Cape Town was the first (and only) place we’ve done a CitySightseeing hop on-hop off bus together, and it was the perfect city to do it. Don’t get us wrong – we know these buses are the antithesis of ‘cool local travel’. Most of the time we prefer to venture off the beaten path and find hidden gems. But sometimes the touristy stuff is actually pretty awesome. And after several warnings from locals about not walking around Cape Town we had to consider other options. Ubers are great but add up quickly. So we gave the bus a try. It allowed us to cram a lot of top Cape Town sights into one hassle-free day and we even had time for a couple leisurely strolls and a boozy lunch. Plus the audio track on the bus proved to be incredibly interesting.
If you’re considering the hop on-hop off bus to get around Cape Town we’ve broken out our itinerary, budget and top tips to make it the best day possible.
Related // An Epic One Week Cape Town Itinerary
Note – This post is in no way sponsored (though we’d love it to be), we just think it’s a great way to see Cape Town.
Buying Your Tickets
The CitySightseeing Cape Town website has a lot of options for tickets. You can get single-day or multi-day, you can combine the different lines, or you can purchase combo tickets that give you discounts at nearby attractions. To mirror our approach, stick with the Classic Hop on-Hop off ticket. This gives you one day access to the main route which we’ll map out below.
There’s no need to purchase your tickets in advance. You can buy them the night before and show them on your phone when you get on at any stop.
Book Here – Cape Town Classic Hop on-Hop off one day
Cape Town Routes
Blue Route
This is the main route we’ll be focusing on to make the most of one day on the CitySightseeing Cape Town bus. It starts from the oh so popular shopping destination V&A Waterfront and runs through the Central Business District then out and around Devil’s Peak to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. It connects to the wine route (Purple Route) and a township tour before hitting the water in Hout Bay and linking back up with the Red Route to continue along Camps Bay, Clifton and Sea Point. In the next section we’ve mapped out an overview of each stop on our recommended itinerary, and added a few stops in between.
Red Route
Similar to the Blue Route for most of the journey, the Red Route cuts through the city with a stop at the cable car instead of taking the long way around Table Mountain. The centrepiece of Cape Town deserves its own day of exploration so you won’t find it on our itinerary below.
Related // Our Favourite Things to See + Do
Yellow (Downtown) Route
The Yellow Route covers off the attractions downtown. The top two on this route (in our opinion) are the District 6 Museum and the Free Walking Tours offered by city sightseeing. We’d recommend visiting District 6 as your first stop in Cape Town to get a better sense of the city’s history and the impact of apartheid. As for the Free Walking Tours, these are free to anyone. You don’t need a hop on-hop off pass so don’t worry about cramming it into your day.
Purple (Wine Tour) Route
If you’re looking to explore the Winelands from the comfort of your Cape Town accommodation this is one way to do it. There are three wineries en-route and exquisite sights from the bus in between. However, it’s not the best way to see the Winelands. For that, add the ‘Franschhoek Wine Tram Explorer’ to your ticket (and read this guide). The Purple Route is not included in your Classic ticket as it travels far from the city and requires its own day.
Cape Point + Penguin Explorer Tour
This unique ticket takes you down to Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope with a stop in Simon’s Town to see the notorious Boulders Beach penguins on the way. It’s not included in the Classic ticket but if you don’t have a car to explore with it’s a great option for getting to these distant hot spots.
Harbour Cruise
We opted to skip this as we already added a Hout Bay boat cruise to our day but if you want to it’s only R 60 and leaves from the V&A Waterfront every 20 minutes.
Cape Town Hop on-Hop off Route Map
The Ideal One Day Hop on-Hop off Itinerary
Below we’ve mapped out how to make the most of one day on Cape Town’s hop on-hop off bus. We’ve also included alternate options so you can adjust the day to your preferences.
Morning // Hout Bay
One of the best things about the hop on-hop off bus is that you can start wherever you want. Even though we were staying in Bo-Kaap we opted to board the Blue Route at Hout Bay so we could do an early morning cruise out to Duiker Island (aka Seal Island). This meant taking an Uber there in the morning but it also meant crossing one stop off our list. If you want to see Seal Island we’d recommend starting this way to make the most of the day. Otherwise, you can skip the cruise and get off here in the afternoon to explore the waterfront. There are usually a few seals swimming around the shore anyway.
Mid-Day // Sea Point Waterfront Walk + Lunch
Get off at Bantry Bay (stop 9) and enjoy the walk along the waterfront or pop down to a beach as you head North towards Sea Point. If it’s a hot day, the Sea Point Pavilion Pools are a great way to cool off. Grab a quick lunch at the Mojo Market or sit down for seafood and a perfect glass of rosé on the patio at La Boheme Wine Bar + Bistro.
Itinerary Alternate #1 – If you haven’t been to the District 6 Museum now is your chance. Transfer to the yellow line at stop 5 and spend some time there before continuing on.
Afternoon // Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Take the Blue Route around Devil’s Peak to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and get a view of the other side of the iconic Table Mountain. The gardens are a great place for an afternoon stroll. Especially the treetop walk along a bridge through the forest. Lounge in one of the many park spaces, meander through the medicinal or sculpture gardens or join a guided tour at 11am or 2pm.
Itinerary Alternate #2 – Depending on your timing, you can add a stop after the gardens before heading to Camps Bay. We would recommend hoping off at Imizamo Yethu to visit the Original T-Bag Design Shop to support the Community. You can also do a township tour at this stop.
Sunset // Camps Bay
The West-facing beach is the perfect place to end the day and watch the sun transform into a glowing red ball before dipping slowly into the ocean. There are lots of patios boasting sundowners with a view but we opted to enjoy the show from the beach itself, running in and out of the waves as the sand became a mirror, doubling the beauty in the sky. Check the bus schedule to be sure you don’t miss the last bus. We had to board just as the sun kissed the horizon.
Evening // V&A Waterfront Dinner + Shopping
If you haven’t been to V&A yet now’s a great chance to walk around with the last of the sunlight. For a superb dinner head to Willoughby & Co for sushi or the Waterfront Food Market for a quick bite and amazing gelato. We were exhausted so stocked up on gourmet popcorn from Gourmaize to bring home. If you’re staying in Camps Bay or Sea Point you can skip this one.
Related // Cape Town Foodie Guide
Cape Town Hop-on Hop-off Bus | One Day Budget
- City Sightseeing Classic One Day Ticket – R 245 / $17 USD
- Hout Bay Boat Tour = R 80 / $6 USD
- Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens – R 75 / $5 USD
Total Budget (excluding lunch) – R 400 / $28 USD
Arni Stinnissen
January 26, 2020 at 1:47 pmOne day, the right person will see these posts and sponsor them! 🤞