Cape Town Private Tour: Cape of Good hope & Boulders Penguins
Description
Join me on this private tour as we explore one of my favorite routes in South Africa, the stunning Cape Peninsula. The tour is packed with iconic sights. Highlights include an optional boat trip to Seal Island, a walk through the colorful Bo-Kaap district, and a breathtaking drive along Chapman’s Peak, all before we even reach the penguins at Boulders Beach or the dramatic cliffs of the Cape of Good Hope, considered by many to be the crown jewels of the Cape. But this experience is more than just visiting famous landmarks. It is a rich experience that starts the moment I pick you up and continues until your return. As a Cape Town local with deep knowledge of the area, I will share many interesting details, from historical landmarks, geology and local flavors. Traveling in a private vehicle means we can explore at a relaxed pace, with the freedom to stop, take photos, and savor every moment. Let’s turn a day of sightseeing into a journey you’ll never forget.
Tour Options
Itinerary
In the beginning of the tour. You will be offered a short stop in the famous brightly coloured Bo-kaap. This is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Cape town. Formerly known as Malay quater, after the Malay speaking people that were whiskered into Cape town by the Dutch as slaves. Besides the colourful houses, Bo-kaap offers a lot more than what meets the eye. You will be able to walk around with your guides and take pictures as you learn about the history of Bo-kaap, the culture today and also her unique cuisine.
Resting at the foot of the Lions head mountain, Bantry bay is one of Africa's most plush suburbs and environmental studies has also proven that this mountain side suburb is wind free. Thanks to the Lion's head, the beautiful mountain shields this suburbs from the south eastern winds of Cape town and giving Bantry bay over 250 wind free days a year which is a significant feat considering Cape town's windy climate.
Clifton has the most expensive Villas in all Africa. Other than its status as a millionaires village, Clifton also has some of the best public beaches near Cape town. The four Clifton beaches!
15 minutes outside the famed city bowl of Cape town and at the Atlantic seaboard is Camps bay suburb. Camps bay is also known as the Beverly hills of Cape Town. Not many places in the world offers such views as the ones witnessed here. You will have a chance to stop at Maidens coves, a stop over area along the coast which offers some of the best views of this particular suburb and her namesake Camps bay beach.
The twelve apostles are part of the Cape peninsular mountain range with 12 distinct headlands. Your guide will provide you with interesting information about this famous mountain range and also allow you to take pictures before the journey continues on to Hout bay.
From Camps bay, the tour will go via Victoria Road, past Bakoven suburb to Hout Bay town. This beautiful town is also known for its thriving fishing community and your guide will show you the harbor from where the fishing activities are done. While you are here, you may hop on a boat and embark on a 40-minute scenic journey to an Island that is inhabited by more than 5 thousand cape fur seals. You will see the seals from the boat and if you may not be keen to take the boat trip you may spend some time exploring the craft market or even take a 10-minute walk to Hout Bay Beach. Kindly note that the seal Island trip is optional the boat is available subject to good weather conditions
While we are still in Hout bay and at Hout bay harbour, you will get an option to hop on a boat and embark on a scenic 40 minutes long round trip to Duiker island which is home to more than 5000 Cape fur seals. Other options includes a 7 minute walk to Hout bay beach or shopping at Hout bay craft market.
From Hout bay harbour, the tour will resume towards the world famous Chapman's peak drive. Carved out of the Chapman's peak mountains between 1915 and 1925 to link Hout bay with the south peninsular towns, It is an engineering masterclass. Simply known as Chapies locally. The 9km long Chapman's peak drive meanders along gigantic and steep Chopman's peak mountains that dramaticaly drops into the Atlantic ocean like an Ice sheet. The Chapman's peak drive also has about 152 curves and like a fingerprint, you get different views from each and every single one of them. Various view points gives you an opportunity to stop, soak in the beauty and take photos.
The Noordhoek farm village is Situated at the southern end of the Chapman's peak drive and in the heart of the lush retirement village of Noordhoek. It is here that one finds the village roast. A to go coffee shop that boast of the best roasted coffee in the area. Other than coffee, there are some raw juices of different flavours as well as small shops selling localy made crafts and other bric-a-bracs.
Shortly before you venture into the Cape of good hope national park. You will drive past an ostrich farm where if needs be, can make a quick stop to take photos of Africa's biggest and flightless bird.
Cape point nature reserve is a 7700 hectares big park and a part of the Cape floral kingdom. With over 8000 different plant species and 70 percent of them being endemic. This is the world's richest floral kingdom by far and alsoan extraordinary biodiversity hotspot. Cape point national park is also home to Cape point lighthouse as well as the Cape of good hope. Visitors could also expect to encounter wildlife here.
Maned with rough waters, a rugged coastline, abundant wildlife and a long history of carnage as well as life changing achievements. The Cape of Good Hope is a huge tourist attraction. Albeit being only most south western point of Africa, the Cape of good hope was famed by early time sailors as the corner of Africa because of its excellent navigational assistance as a landmark. It was from here that sailors would note that their voyages had began to take a turn for east as they were sailing from west to the far east. You will have an opportunity to take an optional hike up to the summit of the Cape of good hope as well as take a photo with probably the most famous sign in the country. The sign reads "Welcome to the cape of good hope!" and is also inscribed with The cape of good hope's coordinates.
From Cape of good hope the tour will proceed to Cape point and where a paved alley from Cape point car park takes you just over 300m to the 3rd oldest lighthouse in the country which makes for great views and photography. Launched in 1860, the Cape point lighthouse was however decommissioned in 1919 as new evidence proved that sailors couldn't see it in cloudy conditions so a new light house at a lower elevation was constructed. A funicular is available at own expense should you not be in the mood to walk.
Boulders beach is one of Africa's only three mainland penguin colonies. Driving past without visiting this famous penguin colony is treason! Here you will walk on the boardwalk and see the endangered African penguin from a very close range.
Simons's town was named after a cape Dutch governor of the 17th century who found this town as a lee-shore in winter. The Victorian built town is home to some of the freshest seafood and fish restaurants in Cape town. This is also the same town that the South African Navy calls home.
Kalk bay was voted one of the 12 coolest places in the world to live in! This is South Africa's oldes holiday resort and is also attains a Eurocentric outlook. Some of the best restaurants in Cape town are here. Art galleries, cafes, cuban cigar bars and small shops also dominates the main street. Residents of this quaint town also gets to enjoy seeing the Southern right whales from the comfort of their living rooms!
Muizenberg beach is a well known surfing beach. The famous colourful changing huts on the beach also makes for great photo taking. Provided that we have time and the traffic flow is reasonable, we will be able to have the last photo stop here before the journey carries on to Cape town for the curtain call. Please Note that the stop at Muizenberg beach is subject to time and normal traffic flow.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Kindly wait at reception for your pick up
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(238)
Wonderful trip, great guide Joseph, lots of great stops and animal encounters and beautiful sights amazing day
Dear Denise, Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are delighted to hear that you had such an amazing day with Joseph. He will be thrilled to know that his guidance helped make your experience so enjoyable. It is wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the beautiful scenery, the memorable stops along the route, and the incredible animal encounters. These are some of the highlights that make this tour so special, and we are pleased that you were able to experience them all. Thank you once again for choosing to tour with us. We truly appreciate your kind feedback and hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable adventure in the future. Kind regards, Junior.
We were fortunate to have Jean and to take a private tour. No waiting and waiting for others to get that perfectly posed Pic. He was punctual, humerous, and informative. Added bonus was 2 male Puff Adders along the road vying for a female [according to Google]
Dear Valued Customer, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your private tour with Jean. Having the flexibility to travel at your own pace certainly makes for a more relaxed and personalized experience, and we are pleased that you were able to make the most of your day without any delays. Jean will be thrilled to hear your kind words about his punctuality, sense of humour, and knowledge. He takes great pride in creating memorable experiences for our guests. What an incredible bonus to witness two male Puff Adders competing for a female along the roadside! Encounters like these are a rare and fascinating reminder of the remarkable wildlife that can be found in the Cape. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future. Warm regards, Junior.
This was a wonderful private tour . Lots to see and experience and included lunch . Great sites to visit and experience
Dear JoAnn, Thank you so much for your kind feedback! We are really pleased to hear that you had such a wonderful private tour experience. It is great to know you enjoyed the variety of sights and experiences along the way, as well as the included lunch. It is always nice to sit back and take it all in. We truly appreciate your support and hope to welcome you back for another memorable day out in the future! Warm regards, Junior.
If you want a well organised, highly enjoyable private tour of the Cape Peninsula area, then look no further. Cape Archive are the best out there. When planning our trip to Cape Town we wanted to book a private day tour for 2 people. There are plenty online, but when we contacted them, no response. How can you risk sending money to people who wont respond to emails? When I contacted Cape Archive, I got a quick response with a clear outline of what they could offer. They answered all my queries and sent a detailed quote, identifying all costs. All very professional and reassuring throughout. They contacted us again the day before the tour to confirm all the details. The tour itself was exceptional. Our guide picked us up from the hotel and drove us in a very comfortable car. She was friendly, knowledgeable, had a great sense of humour and was flexible, adjusting the itinerary to meet our needs. You could not ask for more. We had a great day thanks to Cape Archive and I have no hesitation in recommending them.
Dear Jill, Thank you so much for this thoughtful and detailed review! We are delighted to hear that your experience with Cape Archive from the initial planning stages right through to the tour itself met your expectations and gave you peace of mind. It is especially rewarding to know that the clear communication, transparency, and flexibility made a difference, and that your guide helped create such a memorable and enjoyable day around the Cape Peninsula. We will be sure to share your kind words with her! We truly appreciate your recommendation and are so glad we could be part of your Cape Town experience. We hope to welcome you back again in the future! Best regards, Junior.
With only a 2 day stop on a world cruise we needed to choose our tour wisely.After reading the reviews we knew this was the one for us.And yes it lived up to all expectations. It can be quite difficult finding a tour that caters for a wheelchair user but our tour guide put in 110%.We learnt so much about South Africa of old and present, and stopped at the most amazing places. A huge thanks for a great day
Dear Nick, Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful review. We are truly honored that you chose our tour during such a short stop on your world cruise, and we are delighted to hear that it lived up to your expectations. Catering for all our guests, including wheelchair users, is extremely important to us, so it means a great deal to know that our guide went the extra mile to ensure you had a comfortable and memorable experience. We are glad you enjoyed learning about South Africa’s past and present and that the places you visited made the day special. Thank you for your kind words and for trusting us with such a meaningful part of your journey. Wishing you continued safe and happy travels, and we hope to welcome you back one day. Kind regards, Junior
We paid approximately $322 for our 2 person private day tour. We booked with this company because the other (very well rated) company we had booked with first was not responding to our inquiries. Any time I sent a message to this company (in particular, Junior) they responded to me in less than 24-hours with clear information. So I cancelled the other company and booked with these guys and very glad I did so. They messaged me on WhatsApp and email and I knew things were arranged. When we arrived at the cruise port, our driver was waiting for us in a large, excellent condition mini-van where we had TONS of room to spread out and be comfortable. We left bright and early and proceeded on our approximately 9-hour full day, inclusive of sit down lunch overlooking the ocean. Our guide was incredibly friendly and not only gave us great historical and cultural information but also opened doors for us and asked for our input on things, so this really felt very private and luxurious. You will need some local currency unless you buy the "park pass all inclusive" version of this tour (we did not).....although you won't need as much physical currency as the tour description implies because some of the sites REQUIRE you to pay with credit card.....so I ended up having more currency than needed. Other than that small minor communication issue, this tour was AMAZING and very convenient for people returning or starting a cruise because they picked us up right at the port and then dropped us right at the airport at the end of the day (with our bags safely and securely stored in the vehicle). The sites were excellent and the nice thing of private is you can go as quick/ slow as you particular interest is. The lunch was at a tourist style restaurant overlooking the ocean with tablecloth seating and table service.....food quality was high, alcohol cost extra, and the service was a little slow but no harm. Overall, we would definitely do this again and recommend to all.
Dear Valued Customer, Thank you so much for this incredibly detailed and thoughtful review. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience from start to finish. We are delighted to hear that our responsiveness and clear communication especially during the planning stage gave you confidence and peace of mind, and that this ultimately led you to choose us. Knowing that this made a positive difference means a great deal to us. It is wonderful to hear that your private tour lived up to (and exceeded) expectations: from the seamless cruise-port pickup, spacious and comfortable vehicle, and secure luggage handling to the flexible pacing and personalized approach throughout the day. We are especially pleased that your guide made the experience feel both luxurious and genuinely private by engaging with you, sharing insights, and tailoring the day to your interests. Thank you as well for highlighting the practical details around payments at the attractions and lunch. This kind of feedback is extremely valuable and helps us improve how clearly, we communicate these points to future guests. We are thrilled that you enjoyed the sites, the scenic lunch overlooking the ocean, and the overall convenience for cruise travelers. Your strong recommendation truly means a lot to our entire team. It would be an absolute pleasure to welcome you back to Cape Town again in the future. Until then, thank you once again for choosing us and for sharing such a kind and comprehensive review. Best regards, Junior.
Private tour is the best for this tour as there are many things to see and you can choose which ones you want to stay longer at and which ones you would like to stay shorter at without worrying about what other people want to do which might not align with your choices.
Dear Dennis, Thank you very much for your kind feedback. I completely agree that a private tour is enjoyable and flexible. It offers the freedom to linger longer at your favorite spots and move more quickly through others, without being constrained by a group schedule. This allows the day to be perfectly tailored to your interests and preferred pace. We truly hope to welcome you again in the future. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Best regards, Junior.
We enjoyed an action-packed day touring the Cape of Good Hope and the surrounding areas. The itinerary was thoughtfully designed to help us see as much as possible in a short period of time. Our guide, Xochitle, was highly knowledgeable, personable, and helpful. If you are short on time in Cape Town or a first-time visitor looking to get a lay of the land, this is a great option. We did get a case of food poisoning from the lunch restaurant (I see from other reviews that other travelers shared a similar experience), proceed with caution when eating lunch.
Dear Jenny, Thank you so much for sharing your detailed feedback. We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed your action-packed day exploring the Cape and that Xochitle made your experience both insightful and enjoyable. We are truly sorry to hear about your experience at the lunch stop, that is certainly not the standard we expect for our guests. We take this feedback seriously and have already raised the concern with the restaurant to ensure this does not happen again. We really appreciate you bringing this to our attention and are delighted that, overall, you enjoyed discovering the beauty of the Cape with us. Warm regards, Junior
Danson was an excellent guide; both engaging and thoroughly knowledgeable. Conversational both about Cape Town and South Africa in general, but also the Cape of Good Hope, the history, and even the penguins (being a major in Marine Biology he was able to give detailed explanations rather than 'basic' knowledge). This told when we constantly had other tourists coming and asking him questions which he gratiusly answered. Danson was also kind enough to step away during lunch, even though we were more than happy to sit together and have a chat, and he managed the balance between talk, knowledge, and quiet amazingly well throughout a busy, but wonderful day. Would love to return and would happily do it all again.
Dear Dev Thank you so much for sharing such a thoughtful review! We’re absolutely delighted to hear that you had a wonderful day exploring with Danson. His deep knowledge, engaging personality, and genuine passion for sharing the beauty and history of Cape Town truly make him special. We are so glad you enjoyed the experience and the balance he created throughout the day. We will be sure to share your kind words with him. He will be thrilled to know he made your tour so memorable. We would love to welcome you back anytime for another great adventure! Warm regards, Junior
Good full-day tour with varied experiences. Please take the boat trip to the seals. The penguins a fun experience. Beautiful nature and especially out at Cape of Good Hope.
Dear Michael, Thank you for sharing your experience! We are delighted to hear you enjoyed the full-day tour and all the unique sights, from the seals and penguins to the stunning Cape of Good Hope. We hope to see you on another adventure soon. Have safe travels. Best regards, Junior.
