20 things to do in Cape Town on a budget

Winter may not be the best time to visit Cape Town, but there’s still plenty to do on a budget. After a few days of rain, there are always sunny spells, so use these days to get out hiking, walking or picnicing.

1. Forgo the expensive cable car ride and climb up Table Mountain for the best views in town. For the easiest routes, take Skeleton Gorge and Nature’s Way from Kirstenbosch.

2. Mingle with the cosmopolitan locals while you stroll along the promenade in Sea Point. After your walk, stop for an ice-cream at Venezia, which has some of the best authentic Italian gelati in Cape Town.

La Venezia: 92c Main Road, Sea Point, tel 021-930-2952

3. Go wine tasting on the Constantia Wine Route. Some wine farms ask you pay a small fee (like Groot Constantia) but at others you can do wine tasting for free, provided you buy a bottle or two of wine.

4. Buy fish and chips in Hout Bay harbour and share your meal with seagulls. Fish on the Rocks is an ever-popular spot.

Fish on the Rocks: Hout Bay Harbour, tel 021-790-0001

5. Get a taste of township life at Mzoli’s Place in Gugulethu. Buy your meat and have it braaied for you while you mingle with locals over beers.

NY 115 Shop 3 Guguletu, tel 021-638-1355

6. On a sunny winter’s day, there’s nothing to beat a picnic in Kirstenbosch.

Rhodes drive, Newlands, tel 021-799-8899

7. Check out the catch of the day at Kalk Bay harbour, stroll along harbour and watch seals play in the water.

8. Winter is the best time to eat out in Cape Town – loads of restaurants offer fantastic specials. Check out our reviews of Myoga and Harbour House‘s specials, and click here for a full list of specials.

9. Go for a walk in Newlands Forest just after it’s rained to see waterfalls spilling down the mountain.

10. Feed the mutant-sized, extremely tame squirrels in the Company Gardens (entrance to the gardens is free).

11. Check out the dinner and movie specials at the Labia. Every night there’s a different special on. If you’re into pizza, go on Monday or Tuesdays for two movie tickets and two pizzas from Societi Bistro for only R70.

68 Orange St, Gardens, tel 021-424-5927

12. Haggle over African souvenirs at Greenmarket Square and have a coffee in the square afterwards to people-watch.

13. Get your fix of live performance (on a budget): Monday nights is off-the-wall poetry night at bohemian joint A Touch of Madness in Observatory.

12 Nuttall Road, Observatory, tel 021-448-2266

14. Pick your own roses at Chart Farm in Wynberg. In season, you can also pick apples, nectarines and grapes. Stop off for a farmhouse breakfast while you’re there.

Klaasens Road, Wynberg, Tel 021-761-0434

15. The view from Rhodes Memorial is spectacular. Have tea in the restaurant, check out the memorial and then go for a walk around the mountain.

16. Take a free tour of the Houses of Parliament. Call to book at least a week in advance.

90 Plein Street, tel 021-403-2911

17. On a windy day, wrap up warmly and check out the kite surfers at Blouberg Beach.

18. The District Six Museum is well worth a visit if you want to learn more about the thriving community which was uprooted during Apartheid. It’s only R15 entrance fee for adults, and R5 for students.

25A Buitenkant Street, tel 021-466-7200

19. Visit the planetarium when it’s rainy and cold. It’s cheaper than a movie (R20 entrance fee) and more educational, but in a fun way. There is a great show on about Table Mountain. Did you know that it is the only geographical feature on the planet which is represented as a constellation in the sky? The show explores the geology of Table Mountain and the southern skies centered on its celestial counterpart. It’s on every day at either 14h00 or 14h30.

Queen Victoria Street, tel 021-481-3900

20. Watch the noon day gun being fired on Signal Hill (it happens at 12 pm every day).