape Coast. But it’s not just about the adrenalin rush. In amongst your high-speed turns and wave jumps you can admire the breath-taking views and keep an eye out for whales, dolphins, seals and other inhabitants of our coastal waters.
28. Quad Biking
Toys for big boys and girls-quad bikes are a lot of fun! Cape Town Quad Biking operators take advantage of the many different natural playgrounds available - dune fields and mountains and the hills of the winelands region - to offer a range of quad biking adventures in inspiring places.
29. Sailing Trips
Sailing is a relaxed happy holiday sort of thing to do and the maritime city of Cape Town provides many sailing options with embarkment from the V & A Waterfront, Hout Bay or Simon’s Town. Whichever cruise you choose you will be delighted by the incredible views of the Cape Peninsula.
30. Sandboarding
Whoever thought sand could be this fun! Millions of years of wearing down of our sandstone mountains has provided us with some lovely soft white dune fields just the place to hone your sandboarding skills under the attentive tutelage of skilled boarders.
31. Scenic Flights
If you thought Cape Town was beautiful from the ground, have a look at it from above! A scenic flight will give you a wide and wonderful view of our mother city; the giant wedge of Table Mountain, the long-jagged finger of the Cape Peninsula and the endless textural landscape of the winelands.
32. Scootours
A family friendly fun way to be in nature- kids absolutely love this adventure- you’ll whizz and wind down the lower slopes of Table Mountain with the fat wheels of the Scootour absorbing all the jar and only giving you the best of the bounce. You’ll be laid-back enough to enjoy the wonderful views while breathing in the fragrant fynbos-scented air.
33. Scuba Diving
A scuba diving hot spot, Cape Town offers some unique marine environments for diving. Apart from diving with some interesting ocean animals, sharks and seals to mention a few, one of Cape Town’s treasured eco-systems- the Kelp Forests- attracts many scuba diving visitors to Cape Town.
34. Shark Cage Diving
One for the bucket list and the best way to protect sharks for future generations! Once you’ve seen these magnificent creatures up close, you’ll be vested in their survival forever.
35. Sidecar Tours
A vintage chauffeured sidecar is a stylish and relaxing way to explore the highways and byways of Cape Town. It will be hard to choose which tour to do as each itinerary has been carefully put together to include the Cape’s most scenic roads and interesting stops.
36. Skydiving
Tandem skydiving is not an experience for the faint of heart. That said many a faint heart has billowed with pride and newfound courage after being persuaded to take the plunge. After a breath-taking free fall, you’ll float gently to the ground, perhaps recovered enough to notice, at some stage during the descent, Table Mountain in the distance.
37. Water Bikes
A fun floaty family friendly bicycle contraption that gives you amazing steerage and a great vantage point. Peddle along the picturesque coastline of False Bay near Simons Town, home to our Navy and our Penguins and some of our most beautiful scenery.
38. White Water Kayaking
A short drive from cape Town gets you to some valleys and mountains where fast flowing rivers attract white water kayakers from around South Africa. Professional operators using highly qualified adventure guides will take experienced kayakers to the best sections and provide training for those who need it.