Memorable Things To Do Alone In Cape Town As a Solo Female Traveler

Are you a solo female traveler about to explore Cape Town, South Africa? Here is a list of the top Things To Do Alone In Cape Town and still feel safe.

Traveling to Cape Town was a bucket list trip I had been wanting to take for years! But I never had anyone who wanted to join me. So one day I just, screw it! I’m going on my own. And that trip was one of the most memorable trips Ive ever been on.

In full disclosure, I did meet up with a group of girls (of which I had never met before) to do a safari tour along the Garden Route. But I had planned several days in Cape Town by myself before the tour started.

Here are the most exciting things I did when visiting Cape Town alone. Most of these I personally did and a few I heard about (and just didn’t have the time for).

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How Much Time Do I Need to Explore Cape Town?

Cape Town offers a wide range of activities. So depending on what you enjoy doing, you could spend a few days in Cape Town or up to 2 weeks in Cape Town and still never be bored.

Outside of driving along the Garden Route or taking a safari in South Africa, I would say the perfect amount of time in Cape Town would be about a week.

I spent one week exploring Cape Town as a solo female traveler and another week driving the Garden Route (which I also highly recommend!). Although I could have done a lot more and spent way more time logging on the beautiful Cape Town beaches, one week seemed to be perfect for me.

Several of the activities I list below can be done on the same day. I’ll specify the amount of time you’ll need for each one, so you can squeeze in as many as you can if you are staying for less than a week!

Keep Reading: How to Get Around Cape Town Without a Car

Things to do in Cape Town Alone

A few of these items you’ll have no doubt heard of because they are super touristy. But I want to mention them anyway so you can make sure to put them on your list! And some are a lot lesser known.

And while there are SO many things to do in Cape Town, I’ve narrowed the list down to just a few things I think you need to experience. Anything that wasn’t really that fun or memorable is left off the list.

1 – Explore Table Mountain and Ride the Cable Car

Yes, this is an extremely touristy thing to do. But it 100 percent cannot be missed if you travel to Cape Town. The Cable car alone is an unforgettable experience. It takes you far up Table Mountain (one of the seven wonders of the world!).

You’ll see the most fantastic sites of Capet Town below and even get a great view of Lion’s head. A the top of Table Mountain, there are several walking paths you can stroll around to get different views. There’s even a small gift shop at the top as well.

This only takes a few hours and can easily be combined with a few other activities in the same day. I highly suggest booking a tour for this that combines seeing the Cape of Good Hope, so you don’t have to worry about transportation.

Check Here For Best Tour Prices: Table Mountain, Penguins & Cape Point Small Group Tour from Cape Town

2- Stroll Along the V&A Waterfront

The V&A Waterfront is probably the most popular place in all of Cape Town and is typically where you will find most of the nicer restaurants, tons or shopping and most of the hotels nearby.

The Waterfront area has everything. You can explore the aquarium or visit the art museum. But there is also a full indoor mall with all the shopping you could hope for. There are several outside vendors as well.

Not to mention all the great restaurants are here. You can dine while overlooking the ocean and with Table Mountain in the background. Stroll around and watch several different street performers.

You can spend just a few hours here shopping and walking around, or it could take you an entire day if you plan to visit the aquarium and museum too.

3 – Interact with Penguins at Boulder Beach

Absolutely not to be missed! Where else can you walk around and interact with penguins? Boulder beach is a quick visit. There isn’t much else to do there besides see the penguins.

You walk through some small gates and pay a minimal fee and then just head straight to the beach area where you can literally walk around and even swim with the penguins if you want to.

I recommend visiting Boulder Beach first thing when they open to avoid the crowds. Then head over to Muizenberg Bay to see the famous colorful huts. And finish your afternoon having lunch and doing some shopping in nearby Kalk Bay, a cute coastal town.

See The Penguins: Cape Point and Boulder’s Penguins Full-Day Tour

4 – Feed the Sea Lions in Hout Bay

You can access Hout Bay by taking the Hop on/hop off bus from Cape Town. I hopped off at this stop not knowing what it was and ended up loving it! Hout Bay is a cute little fishing town.

There is a huge beach that seems to be dog friendly because there were a ton of them running around. You’ll find nothing but fresh seafood restaurants right on the bay, that make for a great lunch.

Do some shopping or even take a small boat ride out to Seal Island to see literally hundreds of seals sunbathing or swimming around. Such a fun experience! I even got to feed some of the Sea Lions right there on the dock. Wild Sea Lions!

5 – Learn the History Behind Robben Island

If you like experiencing culture and pieces of history, then you must plan a half day to go to Robben Island. This is the island where Nelson Mandela was held as a prisoner until he later became the President of South Africa.

Your Robben Island tour is led by an actual ex-prisoner from the island and is inspiring to listen to their story of their time there.

You can read more about visiting Robben Island here: A Tourist Guide To Visiting Robben Island in Cape Town, South Africa

6 – Hike Lions Head

If you’re into hiking, Lions head is the most famous hike in Cape Town you can do. It’s pretty moderate but has a lot of incline so make sure you are well prepared!

But if you want to attempt it, plan for at least half a day (even if you start early) and you’ll see the most incredible views!

Book Here: Lions Head Hiking Tour with Transportation

7 – Ride the Hop On/Hop Off Bus Around Cape Town

Probably one of my favorite activities. It was pretty inexpensive and I felt safe the entire time as there were several other tourists on the bus.

Set aside an entire day for this. Buy a ticket and hop on and off as often as you want. You can visit everything from wineries to the botanical garden, and even Hout’s Bay. Hout’s Bay is on this list as one of the things to not miss and the Hop on/hop-off bus will take you right to it!

Reserve Now and Pay Later: Cape Town Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Optional Cruise

8 – Go On A Wine Tasting Tour

Did you know South Africa and all around Cape Town is well known for its wineries? There are dozens around!

The hop on/hop off bus takes you to a small loop that is home to a few different wineries. So you can get off the bus, walk around, do some wine tastings and get back on the bus to head back to Cape Town.

Or if you are a big fan of wine tastings… you can book a wine tour doing a Full-Day Franschhoek Hop On Hop Off Wine Tram Tour. A definite favorite for both wine and scenic views!

You can also book a wine tour where you get to create and bottle your wine. What a great experience you get to take a bottle of wine home with you (or have it shipped). Check out the Blend and bottle your own wine Stellenbosch experience, for more info on that tour.

9 – Explore the Cape of Good Hope

This is probably not the most exciting thing you’ll do around Cape Town, but you definitely cannot miss it. It’s just an iconic piece of South Africa. To get there, you drive through the nature preserve and chances are you’ll get to see some animals. I saw tons of ostriches and baboons.

There are even some small hikes you can do, and a restaurant with gift shop there. From the gift shop, you can take a short (but uphill) walk to an old lighthouse and the views are absolutely amazing!

Getting to the Cape of Good Hope is a long drive (almost an hour from Cape Town). I recommend taking a tour to get there or checking out my review on How To Get Around Cape Town Without a Car for more transportation ideas.

To Book with Transportation: Cape of Good Hope and Penguins Full-Day Tour From Cape Town

10 – Take in the Sunset at Camps Bay Beach

Camps Bay Beach was one of my favorite spots in Cape Town. The beach itself is white, soft sand and the water is a beautiful clear blue. The town itself reminds me of some Southern California coastal towns. The shops and restaurants look right over the ocean.

You can come here for a few hours just to eat and shop, or spend the whole day lounging at the beach. There are some man-made swimming pools as well.

Camps Bay is especially known for its sunset views. So try to come at least one time during sunset. The hop-on/hop-off bus has a stop here as well.

11 – Visit the Colorful Botanical Gardens

If you love flowers, plants, gardens and outdoor scenery, then go check out the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. This is also a stop along the hop on/hop off bus route.

The Botanical Gardens are a great place to walk around and enjoy sunny weather. It’s easy to spend an hour here or even half a day. You get some amazing swiping views of Table Mountain here as well.

12 – Walk Along the Bo-Kaap Neighborhood

The Bo-Kapp area in downtown Cape Town is a super popular place to visit. The colorful huts not only make for some really cool photos, but this section of Cape Town is rich in history.

I will warn you, this area is not the safest, even in the middle of the day. Never go here at night. And even if you go here during the day, please be aware of your surroundings, don’t show any expensive items, and keep your belongings securely to your body.

The hop-on bus has a stop nearby. You’ll only have to walk a few blocks to get to Bo-Kaap. If you are traveling solo, try to find some other tourists walking the area and stick with them.

Two things to note: These are people’s homes so please be aware of that when taking photos. Some won’t want you taking photos and some will ask for a small donation. This area is limited to just a few streets so you only need an hour or less in this historical part of Cape Town.

13 – Go Riding on the Atlantis Dunes

If you’re looking for some more adventurous activities, check out the Atlantis Dunes. Hop on a quad and race around some white sand natural sand dunes.

Since this is a little way out of Cape Town, I highly recommend booking a tour for this activity. Then you can get transportation included and that’s not only the easiest, but the safest option for solo female travelers.

You can even go sandboarding if you happen to be a snowboarding fan!

Check Out the Dunes: Atlantis Dunes ATV Quad biking Cape Town

14 – Drive the Scenic Chapmans Peak Drive

Chapman’s Peak Drive is nothing more than a scenic drive. BUT! It is known to be one of the most scenic drives in the world! It’s a longer drive that takes you along Cape Town coast.

You’ll see the coast on one side and dramatic mountains on the other. There are also several stops along the way to pull over and take some amazing photos. So even though it’s ‘just a drive’ I wouldn’t miss this!

The only thing to note about Chapman Peaks Drive is that there is no public transportation that goes here. You will either have to rent a car or hire a car. I hired a car to take me along this route and to go to Boulder Beach and it was well worth it and surprisingly affordable.

15 – Spend a Day at the Spa

You’re probably thinking that you want to go out and see the sites of Cape Town so why on earth would you want to spend a day at the spa? I’ll tell you why!

You may notice that your money goes pretty far in Cape Town, and spas are similar! You can get a massage for super cheap or even do a full spa day… yes, FULL DAY.. for only like $100 US. It’s a great way to relax on vacation. You can go HERE to check out some local Cape Town Spa deals.

16 – Shop at the Farmers Markets

When looking for things to do alone in cape town, on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays is the Oranjezichet City Farm Market. Hands down the best market you can go to while in Cape Town.

You’ll find everything you could need here so if you’re looking for some great souvenirs, South African fashion, fresh fruit and some authentic cuisine.

This market is located near the V&A Waterfront. So I would recommend pairing this with your day visiting the Waterfront area (or even Robben Island) so you can hit all these areas at the same time.

17 – Get Your Thrills Paragliding on Signal Hill

For you adventure thrillers! Try paragliding in Cape Town. It’s super affordable compared to the US and some of the views are incredible!

You’ll get to see Table Mountain and the Atlantic coast as you glide over Cape Town with a tandem instructor. This is a great activity if you are looking for things to do alone in Cape Town because it takes you out in groups so its a good chance to meet some people and not be completely alone.

Cape Town Activities: Paragliding in Cape Town

18 – Enjoy a Sunset Cruise

Get a view of Cape Town from another perspective. Cape Town is located with miles and miles of beautiful coast line. So get out on the actual ocean and have a chance at not only beautiful sunset but to see some marine animals as well.

And because this is affordable as well, you can do a Catamaran hour-long ride for only $20 a person, or a sunset cruise on a sailboat for just $34 a person.

For Best Rates: Sunset Champagne Cruise from Cape Town

19 – Eat at Gold Restaurant For a Unique South African Experience

I dont ususlly highlight restaurants as “things to do”. But Gold is a lot more than just a restaurant. It’s an entire experience.

This is also a great place to eat dinner as a solo female traveler because you are paired with another group if you are dining alone. This was a fun way to get to know some other travelers.

At Gold, you get to watch and participate in a South African drum circle. There is no menu here. You get served a rotating menu of authentic South African cuisines. So you not only get to dine on some amain food but you get a show also. It really is magical!

For Reservations: Gold Restaurant

20 – Visit the Langa Township

When traveling to different countries, I enjoy experiencing the people and the culture in an authentic way as best as I can. When visiting Cape Town alone, one of the most memorable experiences I had was visiting the Lange Township.

This is an impoverished area just outside of Cape Town that you can take a tour to get you. Interact with the citizens of the town, get a tour of the homes and other structures.

If you are looking for things to do alone in Cape Town as a solo female traveler, you will want to book a tour that offers round trip transportation.

Book Here: Langa Township – Arts and Culture Tour

Things To Do Alone In Cape Town

If you are hoping to travel to Cape Town, South Africa as a solo female traveler and are looking for things to do alone in, look no further!

And while there are dozens and dozens of things to do in Cape Town, the activities listed below are some of the best and most memorable experiences you can have while visiting South Africa on your own.

You Might Also Be Interested In:

• Traveling to Cape Town! What To Pack For South Africa 
• What To Wear In Cape Town: South Africa Packing List
• What To Wear On A South African Safari

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