Cape Town is an extremely family friendly city. It is home to some great activities, including the cable car, beaches and the wonderful theme park, Ratanga Junction. Many hotels in Cape Town cater for children, so please enquire with the hotel before you book.
Please note that no children under the age of 18 are allowed in bars, clubs etc. The legal drinking age in South Africa is 18.
What Are the Best Places to Take Children While on Holiday in Cape Town ?
The Cape Town Waterfront offers loads to do for the kids and grown ups too. Boat rides, ships moving around the harbour, seals, entertainment and many choices for meals. There are great shopping and markets to be found here as well.
The Two Oceans Aquarium has more than 3000 animals in 9 galleries. Enjoy the Kelp Forest Exhibition, see the fish, sharks and turtles at feeding time and visit the penguins and seals. There is a Children's Activity Centre where the children can watch the seals, puppet shows and have their faces painted.
Also popular is the interactive science museum Telkom Exploratorium. Kids can take a whirl on a gyroscope and a virtual-reality trip in a speeding Ferrari or join a vibrant drumming session at the Drum Cafe or at the Pumphouse.
Scratch Patch Mineral World - in the V&A Waterfront and Simons Town. Considered the "gemstone capital of the world" South Africa has almost half of the world's gemstones. Enjoy "scratching" through thousands of polished gemstones spread over the floors at the Scratch Patch, its great fun.There is also a factory shop from which to purchase high quality stones and various arts and crafts as well as great gifts to take home
Cape Town Planetarium & The South African Museum
Cape Town Planetarium - Queen Victoria St, Cape Town. Whatever the weather the night sky can still be explored inside the planetarium. This is a great audio-visual experience of the wonders of the Universe. The adjoining South African Museum is a wealth of facts and there are many educational displays of local South African wildlife including extinct species, dinosaurs and fossils.Gold Of Africa Museum - Strand Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town
This is a unique museum located in historic Martin Melck House in Cape town, dedicated to the history of African gold, a world first. It’s a dazzling diplay with one of the largest and most beautiful collections of artifacts of African gold.Table Mountain Cable Car
Find fantastic views and marked pathways on top of the world. There is an indoor and outdoor restaurant for visitors which serves treats the kids will enjoy. Enquire about Cableway Kidz special rates which includes a treasure hunt map.Sea Point Promenade
Sea Point Promenade stretches from from Mouille Point to Bantry Bay. Walk along the promenade and stop to play at the parks adjacent to the walkway. The kids can play while you admire the amazing sea view. Walk or jog right next to the sea or have a picnic and watch the world go by.
Bikes are available to rent near the end of the promenade where all the food stalls are found. Reward the kids with an ice-cream and snacks. The Pavillion swimming pool has a large kiddie pool and is a great way for the kids to cool down, especially if your accommodation does not have a swimming pool.
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
A really beautiful example of quality botanical gardens set against Table Mountain and covering a large area. There are many paths and trails to follow, streams to investigate and trees to climb – its picnic heaven or visitors can choose from various eateries indoor or outdoor.
The dinosaur exhibition will enthrall the kids and the drawbridge is a thrilling way to see the Gardens from high in the tree tops.
Forests
Newlands Forest and Cecelia Forest as well as the Tokai Forest Arboretum are fantastic for peaceful, shady walks and picnics when the days are hot or the southeast wind blows. Kids will have a lot of fun jumping off logs and also exploring the little streams. There is a coffee shop and mountain bike trails around Tokai Forest.
Silvermine Nature Reserve - on the mountain between Tokai and Noordehoek offers a remarkable drive up Ou Kaapse Weg will take visitors to Silvermine, with its many nature trails and hikes, also magnificent views and clear mountain streams, mountain bikes and dogs are welcome.
Ratanga Junction
A large theme park for the young or at least the young at heart, plenty to do with a once-off entry fee. The signature ride is the Cobra, but many other fun and less intense activities are also to be had here. Go Carting for a wild ride around the track, kids will love it.Hout Bay
The suburb of Hout Bay offers many attractions for kids. World of Birds and Monkey Park is the largest bird park in Africa with tropical landscapes in the Hout Bay Valley. There are over 3000 birds including birds of prey.
Visitors can walk through the aviaries and get close to a variety of birds. There are fun cruises from the Hout Bay harbour to Seal Island or if it’s a rainy day the kids will enjoy the Clay Cafe where they can choose their own ceramic and paint a design.
Cape Point & The False Bay Coast
This is a great exploration for children, they love to climb the stairs or catch the funicular ride to the light house at Cape Point and they can tick off lists of animals while in the Cape of Good Hope Reserve. At the entrance to the reserve there is also a kid friendly and educational Cape Point Ostrich Farm.
Simon’s Town - a harbour village close to Cape Point
See penguins at Boulders Beach. This beach is part of a National Park where the African Penguins live and breed. There are elevated boardwalks which provide excellent opportunities for watching penguins and panoramic views of False Bay. There is also a section for public sunbathing and swimming with maybe a few penguin encounters. This historic and naval seaside village is home to the only Warrior Toy Museum in the world. There are huge displays of dolls, dinky toys, model cars, Meccano, boats and trains as well as other toys.
Learn to Surf - Muizenberg:The beach here is 36km long and is known for its great waves for the inexperienced surfer. While the children get stuck in, parents can take a stroll along the beachfront.
Beaches for kids - along the Cape Point route:
This stretch of coastline is known for its safe beaches and tidal pools the most child friendly beaches are Boulders Beach, St James, Fish Hoek, Kommetjie, Kalk Bay and Glencairn.
Grand West Casino
The Entertainment Centre at the Grand West Casino offers loads of fun for kids of all ages including go-carting, mini-golf, rides, cinemas, ice-skating and arcade games. There is a food court and two sweetie shops to keep the kids energy levels up. Let the young ones go wild while the adults have fun at the Casino.Canal Walk Shopping Centre and Entertainment Complex
Take a ride in a Gondola for a really comfortable and serene ride along the canals, the gondola concept is a brand new attraction that has become a hit with visitors. Another excellent attraction is the Canal Walk Science Centre for education and entertainment. There are 387 exhibits and displays where kids can play and the adults can go shopping or see a movie.Butterfly World
Butterfly World is located near Klapmuts, off the N1 towards Paarl. A neat stopover on the highway between the Stellenbosch and Paarl wine routes. It’s an enclosed tropical garden where the butterflies fly freely amongst the water features and exotic plants.
Children will love exploring this magical place. Butterfly World is also home to small reptiles, tarantulas, birds, marmoset monkeys, meerkats and lots more.
