It's not everyone's cup of tea: a big, brash open-topped red bus that screams “I'm a tourist!” wending though the streets of Cape Town. Those who consider themselves 'proper travelers', complete with their weathered backpacks, braided hair and uniform combat trousers with havaianas, might even prefer to cower in the shadows of Cape Town's back streets than be seen dead boarding such a touristy monstrosity. In fact, and particularly for those on a tight schedule, there's absolutely no shame in taking the Hop-On Hop-Off bus to see Cape Town.
City Sightseeing Cape Town: Red and Blue Tours
The Hop-On Hop-Off bus starts its journey at the ticket office, by the Two Oceans Aquarium on the V&A Waterfront, although travelers can get on the bus at any stop along the route and by their ticket on board. There are, in fact, two routes that visitors can take. The Red City Tour is the more popular of the two, as it sticks closer to the city center and has buses coming past its 17 designated stops every 20 minutes.
The 'Blue Mini Peninsula Tour' only has an additional four stops – Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, the World of Birds in Houtbaai, Mariners Wharf in Hout Bay Harbor and the Imizamo Yethu Township, where tourists can take a township tour – but these stops are all much further away from the city center. A one day ticket for either the red or blue tour costs 120 Rand and allows visitors to get on and off as many times as they like (as long as it's when the bus is actually running between 8.30am and 7.15pm). A two-day ticket costs 200 Rand and allows visitors to take both the red and blue tours.
Red City Tour: Hop-On Hop-Off Cape Town
After heading off from the V&A Waterfront, the red bus drives past the Cape Town Convention Center and into town. The ticket price includes a pair of (red) headphones, that passengers can plug into a socket by their seats and listen to a commentary of the sites the bus passes and stories about life in Cape Town, in a choice of 14 languages.
For those who want to do a bit of exploring by foot too, the Red City tour guides recommend getting off at stop four – the Cape Town Tourism center – and walking by foot to St George's Cathedral - famous for welcoming a mixed congregation during the apartheid - at stop five. There's plenty to see on the way, including the craft stalls at Greenmarket Square and plenty of shops and cafés.
Museums and Other Attractions of Cape Town
The next few stops are all very close to each other and are also easily walk-able. The official red bus stops include the Mount Nelson Hotel, which serves the best tea in the world according to The Times, the Iziko South African Museum and the District Six Museum. Other places and museums worth visiting in the area include Company's Gardens, the South African Jewish Museum and Holocaust Center, the High Court and the Iziko Slave Lodge. Walking from Company's Gardens to the District Six Museum is an experience in itself, as the route passes the Magistrate's Court and hundreds of people can be seen milling around waiting for their court appearances, while police cars and armoured vehicles line the street.
From the District Six Museum at stop nine, the stops become more sparse. The subsequent stops include the Castle of Good Hope, the Gold Museum and Jewel Africa before stop thirteen – the Table Mountain Cableway. If it's a wind-free day and the cable car is running, most passengers disembark at this stop. Even those who don't ascend the mountain still get a spectacular view of the city below.
Cape Town: The Wealthy Side
The final stops of the red route include the more lavish and luxurious parts of town, as the bus passes through Camps Bay and Sea Point – areas notorious for attracting the wealthy individuals of Cape Town's society pages and international celebrities. Either are worth stopping for some beach time, as these beaches have some of the calmest waters in Cape Town.
Stopping at the seventeen stops in one day is an ambitious itinerary, so passengers should decide on their priority stops in advance. If time permits, taking advantage of the two-day pass for 200 Rand is highly recommended. Not only does it allow for more leisurely enjoyment of all the attractions Cape Town has to offer, but the price is reasonable for the number of attractions it takes you to.
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