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Cape Town: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Seal Island Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★ 3.69 (16 reviews)

Free cancellation

1/12

Duration40m–2h

Audio guideEN · DE +5

Mobile ticketAccepted

Two buses, one ticket: gardens, wine, seals, and Table Mountain in a single day

You board a red or blue bus at the V&A Waterfront and hop off at stops like Kirstenbosch Gardens, Groot Constantia, and Camps Bay whenever you want; the ticket includes unlimited rides on both routes plus a 40-minute Seal Island Cruise from Hout Bay Harbour with live commentary. Audio guides in 15 languages play on the buses, and Wi-Fi keeps you connected. The whole day is yours to pace—spend an hour at a wine estate or a garden, skip what doesn't appeal, and catch the next bus when you're ready to move.

40m–2h

Step-by-step itinerary

Catch bus at Two Oceans Aquarium
Travel Blue Route to Hout Bay
Walk to Drumbeat Charters jetty
Take 40-minute Seal Island Cruise
Return to Hout Bay Harbour
Continue Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour
Visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Stop at Groot Constantia wine estate
Explore Camps Bay and Sea Point
Option to visit Table Mountain Cableway

The Experience

The red bus pulls up outside the Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront, and you're already moving. This isn't a guided tour where you sit and listen—it's a hop-on hop-off system that lets you step off whenever something catches your eye, then catch the next bus when you're ready. The combo ticket gives you access to both the Downtown Red Route and the Mini-Peninsula Blue Route, which means you can chase whatever appeals to you: the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on Rhodes Drive, the historic Groot Constantia wine estate at Constantia Nek, or the white sand of Camps Bay. The audio commentary plays in 15 languages, so you're not dependent on a guide's pace or personality.

The real draw, though, is the 40-minute Seal Island Cruise that's bundled in. You ride the blue bus down to Hout Bay Harbour—passing through Sea Point and along the coast—then walk about two minutes to Drumbeat Charters' jetty. The boat takes you out to where Cape fur seals are actually living, not in a tank or a sanctuary, just in the water doing what they do. The commentary on the boat fills in the details, but mostly you're watching them move. It's the kind of thing that sounds simple until you're there and realize how different it is from a zoo or an aquarium. After the cruise, you can either head back to the bus or stay in Hout Bay and explore Mariner's Wharf, where the boats dock right next to restaurants and shops.

The flexibility is what makes this work. You're not locked into a schedule or a group itinerary. If you want to spend three hours at Kirstenbosch, you can. If Table Mountain looks clear and you want to ride the cableway up, you hop off at the Lower Cableway Station stop and do that instead. The buses run all day, so you catch whichever one comes next. Free Wi-Fi on board means you can check opening hours, look up a wine tasting, or just message someone a photo of the seals without burning through your data. It's the kind of setup that works whether you're moving fast or slow, whether you're traveling alone or with kids.

What’s included

1-day Hop-On Hop-Off bus ticket with unlimited access to the Red Route (Downtown to Table Mountain) and Blue Route (Mini-Peninsula to Hout Bay).
40-minute Seal Island Cruise with Drumbeat Charters including live commentary.
audio commentary on the buses in 15 languages.
free Wi-Fi on board.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by City Sightseeing South Africa

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to see multiple sides of Cape Town—gardens, wine, beaches, mountains, and wildlife—without booking separate tours or arranging transport between them. The single ticket and flexible hop-on hop-off system mean you move at your own pace and only stop where something interests you.