Cape Town is not only the most popular international tourist destination in South Africa, but also one of Africa’s most popular international tourist destinations. This is due to its good climate, natural setting, and well-developed infrastructure.

The city has several well-known natural features that attract tourists, most notably Table Mountain, which forms a large part of the Table Mountain National Park and is the back end of the City Bowl.

The Mountain forms a dramatic backdrop to the City Bowl and is surrounded by near-vertical cliffs, Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head. Sometimes a thin strip of cloud forms over the mountain, and owing to its appearance, it is colloquially known as the "tablecloth”.

Cape Town hosts a harmonious blend of architectural styles which reflects the tastes of dictates of the past as well as today’s more functional requirements.

Between the high-rise office blocks, Edwardian and Victorian buildings have been meticulously preserved, and many outstanding examples of Cape Dutch architecture are found. Narrow, cobble stone streets and the strongly Islamic ambiance of the Bo-Kaap enhance the cosmopolitan ambiance of the city.

The city has several notable cultural attractions. The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, built on top of part of the docks of the Port of Cape Town, is the city’s most visited tourist attraction.

It is also one of the city’s most popular shopping venues, with several hundred shops and the Two Oceans Aquarium. Part of the charm of the V&A, as it is locally known, is that the Port continues to operate and visitors can watch ships enter and leave.

The V&A also hosts the Nelson Mandela Gateway, through which ferries depart for Robben Island, Nelson Mandela’s former prison house.

The Table Mountain National Park encompasses the incredibly scenic Table Mountain Chain, which stretches from Signal Hill in the north to Cape Point in the south, as well as the seas and coastlines of the Peninsula.

The narrow stretch of land, with its beautiful valleys, bays and beaches, is surrounded by the cold Atlantic Ocean to the west and the warmer waters of False Bay and the Indian Ocean to the east.

Two prominent global landmarks lie within the park’s boundaries: the majestic Table Mountain and legendary Cape of Good Hope. With its rugged cliffs, steep slopes and sandy flats, the park is a truly remarkable natural, scenic, historical, cultural and recreational asset.
 
You can also visit the nearby Cape Winelands in expansive vineyards but also take home cheap but high quality South African wine. You can also visit Robben Island or go whale watching.

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