Cape of Good Hope & Penguins Day Tour: Price & Itinerary
7 min read
If you want the Cape and the penguins in one day and only want to read one recommendation, take the Cape of Good Hope & Penguins Day Tour with Pickup from €45.63. It runs 10 hours, holds 4.7 stars from 4,591 reviews — more than any other Cape Point day tour here — and it collects you from your own address within 10 kilometres of the city centre. The operator is Beyond Africa Safaris – Gray Line South Africa. If the price is what matters, the 8-hour bus version starts at €31.89. Either way, budget for the entrance fees: they are not in the ticket.
See prices and dates for the Cape and penguins day tour
What’s included – and what isn’t
According to the booking page, the tour price covers pickup, transport in an air-conditioned Mercedes-Sprinter, guide, driver, tolls and fuel. Guiding is in English.
Not included are the entrance fees: the itinerary marks Cape of Good Hope, the Cape Point lighthouse and the Boulders penguin colony as payable. The Cape and Cape Point on the south of the Cape Peninsula, and Boulders Beach near Simon’s Town on False Bay, are all part of Table Mountain National Park. For visitors without a South African or SADC passport, the official SANParks tariff list applies:
| Entrance (standard rate) | Adults from 12 | Children 2–11 |
|---|---|---|
| Cape of Good Hope | R592 | R288 |
| Boulders | R282 | R138 |
The list applies from 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027, subject to change without notice. That adds R874 per adult, and the euro amount depends on the exchange rate. The operator asks you to bring a credit card.
Also optional and extra: the funicular up to the lighthouse (the alternative, per the operator, is an approximately 15-minute uphill walk) and the boat trip from Hout Bay to Seal Island, for which the booking page states R150 per adult and R75 per child. Operators quote different amounts for the funicular; the price on-site is what counts.
Even though the intro text sounds like it includes food: lunch is not included, you buy it yourself in Simon’s Town. A voluntary tip is on top.
How the day unfolds
You’re picked up between 7 and 8 a.m.; the exact time is confirmed the day before. Door-to-door pickup applies within a 10-kilometre radius of the city centre; if you’re staying further out, you board at The Silo Hotel or The Westin. The operator reckons on about 8 to 10 hours.
The route, according to the description: first Maiden’s Cove with a view of Camps Bay, then along Victoria Road to Hout Bay harbour, where seals lie on the rocks. The optional boat trip to Seal Island takes about 45 minutes according to the plan. Next comes Chapman’s Peak Drive with two photo stops, then the Cape of Good Hope nature reserve with Cape Point. After that come the penguins at Boulders, lunch in Simon’s Town, and on the way back the beach at Muizenberg.
The itinerary also lists a stop in Bo-Kaap and gives rough timings: about an hour each at the Cape of Good Hope, the Cape Point lighthouse and the penguins, an hour in Hout Bay, 75 minutes in Simon’s Town, 30 minutes in Muizenberg. The plan is for orientation only, according to the operator. There’s no cycling leg on the programme; the operator notes some walking stretches, plus the optional walk to the lighthouse.
Nobody can promise you in advance how many penguins you’ll see, or how close. According to the review summary on the booking page, some guests find the pace rushed and would have liked more time at the main stops.
Who this tour isn’t for
- Anyone who doesn’t like long days on the road. Ten hours means around ten stops, with a drive between each, and no stop lasts much more than an hour.
- Anyone who wants to linger at one place, or hike. With about an hour at the Cape, there’s barely time for longer walks.
- Anyone travelling on their arrival or departure day. Suitcases and large bags aren’t allowed, according to the booking page, and neither are pets.
- Anyone with limited mobility. There are walking stretches; you’re asked to state mobility needs at booking, per the operator.
- Families with a baby who book on short notice. Baby seats are available on request, but the baby needs its own ticket. Children can only travel with adults.
The similar tours compared
| Tour | Price from | Duration | Stars | Reviews | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape of Good Hope & Penguins with pickup | €45.63 | 10 hrs | 4.7 | 4,591 | first-time visitors who want collecting from their own door |
| Cape Point & Boulders Beach full-day tour | €39.43 | 10 hrs | 4.8 | 3,632 | couples who want the same route for less |
| Cape Point and Boulders Beach day tour | €31.89 | 8 hrs | 4.7 | 2,109 | travellers on a small budget and anyone wanting a shorter day |
| Table Mountain, Penguins & Cape Point with pickup | €50.99 | 10 hrs | 4.7 | 2,500 | visitors with one single day in Cape Town |
| Table Mountain, Cape Point & Penguins group tour | €55.56 | 10 hrs | 4.8 | 1,400 | families who want the mountain and an ostrich farm as well |
The City Sightseeing bus day tour at €31.89 takes you in an air-conditioned double-decker with wifi, from fixed pickup points rather than your accommodation, and for only 8 hours. The programme covers Cape Point, the Cape of Good Hope with an optional guided hike between the two, a lunch break in the reserve, Boulders, and the return via the Ou Kaapse Weg pass; Hout Bay and Chapman’s Peak aren’t mentioned in the description. Important: there are options with and without Cape Point park entry – check which one you’re booking. The tour isn’t suitable for wheelchair users, according to the operator, and from 8 December to 5 January it starts an hour earlier.
Check availability for the shorter bus day tour
The Kenzi Travel full-day tour at €39.43 offers an almost identical route: Maiden’s Cove, Hout Bay, Chapman’s Peak with two photo stops, the Cape, Cape Point, Boulders, lunch in Simon’s Town, Muizenberg. You travel in an air-conditioned minivan, and the entrance fees are paid on-site, by card only under SANParks rules. The plan allows 30 minutes at the Cape and 45 minutes at the lighthouse, a little less than the €45.63 tour, which also advertises a 2025-built Sprinter with USB ports.
Check availability for the Cape Point and Boulders Beach full-day tour
The two tours that add Table Mountain, at €50.99 and €55.56, do not add the cable car ticket. The Table Mountain cable car is independently operated, according to SANParks, and sets its own prices. The €50.99 tour comes from the same operator as the €45.63 one, carries a maximum of 19 guests per vehicle and plans 1.5 hours at Table Mountain; Hout Bay is missing from the itinerary. The €55.56 group tour plans an hour at the top, adds a stop at an ostrich farm, and allows 25 minutes at the Cape, 50 minutes at the lighthouse and 45 minutes at the penguins. The operator recommends buying the cable car ticket online in advance for the morning. Check before booking what applies if the cable car isn’t running. More options for the mountain can be found under Table Mountain Tours.
If you’d rather visit Table Mountain on your own day, at your own pace: see Cape Town hop-on-hop-off bus.
To clarify before booking
- Which entrance fees your option includes, and whether you can pay by card on-site.
- Budget for lunch, the funicular and the boat.
- For the €31.89 bus tour, pickup starts up to 30 minutes before the departure time on your voucher.
- All five tours can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours in advance.
- Travelling after 31 October 2027? Look up the SANParks tariffs valid then.
Our Recommendation
For most people: the Cape of Good Hope & Penguins Day Tour with Pickup at €45.63. This is a practical choice for pickup at your accommodation. Confirm that your address is within the pickup area and compare the current total with the other full-day tour at €39.43.
For a shorter stated day: 8-hour bus day tour (€31.89). It lists eight hours and preset pickup points. Cape Point entry depends on your selected option; Boulders and lunch are extra. Confirm the return time instead of assuming an earlier return from the shorter advertised duration.
For anyone with a single day in the city: the group tour with Table Mountain at €55.56 — the best-rated of the five at 4.8 stars. Remember that the cable car ticket is extra and that the mountain closes in strong wind, which would leave you with an hour of spare time.
Not for anyone with limited mobility, arriving or leaving that day, or hoping to walk at the Cape. Ten hours, ten stops, no stop much over an hour: this is a looking day, not a walking day. If you want the peninsula at your own pace, drive the loop yourself.
More options: Cape of Good Hope tours and all Cape Town tours.
