07:30 - Bus will depart from University of Stellenbosch, Polymer Science Building, De Beers Street.

08:30 - Arrive at Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town

The V&A Waterfront is South Africa’s most visited destination, attracting millions of visitors every year – and for good reason, given the location’s combination of shops, restaurants, nightspots, tourist attractions and museums in the city’s historic harbour.

There are also hundreds of shopping outlets, ranging from larger department stores selling designer labels to boutique jewellery and curio shops. The V&A Waterfront’s Amphitheatre is a good spot for live entertainment (usually provided to the public for free) – from concerts to creative workshops and puppet shows.

09:00 - Robben Island visit

Once “home” to some of South Africa’s most famous political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, Robben Island is one of South Africa’s most visited tourist attractions, and rightly so. Do not leave Cape Town without visiting the island – it is likely to be one of the highlights of your trip.

Robben Island is situated some 9km (5.5mi) offshore from Cape Town. Dubbed “Robben” (“the place of seals”) by Dutch settlers, the island was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999, and over the centuries has been used as a prison, a hospital, a mental institution, and a military base. It is most famous for being a political prison during apartheid, an era of racial segregation in South Africa, when many of South Africa’s most prominent freedom fighters spent time here. Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of the 27 years he was imprisoned here.

A tour of the Robben Island Museum begins at the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V & A Waterfront, where you can look through multimedia exhibitions, visit the museum shop and enjoy a meal at the restaurant while you wait for your ferry.

Ferries depart regularly from the gateway, and each tour takes approximately 3.5 hours. You will be guided around the island by a former political prisoner who will relay the history of the island, together with firsthand accounts of prison life, ensuring a personal and poignant tour. The tour takes you to the maximum security prison, and to Mandela’s cell in particular, which has been left in its original state.

A bus takes you to the lime quarry where Mandela and his fellow prisoners did hard labour. Additional stopovers include the Kramat (shrine) of Tuan Guru (a Muslim leader), the Lepers’ Graveyard and the house where Robert Sobukwe lived in solitary confinement for nine years. 

Tickets (included in package) are sold at R230 for adults and R120 for all children under the age of 18. The three and a half hour tour includes a return trip across Table Bay, a visit to the Maximum Security Prison, interaction with an ex-political prisoner and a 45 minute bus tour with a guide providing commentary.

 

12:00 - Table Mountain (weather permitting)

13:00 - Lunch at Table Mountain (own account)

Travel to the top of the world famous Table Mountain (or Signal Hill) weather permitting, where the best views of Cape Town are seen.
The cable car will get you safely there in about 10 minutes while rotating for a full 360°C view. The cable cars travel up and down the mountain every 10 to 15 minutes, ferrying up to 65 visitors at a time.

There is a souvenir shop where you can buy jackets, t-shirts, mugs, magnets, beaded crafts, books and postcards.
There is a restaurant and toilet facilities at the top where you can have a value-for-money meal and a soft drink or a glass of wine.

Comfortable walking shoes are essential if you are planning to explore any of the routes on Table Mountain. High heels and platform shoes are not the best choice of footwear for the trip. As a general rule, it is advisable to take warm clothing, as the temperature at the top can be up to five degrees centigrade colder than ground level, and even if the sun is shining, the cloud can roll in quickly and the temperature can drop fast.

It’s advisable to take water, a sunhat and sunscreen, and if you can, a camera with you, which you may want to carry in a light backpack.

The cable-car fare, approximately, R185.00 per person(included in package).

15:00 - Travel via Chapmans Peak - Cape Point - Boulders back to Stellenbosch

Chapman's Peak stands imposingly at the heart of Chapman's Peak Drive, connecting Hout Bay with Noordhoek along one of the most dramatic marine routes int he world that hugs the coast of the Atlantic Seaboard for nine kilometres. Chapman's Peak Drive climbs steadily from the harbour of Hout Bay, skirting 114 curves of Chapman's Peak to follow the rocky coastline along some truly magnificent view of the sandy bays below. The combination of steep, almost thrilling rocky inclines, shimmering blue waters and expansive skies simply take the breath away!

Cape Point, the most south-westerly tip of Africa, is a spectacular, narrow finger of land, covered in endemic fynbos and home to picturesque bays, beaches, rolling green hills and valleys. Apart from the spectacular view, you'll be able to see the most powerful lighthouse on the South African coast, which helps guide ships safely through perilous waters.

Boulders Penguin Colony in Simons Town is home to a unique and endangered land-based colony of African Penguins. This colony is one of only a few in the world, and the site has become famous and a popular international tourist destination.

18:00 - Wine tasting at a Wine Estate in Stellenbosch area (own account)

19:00 - Drop off at University of Stellenbosch, Polymer Science Building, De Beers Street, Stellenbosch