After the rugged coastal beauty of the Cape Peninsula yesterday, we dedicated today to the heart and soul of Cape Town. We enjoyed a relaxed morning, lingering over breakfast before walking to the City Sightseeing office to finalize our plans for a day of urban exploration.
We headed to Green Market Square to join the Historic City Tour 🔗 at 11:00 AM. Since we had some time to kill before the next leg of our journey, we stopped for a quick, flavorful lunch at Shwarma Cafe, a perfect fuel-up for the walking ahead.
The afternoon was a deep dive into South African history and culture. We joined the District Six Walking Tour 🔗 at 2:00 PM, learning about the forced removals during the Apartheid era, and followed that up with the vibrant Bo Kaap Walking Tour 🔗 at 4:00 PM, where the brightly painted houses and Cape Malay heritage stole the show.
As evening approached, we took a taxi to the Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront. The timing was perfect; we watched as the sky turned shades of orange and pink, with the sun setting directly behind the majestic silhouette of Table Mountain in the distance.
Dominating the skyline of the precinct is The Cape Wheel. This giant observation wheel offers a spectacular 360-degree panoramic view of the city, the stadium, and the sea. Even from the ground, its illuminated structure adds a festive, modern energy to the historic docks.
The V&A Waterfront is the oldest working harbour in the Southern Hemisphere; we strolled along the piers, taking in the mix of salty sea air and live street music. We stopped by the African Trading Port, filled with high-quality African art and curios, which looked particularly striking against the darkening sky.
One of the more unique engineering sights here is the Swing Bridge. We were lucky enough to see it in action—it rotates smoothly to allow boats to move between the basins, effectively temporarily cutting off pedestrian traffic between the Clock Tower and the rest of the Waterfront.
For our final dinner in the city, we kept it casual. We picked up a couple of burgers from Tom & - Burger & Wing Shack and found a spot to sit by the water, soaking in the last of the Cape Town atmosphere. The area around the Clock Tower, with its distinctive Victorian Gothic architecture and red facade, looked beautiful as the city lights began to twinkle. We also passed the Life Grand Cafe, where the outdoor seating was buzzing with people enjoying the warm summer evening.
This was our final night in Cape Town. It’s a city that manages to be both heavy with history and incredibly lighthearted and beautiful. Our return journey began tomorrow, taking us to Mumbai via Johannesburg and Addis Ababa.
🍽️ Shwarma Cafe
🍽️ Tom & - Burger & Wing Shack
🛏️ HomeBase Cape Town Backpackers