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Cape Town: Cape of Good Hope, Penguins & Seal Island Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.93 (179 reviews) 94% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/15

Duration9h

GroupUp to 50

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Seals, penguins and wild ocean drives from Cape Town

You’ll ride along Cape Town’s wild coastline with a local guide, take an optional ferry to see seals at Hout Bay, stand at windswept Cape Point lighthouse, and get close to African penguins at Boulders Beach. Expect laughter, salty air, and moments that linger long after you’re back at your hotel.

Step-by-step itinerary

Pass by Sea Point and Bantry Bay
Pass by Clifton beaches
Stop at Camps Bay for photos
Drive to Hout Bay via Atlantic seaboard
Stop at Hout Bay harbour
Optional ferry to Seal Island
Stop at Chapman's Peak Drive viewpoint
Stop in Noordhoek for coffee option
Pass by Misty Cliffs and Scarborough
Stop at Ostrich Farm
Visit Cape Point Nature Reserve
Stop at Cape of Good Hope signboard
Visit African Penguins at Boulders Beach
Stop for lunch in Simon's Town
Pass by Fishhoek and Kalk Bay
Stop at Muizenberg beach huts
Pass by Tokai and Constantia vineyards
Return to downtown Cape Town
Visit Bo-Kaap Malay Quarter

The Experience

I didn’t expect the day to start with so much color—Bo-Kaap’s houses are even brighter in person than in photos. Our guide, Sibusiso, told stories about the Cape Malay community while a kid on a scooter zipped by and nearly crashed into my ankle (he was fine, just grinned at us). The air smelled faintly of spices and car exhaust. It’s weird how quickly you go from city noise to that Atlantic hush—one minute we were dodging taxis, the next we were winding along Chapman's Peak Drive with the windows down and the wind doing its best to mess up everyone’s hair.

At Hout Bay harbor, I could already hear the seals barking before we even got close. The optional ferry out to Seal Island was choppy—my stomach wasn’t thrilled—but it’s worth it for that moment when you spot hundreds of Cape fur seals flopping around like they own the place. Back on land, I wandered through a little craft market where an old man tried (and failed) to teach me how to say “thank you” in Xhosa. I still can’t get the click right.

The drive down to Cape Point felt like a movie set: cliffs dropping into blue water, ostriches pecking at roadside grass (they’re bigger than you think), and then that walk up to the old lighthouse. Sibusiso explained how sailors used to miss it in fog—makes sense when you see how high up it is. My calves were burning but that 360-degree view? I still think about it sometimes, especially when I catch a whiff of sea air back home.

Boulders Beach was packed with penguins waddling between sunbathers and boardwalks. One little guy stood right next to my shoe for a solid minute before shuffling off—didn’t seem bothered by us at all. Lunch in Simon’s Town was slow (service here takes its time), but sitting outside with fish and chips while watching boats bob in the harbor made up for it. On the way back we stopped above Muizenberg for those classic beach hut photos—by then everyone was quiet, tired in that good way after a long day out.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off anywhere central in Cape Town, all transportation by air-conditioned vehicle with bottled water onboard, entry fees for Chapman's Peak Drive toll gate covered by your guide, plus plenty of time at each stop—from Bo-Kaap’s colorful streets to Boulders Beach penguin colony—before returning comfortably back to your hotel in the evening.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Excitement Travel and Tours