Cape Town for Couples: Sunset Cruise, Wine Tram, Helicopter or a Safari Night?
6 min read
For most couples: the Sunset Sparkling Wine Cruise from €40.26 per person, 4.6 stars from 1,155 reviews. It takes 1 hour 30 minutes, leaves from the Waterfront and fits around any other plan. For a full romantic day, the Franschhoek Wine Tram from €47.97 gives you the vineyards at your own pace. And if you want to spend more, the helicopter flight from €155.66 or the two-day safari from €549 are the big gestures.
See prices and dates for the sunset cruise
Prices are starting prices per person on GetYourGuide; the total for two is in the table.
Five Experiences for Two Compared
| Experience | Duration | Price from, per person | For two | Stars | Reviews | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset sparkling wine cruise | 1 hr 30 | €40.26 | €79.74 | 4.6 | 1,142 | an evening on the water |
| Malay cooking class in Bo-Kaap | 2.5 hrs | €42.94 | €85.04 | 4.8 | 636 | doing something together |
| Franschhoek Wine Tram | 8.5 hrs | €47.97 | €87.84 | 4.7 | 2,422 | a slow day, tastings on top |
| Helicopter flight from the Waterfront | 12 min | €155.66 | €308.30 | 4.8 | 2,002 | a short, spectacular splurge |
| Two-day safari, Garden Route Game Lodge | 2 days | €549 | €1,098.00 | 4.8 | 1,030 | an anniversary |
An Evening on the Water
The sunset cruise is operated by Waterfront Charters and is the easiest romantic outing in the city: Table Mountain behind you, the Atlantic ahead. The operator’s standard sunset cruise lists two glasses of local sparkling wine, and dinner is a separate product. So treat it as 90 minutes on the water with a drink, not as a dinner. The route follows the wind, and you cannot book a particular colour of sky. Details are in our article on the sunset cruise.
Something to Do Together
The Bo-Kaap cooking class puts the two of you in a local home for 2.5 hours, making a Cape Malay lunch and eating it. It is the quietest idea on this page and one of the cheapest. Reviewers mention coming away with the recipes. The alternatives in the neighbourhood, including a walking tour, are compared in our article on Bo-Kaap cooking class or walking tour.
A Slow Day in the Winelands
The Franschhoek Wine Tram is a hop-on hop-off day: coach from Cape Town, then tram and open-top buses between the estates, getting off where you like. The catch, which the booking page states, is that tastings are billed by the wineries and not included, typically R60 to R260 per person and winery. Plan four or five stops at most, plus lunch. If you would rather have the tastings in the price, see our half day or full day wine tours for the guided alternatives. Return transport is by coach, so nobody has to drive.
Check availability for the Franschhoek Wine Tram
The Splurges
The helicopter flight is 12 minutes. The operator describes its City Hopper as a return flight from the Waterfront along the Atlantic coast towards Clifton and Camps Bay: a coastal view, not a trip to Cape Point, and you do not land. If you want the helicopter to yourselves, ask for a private flight total, because the price above is a per-seat starting price. See the helicopter flight article for the route.
The two-day safari at Garden Route Game Lodge includes an overnight at the lodge, an evening game drive with dinner and a morning drive with breakfast, as the operator’s programme describes it. It is the only choice here where you fall asleep somewhere other than your hotel. You pay for it in days, too: the lodge is at Albertinia, and the trip is not a Cape Town neighbourhood outing. The full breakdown is in the article on the two-day safari.
Check availability for the two-day safari
When It Is Not a Good Idea
Booking the sunset for your last evening. Wind and weather can cancel boats, flights and safari drives. Put anything weather-dependent early in the trip.
Expecting a dinner. The cruise is a drink on a boat. If dinner is the point, book a table separately.
Packing too much in. The tram day, the safari and the cruise do not combine with each other. One big experience plus one small one is a good weekend.
Our Recommendation
For most couples: the sunset cruise from €40.26. Cheapest of the five, 1,155 reviews, and one evening of your trip.
For a full day of wine: the Franschhoek Wine Tram from €47.97. Budget for tastings and lunch on top.
For an anniversary: the two-day safari from €549. The most expensive, and the only one with a night away from your hotel.
Not for everyone. The helicopter is 12 minutes for €154.15 each, which is a lot if you are watching the budget. The cooking class and the cruise together cost less than one helicopter seat.
