Three bus routes on one ticket
Hop-on hop-off bus tour of Cape Town with an optional cruise
★ 4.8 · 4,231 guest ratings
- Price fromfrom $32
- LengthNot stated
- Free cancellationIncluded
Your booking starts here
Pick the day. Check the cost.
Set your date and group size and the total follows along; the next page then shows the live price and what is still open.
- Free cancellation, up to 24 hrs prior
- Reserve now and pay later
- Typically full 6 days ahead
Before you go
Covered, to bring, left out
Included4
- A hop-on hop-off ticket you can use at the stops on the red, blue and purple routes
- Audio commentary in 15 languages, with a kids' channel
- A listing marked wheelchair accessible
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Bring3
- Sunscreen and a hat for the open top deck
- A windproof layer for the upper deck and the coast
- Your booking confirmation
Not offered1
- Table Mountain cable car tickets, which the operator sells separately
4,231reviews
reviews on GetYourGuide, mean 4.7
15languages
of audio commentary on the bus
30plus stops
to hop on and off across the city
363days a year
the red buses run in Cape Town
Weigh options
Four ways to ride the red bus in Cape Town
Bus plus the Table Mountain cable car
Cape Town: Table Mountain Cable Car, Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
★ 4.6 · 3,465 guest ratings
- Price fromfrom $61
- Length1 day
- Free cancellationIncluded
Signal Hill at sunset
Cape Town: Sunset Bus Tour with Picnic on Signal Hill
★ 4.3 · 69 guest ratings
- Price fromfrom $17
- Length3 hrs
- Free cancellationIncluded
Hop-on bus with a wine tasting
Cape Town: Hop-On Bus & Wine Tasting at Groot Constantia
★ 4.5 · 78 guest ratings
- Price fromfrom $33
- LengthNot stated
- Free cancellationIncluded
A guide to the columns
Our choice beside the bus-and-cable-car combo, the sunset bus and the bus with a wine tasting, each priced live.
These are per-person from-prices, current on GetYourGuide.
Feedback
Guests share their view
4.7
★★★★★4,231 verified guests
A quick way to take in a lot of the city, with friendly staff and an audio guide that held my interest the whole way round.
LindaJune 2026, as a couple
The ticket let me explore Cape Town at my own pace, and that freedom to go where I liked was the part I enjoyed most.
BrianJune 2026, traveling solo
The blue line that loops behind Table Mountain was the highlight for us, and I would happily point other visitors toward it.
BonganiMay 2026, as a couple
Both lines reach every sight we wanted, the drivers were kind and helpful, the buses arrived on time and clean, and the voice guide was interesting.
IwonaMay 2026, with friends
Several routes and frequent buses made the main sights easy to reach, with clear signs at the connections. We rode all three lines and enjoyed the boat ride too.
NadineMay 2026, as a couple
The driver spotted dolphins and pointed them out to us, which turned a routine ride into something we still talk about.
PaulApril 2026, as a couple
the day in brief
What a day on the red bus actually involves
The ticket on this site is the GetYourGuide listing for the Cape Town hop-on hop-off bus, and its record shows a red line tour of about 1.5 hours, a blue line tour of 2 hours and a purple line tour of 30 minutes. The operator runs open-top double-decker red buses that you can hop on and off at over 30 stops, which makes a red bus tour in Cape Town a loop you can ride once, then use as a menu of places to get off.
Buses run from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM according to the record, with earlier and later runs in the summer, and they depart every 15 or 30 minutes depending on the season. You board at any official stop, and the operator suggests the V&A Waterfront and 81 Long Street as the places to get information and tickets.
The price starts from $32, and free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before for a full refund. The pages of this guide go deeper on every stop, the ticket rules, the sunset bus, children, access and the other ways of getting around. Prices and dates stay live on the booking panel further down.
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Mountain, beaches and a red top deck
Photos from Cape Town bus and city tours
three routes
Red, blue and purple share one ticket
Every ticket type covers all three routes, which the operator names the Red City Tour, the Blue Mini Peninsula Tour and the Purple Wine Tour. The red line is the city and the coast, the blue line goes around the back of Table Mountain, and the purple line is a short hop to Groot Constantia that you join at the change point.
The operator gives the three tours as about 90, 140 and 30 minutes, though its 2026/2027 timetable lists the blue line at 2,5 hrs, so the sources disagree on the long loop. If you only have a morning, the red line is the one to ride first. The change from blue to purple happens at stop 21, Constantia Nek.
All the buses are red, whichever route they run. A digital destination sign at the front and at the entrance shows Red, Blue or Purple, and reading it before you board is the habit that saves the most time. Our stop-by-stop page for the red line lists what is at each stop and when the first bus arrives.
Grab a spot, cancel for freeWeather guide
Heat and rain in Cape Town by month
Highs, lows and wet days from the NOAA station at Cape Town International, 17 km away; day lengths are our sums.
Select a month for its temperatures and rain.
Usual daily maximumEach dot shows 20 mm of rainNOAA 1971 to 2020 + 1991 - 2020 · Station Cape Town International Airport
the mountain
Table Mountain and the weather
The red line stops at the lower station of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, and the bus ticket does not include cableway admission. The Cableway says bad weather days are always risky for the cable car, and that it cannot guarantee it will be open. That is the one stop on the line the weather can take away.
A combined ticket for the cable car and the hop-on hop-off bus is sold as a GetYourGuide listing from $61, valid for 14 days so that the mountain can wait for a clear day. It is not refundable once either part has been used, which is worth remembering before you redeem the bus half on a cloudy morning.
South African Tourism notes that the Western Cape has winter rainfall, in contrast to the rest of the country, so the cooler months are the wetter ones. The climate chart further down shows temperature and rain by month from the nearest weather station. Cloud on the mountain does not stop the bus, so you can still ride the loop and return to the cableway on the next day.
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Your day on the bus
Choose a date and ride the red line.
Pick a day in Cape Town and book knowing that free cancellation runs until 24 hours before.
tickets
Where to buy, and how long a ticket lasts
The operator sells tickets online, at its offices outside the Two Oceans Aquarium and on Long Street, and on the bus, where card payment is preferred. It says the best price is always on its own site and that you board with a barcode instead of queuing. The ticket on this site is a GetYourGuide listing, and it is the one the booking panel below sells.
Validity needs care. The listing's record shows the ticket as valid for 2 days, while the operator describes a Classic ticket as 1 day, valid by calendar day and not by 24 hours. Read the confirmation you receive, because it states the terms that apply to your booking, and plan the days to fit. If the confirmation and this guide ever differ, the confirmation is the one to follow.
Bus tickets do not include attraction entries, and cableway admission is bought separately. Children up to age 3 ride free with an adult, children aged 4 to 17 pay the child rate, and adults pay the standard fare. The how-it-works page of this guide explains the whole system for a first ride. It also explains the extras, such as what a combo ticket adds and how the cruises fit in.
Grab a spot, cancel for freeBy the stars
Judged by 4,231 guests
4.7
Excellent★★★★★
- 5-star ratings100%
- 4-star ratings0%
- 3-star ratings0%
- 2-star ratings0%
- 1-star ratings0%
Each bar is based on the 10 newest reviews in our dataset, and GetYourGuide orders by best first. The score for all 4,231 reviews together is 4.7.
Look through open dates
from $32 · cancellation costs nothing
Confirmed immediately · via the booking site
the stops
The stops worth getting off at
The red line starts at the Two Oceans Aquarium, calls at the Clocktower, the Convention Centre and Long Street, then climbs to the Table Mountain cableway before dropping to Camps Bay and following the Sea Point front to Green Point. The operator suggests 2 hours at the cableway, 1 hour at Camps Bay and 1 hour each at the Clocktower and Long Street.
The blue line adds Kirstenbosch, Constantia Nek and Hout Bay, and the operator's route page lists 11 stops on it. Each of these has its own page on this site, written for the person deciding whether it earns a place in a limited day. Some stops reward a quick look and a long lunch more than a long visit.
A day on the red line is easier if you choose a short list in advance and let the bus do the rest. Pick the mountain if the sky is clear, the beach if it is warm, the city if it is not. The timetable shows the first red bus leaving the Aquarium at 08H00 or 08H30, and the last at 16H45 or 17H15. Treat those times as the edges of the day, and fit your stops between them.
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FAQ
Questions?Answered.
Where do the red buses start?
At the Waterfront or Long Street.
The ticket offices are outside the Two Oceans Aquarium and at 81 Long Street, and you may board at any official stop.
How many routes are there and how long are they?
Red, blue and purple lines.
The operator gives about 90, 140 and 30 minutes, and every ticket type covers all routes.
What does the ticket on this site cost?
It starts from $32.
The GetYourGuide listing allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before and holds 4,231 reviews averaging 4.7.
Is the ticket valid for one day or two?
The listing says 2 days.
The record shows 2 days, while the operator's Classic ticket runs 1 calendar day, so read your confirmation.
Does the ticket include the Table Mountain cable car?
No, that is separate.
The Red route stops at the lower station, but cableway tickets are bought separately.
Are there audio guides in other languages?
Yes, in 15 languages.
They include English, German, French, Spanish, Mandarin and Zulu, with a kids' channel and free headphones.
Is the bus wheelchair accessible?
The listing says yes.
The record carries a wheelchair accessible label, and the operator's support line can confirm the details.
When do the buses run?
Daily, 363 days a year.
They close for the Cycle Race and the Cape Town Marathon, and the record gives 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, earlier and later in summer.
Can I buy a ticket from the driver?
Yes, with a card preferred.
The operator also says the best price is on its own site, where you board with a barcode.
What if it rains or the mountain is in cloud?
The cableway may close.
The Cableway cannot guarantee it will be open in bad weather, and the bus and cable car combo is valid for 14 days.
other transport
The bus beside MyCiTi and Uber
The City Sightseeing bus in Cape Town is a sightseeing ticket, not a transport system, and it is worth knowing what the alternatives cost. The figures below come from each operator's own pages and are rand prices, so they are not converted here. MyCiTi sells a 1-day pass for R130 and needs a myconnect card that costs R40, while the operator lists its own one-day tour at R375 for an adult.
Uber's own Cape Town page says that on average a ride lasting 17 minutes costs R86, and calls the figure indicative, so you should check the app before you confirm a trip. For a group of 4 or fewer with a short ride, a car can be competitive. For a whole day of sights with commentary, the bus is the only one of the three that tells you what you are looking at.
The City of Cape Town advises visitors to use accredited public transport options like e-hailing services, taxis, cabs or buses, and not to walk in deserted or dark areas. Our comparison page sets the three side by side with the rand fares each one publishes, and explains who each suits. Use it as a reference before you decide whether the bus is the right tool for the day you have in mind.
Grab a spot, cancel for free4.7out of 5
The rating behind it
The ticket holds 4,231 reviews averaging 4.7 on GetYourGuide.
The record shows no breakdown by guide, transport or value, so the figure is one overall score for the product rather than a verdict on the weather you will have.
the evening
The sunset bus and the last bus home
An evening bus is a separate product with its own listing. The sunset bus tour with a picnic on Signal Hill is sold as a GetYourGuide listing from $17, and its record describes about 3 hours, a picnic you bring yourself and a warning that traffic on Signal Hill can be heavy. Guests must be back on board just after sunset.
The regular hop-on bus has a last departure. The 2026/2027 timetable shows the last red bus leaving the Aquarium at 16H45 or 17H15, depending on the column. If you plan to eat at Camps Bay and watch the light go, check the last bus for your date, or plan to go home by app, which Uber says it takes requests for around the clock in Cape Town.
The City also tells visitors not to walk in deserted or dark areas and to stay in a group on lit paths or roadways. Treat the evening as a different outing from the day, and choose your return before you choose your table. Our night-tour page goes into the evening service in more detail. Keep the evening plan simple, with one place to be and one way home.
Grab a spot, cancel for freeThe ride in brief
An open top deck.Any official stop.Your own pace.
Our choice is the Cape Town hop-on hop-off bus ticket, which the record lists with a red line of about 1.5 hours, a blue line of 2 hours and a purple line of 30 minutes. The listing offers audio guides in 15 languages, is marked wheelchair accessible and allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before. It starts from $32 and holds 4,231 reviews averaging 4.7 on GetYourGuide.
Cancel for free up to a day beforehand
on the bus
Commentary, languages and the open top deck
The commentary is offered in 15 languages: English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Arabic, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish, with a kids' channel and headphones provided free of charge. The record lists the same languages as audio guides for the listing. Choose yours when you sit down, and bring your own headphones if you prefer them.
An open top bus in Cape Town is a double-decker, so you will see more from the upper deck and feel more of the wind. The operator says to check the route map and the timetable to plan the day, and a look at the forecast is sensible too on a coast where the wind and the cloud can change within the morning. Bring a layer, a hat and sun protection.
The commentary tells you what you are passing, which is the real value of the ticket. It is audio through headphones rather than a live guide on the bus. The operator's ticket does include a guided walking tour, and the free walking tours start at the downtown office on Long Street. Both are optional extras on top of the ride itself, and you can ignore them and simply sit back.
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access
Step-free travel and who to call
The GetYourGuide record marks this listing as wheelchair accessible, and that label is the only access detail it carries. The operator's own pages that we read describe no ramp or wheelchair space, so the sensible step is to call before you book. Its support line is 021 511 6000, open Monday to Sunday, 08h00 to 17h00.
MyCiTi describes boarding bridges on buses serving residential and central city routes, wide gates at all stations and tactile paving, and the Table Mountain Cableway describes ramps and elevators at its lower station. Kirstenbosch says most parts of the garden from the main entrance are accessible by wheelchair.
Our accessibility page sets out what each source confirms, what it leaves out and the questions to ask before you book. Treat any gap as a question to ask, not as a refusal. The live bus tracker and the QR code at each stop also help anyone who needs to time a wait. If you travel with a companion, share the plan and the operator's number with them before the day.
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Our prices are the booking platform's live prices, shown as is, never typed in by us.
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- Free cancellation, up to 24 hrs prior
- Reserve now and pay later
- starts at $32 per person
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with children
Riding with children
Children up to age 3 ride free with an adult, children aged 4 to 17 pay the child rate, and adults pay the standard fare. The operator lists the one-day bus tour at R225 for a child and R375 for an adult. The commentary includes a kids' channel in addition to the 15 languages, which gives younger riders something of their own to listen to.
The upper deck is open to the air, so think about sun, wind and a hat. The route is long enough to need planning for snacks and rests, and a stop with a beach or a garden suits a family better than three museums in a row. The operator suggests 1 hour at Camps Bay for the beach and lunch. A bag with water, snacks and a spare layer makes the difference between a pleasant ride and a short temper.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before makes it easier to book a family day around the forecast. Our children page covers the practical side in detail: when to ride, which stops work, what to bring. Keep a note of the last bus, so the day does not end with tired children and a long wait. Children tire sooner than adults, so build in a long stop around the middle of the day.
Grab a spot, cancel for freewho it suits
Who the red bus suits, and who it does not
The bus suits a first visit to Cape Town, a short stay and anyone who wants the main sights in an order that works, with commentary on the way. The record shows 4,231 reviews averaging 4.7, and the operator says its red buses run 363 days a year. It suits people who would rather hop on and off than plan a route.
It suits you less if you want to go deep on one place. A hike, a long museum visit or a day at the beach is better served by a car, MyCiTi or an app ride, and the red bus then becomes a way to see the rest on another day. It is also not the way to reach Cape Point or the penguins, which the operator sells as a separate day tour.
Be realistic about weather and timing. The cableway can close, the buses stop on a few days a year, and the last bus leaves in the late afternoon. With those limits in mind, the ticket is good value for a first day, and the free cancellation on this listing gives you room to change your mind. Treat it as a sampler of the city rather than a full tour of any one place.
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