EN
EnglishFrançaisDeutschEspañolItaliano

Cape Town · South Africa

Cape Point Day Trip

The sheer sandstone tip of the Cape Peninsula, in Table Mountain National Park south of Cape Town. Climb to the old lighthouse above the surf, stand on the Cape of Good Hope, then meet the penguins at Boulders Beach.

  • Hotel pickup
  • Penguins on the way
  • Free cancellation
See the tours Compare day trips
Tours from$40per person ↓
New park fees from 1 November 2026: the international adult gate fee at Cape Point rises from R515 to R592, and Boulders from R245 to R282. SANParks fees
Gate fees, spelled outWhat you pay on top, in rand, for 2026-27
Real guest ratingsLive figures from GetYourGuide
Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, on every tour here
Hotel pickupFrom the City Bowl and the Atlantic suburbs

Tours

Choose your Cape Point tour

In the centre, the full-day loop most travellers pick. Either side, the half day for a tighter schedule and a private car for your own pace. Every card opens a full tour page.

Cape Point & Boulders Beach Half Day Lowest price ★ 4.85 to 6 hoursFree cancellation

Cape Point & Boulders Beach Half Day
Hotel pickupPenguinsHalf day

The same capes and penguins in about half the time: 45 minutes at the lighthouse, 25 with the penguins. No Hout Bay, no lunch stop, and the gates are extra.

What's included
  • Hotel pickup from 15 Cape Town areas
  • Air-conditioned minivan and bottled water
  • Chapman's Peak, Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point, Boulders
  • Gate fees marked as an extra fee on the itinerary
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Full tour details
From$40per person Reserve
Cape Point & Boulders Beach Full Day Most booked ★ 4.810 hoursFree cancellation

Cape Point & Boulders Beach Full Day
Hotel pickupPenguinsHout Bay

The classic loop: Hout Bay, Chapman's Peak, both capes, an hour with the penguins and lunch in Simon's Town. Gate fees are paid on top, at the gates.

What's included
  • Hotel pickup in Cape Town and the Atlantic suburbs
  • Air-conditioned people carrier, tolls and fuel
  • Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point and Boulders stops
  • Gate fees paid on site (R592 + R282 from 1 Nov 2026)
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Full tour details
From$44per person Reserve
Private Cape of Good Hope Full Day Private ★ 5.08 hoursFree cancellation

Private Cape of Good Hope Full Day
Private carYour paceAccessible

Your own guide and car from Gray Line's local partner, with a full hour at each cape and the penguins. Stops are yours to cut or stretch.

What's included
  • Pickup and drop-off at your accommodation
  • Private guide-driver and Mercedes-Benz or similar
  • Chapman's Peak toll
  • Gate, penguin and boat fees marked extra on the itinerary
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Full tour details
From$151per person Reserve

More ways to see Cape Point

All tours
Cape Point E-Bike Adventure Gate fee included ★ 4.77 hours

Cape Point E-Bike Adventure

Ride the reserve roads to both capes; the park fee is in the price From$149Tour details → Table Mountain, Penguins & Cape Point Two icons, one day ★ 4.810 hours

Table Mountain, Penguins & Cape Point

Table Mountain by cable car plus the peninsula loop, if you only have one day From$46Tour details →

Compare

Which day trip suits which traveller

Three questions settle it. Half a day or a whole one? A shared van or your own car? And do you want the park fee inside the price, or paid at the gate?

TourRouteGate feesBest forTripFrom
Cape Point & Boulders Beach Full DayAtlantic coast, Cape Point, Simon's TownPaid at the gatesA first visit: the full loop with Hout Bay and lunch10 hours$44Book
Cape Point & Boulders Beach Half DayChapman's Peak, Cape Point, BouldersPaid at the gatesA tight schedule: both capes and the penguins5 to 6 hours$40Book
Private Cape of Good Hope Full DayBo-Kaap to Cape Point, your own carExtra, paid on the dayFamilies, slow travellers and step-free access8 hours$151Book
Cape Point E-Bike AdventureCape of Good Hope reserve by e-bikePark fee includedRide the reserve roads to both capes; the park fee is in the price7 hours$149Book
Table Mountain, Penguins & Cape PointCableway, Boulders and Cape PointPaid at the gates, plus the cablewayTable Mountain by cable car plus the peninsula loop, if you only have one day10 hours$46Book

Every tour here cancels free up to 24 hours before. From 1 November 2026 the gate fees for an international adult are R592 at Cape Point and R282 at Boulders. The funicular is extra on every tour.

Before you book

A $44 tour, an R874 gate.

Shared Cape Point tours are priced like a bargain, and in one way they are: hotel pickup, a guide, a van and up to ten hours on the road for the price of a good dinner. What the price usually leaves out is the two gates. Table Mountain National Park charges a daily conservation fee at the Cape of Good Hope entrance and again at Boulders Beach, and on the shared tours here you pay both on the day. The gates have been card-only since 2023.

From 1 November 2026 that is R592 at the park and R282 for the penguins for an international adult, about $54 at September's exchange rate. One guest on the full-day tour said it plainly: the fees cost more than the excursion. The listings don't help, because several print the fees under "Includes" and then mark the same stops "extra fee" further down. Budget for the gates and the day is still good value. The one tour here with the park fee in its price is the e-bike tour.

R874

Gate fees for one international adult on a Cape Point and penguins day from 1 November 2026: R592 at the park, R282 at Boulders. South African adults pay R115 and R57.

Half dayFull dayPrivate carE-bike
A pink king protea in fynbos on a windswept headland above the Cape of Good Hope coast
Fynbos covers the reserve. The king protea is South Africa's national flower.
01

Do the oceans meet here?

Not visibly. The official line between the Atlantic and Indian oceans is at Cape Agulhas, about 150 km away.

02

Is it Africa's southern tip?

No, Cape Agulhas is. Cape Point is the southeast corner of the Cape Peninsula.

03

Is the funicular running?

Yes, again since 1 October 2026 after a maintenance closure. It is extra on every tour here.

04

Who should skip it?

Anyone who only wants penguins: Boulders Beach on its own is a shorter trip with one gate fee.

Your day

How a Cape Point day runs

About 10 hours on the full day, 5 to 6 on the half day. Operators reorder stops for traffic and wind; this is the shape of it.

01

Pickup in Cape Town

A van collects you from your hotel in the City Bowl, Sea Point, Camps Bay or the V&A Waterfront area and heads down the Atlantic coast.

Early morning
02

Chapman's Peak

Photo stops on the cliff road. On the full day you also stop at Hout Bay harbour, with an optional boat to the seal colony.

1 to 1.5 hours
03

The two capes

The Cape of Good Hope at sea level, then Cape Point: the funicular, or a steep 15-minute walk, up to the old lighthouse.

1 to 2 hours
04

Penguins, then home

African penguins at Boulders Beach, lunch in Simon's Town on the full day, and the drive back along False Bay.

1 to 2 hours
A paved path with low stone walls climbing to the old white lighthouse at Cape PointThe path to the old lighthouse A funicular car climbing a fynbos slope toward the lighthouse on Cape PointThe Flying Dutchman funicular Waves breaking on the low rocky headland of the Cape of Good HopeThe Cape of Good Hope A white sand beach below high cliffs with rolling surf on the Cape PeninsulaBelow the cliffs Two ostriches walking through fynbos near the ocean on the Cape PeninsulaOstriches in the reserve A chacma baboon sitting on a rock among fynbos, the sea behindChacma baboons: watch, never feed Cape fur seals on rocks in front of Hout Bay harbour and its fishing boatsSeals at Hout Bay The historic main street of Simon's Town with the naval harbour behindLunch in Simon's Town Two African penguins on the sand between granite bouldersBoulders Beach penguins

Plan your trip

Plan your Cape Point day

Gate fees, opening hours, the funicular and what to pack: one tab each.

  • Cape Point park gate, from 1 November 2026: R592 per international adult, R288 per child; R242 / R124 for SADC nationals; R115 / R57 for South Africans.
  • Boulders penguin colony: R282 / R138 international, R118 / R59 SADC, R57 / R27 South African.
  • Until 31 October 2026: R515 at the park and R245 at Boulders for an international adult.
  • A SANParks WILD Card covers the daily fees if you plan to visit several national parks.
  • Chapman's Peak Drive toll: R68 per car, included on the tours that list it. Full detail in the entrance fee guide.
  • October to March: gate entry 06:00 to 18:00.
  • April to September: gate entry 07:00 to 17:00.
  • Everyone must be out by sunset, and vehicles leaving after closing time are fined.
  • Funicular, food shop and gift store open at 09:00; the Two Oceans Restaurant at 11:00.
  • The drive from the gate to the Cape Point car park takes 10 to 15 minutes.
  • The Flying Dutchman funicular climbs 87 metres along a 585 m track to a viewing point below the old lighthouse.
  • It reopened on 1 October 2026 after maintenance.
  • Until 31 October 2026: R115 return or R100 one way per adult, R60 return for children aged 6 to 16, free under 6. Prices rise each 1 November.
  • Runs 09:00 to 17:30 from October to March and to 17:00 from April to September. More in the funicular guide.
  • A windproof layer: the tip is exposed even on a sunny day.
  • Sunscreen, a hat and water for the climb to the lighthouse.
  • A bank card for the gates: both are cash-free and take cards only.
  • Snacks stay in your bag near the baboons. They know what a lunch box looks like.
Cape of Good HopeSea levelThe low rocky cape at the southwestern tip, with the waves and the photo spot.
Cape PointTwo lighthousesThe high cliff 2.3 km east, with the old light on top and the new one lower down.
Boulders BeachPenguinsAfrican penguins among granite boulders near Simon's Town, behind a second gate.
Gate feeR592Per international adult at the park from 1 November 2026, on top of most tours.
Half or full5 or 10 hoursA half day, or the full loop with Hout Bay and lunch in Simon's Town.
Refund24 hoursFree cancellation up to a day before, on every tour here.

Where it is

Where Cape Point is

At the end of the peninsula, pickup included

Pickups: hotels in the City Bowl, Sea Point, Camps Bay, Green Point, the V&A Waterfront area and Hout Bay

Cape Point sits at the southern end of the Cape Peninsula, inside the Cape of Good Hope section of Table Mountain National Park. Tours run down the Atlantic side by Chapman's Peak and come back along False Bay through Simon's Town and Muizenberg, so you see both coasts in one loop.

  • Cape of Good Hope to Cape Point: about 2.3 km
  • Park gate to the Cape Point car park: 10 to 15 minutes by road
  • Cape Agulhas, Africa's real southern tip: about 150 km away
Compare the two capes

Around your trip

Everything else worth knowing

Timing, what guests wish they had known, the two oceans question and the fine print.

  • October to March: the long gate hours, 06:00 to 18:00, and the best light. Also the windiest months.
  • April to September: shorter hours, 07:00 to 17:00, more rain and fewer people.
  • Pick a clear day: when cloud sits on the peak, the view from the old lighthouse disappears. That is why the light was moved lower.
  • Book before 1 November and you still pay the fee in force on the day you visit, because the gates charge on the spot.
  • Budget R874 per international adult for the two gates on top of a shared tour, from 1 November 2026.
  • Take the funicular up and walk down: you face the view the whole way.
  • Walk on past the old lighthouse to the viewpoint over the newer one, 87 metres above the sea.
  • Eat in the restaurant or the van, not on the rocks. Baboons steal food.
  • Small children or an evening flight? Take the half day.
  • No line, no colour change: you cannot see two oceans meeting at Cape Point.
  • The official boundary between the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean is at Cape Agulhas, about 150 km east-southeast.
  • What does happen is a warm current and a cold one mixing in a zone that moves between the two capes.
  • The full story is in our two oceans guide.
  • Every tour on this page cancels free up to 24 hours before.
  • Operators note that stops can be reordered on the day for traffic and weather.
  • The gates close on time and late vehicles are fined, so tours keep to the clock.
  • Gate fees are paid on the day, at the rate for that day, not the day you booked.

The Cape Peninsula

Two capes, one gate and a colony of penguins.

Pick the length of your day, then pick your date.

Check availability

Guest reviews

What day trippers say

4.8 ★★★★★
3,475 reviews · Cape Point & Boulders Beach full day
GetYourGuide rating
★★★★★

The park entrance fees are expensive. You pay more than for the excursion itself, but everything went very well.

Luis · Full-day tour, Aug 2026
★★★★★

Thanks to the numerous stops on the way to the Cape of Good Hope, we saw and learned a lot.

Mahé · Full-day tour, Aug 2026
★★★★★

I am really glad that I didn't go for a full day trip.

Sakib · Half-day tour, Oct 2026
★★★★★

Great trip! Jeff was very knowledgeable and accommodating to our preferences.

Theodor · Private full day, Oct 2026
★★★★★

Arriving by bike at the Cape of Good Hope was a unique experience… Truly stunning!

Véronique · E-bike tour, Mar 2026
★★★★★

First of all, the tour is superbly timed, so you have enough time to see and enjoy everything

Jörg · Half-day tour, Oct 2026
★★★★★

We had a wonderful day with Isra and learned so much about the area!

Brigitte · Full-day tour, Aug 2026
★★★★★

The trip up Table Mountain and to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope was so beautiful.

Henrik · Table Mountain and Cape Point, May 2026
★★★★★

Comfortable transport, careful driving, and a friendly guide.

The guide

The Cape Point day trip, explained

Most visitors to Cape Town do this trip once, in a van, in one long day. Here is what you are looking at.

Two capes, 2.3 km apart

The trip is sold as Cape Point, and the photo everyone takes is at the Cape of Good Hope. They are two different headlands in the same reserve. The Cape of Good Hope is the low, rocky southwestern tip at sea level, where the surf comes straight in. Cape Point is the high sandstone cliff about 2.3 km to the east, with the lighthouses, the funicular, the restaurant and the big views over False Bay. One gate fee covers both, and every tour here stops at each.

Two rocky headlands side by side at the tip of the Cape Peninsula, the higher one with a lighthouse
The Cape of Good Hope sits low on the left; Cape Point rises to the east with its lighthouse.

The lighthouse that was too high

The old lighthouse on the summit worked from 1860 to 1919. It was built so high that cloud and fog often hid it from the ships it was meant to warn. On 18 April 1911 the Portuguese liner Lusitania ran onto Bellows Rock just south of the point, and the light was moved down the cliff. The newer lighthouse, finished in 1919 at about 87 metres above the sea, is the most powerful on the South African coast, with a range of 63 km. The funicular and the walk both take you to the old one; a path beyond it looks down on the new.

The honest small print: the tour price is not the trip price. On the shared tours, budget R592 for the park and R282 for Boulders per international adult from 1 November 2026, plus the funicular if you ride it. Each of our tour pages says what is in the price and what is not.

Two oceans, one myth

Guides and fridge magnets love the line about two oceans meeting at Cape Point. You won't see it. The cold Benguela current on the Atlantic side and the warm Agulhas current from the east mix in a zone that shifts between Cape Point and Cape Agulhas, with no line and no colour change. The official boundary between the Atlantic and Indian oceans is at Cape Agulhas, about 150 km east-southeast, which is also the true southern tip of Africa. Our two oceans guide has the detail.

Rolling swell and white surf around rocks below the cliffs at the tip of the Cape Peninsula
Big swell, strong currents, no visible line between two oceans.

Penguins on the way home

Most day trips finish at Boulders Beach near Simon's Town, home to a colony of African penguins, a species listed as critically endangered since 2024. You watch them from boardwalks, behind a second SANParks gate with its own fee. On the full day you get about an hour there; on the half day about 25 minutes, which is enough for photos and not much more.

Two African penguins on the sand between granite boulders
Boulders Beach is a second gate and a second fee, and worth both.

Compare the tours

Guides

Plan it properly

In-depth guides to the questions people ask most before booking. See all guides.

Entrance fee 2026Every SANParks rate for both years, and how you pay.What a tour costsTour price plus gates plus funicular, for all five tours.Cape Point or Good HopeTwo headlands, one gate fee, and what to do at each.Do the oceans meet?The two-oceans myth, the currents and what you do see.Funicular & lighthouseThe funicular, its 2026 reopening and both lighthouses.Is it worth it?Who it suits, who should skip it, and how to plan the day.

From the blog

This season at Cape Point

Fee changes, the funicular and what is new this summer. All posts.

New fees from 1 NovemberCape Point and Boulders gate fees, old vs new, and the day trip budget.The funicular is backReopened 1 October 2026: prices, hours and the walk instead.Summer 2026-27 at Cape PointLonger hours, new fees, the wind and the busy weeks.

FAQ

Questions before you book

Straight answers to what people ask most about a Cape Point day trip.

Is Cape Point worth a visit?

Yes, if you give it a day. The cliffs, the two lighthouses and the walk out to the tip are the best coastal views near Cape Town, and most tours add the penguins at Boulders Beach. Skip it on a day of thick mist, and skip the half-day tour if you hate rushing. Our honest take has the rest.

How much does a Cape Point tour cost?

Shared day trips on GetYourGuide start at $40 for a half day and $44 for a full day. A private car and guide starts at $151 per person, an e-bike tour at $149. On most shared tours the park and penguin gate fees come on top. See what a Cape Point tour costs.

Do you have to pay to go to Cape Point?

Yes. Cape Point is inside Table Mountain National Park, and SANParks charges a daily conservation fee at the gate. From 1 November 2026 it is R592 for an international adult, R288 for a child, R242 for SADC nationals and R115 for South Africans. Full table in the entrance fee guide.

Do the oceans meet at Cape Point?

Not in any way you can see. The cold Benguela and warm Agulhas currents mix somewhere between Cape Point and Cape Agulhas, and the official boundary between the Atlantic and Indian oceans is at Cape Agulhas, about 150 km to the east-southeast. More in the two oceans guide.

What is the difference between Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope?

They are two headlands about 2.3 km apart in the same reserve. The Cape of Good Hope is the low, rocky point at sea level with the famous sign; Cape Point is the high cliff to the east with the lighthouses. One gate fee covers both. See Cape Point or the Cape of Good Hope.

Is there a Flying Dutchman funicular at Cape Point?

Yes. The Flying Dutchman funicular climbs 87 metres along a 585 m track from the car park to just below the old lighthouse. After a maintenance closure it reopened on 1 October 2026. A return ticket was R115 for adults until 31 October 2026. See the funicular guide.

How long does the walk up to Cape Point take?

About 15 minutes from the car park to the old lighthouse, uphill on a paved path. Add time for photos and for the path on to the newer lighthouse view. Take the funicular up and walk down if your knees prefer it.

What is Cape Point famous for?

Its cliffs and lighthouses, its place on the old sea route round Africa, and a reputation as the meeting point of two oceans that it does not quite deserve. The 1911 wreck of the liner Lusitania on Bellows Rock is why the newer lighthouse sits lower down the cliff.

How long is a Cape Point day trip from Cape Town?

A half-day tour takes about 5 to 6 hours, a full day about 8 to 10 hours with hotel pickup. The full day adds Hout Bay, a lunch stop in Simon's Town and more time at each stop. The comparison table sets them side by side.

Can I hike to Cape Point overnight?

Yes, on the Cape of Good Hope Hiking Trail: a 33.8 km circular route over two days with one night in a SANParks hut. You need at least two people, everyone must be over 12, and you have to start before 9 a.m. Book through SANParks.

Are the baboons at Cape Point dangerous?

They can be. The chacma baboons know that people carry food. Keep car windows shut, never eat in the open near them and never feed them. Watch from a distance and they will mostly ignore you.

Can I cancel a Cape Point tour?

Every tour on this site cancels for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start, and most let you reserve now and pay later. Gate fees paid on the day are not part of that booking.

Ready to book

Pick your day, pick your cape.

Hotel pickup on every tour, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Full day · from $44 Half day · from $40

More: a private car and guide · the e-bike tour · Table Mountain and Cape Point in a day

Some links are affiliate links; see our disclosure.