Half Day Cape Town Morning tour

Description

• Cape Town City Centre
  
  
  After collection from your city based hotel, travel towards Table Mountain for the commencement of the Table Mountain Tour.
  
  

• Table Mountain National Park

  Arrive at Table Mountain National Park for a tour of the profound landmark that has become a symbol of Cape Town culture (weather permitting; cable car fee not included). Declared as one of the seven wonders of the world, Table Mountain offers panoramic views over the Mother City and the Atlantic Seaboard with Robben Island lying sleepily in Table Bay Harbour. After decent, travel back towards City Centre for a tour of The Company Gardens.

• Company Gardens

  The park and heritage site was originally established in the early 1650s by the European Settlers arriving in the area. The gardens provided fresh fruit and vegetables to the ships seeking replenishment when rounding the Cape on their journey to the East. The Gardens now offer a natural retreat from the bustle of the City.

• The Arch for Arch

  After your stroll through the serene Company Gardens, make your way to the Wale Street end of gardens where the iconic ''Arch'' monument stands. The monument was created to commemorate the life and work of Desmond Tutu - lovingly referred to by South Africans as ''The Arch'' - as well as a tribute to the values of the South African Constitution. The Arch was installed beside the historic St. George's Cathedral which is also know as the ''People's Cathedral'' for its role in the resistance against the Apartheid Regime.

• The Iziko Slave Lodge

  Alongside the iconic Arch, stands the historical Slave Lodge which is one of the oldest buildings in Cape Town. Built in 1679 by the Dutch East India Company, the building was initially used as housing for over 9000 slaves, convicts and the mentally ill up until the early 1800s when the building was converted into government offices. The building was restored in 1960 for use as a cultural history museum but was only officially renamed as The Slave Lodge in 1998. Today the historical building houses an array of exhibits that address the controversial and deeply ingrained history of slavery in South Africa.

• Truth Cafe

  As you drive through the city you shall get a feel for the cultural melting pot that it is. End the tour with a stop at Truth Cafe a ''steampunk inspired'' artisan coffee shop serving all hand-roasted coffees in a vintage cast-iron drum (any meals for own account). Tour ends with drop off at your hotel

  
  

  Daily group departures (maximum 16 passengers)

  Tour duration approximately 6 hours

Highlights

• Table Mountain [Cable car fee not included]
• Cape Town City
• Company Gardens
• The Slave Lodge
• Truth Café

Itinerary

Collection from your city based Hotel in Cape Town at 08.00

The tour commences with a tour of Table Mountain (weather permitting; cable car fee not included). Enjoy panoramic views over the Mother City and the Atlantic Seaboard with Robben Island in the distance lying sleepily in Table Bay harbour.   This was where political prisoners were incarcerated during the Apartheid regime and where Nelson Mandela spent many of his 27 hard years.

In the city itself, stop at the Company Gardens, established in the 1600's to supply the ships of the Dutch East India Company, and now a peaceful haven of botanical beauty in the Cape Town city bowl.  Enjoy a walk through the garden and a visit to the South African Museum, a beautiful colonial building, which contains important collections of African Zoology and archaeology.  This is followed by a visit to the Castle of Good Hope.  Built between 1666 and 1679 by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as a maritime replenishment station.  The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa.

The drive through the city centre would also take you past the Houses of Parliament, the Grand Parade and City Hall from where Nelson Mandela first addressed South Africans after his release in February 1990.

This is a pleasant way to see all the City Centre attractions of this fair and beautiful city.

Return to your hotel upon completion of the tour at approximately 13h00