Celebrate long weekends in Cape Town

March 2021

We all love a long weekend, don’t we?  We wanted to provide you with some ideas for you to enjoy the upcoming weekend.

First and foremost, the easiest way to get around the city is with City Sightseeing famous Red Open Top double-decker bus.  We travel across the peninsula and Winelands, with over 30 stops across 3 different routes, you'll have plenty of opportunities to hop off the bus and explore the Cape Town landmarks and attractions that appeal to you the most.  All of the below suggestions are located along our routes.  So let our expert drivers take you around the city this weekend.

If you are wanting to experience history and culture, we recommend the following museums:

Hop-off at Stop 5 in Long Street and take a short walk to The Iziko Slave Lodge. Built in 1679 this is the second oldest existing colonial structure of the Cape Colony.  This building was originally used as a slave lodge, until 1811 when it was then changed to government offices for the British colonial authorities.  In 1998 this building was renamed the Slave Lodge, under the theme of ‘from human wrongs to human rights”. On the lower level, you can explore the long history of slavery in South Africa at their ever-changing and temporary exhibitions, where the museum addresses issues around human rights awareness. The upper galleries of the Iziko Slave Lodge showcase older display exhibitions of which some highlights are ceramics, silverware and Egyptology collections amongst others.

Iziko Slave Lodge Artifacts

If you’re looking to browse through great markets, we recommend the following ones to support:

Firstly, based at the Waterfront (Stop 1) a must-visit is the Oranjezicht City Farm Market at Granger Bay, located next to the Lookout Venue.  This market is associated with the Oranjezicht city farm, a community educational food garden in Oranjezicht.  The garden farm itself is open daily.  This was started as an educational non-profit project in Cape Town, celebrating local food, culture and community through urban agriculture. The market is open Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am – 2 pm.  The markets focus is on local, fresh, seasonal, healthy vegetables, fruit, herbs and other primary food items (honey, olive oil, eggs, bread, meats, etc.), as well as seeds, seedlings, plants, and other nursery-related items, with a small amount of hand-made food and drink on offer. So, stop in to get your fresh produce to stock up for the long weekend.

Farmers Market

Or if you are looking for a day outside of the city, take our Scenic Route Safari and stop off in Hout Bay (Stop 24).  Enjoy a leisurely lunch, craft beer and live music at the Hout Bay Harbour Market.  A market where the creative energy and the vibrancy of Cape Town come alive in an authentic fish factory in a working harbour.  Browse the many vendors, selling arts, crafts, jewellery and fashion, or enjoy lunch from one of the many stalls, accompanied by local craft beer or a delicious South Africa wine. On Sunday 21 March you can enjoy the vibes of the local jazz band, Oceans Riff.  This Capetonian band plays house funk, jazz and reggae highlighting music from the early '80s and '90s.

Fun with friends at Bay Harbour Market  - Image via CapeTown Travel

If you are looking for something to do in the evening, we definitely recommend a sunset cruise from the V&A Waterfront:

The trendiest new summer sunset cruise is brought to you in partnership with Yacoob yachts and Tigresse Sailing Catamaran.  This cruise offers a fantastic weekly event consisting of great house music and delicious cocktails. The cruise is 90-minutes heading out of the V&A Waterfront towards the beautiful beaches of Clifton.  Your ticket price includes two complimentary cocktails as well as amazing music. This is one not to be missed.

Tigresse Catamaran - Image via CapeTown Travel

Enjoy the long weekend with your friends and family. For more information on our budget-saving specials, visit our website or browse our Facebook page.