Meaning ‘Upper Cape’, the Bo-Kaap, with its vividly painted low-roofed houses, many of them historic monuments, strung along narrow cobbled streets, is one of the most photographed sections of the city. Initially a garrison for soldiers in the mid-18th century, this area of town was where freed slaves started to settle after emancipation in the 1830s. The most picturesque streets are Chiappini, Rose and Wale.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
4.75 MILES
Location and unique flora combine to make these 5.28-sq-km botanical gardens among the most beautiful in the world. Gate 1, the main entrance at the…
2.65 MILES
Around 600 million years old, and a canvas painted with the rich diversity of the Cape floral kingdom, Table Mountain is truly iconic. You can admire the…
8.34 MILES
Used as a prison from the early days of the VOC (Dutch East India Company) right up until 1996, this Unesco World Heritage site is preserved as a memorial…
19.15 MILES
This picturesque area, with enormous boulders dividing small, sandy coves, is home to a colony of some 3000 delightful African penguins. A boardwalk runs…
0.71 MILES
It's impossible not to be emotionally moved by this museum, which celebrates the once lively multiracial area that was destroyed during apartheid in the…
7.52 MILES
Simon van der Stel’s manor house, a superb example of Cape Dutch architecture, is maintained as a museum at Groot Constantia. Set in beautiful grounds,…
11.74 MILES
The Silvermine Reservoir, a beautiful spot for a picnic or a leisurely walk on the wheelchair-accessible boardwalk, is the focal point of this section of…
14.88 MILES
Although it was established in 1702 and has some of South Africa's oldest pinotage and shiraz vineyards, as well as a handsome Cape Dutch homestead,…
Nearby Cape Town attractions
0.06 MILES
This small museum provides some insight into the lifestyle of a prosperous 19th-century Cape Muslim family, and a somewhat idealised view of Islamic…
0.11 MILES
Built in 1789, this is the oldest place of Islamic worship in South Africa, established by Iman Abdullah Kadi Salaam, an Indonesian prince who served time…
0.16 MILES
This old burial ground on Signal Hill is where some of the earliest Muslim settlers to the area are buried, including three prominent holy men.
0.22 MILES
This beautiful collection of Cape Georgian and Victorian buildings was saved from the wrecking ball in 1996. As well as a hotel and several cafes and…
0.27 MILES
The artworks of young South Africans are displayed in this impressive multilevel gallery space and creative studio, where you'll also find the Food Lab…
0.29 MILES
Kimberley-born artist Jacques Coetzer was the winner of a World Design Capital competition in 2014 to create a piece of public art for the city. Rising up…
0.29 MILES
A chance to see inside the mid-18th century Huguenot House, mainly occupied by the diamond merchants and jewellers Prins & Prins. There's no pressure to…
0.3 MILES
Dating from 1780, this is one of the oldest unaltered buildings along Long St.