The Sharonicles: Cape Town’s Hop-on Hop-off Bus: A Guide to All the Stops (2023)

Here is a brief overview of each of the stops on Cape Town’s CitySightseeing Hop-on Hop-off Red Bus Tours:

The Red Route

1. V&A Waterfront & Aquarium

The first stop on both the Red and the Blues routes is the V&A Waterfront. If this is where you are joining the bus you’re probably already aware of its many many attractions.

Monday - Thursday: 9:00am - 7:00pm

Friday - Sunday: 9:00am - 9:00pm

2. The Clock Tower (Also technically part of the V&A Waterfront)

The Clock Tower is also part of the V&A Waterfront precinct.

More info can be found on the Clock Tower's website.

• The Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island. A tour that will take you by boat to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for many of his 27 years behind bars. Though I strongly recommend this tour, it is time-consuming so I suggest you come back on a day when you are not on a bus tour.
• The Zeitz MOCAA (Or Museum of Contemporary Art Africa) is an impressive architectural structure that contains some interesting art from the continent.
• The Chavonnes Battery Museum contains the ruins of a fort built to protect the peninsula in the early 1700s. It was partially demolished in the mid-1800s and only rediscovered in 1999. It is probably one of Cape Town’s lesser-known but underrated attractions.
• There’s also a Lindt shop. It is in no way unique to South Africa (seriously, it’s Swiss), but I just really like chocolate!
• More shops and restaurants can also be found here.

3. The Cape Town International Convention Centre

Is a great convention centre, however, unless you’re visiting a convention or event, there’s no need to get off the bus here.

4. Foreshore

I’m not really sure what the point of this stop is except it seems to be a pick-up point for people staying at the hotels in the vicinity.

5. 81 Long Street (The Tour office)

The tour office is in the centre of the Cape Town CBD. From here you can switch to the Yellow Line and do the downtown tour.

The Yellow Route

I believe it used to be a bus tour (based onthis pageof their website), but these days it's a ‘free’ walking tour - in exchange for tips!

(This might explain why there seems to be a number of stops missing on the map.)

The Historic City Walk

According to the website, this walking tour goes to the following sites:

An Unusual Experience of the City's History

• The Cape Gallery: A South African fine art gallery.
• The Iziko Old Town House Museum: This museum is based in the former City Hall, an opulent Cape Rococo style building built in the 18th century. It is now an art gallery located where you can see the Michaelis Collection consisting of Dutch Golden Age works.
• The Iziko Slave Lodge: A museum devoted to the history of slavery in South Africa. The upper level is home to an art gallery (not related to slavery necessarily).
• A small easily missable segment of the Berlin Wall is located on the corner of St. Georges Mall and Wale Street.
• The Arch for Arch: A monument that commemorates Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Continuing with the Red Route:

6. Jewel Africa

Okay, so South Africa has both gold and diamonds, so I guess jewellery makes for a nice souvenir. If you’re like me though, and you absolutely HATE shopping stops on organized tours, give this one a skip! Based on my experiences working on cruise ships, I have learnt that some people just go on vacation to buy shiny things. So if that’s you, go for it.

7. Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway

Table Mountain is obviously Cape Town’s most iconic landmark and one of those things you just have to do when you visit this city. While I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Cape Town, it is quite a time-consuming thing to do. When I last visited (at the end of 2018), the queue to get onto the cable car was over 2 hours long. I even contemplated climbing the mountain myself (you can do that if you’re fit and you have decent footwear, but it would probably take even longer). To try to save some time you can buy tickets directly from City Sightseeing but it’s not really the ticket office queue that is the problem.

How much are the cable carticket prices?

Return tickets vary from R100 - R380.

More info can be found onthe Table Mountain website.

8. Camps Bay

Camps Bay is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The white sand beach is lined with palm trees, bars, restaurants and hotels, against the backdrop of the mountain range known as the 12 apostles. It is very popular among the wealthy and the beautiful, and would probably be even more popular if not for the chilly Atlantic ocean. It’s the perfect place to stop for a cocktail, especially if the sun is setting at the end of the day.

9. The President Hotel, Bantry Bay

The president hotel is a very scenic luxury hotel. It is also home to a number of restaurants. Other cities have fancy hotels too though, so if you’re on the tour to experience Cape Town, I would give this a skip.

10. St. Johns Road Seapoint

I’m not really sure what the point of this stop is. According to the website, it brags about its location close to the Sea Point swimming pool?

11. Winchester Mansions

The Winchester Mansions is a seafront hotel located in a 1920s Cape Dutch building. It also has a beautiful courtyard restaurant. While architecturally it is more Capetonian than the President Hotel, if you’re on the tour to experience Cape Town, I would also give this a skip.

12. Green Point and Urban Park

The Green Point stop is also within walking distance ofPerceiving Freedom,or 'the Mandela Glasses', but there seem to be some more exciting attractions down this side. If you don’t see enough public art pieces on this section of the promenade, you can journey a block inland and go to Green Point Park. It’s very green and scenic and a great place for a picnic.

Nearby you will also find:

• The Blue Train Park (an enclosed park with a kids’ train in it)
• A putt-putt course
• Kaskazi Kayaks (where I went kayaking with dolphins)
• and the Creamery (for all your artisanal ice-cream requirements. Yum!)

Try not to get so caught up in the people-watching on the promenade that you forget to look at the ocean. Dolphins are quite common in these waters.

TheBlue Route:

(Like I said, I believe the Yellow Route used to be a bus route which may explain the numbers jump from 13 to 15 to 20)

15. The Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel

Here we have another hotel stop but there’s more to it than just as a pick-up for guests. The Mount Nelson hotel is a luxury hotel built in the late 19th Century on a historical estate once known as the Oudtshoorn Gardens where deer roamed. It became the British military headquarters during the Second Boer War when it hosted Winston Churchill. It was later painted pink for peace in 1918. It has also hosted H.G. Wells, Lady Jenny Churchill, Rudyard Kipling, Agatha Christie and Edward, Prince of Wales.

20. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Kirstenbosch is a botanical garden at the foot of table mountain and prime frolicking terrain. It’s over 100 years old, so I guess that means it's historical too. If biodiversity and indigenous flora turn you on, this is the place for you.

How much are the Kirstenboschticket prices?

Tickets vary from R25 - R200.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden opening hours:

Summer (Sept - March): Monday - Sunday: 8:00am - 7:00pm

Winter (April - Aug): Monday - Sunday: 8:00am - 6:00pm

More info can be found ontheKirstenbosch websiteor you can read aboutThe Sharonicles of Kirstenbosch and the 10 Reasons we think you should visit.

21. Constantia Nek Winestop

Constantia Nek is a stop that I associate with two things:

It’s also the stop where you can switch over to the purple route and do the wine tour.

The Purple Route:

25. Groot Constantia

Groot Constantia is South Africa’s oldest wine farm. It was established in 1685. According to its website, its wine is mentioned in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, Charles Dickens'sThe Mystery of Edwin Droodand it may have been served to Napoleon during his exile on the island of Saint Helena.

The historical estate is a wine farm, a museum, a great place to go for a long walk and it is also the site of two restaurants, one of which serves possibly the world’s greatest cheesecake. (Soon it will get a post of its own.)

26. Eagles Nest Wine Farm

As someone who's not a big drinker, I usually visit wine farms for reasons that don’t include the wine. Eagles NestI have not yet had the pleasure of visiting. I believe they do not have a restaurant but do serve cheese platters to complement the wines. Well, that's half a reason to visit.

27. Beau Constantia Wine Estate

Beau Constantia I also have not yet visited. From what I understand though, it seems to be as modern as Groot Constantia is historical. Instead of Cape Dutch architecture, here you'll find vast glass facades. It is known for farming proteas in addition to wine (South Africa's national flower) and its beautiful panoramic views of the mountains and False Bay. Yes, but does it serve cheesecake?

22. World of Birds and Monkey Jungle

I have not yet taken Rodrigo to visit his cousins at the World of Birds, but it is on the list. The World of Birds is the largest bird sanctuary in Africa, with over 400 different species including eagles, falcons and flamingos (the living kind). The Monkey Jungle part is home to squirrel monkeys. If you need to see some wildlife to feel like you’ve visited Africa, this is a great place to hop off.

23. Imizamo Yethu Township

This is an authentic township of 30,000 inhabitants. At this stop, you can have a 40-minute guided tour of the neighbourhood by a local resident. It’s a great way to experience modern-day township life. South Africa is number one in the world for inequality, after passing the luxurious homes of Camps Bay (or before), this will give you a look at how the other half live (well more than half).

24. Mariner’s Wharf in Hout Bay

Hout Bay is a small fishing village. It is known for its beautiful beach and fresh seafood. It’s also a 15-minute walk from the Bay Harbour Market, which sells artisanal food, crafts and curios. In the other direction, is the Mainstream Village and Malls, a beautiful outdoor retail centre with an amphitheatre located in an 800-year-old Milkwood forest, and a themed village Fisherman’s World, complete with a 19th-century corrugated-iron Boatshed.

Mariner’s wharf itself is home to seafood restaurants and shops that sell pearls, antiques, marine artefacts and souvenirs. Harbour Boat Trips are available on local charter boats. If you time your visit right you may even see whales from the wharf itself.

From here, the blue route joins up with the red route at stop 8 and continues through from stop 8 to 12 and then back to stop 1 at the waterfront.

Other useful information:

How Much are the Ticket Prices for the City Sightseeing Hop-on Hop-off Bus?

Tickets range in prices from R100 for a child or R199 for an adult for a one day ticket, to R320 for a child or R399 for an adult for a three-day ticket. (Correct at time of posting, i.e. Pandemic rates.)

How long is the red bus tour in Cape Town?

Each route takes a different length of time:

(If you don't hop off the bus)

How often do the hop-on-hop-off buses come?

The timetable can be found here.

Can you buy your ticket on the City Sightseeing bus itself?

Yes, at any stop but it's cheaper to buy it online.

Closing Tips: