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The Iziko South African National Gallery

Museums of Cape Town

The Iziko South African National Gallery

As with any major city, there are a number of very good museums in Cape Town that you might like to visit during your stay. We particularly recommend the District Six Museum, Gold of Africa Museum, and the Iziko Museums of South Africa.

District Six Museum is situated in an area of Cape Town that was home to nearly a tenth of the population until the apartheid regime declared it a “white-only” area in 1965. This resulted in the forced removal of more than 60,000 people, and the museum tells their story while also preserving their memories of this time.

Gold of Africa Museum has exhibits that share the long-standing relationship that many regions of Africa have with gold. We especially like visiting for an evening tour, when you can enjoy a glass of sparkling wine complete with gold leaf.

The Iziko Museums of South Africa are a collection of 11 museums in Cape Town. Housed in historic buildings, they cover a range of topics related to African heritage, from natural and social history to art, science, and maritime culture.

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Other experiences in Cape Town

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
    The Blue Train with Table Mountain in the distance

    A journey aboard The Blue Train

    A journey aboard The Blue Train

    Travel between Pretoria and Cape Town aboard the Blue Train to experience one of South Africa’s finest rail journeys. You’ll pass through mountains, farmland, and vineyards, pausing to explore old diamond-mining towns en route.

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  • A journey on Rovos Rail
    Club lounge, Rovos Rail

    A journey on Rovos Rail

    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.

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  • Cape Town city tour
    Cape Town

    Cape Town city tour

    Cape Town city tour

    Take a guided tour of the “Mother City”. You’ll visit the Castle of Good Hope, the Parliament Buildings, and the brightly painted Bo-Kaap district for a grounding in the city’s history and culture, as well as riding the rotating cable car up to Table Mountain’s summit.

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  • Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
    Path in Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

    Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

    Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

    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 and dramatically colored strelitzias.

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  • Peninsula Tour
    Chapman's Peak Drive, Cape Town

    Peninsula Tour

    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.

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  • Robben Island tour
    Freedom from Apartheid

    Robben Island tour

    Robben Island tour

    Led by a former inmate, you’ll tour Robben Island’s old prison buildings, from the communal cells to the tiny solitary cells of B-Section, where Nelson Mandela spent much of his incarceration. You’ll also explore the wider island and find out more about its uses over the years.

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  • Table Mountain Tour
    View from the Table Mountain cable car, Cape Town

    Table Mountain Tour

    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 360º rotation during the ascent, affording you fantastic views over the city.

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Experience it for yourself

You can enjoy this activity as part of the suggested tours below, or we can weave it into a trip shaped entirely around you.