9 free things to do in Cape Town

The best things in life may well be free in nature-immersed Cape Town.

Here, hiking trails crisscross Table Mountain and locals hit the beach before work. The weak rand helps foreign visitors enjoy South Africa’s legendary food and wine at low cost, but the 370-year-old city’s diverse neighborhoods can keep you enthralled without costing a cent. Here are the best free experiences in Cape Town.

1. Climb Table Mountain

Hiking the trails of varying difficulty on Table Mountain is not only free but a Capetonian rite of passage with sweeping views at the top. The most popular route is Platteklip Gorge, which plows straight up the mountain’s front face, with the option of catching the revolving cable car back down.

From Kloof Nek, the Pipe Track contour path leads towards the buttresses of the Twelve Apostles, with Lion’s Head and Camps Bay Beach on your right. In the same area, Kloof Corner offers a relatively gentle climb, linking with the contour trail along the front face to the lower cable car station of Platteklip Gorge. Alternatively, climb from the mountain’s Camps Bay side via Kasteelpoort, from Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden via Skeleton Gorge or Nursery Ravine, or combine the two sides by crossing the tabletop plateau in the middle. You can also walk (or drive) along the adjoining flat-topped Signal Hill (aka Lion’s Rump), passing a kramat en route to a viewpoint overlooking the Atlantic suburbs.

Planning tip: Time your visit with a full moon to strap on a headlamp and follow nocturnal locals up Lion’s Head, when a chain of torchlight snakes up the leonine outcrop.

2. Wander the V&A Waterfront

This historic working harbor has a spectacular setting and many tourist-oriented attractions, including shops, restaurants, bars, cinemas and cruises. A pedestrian swing bridge opens for tugs, fishing boats and various other vessels to pass between the 19th-century Victoria and Alfred Basins – named after Queen Victoria and her son Alfred. Discover the pedestrianized area’s maritime and military history on a walking tour, or just wander to the beat of buskers, checking out The Watershed craft market and Nobel Square’s statues of Nelson Mandela and other South African Nobel Prize winners.

3. Soak up culture and history on a city center stroll

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