Cape Town Hop On Hop Off - Bus Tours

Routes And Stops Covered By Cape Town City Bus Tours

All hop on hop off Cape Town routes belong to City Sightseeing's red bus tour, and one ticket covers them all. Commentary comes in around 15 languages, with a separate channel for children. Your City Sightseeing bus ticket in Cape Town also includes two 90-minute walking tours from 81 Long Street: the Historic City Tour at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM, and the Bo-Kaap Tour at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM.

Red City Tour

This is the city bus tour of Cape Town. Buses run 8:30 AM–5:15 PM, every 20 minutes, on a 90-minute loop. Stops include the Clock Tower, the Convention Centre, 81 Long Street, the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, Camps Bay, Sea Point and Green Point.

Blue Mini Peninsula Tour

Buses run 9:00 AM–4:00 PM, every 20 minutes, on a loop of about 2 hours 15 minutes, depending on the weather and traffic conditions. Stops include the Mount Nelson Hotel, Kirstenbosch, Constantia Nek, World of Birds, the Imizamo Yethu township and Mariner's Wharf in Hout Bay, with Camps Bay and Sea Point on the way back.

Purple Wine Tour

This 30-minute loop starts at Constantia Nek and stops at Groot Constantia, Eagles' Nest and Beau Constantia. Buses leave every 30 minutes from 9:55 AM to 5:00 PM.

Here's where it's worth hopping off:

• The Clock Tower (Red): Robben Island ferries leave from the Nelson Mandela Gateway next to it. The ferry and island tour are booked separately.
• Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (Red): the lower station of the cable car to the summit. The cable car ticket is extra.
• Kirstenbosch (Blue): the botanical garden on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, with the Boomslang treetop walkway.
• Imizamo Yethu (Blue): a township in Hout Bay, where local guides lead one-hour walking tours from R90 per adult, paid separately.
• Groot Constantia (Purple): a wine estate founded in 1685, with tastings and a museum, both paid separately.

Combo deals for Cape Town tours

The 2-day Premium ticket adds a harbour or canal cruise and, from September to May, a sunset bus tour. Combos pair the bus with the Table Mountain cable car (from around US$120), fast-track entry to the Cape Wheel (from around US$35) or the Zeitz MOCAA museum (from around US$35). The Franschhoek Wine Tram is a separate 8-hour day out with hotel transfers and tastings at seven or eight wine estates, from about US$150.

How To Make The Most Of Cape Town Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours

Go Up Table Mountain When It's Clear: The cableway shuts in high wind and low cloud. If the top is clear when you wake up, take the Red route there first. Either way, bring a jacket, because the top deck of an open bus tour of Cape Town gets cold in the wind.

Book Robben Island Early: It's one of the most sought-after trips in the city. Book before you arrive, then plan your bus day around the ferry. The tour takes about three and a half hours.

Give the Blue Route a Morning: Tickets are valid for the calendar day, not 24 hours, and the Blue loop alone takes over two hours. Start your Cape Town bus tour early if you want time at Kirstenbosch and a tasting in Constantia.

Change at the Shared Stops: The Red and Blue routes meet at the V&A Waterfront, 81 Long Street, Camps Bay and Sea Point. The Purple route connects with the Blue route at Constantia Nek.

Things to Know

History is a big part of a visit to Cape Town. Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison on Robben Island, and the District Six Museum tells how a whole neighbourhood was cleared under apartheid.

Table Mountain's slopes are part of the Cape Floral Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kirstenbosch grows mainly South African plants, including the fynbos that covers the mountain.

Summer, from November to March, is dry and often windy, as a strong south-easterly known as the Cape Doctor blows through the city. Most of the rain falls in winter, from June to August.

Why Book With Us

Every Cape Town option in one place – The 1-day ticket, the Classic and Premium tickets, the combos and the Franschhoek Wine Tram are all on this page.

Your Cape Town bus tour ticket on your phone – The e-voucher arrives as soon as you pay. Show it to the driver or print it.

Hop on hop off Cape Town tickets you can cancel – Cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before your tour date.

Attraction tickets in the same booking – Add the cable car, the Cape Wheel or Zeitz MOCAA when you book the bus.

Help before and during your trip – Our support team can help with bookings and vouchers.