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Tour Descriptions
THE CAPE TOWN TOUR: CITYCape Town is South Africa’s oldest city and therefore fondly called our ‘Mother City’. Our city’s rich history embraces many different peoples and cultures from various parts of the world, which, over centuries, have blended into an interesting and diverse nation. To get a glimpse of this richness, a tour of the city and its historic buildings and gardens is highly recommended. Our tour is not restricted to the city center and can include the most beautiful of scenic routes along the Atlantic Coast, where the ocean hugs the city: via Sea Point, Clifton, Camps Bay, Llandudno, Hout Bay and Chapman’s Peak Drive and back through Constantia.
Highlights to choose from include the following:
- Breathtaking views of Lion’s Head and the Twelve Apostles
- Visit the top of Table Mountain by cable car
- A morning tour of Robben Island
- A tour of the central city: a walking- or drive-through tour.
- The V&A Waterfront, the aquarium, craft markets and wonderful shopping
- The historic Company Gardens and the South African Museum
- The Castle and the William Fehr collection
- The Malay Quarter and its Museum
- District Six and its museum
- A short township tour
- Art galleries, manufacturing jewellers and shopping centres catering for all tastes and needs. Around the city centre:
- Hout Bay, Llandudno and Chapman’s Peak Drive on to the Noordhoek Valley
- Beaches and a coastal cruise in Hout Bay to view the seals at Duiker Island
- Africa’s largest bird park, The World of Birds, at Hout Bay.
- Tygerberg Zoo and the West Coast Ostrich Farm
- The wine estates of the Constantia Valley and Durbanville
- Kirstenbosch Gardens
- Rhodes Memorial
- Get the postcard perfect picture of Table Mountain from Blaawberg beach.
A round trip of the Cape Peninsula culminating in a visit to Cape Point, the southernmost tip of the Peninsula, is probably the most popular of all the Cape Town tours on offer locally. Beautiful natural scenery, which includes a lovely coastal drive with superb sea and mountain views, sets the scene. The drive takes one along the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive through suburbs and villages such as Hout Bay, Muizenberg, Fish Hoek and Simon’s Town, which line both the Atlantic and False Bay, shores. It is also possible to visit a seal colony by boat in Hout Bay, an ostrich farm and a penguin colony along the way.
Highlights to choose from include the following:
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
- Wine tasting and a cellar tour in Constantia
- The boat trip to the seal colony off Hout Bay
- Breathtaking views from Chapman’s Peak Drive and into the Noordhoek Valley
- The penguin colony at Boulders Beach, Simon’s Town
- Mineral World, a polishing plant for semi-precious gemstones and jewellery factory
- Visit an ostrich farm at Cape Point
(Waiting for a flight? – Do you have time to kill?)
No need to waste those last precious hours before flying home. We will take you on a short scenic drive, look after your luggage, and then drop you off at the airport in time for your flight. Options include the spectacularly scenic Atlantic coastal route: Hout Bay, Chapman’s Peak Drive and the scenic Silvermine Route. Alternatively you may enjoy the ambiance and tranquillity of the historic wine estates of Constantia or Durbanville with their beautifully restored Cape Dutch homesteads, taste their famous wines and include a cellar tour if you like.
A visit to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens can be combined with the Constantia Wine Route. Some last minute shopping to endear yourself to those waiting at home may also not be a bad idea.
THE CAPE WINELANDS CIRCULAR ROUTE
The wine growing area of the Western Cape, often referred to as the Boland (upper country), stretches far and wide. For practical purposes, a day tour of the Winelands from Cape Town is normally aimed at the Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek and Somerset West region. The area boasts a large number of wine estates and it is possible to visit only a handful in one day. Beautiful wine estates with their Cape Dutch homesteads, against the backdrop of the lovely Western Cape Mountains and historic towns, especially Stellenbosch, are the main attractions. Closer to Cape Town, and hence less time consuming to visit, the elegant wine estates of Constantia and Durbanville produce some of the Cape’s finest wines.
Highlights to choose from include the following:
- Historical Stellenbosch and Cape Dutch homesteads against a backdrop of majestic mountains
- Visits to wine estates, including wine and cheese tasting and cellar tours
- Brandy cellars, including brandy tasting and viewing coopers at work
- Paarl and the Afrikaanse Taalmonument
- Franschhoek and the Huguenot Memorial and Museum
- The four mountain passes
- The Lion Park at Klapmuts and the Cheetah Outreach Programme at Spier Wine Estate
This tour offers a combination of attractions on the Cape Point Circular Route and the Cape Winelands Circular Route, which includes wine tasting and historic Stellenbosch. Perhaps one of the most memorable of all the Cape Town Tours on offer!
HERMANUS CIRCULAR ROUTE AND WHALE WATCHING
A beautiful scenic coastal drive, whale watching in season, a penguin colony and some wine tasting are but some of the attractions that await you on this outing. You travel where awesome mountain ranges rise from the rugged eastern shoreline of False Bay and through the many coastal villages. The return trip takes you through beautifully cultivated apple and pear orchards and over two mountains passes.
- Scenic coastal route through Gordon’s Bay, Rooi Els and Betty’s Bay
- Penguin colony at Stony Point and Harold Porter Botanical Garden
- Wine estates and art galleries if time allows
- Whale watching in season
- Houwhoek Pass and Sir Lowry’s Pass
- Any other interest you may have
On a day tour of the West Coast, one can travel as far north as St Helena Bay and Velddrif. During the spring flower season (normally the second half of August and early September), a visit to the various nature reserves and other areas where an abundance of spring flowers can be enjoyed, is very popular. This aside, the West Coast –with its fishing communities, abundance of interesting little bays and fascinating history and prehistory – makes for a really worthwhile day tour year-round.
One of the richest fossil sites in the world may be visited at the West Coast Fossil Park, where 200 different kinds of fossilised animals have been discovered.
Depending on the available time, the following are some of the highlights that may be included:
- Blouberg Strand, the Mamre Mission Station, Darling and Evita’s Perron
- Yzerfontein, Langebaan and Saldanha Bay
- West Coast Nature Reserve including the Potsberg Nature Reserve
- Spring flowers and bird watching
- The West Coast Fossil Park at Langebaanweg and Paternoster
The extremities of landmasses have always captured our imagination. To stand at the southernmost tip of the African continent would certainly rank high within the realm of this sentiment. Apart from this highlight, the tour takes one over Sir Lowry’s Pass and Houwhoek Pass to Hermanus where, in the whale season (normally July to November), a few moments will be spared for whale watching. The area has a rich history of maritime hardships, to which the Shipwreck Museum at Bredasdorp bears graphic testimony. Highlights include:
- Mountain passes and the beautiful “Overberg” (over the mountain) scenery
- The historic fisherman’s cottages of Struisbaai
- Cape Agulhas, where two oceans meet. Enjoy a glass of bubbly at the southern most tip of Africa and dip your toes in both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
- Enjoying lunch at the Agulhas lighthouse restaurant.
- If time allows visit the Shipwreck Museum at Bredasdorp
Do you wonder what lies behind the beautiful mountains beyond Paarl? Well, nestled between two awesome mountain ranges you will find the beautiful, fertile Breede River Valley with an abundance of water for agriculture, magnificently cultivated orchards, vineyards and historical towns. Getting there is half the pleasure as the tour takes you along some of the finest historical mountain passes. The tour also offers an opportunity to sample some of the fine wines of the region.
Highlights to choose from include the following:
- Du Toit’s Kloof Mountain Pass, Worcester and Kleinplasie Farm Museum
- Ceres via Mitchell’s Pass
- Tulbagh – historical Church Street and De Oude Drosdy
- Have lunch at the historical Paddagang Restaurant.
- The Slanghoek Valley
- Wine estates and co-operatives
The Aquila Private Game Reserve near Tows River, though not to be compared with the large game reserves of southern Africa, offers wonderful game viewing only two hours’ drive away from Cape Town. Travel along the majestic Du Toit’s Kloof Pass, through the Huguenot Tunnel, the scenic Breede River and Hex River Valleys and enjoy breakfast on arrival. Experienced game rangers share their knowledge during a two- to three-hour game drive in 4x4 safari vehicles with the opportunity to spot the famous Big Five: elephant, rhino, lion, hippo, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and many antelope species. You will also view examples of San (Bushman) rock art. After a scrumptious buffet lunch we return to Cape Town, enjoying the lovely country scenery.
KAROO LANDSCAPE AND MATJIESFONTEIN
We travel through the scenic Du Toit’s Kloof Mountain Pass and the fertile Slanghoek Valley. Then on to the historic Michell’s Pass to the town of Ceres and its fertile fruit-growing valley. Soon the abundant orchards give way to the arid landscape of the Karoo (the Khoi word for land of thirst) where vast open spaces stretch from one far horizon to the other. Experience the solitude and serenity so unique to this semi-desert of South Africa. Enjoy lunch in the historic and quaint little village of Matjiesfontein. The return journey takes us through the Hex River Valley where autumn brings a kaleidoscope of colours to the lush vineyards. In the Breede River Valley we pass the town of Worcester on our way to the Du Toit’s Kloof Pass heading back to Cape Town. This more direct return route is also used on the outward journey if insufficient time is available.
OVERNIGHT STAY AT SUTHERLAND AND A VISIT TO SALT, THE RENOWNED SOUTH AFRICAN LARGE TELESCOPE
From Matjiesfontein, we head deeper into the Great Karoo for a further 130km to reach the high plateau of the Roggeveld, where the town of Sutherland is situated at an altitude of 1458 metres. Sutherland is the home of SALT, the largest single optical telescope in the southern hemisphere and proudly called “South Africa’s Giant Eye”. Here the atmosphere is thin, the air is crystal-clear and in this arid region cloud-cover is infrequent. For these reasons this site has gained international status as one of the world’s foremost stations for astronomical observation. The onsite guided tour and fascinating observations will leave even the less knowledgeable visitor with new insights, broadening their perspective forever. At very little additional cost, the return journey can be made via the breathtaking Seweweeks Poort and the beautiful Little Karoo.
PLEASE NOTE
- Unless otherwise stated prices exclude refreshments, lunches, wine tasting, entrance fees, game drives, ferry and boat trips, Table Mountain Aerial Cable Way and the funicular at the Cape Point Nature Reserve.
- A half-day outing equals four hours – add R150 for every additional hour.
- Time does not permit us to include all the highlights mentioned in the itineraries in one day. Please discuss your special interests with us and we will plan accordingly.
- Prices quoted are for tours guided in English. For tours in any other language except Afrikaans add R750 to the prices quoted above. bookings@capetownprivatetours.co.za
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Contact: Charl & Erna van Tonder |
Cape Town Tours and Scenic Drives
of outstanding value |
Tel/Fax: +27 (0) 21 790 5477 Mobile: +27 (0) 82 682 5556 |
