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Guide · The combined day
A Cape Point and Boulders Beach tour, stop by stop
The southern tip of the peninsula and the penguin colony make a natural pair. This Cape Point and Boulders Beach tour guide follows the day from the bus stop to the lighthouse, the cape and the colony.
Check availabilityfrom $37 · free to cancel
Editorial team, capetownpenguins.comUpdated October 26, 20266-minute read25 sources
In a nutshell
- 01How long
- 8 hours on the coach day, 10 on longer minibus days.
- 02Time at each stop
- About 2 hours at Cape Point, 30 minutes at the Cape of Good Hope, an hour at Boulders.
- 03The walk
- An optional guided walk from Cape Point to the Cape of Good Hope.
- 04Fees on top
- Cape Point R592 and Boulders R282 for an international adult, 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027.12
- 05Price
- From $37 on the coach day.
Why the point and the penguins belong together
Cape Point and the Boulders colony lie at the same end of the Cape Peninsula, far from the city centre, and visiting them in one day saves a long drive twice. SANParks places Boulders in a sheltered cove between Simon's Town and Cape Point, so the colony sits right on the way back from the tip.3 A combined day lets you stand at the edge of the continent in the morning and among wild penguins in the afternoon.
Both places belong to Table Mountain National Park, and both charge a daily conservation fee at a cash-free gate.45 That shared setting is part of the appeal: the same park protects fynbos, antelope and lighthouses at one end and a breeding colony of an endangered bird at the other, within a short drive of each other.
The coach day on this site is built exactly around that pair. It gives about 2 hours at Cape Point, about half an hour at the Cape of Good Hope and about an hour at Boulders, all in 8 hours from the city. Longer minibus days add other stops, but the heart of the day stays the same.
Hour by hour
The combined day from the city
-
08:55 to 09:47
Board at a city stop
Camps Bay first, the V&A Waterfront at 09:30, Orange Street last.
-
Morning
South along the coast
Past Muizenberg and Kommetjie without stopping.
-
About 2 hrs
Cape Point
The lighthouse on foot or by funicular.6
-
About 30 min
Cape of Good Hope
The sign and the shore, or the guided walk there.
-
About 1 hr
Boulders colony
Boardwalks down to the penguins.
-
Late afternoon
Back to the city
Over the Ou Kaapse Weg pass through Silvermine.
Leaving the city and driving south
The day begins at a City Sightseeing bus stop. The coach collects passengers from Camps Bay at 08:55, along Sea Point and Green Point, at the V&A Waterfront outside the Two Oceans Aquarium at 09:30, and in town on Long Street and Orange Street until 09:47. From 14 December to 5 January it leaves about 50 minutes earlier.
The road runs south along the coast, past Muizenberg beach and Kommetjie, without stopping. From the upper deck of the double-decker you look over the surf beaches and the mountains of the peninsula, while the guide talks you through the towns and the history in English.
The drive from Boulders Beach to Cape Point, or the other way round, is short compared with the drive down from the city, and the order on this tour puts Cape Point first and the penguins later. That order matters for your energy: the walking comes early, when you are fresh, and the gentle boardwalks come at the end of the day.
Time on the ground
Minutes the itinerary lists at each stop
minutes
Two stops
Cape Point and Boulders side by side
| At a glance | Cape Point | Boulders |
|---|---|---|
| Time on the tour | About 2 hrs | About 1 hr |
| Adult abroad | R592 | R282 |
| Child | R288 | R138 |
| Summer gate | 06:00 to 18:00 | 07:00 to 19:30 |
| Winter gate | 07:00 to 17:00 | 08:00 to 17:00 |
| Highlights | Lighthouses, cliffs | Penguins, boardwalks |
Fees are SANParks rates for 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027; summer gate times are for December and January, and SANParks says times can change.1278
Three combined days
Coach, long minibus or short half day
8 hours
10 hours
5 hoursDecision helper
Which combined day is yours?
Choose by the part of the day you care about.
The coach day
It includes the guided walk from Cape Point to the Cape of Good Hope.
The long minibus day
It stops 75 minutes in the town.
A short half day
5 hours with 45 minutes at the lighthouse.
A half day with fees
One small-group tour sells an option including all park fees.
The coach day
From $37, park fees extra.
European sailors such as Dias who first named it the Cape of Storms in 1488, and later in 1580 Sir Francis Drake who called it “The Fairest Cape in all the World”.
Two hours at Cape Point
Once through the gate of the Cape of Good Hope section, keep your eyes on the fynbos. SANParks says this is the only fenced section of the park and asks visitors to look out for eland, red hartebeest, bontebok and zebra.10 The listing names ostrich among the animals you may meet, and the coach stops for sightings.
At the point, you climb to the lighthouse on foot or ride the Flying Dutchman funicular, which is not included in the tour price.6 SANParks describes two lighthouses at the most south-western point of Africa, one of them still working.6 The views run along cliffs that drop straight into the ocean, and on a clear day the water below turns an intense blue.
Leave a few minutes for the history. SANParks notes that Dias called this coast the Cape of Storms in 1488, and that Sir Francis Drake later named it the fairest Cape in all the world in 1580.9 The Buffelsfontein Visitor Centre explains what lives here season by season, and it is worth a look if you have time to spare.11
Map
Boulders, the peninsula and the point
First the beaches and boardwalks of the Boulders colony, then the coast from the V&A Waterfront to Cape Point and across False Bay to Stony Point, then the two capes at the tip.
1Seaforth Beach2Boulders Visitor Centre3Foxy Beach4Boulders Beach
5V&A Waterfront6Muizenberg7Simon's Town8Cape Point9Stony Point
10Cape of Good Hope11Cape Point lighthouse
- 1Seaforth Beach
The beach on the town side of the colony, joined to Boulders by Willis Walk, where dogs may go only on a leash.12
In Google Maps ↗ - 2Boulders Visitor Centre
The visitor centre on the boardwalk route; SANParks lists Boulders as a pay point for the daily conservation fee.4
In Google Maps ↗ - 3Foxy Beach
SANParks says the penguins are best viewed here, from the boardwalks.1314
In Google Maps ↗ - 4Boulders Beach
The most popular spot for a swim, sheltered by huge granite boulders.1315
In Google Maps ↗ - 5V&A Waterfront
The day tour leaves at 09:30 from outside the Two Oceans Aquarium.
In Google Maps ↗ - 6Muizenberg
The coach drives past Muizenberg beach on the way down the coast.
In Google Maps ↗ - 7Simon's Town
One of the oldest towns in South Africa, 35km from Cape Town; the Boulders colony is on its edge.1617
In Google Maps ↗ - 8Cape Point
About 2 hours here on the day tour; two lighthouses and the Flying Dutchman funicular.6
In Google Maps ↗ - 9Stony Point
The CapeNature colony in Betty's Bay, 70 to 90 minutes' drive from Cape Town.1819
In Google Maps ↗ - 10Cape of Good Hope
Named the Cape of Storms by Dias in 1488; the day tour spends 30 minutes here.9
In Google Maps ↗ - 11Cape Point lighthouse
Reached on foot or by funicular; one of the two lighthouses still works.6
In Google Maps ↗
Checklist
For a day at both ends of the park
01
Wear and carry
- Walking shoes for the cape walk
- A windproof layer
- Hat and sun cream
- A card for both gates
02
Know before you go
- Your stop's pickup time
- Funicular and lunch cost extra
- No swimming at Diaz Beach
Price check
The combined day for your group
Choose a tour and the number of guests; park fees come on top.
People
Total from$74
from, per person $37
Check availabilityfree cancellationTotals take the cheapest adult fare a Viator or GetYourGuide listing shows and multiply it by the guests you pick, converted with the ECB reference rate; SANParks fees are paid separately at the gates, and the final sum appears at the seller's checkout.
Video
Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope on foot
YouTube is contacted only once you press play on the video.
The walk to the Cape of Good Hope
From Cape Point you can join an optional guided walk to the Cape of Good Hope, or ride the bus round instead. The listing asks for medium fitness and good walking shoes, and several reviewers recommend it. The path follows the cliffs, with sea on one side and low fynbos on the other.
At the Cape of Good Hope the coach gives about half an hour for the famous sign and the rocky shore. It is a good place for a group photo and a look back at the cliffs you just walked along. Wind is common here, so keep a hand on your hat.
This is also where people ask about a swim. SANParks does not allow swimming at Diaz Beach, below the cliffs, because of strong rip currents, and no lifeguards work at any beach at Cape Point.20 Save the swim for Boulders, where the cove is sheltered by huge boulders.15
An hour with the penguins
The coach then turns north along the False Bay shore to the Boulders colony, on the southern edge of Simon's Town, which the tour passes without a stop. You get about an hour here, and the Boulders fee is yours to pay on the day; the gate takes cards only.5 The boardwalks take you down to Foxy Beach, where SANParks says the penguins are best viewed.13
An hour goes quickly, so walk straight to the boardwalks before you browse the shops. Look for penguins standing in pairs at their nests among the bushes, birds heading down to the water in small groups, and the crowd on the sand. Keep your hands to yourself: SANParks warns that the beaks are as sharp as razors.21
After Boulders, the coach climbs the Ou Kaapse Weg pass through Silvermine for the drive back to the city, a different route from the morning. It is a quiet stretch after a long day outside, and a good moment to sort through the pictures.
Fees, food and the rest of the budget
The tour fare does not include the two park fees. For 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027, SANParks lists R592 for an international adult at Cape Point and R282 at Boulders, with children at R288 and R138; check its rates before you go.12 Both gates are cash-free, so bring a card.5
Lunch is also your own, and the funicular is extra if you take it. There is no set lunch stop in the listing, so carry a snack and buy food where the coach gives you time. Water and sun cream are worth having all day, because there is little shade at either stop.
If you prefer one price for everything, some listings sell options with the fees included. A half-day small-group tour that covers Boulders and Cape Point in 5 to 6 hours offers an option including all park fees. Compare it with the coach fare plus the gate fees to see which suits you.
Doing the same loop with your own car
The combined day is easy to copy if you rent a car, and the order can be yours. SANParks opens the Cape Point gate from 06:00 to 18:00 between October and March and from 07:00 to 17:00 between April and September, and entry there is paid once per vehicle.722 An early start gives you the lighthouse before the coaches arrive.
Boulders keeps different hours: 07:00 to 19:30 in December and January and 08:00 to 17:00 in the winter months, with limited parking that fills early in summer.823 Visiting the colony late in a long summer day works well, once the morning crowds have gone and the light turns soft over the bay.
Gate times can change without notice, so confirm them with the park before you set out.24 Without a car, the train along the False Bay coast reaches Simon's Town for Boulders, but Cape Point lies well beyond the end of the line, so a tour is the simple way to do the full loop without a car.25
Book your day
The Cape first, the penguins after.
Boulders, Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope in 8 hours, with a full refund up to a day before.
You ask,we answer.
How long is the day?
8 hours on the coach day. It covers Cape Point, the Cape of Good Hope and Boulders.
How much time is there at Cape Point?
About 2 hours. Then about half an hour at the Cape of Good Hope and about an hour at Boulders.
Is there a Cape of Good Hope and Boulders Beach tour without Cape Point?
Tours pair them with the point. The coach day visits all three: about 2 hours at Cape Point, half an hour at the Cape of Good Hope and an hour at Boulders.
Is the funicular included?
No. You walk up to the lighthouse or pay for the funicular yourself.
Can I swim at Cape Point?
Not at Diaz Beach. SANParks bans swimming there because of rip currents, and no lifeguards work at Cape Point beaches.20
When does the Cape Point gate open?
06:00 or 07:00. 06:00 to 18:00 from October to March, 07:00 to 17:00 from April to September.7
Do I need cash for the fees?
No, a card. The Cape Point and Boulders gates take only debit and credit cards.5
Sources
What this guide is based on
- 1SANParksDaily conservation fees 2026/27↩
- 2SANParksDaily conservation fees 2026/27↩
- 3SANParksBoulders Penguin Colony brochure↩
- 4↩
- 5↩
- 6↩
- 7↩
- 8↩
- 9↩
- 10↩
- 11↩
- 12SANParksBoulders Penguin Colony brochure↩
- 13SANParksBoulders Penguin Colony brochure↩
- 14↩
- 15↩
- 16Cape Town TourismFun Things to do in Simon's Town↩
- 17↩
- 18CapeNatureStony Point Nature Reserve↩
- 19CapeNatureStony Point Nature Reserve↩
- 20↩
- 21↩
- 22↩
- 23↩
- 24↩
- 25↩
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