Best Cape Town family attractions

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Kids and adults are different right? So a list of Cape Town family attractions must be geared towards pleasing our youngsters.

Obviously any useful list of top Cape Town family attractions will vary depending on the age of your family but here's an instant short-list:

This page, is focused towards the younger members, so that you can plan an itinerary that will have the kids begging for more!

Cape Town family attractions without age restrictions

These are like those board games that say ages 0 - 90 years! Parents, kids and even grandparents will love these...

Boulders Beach - wonderful, comical African penguins and warm, sheltered ocean swimming

Cheetah Outreach and Eagle Encounter at Spier near Stellenbosch -- hands on furry friends, with an important conservation message.


Table Mountain Cable Car - a 4-minute revolving ride (yes, I've timed it!) to get to a most spectacular view!

Boat rides to see seals can be done from Hout Bay (bigger boats and a more touristy atmosphere, this is a regular tour bus point) or Simonstown (smaller boat, longer ride, way more fun in my opinion!)

Two Oceans Aquarium - sharks, seals and giant crabs... + + + and a fun kids' centre and puppet show.

Cape Point - lighthouses, funicular railway, great beaches and MORE wildlife!

Castle of Good Hope (Cape Town Castle) - hands-on history and culture.

The V & A Waterfront - in part a giant themed shopping mall, but

• the Aquarium is there
• seal-spotting and busker-watching appeals to everyone.
• Boat trips from or around the Waterfront can be wild or sedate depending on your preference.
• It's fun to walk around the various routes and you can stop to eat and drink as you please - good for all ages I'd say!
• Label shopping is also good if that's your fancy.

!Khwa Ttu the San cultural centre on the West Coast will give you insights into these fascinating former residents of the Cape, their clicking and popping language and amazing bushcraft skills. An added bonus -- more animals, too! This time it's 'bokkies' - antelope and zebra mainly.

Cape Town Family attractions for older kids

Robben Island - amazing and touching but its significance is too abstract for little ones.

District Six Museum - again too abstract for littlies but for older kids and adults it's a real attention-grabber.

Somewhere Between Young and Old

I'm in two minds as to whether these are age-specific or not. It depends really on where you focus them.

The Cape Winelands - loads of wine and cheese or more child-friendly? You decide! Use my Stellenbosch children's route guide for more info.

Cape Town Township Tours - some might throw this in with the other apartheid history as too abstract for youngsters. Personally I'm all for kids of any age seeing how other folk live and experiencing different cultures. Again, it's up to you.

And for loads more things to do with the family click on this page link.