This historic working harbour has a spectacular setting and many tourist-oriented attractions, including masses of shops, restaurants, bars, cinemas and cruises. The Alfred and Victoria Basins date from 1860 and are named after Queen Victoria and her son Alfred. Too small for modern container vessels and tankers, the Victoria Basin is still used by tugs, fishing boats and various other vessels. In the Alfred Basin you’ll see ships under repair.
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V&A Waterfront
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Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
5.74 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…
3.82 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…
7.47 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…
29.5 MILES
This 2.5-sq-km wine and fruit farm is on the north slope of the Simonsberg mountain between Klapmuts and Paarl. Its highlight is an 800-sq-metre, formally…
20.2 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…
1.58 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…
8.62 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,…
12.82 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…
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0.06 MILES
Preserved as a small museum is the Waterfront’s Jetty 1, from where boats sailed to Robben Island when it was a prison. You can view the tiny holding…
0.09 MILES
This beautiful gabled building, dating from 1904, was built for the Port Captain, whose office was previously located in the Clock Tower across the 'cut'…
0.1 MILES
Tours of Robben Island depart from this complex. Even if you don’t plan a visit to the island, it’s worth dropping by the museum here, with its focus on…
0.11 MILES
This red-and-grey Victorian Gothic–style building, dating from 1882, is from where the harbour master used to control the comings and goings in the docks.
0.12 MILES
This small museum, stocked with model ships, houses the John H Marsh Maritime Research Centre (www.rapidttp.co.za/museum), a resource for those interested…
0.12 MILES
What was supposed to be a temporary attraction at the Waterfront has proved so popular that it's been made a permanent fixture. Your ticket gives you four…
0.14 MILES
Really an extended sales pitch for the bling on sale in the attached Shimansky Jewellers, the displays at this museum have nonetheless been put together…
0.15 MILES
This museum houses the remains of an early-18th-century cannon battery, one of several fortifications the Dutch built around Table Bay. It was partly…