Bo-Kaap and the City Bowl on a half day with a driver

The Bo-Kaap and the City Bowl fit comfortably into a half day: the coloured houses and the Bo-Kaap Museum on the slopes of Signal Hill, the Company's Garden and the museums around it, and the Castle of Good Hope, all within a few kilometres of each other. You will walk most of it. The driver's job is to drop you at the top of each walk and collect you at the bottom, so that you see the city on foot without climbing back up to a parked car.

It is also one of the few outings in Cape Town that does not depend on the weather, which makes it a good standby when the mountain is closed or the wind is up.

What to see in the Bo-Kaap

The Bo-Kaap is a residential neighbourhood above the city centre, best known for its brightly painted houses. The usual explanation for the colours is that houses had to stay white while they were leased, and were painted once the people living in them were able to buy them.

Three stops are worth planning around:

• The Bo-Kaap Museum on Wale Street. Run by Iziko Museums, it is the best place to start if you want the history before the photographs. Check current times with Iziko.
• The Auwal Masjid on Dorp Street. Its founding is usually dated to 1794, and it is widely regarded as the first mosque in South Africa. It is a working mosque. If you hope to go inside, ask about visiting times and dress beforehand.
• The streets themselves. The neighbourhood is on a slope, and the streets rise steadily towards Signal Hill. Walking down from the top is easier than up.

The Bo-Kaap is a place where people live. Be courteous when taking photographs of houses and people, keep doorways and steps clear, and keep voices down near the mosques at prayer times.

The Company's Garden and the museums around it

The Company's Garden was laid out from 1652 by the Dutch East India Company as a food garden to supply the settlement and passing ships. It is now a public park managed by the City of Cape Town, with its address on Queen Victoria Street, and it makes an easy walk with several museums close by. The garden includes what is considered the oldest cultivated pear tree in South Africa.

Several of the Iziko museums are close to the garden. Opening times vary, so check current times with Iziko for any you want to see, and tell the concierge which ones so the order of the morning makes sense.

The Castle of Good Hope

The Castle of Good Hope was built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679 and is generally described as the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa. It sits on the edge of the city centre, a short drive from the Company's Garden. Allow about an hour, and check current times with the Castle before you go.

A sensible order for the half day

A half-day booking is 5 hours and 100 km inside the metro. In the City Bowl you will use the hours and almost none of the distance. A typical morning runs like this:

This is one version. Some people prefer the Castle first and the Bo-Kaap last, and some swap a museum for a slow coffee. On a weekday, the morning order also keeps you clear of the late-afternoon traffic that builds on the roads out of the centre. Our guide to Cape Town traffic explains the pattern.

If you want to add a view, Signal Hill is a few minutes above the Bo-Kaap. In the middle of the day the Noon Gun on Signal Hill is fired at 12:00. In the evening, Signal Hill at sunset is a separate outing worth doing on its own.

Do you need a driver, or a guide?

Be honest about which one you need.

If you are staying in the city centre and are happy walking, much of this is walkable, and you may not need a driver at all. The Bo-Kaap is on the edge of the centre, and the Company's Garden is close to it.

A driver earns the booking when you are staying out of town, in Constantia, the Atlantic Seaboard or the Winelands, when there are older guests or children, when the weather is hot or wet, or when the half day continues to somewhere further away. The vehicle is never left alone, which matters in a city centre. Cape Town Tourism's general advice is not to carry large sums of cash and not to leave belongings unattended, and having a vehicle to leave shopping bags in helps with both.

If what you really want is the history in depth, a local walking guide who specialises in the Bo-Kaap will give you more than any driver. Your driver can bring you to the meeting point and collect you at the end.

Pairing the Bo-Kaap with another half day

The Bo-Kaap and the City Bowl combine well with other short outings in a full day:

• Robben Island in the afternoon. The ferry leaves from the Waterfront, a few minutes away. See planning a Robben Island day.
• Zeitz MOCAA. Contemporary art from Africa in a former grain silo at the Waterfront. See the Cape Town art day.
• Table Mountain. The lower cable station is about 10 minutes from the city centre, on a day when the Cableway is open.

Common questions

How long do you need in the Bo-Kaap?

An hour and a half is enough for the museum and a walk through the streets. Longer if you stop for lunch or join a walking guide.

Is the Bo-Kaap safe to walk?

It is a residential neighbourhood that sees many visitors during the day. Take the usual city precautions: keep valuables out of sight and do not carry large sums of cash. With a driver, you walk the streets and leave everything else in the vehicle.

Can we go inside the Auwal Masjid?

It is a working mosque, so visits depend on prayer times and the mosque's own arrangements. Ask in advance, and dress modestly if a visit is possible.

Is a half day enough for the City Bowl?

Yes, for the Bo-Kaap, the Company's Garden and one museum or the Castle. For all of them with a long lunch, book a full day.

To arrange the morning, send the concierge your date, the number of people, where you are staying and which museums you would like to include. Half-day and full-day bookings are explained on the Winelands and Cape Point days page, and the concierge replies with a written quote and a reference.