Many of Cape Town’s residents start their days with a trip to the beach or a hike along one of the city’s many hiking trails that wind around Table Mountain. Even if you don’t take advantage of the consistently weak rand to buy some of South Africa’s legendary food and wine, the city’s diverse neighborhoods will keep you entertained for free for the duration of your stay in this 370-year-old city. So here are some of the most affordable activities in cape town.
Top 10 Cheapest Activities In Cape Town
1. Wander the V&A Waterfront
The shops, restaurants, bars, theaters, and cruises in this historic working harbor are just some of the many ways visitors can enjoy the beautiful scenery. In order to allow tugs, fishing boats, and other vessels to pass between 19th-century Victoria and Alfred Basins (named after Queen Victoria and her son Alfred, respectively), a pedestrian swing bridge opens.
The Watershed craft market, the V&A Food Market, and the statues of Nelson Mandela and other South African Nobel Prize winners can all be found in this pedestrianized area; you can also take a walking tour to learn about the area’s maritime and military history.
2. Climb Table Mountain
Hiking Table Mountain’s varying-difficulty trails is not only a free, must-do activity for any visitor to Cape Town but also a cultural tradition. So Climbing Table Mountain is one of the cheapest activities in Cape Town, most travelers take the Platteklip Gorge up the mountain’s front face and then ride the rotating cable car back down.
With Lion’s Head and Camps Bay Beach to the right, the Pipe Track contour path departs from Kloof Nek and heads towards the Twelve Apostles’ buttresses. Similarly, Kloof Corner provides an easy ascent and connects to the front face contour trail that leads to the Platteklip Gorge cable car terminal.
Kasteelpoort on the Camps Bay side, Skeleton Gorge or Nursery Ravine on the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden side, or a combination of the two by crossing the tabletop plateau in the middle.
And if the moon is full, put on your headlamp and follow the trail of torches up Lion’s Head. Walking (or driving) along the adjacent flat-topped Signal Hill (also known as Lion’s Rump) will bring you to a viewpoint over the Atlantic suburbs.
3. Enjoy A Blissful Beach Day
The best way to enjoy the beautiful Cape Town weather is to get some sun, sand in your toes, and salt in your hair. One of the best ways to spend a day in Cape Town is at one of the stunning beaches in the Mother City. Cape Town has a lovely mild Mediterranean climate all year long, making the beach season last practically all year.
Cape Town’s fantastic beaches are perfect for any beach-related activity you could imagine, from sunbathing and sandcastle-building to surfing lessons and sunset strolls and sundowners.
4. Go On A Legendary Grafitti Tour Of Woodstock
Woodstock is a hip, gritty, and trendy pioneering neighborhood full of all the cool creative conquests and artistic graffiti expressions your heart could ever want.
With the hip neighborhood of Woodstock at the forefront of Mother City’s street art scene, Cape Town has quickly become one of the world’s coolest creative hubs for graffiti artists.
Woodstock is home to a vibrant and exciting street art scene and colorful side streets that attract visitors and locals alike who want to catch a glimpse of Woodstock’s artistic expressions in action. The street art in Woodstock is as innovative, vibrant, and diverse as the local and international street art and graffiti artists who created it.
Even if you’re not a huge fan of spray paint and other forms of street art, a legendary graffiti tour of Woodstock is still one of the best free things to do in Cape Town. You can cross an incredible feat off your list, too!
5. Go On The Ultimate Sunset Chasing Adventure
One of my favorite affordable activities in Cape Town is pastimes sunset-watching. And to top it all off, it’s one of the best free activities in Cape Town.
There are some truly breathtaking sunset views in Cape Town. There’s no way to deny the beauty of a sunset over Mother City. We dare you to find anything more beautiful than her sherbet-colored sunsets, which set the sky on fire in a glorious celebration of colors.
Cape Town has become a year-round destination where visitors flock to go on the ultimate sunset-chasing adventure. However, the real sunset adventure starts when you stray from the beaten path to discover the real sunset hidden gems.
6. Hiking
Going on an exciting hike is one of the best (and most rewarding, even if you don’t think so at the time) free things to do in Cape Town.
Hiking in Cape Town is exciting, dynamic, and unlike anything else you’ve done. Hiking is the best way to experience the diversity of landscapes, mountain ranges, wildlife, and natural treasures that Mother City has to offer.
The best part is that Cape Town offers hikers of all skill and fitness levels a wide and exciting selection of trails to explore.
If you’re looking to spice up the already thrilling hiking scene in Cape Town, here are a few exciting overnight hiking trails.
Mother City also has a fantastic selection of hiking trails for those who have never hiked before but would like to experience and explore some of Cape Town’s best and most beautiful hiking trails.
7. Visit The Arderne Gardens
The picturesque Arderne Gardens offer a tranquil haven away from the bustle of the city. Arderne Gardens, located in the southern suburbs of Cape Town, are well-known for its exotic trees and ponds inspired by Japanese garden design.
This beautiful piece of nature is not only one of the best gardens in Cape Town, but it is also a great place to go for a picnic or a stroll at any time of the day. The ducks, guinea fowl, and fish that call it home have made it a hit with kids of all ages.
The garden has a plethora of lovely paths that you can stroll along while basking in peaceful solitude. However, if you’re the exploratory type and a plant lover at heart, you’ll find the paths throughout Arderne Gardens to be ideal.
8. Power-walk along Sea Point Promenade
All types of Capetonians enjoy taking leisurely strolls along the wide, paved, grassy promenade in Sea Point. This neighborhood, which was once reserved for whites only, is now a superb example of the city’s multiethnic character. Playground equipment, a fitness trail, and artwork can all be found here.
9. Head south to Hout Bay Harbour
Hout Bay’s harbor is still in use, and you can see ships being worked on on the eastern side of the bay, beneath Sentinel peak, despite being partially converted into tourist attractions like Mariner’s Wharf.
Live music can be heard on the weekends at the bustling Bay Harbour Market, which is also located here. Hike the back of Table Mountain’s plateau at Constantia Nek or take the contour trail to Kirstenbosch gardens while you’re in the self-proclaimed “Republic of Hout Bay.”
10. Explore Cape Town’s deep south
Exploring Cape Town’s deep south is another one of the cheapest activities in Cape Town. To reach the Lentil Curtain—the hippie enclaves of Noordhoek and Kommetjie—from Hout Bay, you can take the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive toll road south along the Atlantic coast. Without spending money on entering the reserve at the tip of the Cape Peninsula, you can spend a day exploring the tranquil southern reaches of the peninsula.
To visit the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach, one must travel from the beach town of Scarborough across the rocky hinterland to the South African Navy’s headquarters in Simon’s Town. It’s time to head back into town along False Bay, perhaps stopping for a drink at one of the waterfront cafes in Kalk Bay or Muizenberg.
Related: