The summer season is finally here, making it the perfect time to get your Cape Town summer bucket-list ready for action. Jam-packed full of exciting experiences, thrilling adventures, must-visit destinations, blissful beach days and everything fun under the Cape Town sun, your summer bucket-list is bound to give you a summer spent in the Mother City you won’t soon forget.
Here are Cape Town experiences to add to your summer bucket-list. Each of which will add something unique and thrilling to your Cape Town summer adventures.
1. Snorkelling with Cape Fur Seals
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As the Cape Town summer temperatures heat up it’s the perfect time to dive into the Atlantic and enjoy a snorkelling adventure with Cape Fur seals. Not only is going snorkelling with Cape Fur Seals considered a must-do Cape Town experience to add to your summer bucket-list, it’s super fun too! The charismatic and cool Cape Fur Seals are also known to be quite playful and inquisitive, so don’t be surprised if they come right up to you during your snorkelling experience. Just embrace it and enjoy every second of it. If you’re looking for the ultimate seal snorkelling adventure, join us on our Cape Town Seal Snorkelling experience.
2. Kayaking with African Penguins
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Seeing the African Penguin colony at Boulders Beach has fast become a sought-after bucket-list worthy experience for anyone travelling to Cape Town. But besides witnessing these tuxedo cuties in their natural habitat from the Penguin viewing sight, you can take your adventure to the next level by going kayaking alongside them. Not only will you get to explore the Mother City in a whole new and exciting way from the ocean waters, you’ll get to see these beautiful and equally playful ocean cuties loving life and diving in and out of the water right next to you. As Cape Town is home to a thriving marine life, be sure to keep your eyes open for any other members of the marine big 5 as whales, dolphins and Cape Fur Seals will undoubtedly make their appearance known too.
3. Learn to Surf at Muizenberg’s Surfers Corner
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Learning to surf at the famous Muizenberg Surfer’s Corner is one Cape Town experience you absolutely must add to your summer bucket-list. And the best thing is, absolutely everyone can join in on the surfing fun. Besides being one of the best places to learn how to surf in Cape Town, it’s also one of the Mother City’s best blue-flag swimming beaches. Thereby ensuring tons of beach fun in the sun right throughout Cape Town’s summer season.
4. Attend a Summer Sunset Concert at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
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The Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concert Series has become a real summer staple in Cape Town. Not only is it a fun event every member of the family can enjoy, but a sought-after Cape Town experience anyone who visits the Mother City during summer should add to their bucket-list. Taking place every Sunday between November and April, the Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concert Series is one of the best ways to experience music in Cape Town as exciting international and local acts take to the stage for a spectacular musical performance. Gather your picnic baskets, friends and family and enjoy the best music South Africa has to offer in the shade of the magnificent Table Mountain and beautiful Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden surroundings.
5. Attend a screening at the Galileo Open Air Cinema
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With screenings almost every day in the summer, a visit to the Galileo Open Air Cinema is a fun summer experience that every member of the family will enjoy. Not only does it give you the cool opportunity of seeing some of your favourite movies on a big screen, but doing it under the Mother City moonlight and night sky too. How cool is that? You can even take your own picnic basket and drinks along.
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6. Hike the Shipwreck trail at Cape Point
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The shipwreck trail at Cape Point shows you exactly why Cape Town has been called the Cape of storms and takes you through some glorious landscapes with some of the most spectacular scenic views. In addition to enjoying an epic hiking adventure on the thrilling shipwreck trail, Cape Point has established itself as one of the most sought-after destinations for travellers from around the world. Home to a variety of secret beaches, sensational viewpoints, towering cliffs, beautiful fauna and flora displays and a range of thrilling adventure experiences, Cape Point is the perfect place to enjoy a fun day out with the whole family during Cape Town’s beautiful summer season.
7. Paraglide from Lions Head or Signal Hill
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This Cape Town summer bucket-list experience is dedicated to all the thrill seekers looking for something a little more adventurous and daring. And there’s nothing quite as exhilarating as soaring through the sky and witnessing the Mother City in all her glory from way up high. It’s therefore no surprise that going paragliding from the famous Lions Head or Signal Hill has fast become a fan-favourite experience amongst locals and travellers alike. Join us on our Cape Town Paragliding adventure and tick something truly incredible off your Cape Town bucket-list.
8. Visit the African Penguins at Boulders beach
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A visit to the African Penguin viewing site at Boulders Beach is undoubtedly one Cape Town experience that deserves a prime spot on everyone’s summer bucket-list. Not only will you be able to witness these tuxedo cuties in their natural habitat, but see them pretty up close too. In addition to seeing these cool and charismatic ocean locals from the viewing site, Boulders Beach boasts a private paying beach where the entrance fee forms part of a conservation project. Here you can spend the day on the beach with the African Penguins and even enjoy a dip in the ocean with them by your side. It truly is a bucket-list worthy experience for the whole family.
9. Enjoy a picnic at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
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The Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens is not only considered one of the great botanic gardens of the world, it’s also one of the best picnic spots in the entire city. Located right in the shadow of the tall-standing Table Mountain, boasting beautiful lush lawns, spectacular fauna and flora displays, forests, waterfalls, hiking trails and so much more, a visit to the Kirstenbosch Gardens is perfect for a fun day out with the whole family. Get your friends and family together, pack your picnic basket and enjoy a fun day out in one of the most beautiful locations in the Mother City.
10. Go on the famous wine tram tasting tour in Franschhoek
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The Western Cape is home to the largest wine producing region in Africa. You therefore cannot come to Cape Town and not add a wine tasting adventure to your summer bucket-list. By going on the Franschhoek Wine Tram you are able to not only explore one of Cape Town’s most picturesque wine routes, but visit some of its most sought-after wine estates too. Here you can enjoy a selection of their finest wines and lunch options to your heart’s content.
11. Eat local fish & chips at the Hout Bay Harbour & visit the Bay Harbour Market while you’re there
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There is nothing quite like enjoying some local fish and chips at the harbourfront during Cape Town’s summer season. And the Hout Bay Harbour is home to some of the very best local fish and chips spots in the city. Including one of the oldest local spots, Snoekies! In addition to enjoying some of the best fish and chips Cape Town has to offer, no visit to Hout Bay would be complete without a stopover at the most vibrant market in Cape Town, the Bay Harbour Market. Arts, crafts, food, music and drinks, the Bay Harbour Market has everything you need to enjoy a beautiful summer’s day in Cape Town.
12. Stay on a houseboat at the West Coast National Park
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Located about an hour’s drive from the Cape Town city centre, the West Coast National Park is like a little slice of Greece right here in the Mother City. With a beautiful blue lagoon and white houseboats floating on the water, there really is no better place to enjoy a beautiful summer’s day in Cape Town. But if you decide to check into a houseboat for a few days, you’ll be able to enjoy everything the West Coast National Park has to offer for a little longer. This is one cool Cape Town experience absolutely everyone who visits Cape Town should try at least once in their lives. And why not do it during Cape Town’s stunning summer season?
There truly is no time quite like summertime in the Mother City, and by adding these fun-filled and exciting Cape Town experiences to your summer bucket-list you’re guaranteed a summer you won’t soon forget. And the best thing is, the whole family can join in on all the Cape Town summer fun and games.
Planning to spend summer in Cape Town? You can check out our guide to Cape Town summer activities you won’t want to miss. You can also have a look some tour activities to enjoy during summer in Cape Town. If you’re also looking for a perfect place to stay during winter, we can help. Get in touch if you’d like help finding accommodation.
