Cape Town Family Week

V&A Waterfront

Cape Town's iconic working harbour combines hundreds of shops, restaurants, street performers, and boat trips in one walkable precinct. Families can graze at the Market on the Wharf, catch a harbour seal lazing on the jetties, and easily fill an entire day.

Two Oceans Aquarium

Right on the V&A Waterfront, this world-class aquarium lets kids touch sea creatures in the touch pool and watch ragged-tooth sharks glide overhead through the kelp forest tunnel. Daily penguin and turtle feeding presentations are timed perfectly for younger attention spans.

Table Mountain Aerial Cableway

Ride the rotating cable car 1,086 metres to the flat-topped summit for jaw-dropping 360° views over Cape Town and the Atlantic. Kids love spotting rock hyraxes on the plateau — book the first cable car of the day to guarantee clear visibility.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

These world-famous gardens feature a treetop canopy walkway called the Boomslang that gives kids a snake-like aerial view through the forest. Weekends often bring live concerts on the lawn where families picnic on the grass as the mountain glows behind the stage.

Cape Point

The dramatic rocky headland at the tip of the Cape Peninsula rewards families with a funicular ride up to the old lighthouse and some of the most theatrical coastal scenery on earth. Keep an eye on your snacks — the resident baboons are bold and surprisingly quick.

Boulders Beach Penguin Colony

This sheltered cove near Simon's Town is home to over 3,000 African penguins waddling within arm's reach on the boardwalks. Children are absolutely mesmerised watching the penguins swim, nest, and squabble just metres away — arrive before 10am to beat the tour buses.

Bo-Kaap

Cape Town's most photogenic neighbourhood tumbles down Signal Hill in a cascade of candy-coloured houses reflecting the vibrant Cape Malay heritage of its residents. Join a cooking class to make bobotie or koeksisters, and photograph what may be the most colourful street in Africa.

Robben Island

The ferry across Table Bay delivers families to the island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years, with former political prisoners often leading the tours. It is a profoundly moving history lesson for older children — allow a full morning for the ferry, tour, and return.

Signal Hill & Lion's Head Sunrise Hike

The circular hike up Lion's Head uses chains and ladders near the summit for a panoramic view stretching from Table Mountain to Robben Island — early morning starts with kids feel like a real expedition. The flat Signal Hill road offers easy walks for younger families who want the views without the scramble.