Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden occupies a large swathe of beautiful land on the lower slopes of Table Mountain. It houses a huge collection of indigenous flora, such as heathery fynbos, flowering proteas (the South African national flower), and dramatically coloured strelitzias. The upper areas of the garden runs unfenced into the slopes of the mountain and there are various pathways that meander through the woods and bushes.
For those seeking something less vigorous you can just find a shady spot, or one of the secluded benches dotted through the garden, and relax for a while.
For visitors to South Africa in their summer there is the option of evening visits to Kirstenbosch on a Sunday to see concerts in the open air amphitheatre.
Start planning your tailor-made trip by contacting one of our South Africa specialists
These activities are designed to give you the most authentic experiences around where you're staying. We work with local guides, who use their knowledge and often a resident's eye to show you the main sights and more out-of-the-way attractions. Our specialists can suggest tours and activities that will introduce you to the local ways of life.
A journey aboard The Blue Train
Travel between Pretoria and Cape Town aboard the Blue Train to experience one of South Africa鈥檚 finest rail journeys. You鈥檒l pass through mountains, farmland, and vineyards, pausing to explore old diamond-mining towns en route.
A journey on Rovos Rail
Travel across Southern Africa in the restored trains of Rovos Rail. With several luxury journeys to choose from, you can explore the regions that most interest you in both comfort and style.
Cape Town city tour
Take a guided tour of the 鈥淢other City鈥�. You鈥檒l visit the Castle of Good Hope, the Parliament Buildings, and the brightly painted Bo-Kaap district for a grounding in the city鈥檚 history and culture, as well as riding the rotating cable car up to Table Mountain鈥檚 summit.
Museums of Cape Town
Cape Town boasts a variety of museums that help tell the story of the city鈥檚 multi-layered past, as well as that of South Africa as a whole and the wider continent. We share a few that we particularly recommend visiting during your stay.
Peninsula Tour
The Cape Peninsula is an area of dramatic natural beauty and huge ecological significance, which manages to retain a wild feel despite its huge popularity with visitors. As you drive south from Cape Town, you pass through the exclusive suburbs of Camps Bay and Clifton before continuing onto Hout Bay and through Constantia, where the road meanders behind Table Mountain and down onto the coast.
Robben Island tour
Led by a former inmate, you鈥檒l tour Robben Island鈥檚 old prison buildings, from the communal cells to the tiny solitary cells of B-Section, where Nelson Mandela spent much of his incarceration. You鈥檒l also explore the wider island and find out more about its uses over the years.
Table Mountain Tour
Guests are taken to the lower terminal for the cable-car up Table Mountain. The cable-car is a very modern affair, and completes a 360潞 rotation during the ascent, affording you fantastic views over the city.
You can enjoy this activity as part of the suggested tours below, or we can weave it into a trip shaped entirely around you.
