City Bowl
The old city under the mountain, and the densest part of Cape Town for walking. Most of its museums, its oldest buildings and its squares sit within twenty minutes of each other on foot.
Guides to this part of the city
What to see
St Stephen’s Church
St Stephen’s Church on Riebeeck Square was built in 1800 as the African Theatre, the first purpose-built theatre in South Africa, at…
Tana Baru Cemetery
Tana Baru is a Muslim burial ground on the eastern slopes of Signal Hill, above the Bo-Kaap. Burials took place here from…
Koopmans-de Wet House
Koopmans-de Wet House at 35 Strand Street is a Cape Town townhouse whose site was first built on in 1699 and which…
Strand Street Lutheran Church
The Strand Street Lutheran Church began in 1774 as a hall in the form of a warehouse, put up by Martin Melck…
Martin Melck House
Martin Melck House at 96 Strand Street was built in the early 1780s as the parsonage of the Lutheran congregation next door,…
Church Square
Church Square is a small paved public square behind Groote Kerk, at the corner of Spin and Parliament Streets in central Cape…
Riebeeck Square
Riebeeck Square is an open block in central Cape Town that was one of the squares the town expanded around during the…
Auwal Mosque
Auwal Mosque on Dorp Street is the oldest mosque in South Africa and remains an active congregation rather than a historic interior…
Walking up from here
Lion’s Head Hike
The spiral walk up Lion’s Head, which SANParks gives as about two kilometres one way and one to one and a half…
Platteklip Gorge
Platteklip Gorge is the most direct and popular walking route to the summit of Table Mountain. A steep, stepped and strenuous climb…
Kloof Corner Hike
Kloof Corner is one of Cape Town's most rewarding short hikes — a steep but quick ascent from Tafelberg Road to a…
India Venster to Upper Cable Station
India Venster climbs the front face of Table Mountain from near the Lower Cable Station and finishes at the top. There are…
Things to do
Cape Malay Cooking Class
You cook, then you eat what you made. A class puts you inside a food tradition the Cape has been cooking for…
Sky-Hi Ride
Sky-Hi Ride is a 35-metre drop ride on the 28th floor of Hotel Sky in central Cape Town. Riders are lifted above…
Tandem Paragliding
Tandem paragliding from Signal Hill or Lion’s Head, chosen on the day for the wind. No experience is needed, the pilot does…
More about this area
Everything else in City Bowl
Iziko South African National Gallery
The Iziko South African National Gallery is the country’s national art museum, set on Government Avenue in the Company’s Garden. Its programme moves between historical and contemporary South African art alongside international work, and the displays change through the year rather than sitting as one fixed collection. The gallery is a few minutes’ walk from […]
Iziko South African Museum
Founded in 1825 and set among the oaks of the Company’s Garden, the Iziko South African Museum is one of the oldest museums in Africa. Its collection runs to more than one and a half million specimens of scientific importance, ranging from fossils and ancient insects to historical tools, and the galleries move between natural […]
Company’s Garden
Company’s Garden is one of Cape Town’s oldest and most treasured public spaces. Established in 1652 by the Dutch East India Company to supply fresh produce to passing ships, it has evolved into a peaceful green oasis in the heart of the city centre. Surrounded by museums, galleries, historic buildings and the South African Parliament, […]
Castle of Good Hope
The Castle of Good Hope is a five-pointed fortress at the edge of Cape Town’s city centre. Built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679, it replaced an earlier fort and became a centre of colonial military and administrative power at the Cape. Today the complex is approached as both a major […]
Neighbourgoods Market
Few places have shaped Cape Town’s Saturday morning culture quite like the Old Biscuit Mill. Neighbourgoods Market opened inside the converted Woodstock mill and turned a working industrial yard into a weekend habit that much of the city still keeps. What sets it apart from the other weekend markets is the neighbourhood around it. Woodstock […]
Platteklip Gorge
Platteklip Gorge is the most direct and historic route to the summit of Table Mountain. Used for centuries as one of the primary access routes to the mountain, this challenging trail climbs steeply through a dramatic gorge before reaching the flat summit plateau near the Upper Cable Station. Although the route is physically demanding, it […]
India Venster to Upper Cable Station
The India Venster to Upper Cable Station hike climbs the front face of Table Mountain and involves sections of real climbing rather than walking. It is considerably harder than Platteklip Gorge, and the Cableway asks that it be left to experienced hikers. Starting near the Lower Cableway Station, the route winds its way across the […]
Kloof Corner Hike
The Kloof Corner Hike is one of Cape Town’s best short hikes, offering an outstanding reward for relatively little effort. Starting from Kloof Nek, the trail climbs a series of stone steps to the famous Kloof Corner viewpoint, where panoramic views stretch across the City Bowl, Lion’s Head, Camps Bay, Table Bay and the Atlantic […]
Lion’s Head Hike
Lion’s Head is one of Cape Town’s most iconic hikes, attracting thousands of locals and visitors each year for its rewarding climb and spectacular panoramic views. Rising 669 metres above sea level between Table Mountain and Signal Hill, the distinctive peak offers one of the city’s most recognisable skylines and one of its most accessible […]
Lion’s Head
Rising between Table Mountain and Signal Hill, Lion’s Head is one of Cape Town’s most recognisable landmarks. Although smaller than its famous neighbour, it has become one of the city’s most visited attractions thanks to its relatively short but rewarding hike and breathtaking views in every direction. The circular trail climbs steadily around the mountain […]