Cape Town attractions

7 top sights, in our order of priority for a first visit.

1. 1Table Mountain CablewayTickets & passes · Allow 2 hA rotating cable car carries visitors to the 1,085 m summit, with trails and views over the city and the Atlantic.
2. 2Cape Peninsula & PenguinsDay trips · Allow Full dayCape Point, the Boulders Beach penguin colony and Chapman's Peak Drive make one of the world's great coastal day trips.
3. 3Stellenbosch & Franschhoek Wine TourFood & drink · Allow 3 hWorld-class wineries in a mountain setting about an hour from the city, with tastings, long lunches and Cape Dutch architecture.
4. 4Robben IslandMuseums & culture · Allow 3 hThe island where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years, now a museum and World Heritage Site, with tours led by former political prisoners.
5. 5Whale Watching & HermanusOutdoors · Allow 3 hSouthern right whales visit the coast from June to November, and Hermanus is one of the best places in the world to see them from land.
6. 6Boulders Beach PenguinsWith kids · Allow 1 h 30 minA sheltered beach where African penguins live and swim, near Simon's Town.
7. 7Bo-Kaap Walking TourGuided tours · Allow 2 hA hillside neighbourhood of brightly painted houses and cobbled streets, rich in Cape Malay culture.