The Best Things To See Do In Cape Town's VA Waterfront

Situated in the heart of Cape Town’s working harbor, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is the city’s most visited destination, offering a range of exciting activities, diverse cuisine and shopping for the discerning traveler. Follow our detailed guide to make the most out of your experience at this bustling attraction.

Shopping

The Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre is renowned for its world-class shopping experience in Cape Town. With more than 450 South African and international stores selling everything from fashion, jewelry and homeware to leather goods and groceries — you can literally spend hours here. The mall’s daily operating hours (9am to 9pm) is a bonus!

Food and Drinks

Ride the Cape Wheel

A ride on the giant observation wheel is a must when visiting Cape Town for the first time. From the safety of enclosed air-conditioned cabins, the 15-minute long ride provides fantastic 360-degree views of the city and harbor.

Visit the Two Oceans Aquarium

Explore the incredible diversity of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans at this world-class facility. The Two Oceans Aquarium has a wide variety of exhibits featuring many species of fish and other marine life, including turtles and penguins. Visitors can also get up close with various sea animals at the touch pool, microscope exhibit and penguin encounter.

Learn about the history of the V&A Waterfront

Discover the V&A Waterfront’s rich and varied history on the one-and-a-half hour guided walking tour of the expansive property the size of 180 rugby fields. Your tour, led by an experienced guide from local communities dressed in period costume will include some of the 22 points of historical interest including Cape Town’s first power station. The tour departs daily from the Chavonnes Battery Museum at 11 am and 2 pm. Bookings can be made at the V&A Info Center or the Chavonnes Battery Museum.

The old Clock Tower at the V&A Waterfront

Museums

Take a step back in time at the Waterfront’s five resident museums, each one offering unique insight into Cape Town’s cultural and historical past. The Iziko Maritime Centre uncovers the history of the Table Bay Harbor, while the Chavonnes Battery Museum is about the history of Cape Town showcases the Archaeology ruins that has been buried for 140 years of an 18th-century fort built by the Dutch East India Company. The museum hosts international photo exhibitions and offers guided tours. Learn about the world’s most precious gem, from formation to the final polished stone, at the Cape Diamond Museum. From 2017, you’ll be able to experience contemporary African art at the highly anticipated Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa. Rugby fans will enjoy a visit to the Springbok Experience Rugby Museum which pays tribute to South African rugby.

Comedy shows

For the best laughs in town, an evening at the Cape Town Comedy Club is highly recommended. The restaurant-cum-comedy club features a host of South African comedians with regular appearances by international celebrity artists.

Boat Charters

Enjoy a leisurely cruise of Table Bay or tour of the harbor on one of the many boat charters at the Waterfront. Popular cruises include the Jolly Roger Pirate Boat and a champagne cruise aboard the Sea Princess at sunset.

Helicopter Rides

Enjoy a scenic helicopter flip over the Atlantic Seaboard or Cape Winelands with one of several charter companies based at the East Pier. The trips range in price and duration, from 20 minutes to two hours long.

Spectacular view of the Atlantic Seaboard from a helicopter

Kids’ Fun

There’s no shortage of exciting and educational activities for the whole family at the Waterfront. Take a ride on Hamleys Express to the Watershed, hunt for gemstones at the Scratch Patch, play mini golf or see the harbor aboard Tommy the Tugboat. Other activities include a giant outdoor chess board on Pierhead Square, seal spotting, playgrounds, Artjamming and holiday activities.

Face painting at the Kids Ahoy Playground, V&A Waterfront

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.