How To Avoid The Crowds In Cape Town

How To Avoid The Crowds In Cape Town

As one of the greatest cities in the world, it’s no surprise that hoards of people head to Cape Town every year for their holiday. However, there’s no need to spend your time fighting for elbow-room at Table Mountain or the V&A Waterfront if you follow these tips from our experts on how to avoid the crowds in the Mother City.

1. Book a hotel that’s not right on the V&A Waterfront

With Cape Town's major tourist attractions on its doorstep, It is very easy to understand why people want to base themselves at the world-famous V&A Waterfront when visiting the Mother City, however if you're looking to avoid the large tourist crowds then we would recommend you steering clear of the Waterfront and instead consider giving lesser-known areas like Constantia, Clifton and Newlands a try. Constantia is an affluent suburb, situated around 15km from the centre of Cape Town and is the perfect place to stay if you're looking for upmarket accommodation where you can spend your days tasting wine and experiencing fine-dining. Whilst Clifton is an exclusive residential area home to great restaurants and bars and some of the best beaches in South Africa.

2. Head to Kloof Corner instead of Lion’s Head for a sunset

The world-famous Lion's Head is unsurprisingly a must do for visitors to the Mother City, but the queues can get a little bit ridiculous especially during the peak tourism season. We recommend skipping the big queues and giving the quieter, but equally spectacular Kloof Corner a try.

3. Give Camp’s Bay a miss

During the peak tourism season, it can be a big challenge to find space on some of Cape Town's more popular beaches such as Camp's Bay. We therefore recommend giving them a miss and suggest heading to some of the city's quieter, but equally stunning beaches such as Llandudno, Sunset Beach and Diaz Beach.

4. Head to Table Mountain first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon

When asked about planning a trip to the iconic Table Mountain, the first thing we say to our clients is to purchase your tickets in advance online to avoid having to queue for up to three hours or more at the lower cable station. We also recommend visiting either in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the hordes of tourists.

5. Visit Stony Point Penguin Reserve instead of Boulders Beach

The penguins at Boulders Beach are one of Cape Town's major draws, however there are other places to see these magnificent little creatures without the big tourist crowds such as Stony Point. The reserve which is situated 90km from Cape Town has the feel of an undiscovered gem and is ideal for those who want to enjoy their nature viewing in peace and not have to jostle with other people for the best photo shots. The cost of entry is also cheaper than Boulders Beach.