Cape Town Hop-On Hop Off RED LINE Bus Route

You can discover Captivating Cape Town during your group travel excursion with the African American Golfer’s Digest in so many ways. To make sure you see everything, you can use the covenent Hop-on Hop-off sightseeing Cape Town RED LINE BUS tour ticket that will be provided to you for use on DAY 5 – SUNDAY, NOV. 3 .  Your ticket is valid from the operating hours of 8:20 am and 5:15 pm. Stops depart, every 30-60 minutes. However, please confirm the bus operating hours and frequency on the day of your tour.

CLICK IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD RED LINE BUS ROUTE MAP

The red double-decker bus drives you around so that you don’t have to venture into city traffic and can take a good look around you on the way at more than 30 designated stops. The biggest advantage of the Hop-on Hop-off bus is that you can decide yourself where and how long you want to stop somewhere. At all places of interest and along the route there are bus stops where you can get on and off.

TOUR DESCRIPTION
Hop on the open top red bus tours and enjoy the sights of Cape Town – from Table Mountain to the V&A Waterfront, from Camps Bay to Kirstenbosch.
Tour assistance office
* V&A Waterfront, located outside the Two Oceans Aquarium
* CBD, located at 81 Long Street
*Camps Bay, located opposite the Bay Hotel on Victoria Road
Duration
Valid for 24-hours starting on the day when first presented
Hop On Hop Off at any of the stops along the circular route and simply show the same ticket to board the next bus 
Many stops offer free walking tours.  Entrance fees at stops are not included.  

Red Line Bus Route Itinerary:

Stop 1: Two Oceans Aquarium – 2 hours 

The journey begins in front of the famous Two Oceans Aquarium where the bus ticket office is located. With shark cage diving and a myriad of animals from the two oceans that surround the Southern African coast, it’s no wonder this is one of Cape Town’s main attractions! The I&J Predator Tank is the pièce de résistance, with its mob of ocean predators, including ragged tooth sharks, blue stingrays and black mussel crackers, all drifting together in seeming harmony – until feeding time at 15h00.

Stop 2: The Clock Tower

Situated near the site of the original Bertie’s Landing Restaurant, the Victorian Gothic-style Clock Tower has always been an icon of the old docks.

Stop 3: Cape Town Convention Centre – 30 minutes 

The convention center is not only the largest in Africa but also a very interesting building.

Jump off here and walk up Adderley Street past the flower sellers, who have been selling their colorful blooms – with an added dash of spicy humor – for over a century. They are located in Adderley Street between Strand Street and Darling Street and within easy walking distance of Greenmarket Square. 

Stop 4: Cape Town Tourism

Green Market Square – 30 minutes 

This cobbled square was originally a slave market, then a fruit and vegetable market. Today, it’s the place to browse for glassware, hand-painted fabrics, music, footwear, and curios from across Africa. The square is fringed by coffee shops and restaurants, where you can sit and watch the world go by. 

Walk up and down steep Wale Street just north of Greenmarket Sq., and visit the Bo-Kaap’s famous spice shop, Atlas Trading, pop in at installation and sculpture gallery Commune.1, and indulge in raw chocolate at Honest Chocolate next door and get your caffeine fix at Bean There, Cape Town’s first Fair Trade coffee shop.

Company Gardens – 30 minutes

The Company’s Garden, established in 1652 by Dutch settlers as a food garden, is the oldest public garden in South Africa, with more than 8 000 species of plants as well as birds and squirrels. The Gardens are in the middle of a culture cluster including the Iziko South African Museum, Iziko National Gallery and Slave Lodge, as well as the Houses of Parliament in Parliament Street, St George’s Cathedral, the National Library and the Old Synagogue. Should you wish to visit any of these museums and galleries, add 1-2 hours each.

Iziko Slave Lodge

This museum, one of the oldest buildings in South Africa, dating back to 1660 is mainly devoted to the history and experience of slaves and their descendants in the Cape. One of the oldest buildings in South Africa, dating back to 1660, the Slave Lodge has a fascinating history in itself. 49 Adderley St.

Iziko Michaelis Collection

On the south side of Greenmarket Sq, the city’s second-oldest public space after the Grand Parade is the beautifully restored Old Townhouse, completed in 1761, is one of the city’s first double-story buildings, and an outstanding example of the ‘rococo’ style. It now houses the impressive art collection of Sir Max Michaelis, donated to the city in 1914.

Iziko SA National Gallery

The impressive permanent collection of South Africa’s premier art space harks back to Dutch times and includes some extraordinary pieces. But it’s often contemporary works, such as the Butcher Boys sculpture by Jane Alexander, looking like a trio of Lord of the Rings orcs who have stumbled into the gallery, that stand out the most.  Closed Mondays.

Pan African Market and Long Street – 40 minutes

Situated at 76 Long Street, (off Wale Street on the northern edge of the Gardens) in the heart of central Cape Town’s art-and-antiques precinct, the Pan African Market is uniquely attractive for a number of reasons. The lobby is a gem of Victorian tiling, while the first and second floors are a beehive of traders with representatives from most locales in West, sub-Saharan and southern Africa. Bargaining is welcomed.

From here you can wander down Long Street, where quaint Victorian verandas alongside Muslim mosques is the setting for cafes, coffee shops, sandwich spots, antique and vintage clothes, books, art and  African curios.

At the top end of Long Street are the century-old Long Street Baths with a heated swimming pool. Open daily, 07h00-19h00.

Stop 6: South African Museum – 2 hours

Immerse yourself in local culture, art and history. Little wonder this museum has grown into a touchstone for South African creativity and the preservation of our heritage.

Stop 7 Mount Nelson Hotel – 40 minutes

The best place for afternoon tea in Cape Town! Great views, wonderful cakes and sandwiches. Daily 14h30 to 17h30 – R225 per person (prices may change).

Stop 8 The SA Jewish Museum – 1 hour

South African Jewish Museum offers visitors a truly unique experience with its bold architectural design, interactive multi-media displays and engaging accounts of South African Jewish history.

Stop 9: District Six Museum – 40 minutes

The tale of District 6 is one of cultural struggle, of kinship and ultimately of redemption – the museum is the perfect place in which to learn more about this area and its role in local history. A specialist bookshop offers publications and posters on District Six and apartheid. If you visit only one museum in Cape Town make it this one. Reconstructions of home interiors, photographs, recordings and testimonials build up an evocative picture of a shattered but not entirely broken community.

Stop 10: The Castle of Good Hope – 2 hours

The Castle of Good Hope is South Africa’s oldest surviving building. A unique blend of history, fine wines, traditional food, military ceremonies and craftsmanship awaits you.

Stop 11: Gold Museum – 1 hour

This unique museum entices visitors to experience the ancient, sometimes mystical relationship that exists between gold and the African continent through state-of-the-art visuals and artistic displays. This museum is home to a collection of 350 West African gold artifacts as well as objects from the ancient gold civilizations of southern Africa.

Stop 12: Bo-Kaap – Jewel Africa – 1 hour

It’s no secret that South Africa is famous for its precious jewels. If bling is your thing, Jewel Africa is sure to have an impeccably crafted local creation just for you. Situated at the foot of Lions Head in the historic Bo-Kaap, this is an amazing jewelry store.

The Bo-Kaap – 1 hour

The Bo-Kaap with its colorful houses, steep cobbled streets, the muezzin’s calls to prayer, and children traditionally dressed for Madrassa, is a unique Cape Malay experience and well worth a visit. The Bo-Kaap is the best place to have a traditional, headily spiced Cape Malay meal.

And if it is the purest spices you are looking for, go no further than 94 Wale Street, home to the incredible Atlas Trading Company.

Learn about the history of the area at the quaint Bo-Kaap Museum, whose building dates back to the 1760s. 

Stop 13: Table Mountain Cableway – 2 hours

The highpoint (literally) of the Red City Tour is the awe-inspiring, bird’s eye view of Table Mountain and Cape Town thanks to state-of-the-art cable cars that revolve 360 degrees. Have a cup of tea with a vista of the entire city bowl. Descend with the cable car or you can abseil down 112 metres (Abseil Africa, 021 424 4760). The cableway is accessible to people with disabilities and operates only when weather permits.

Stops: 14-18 – 30 minutes and longer depending on stops