Hop on hop off Cape Town Bo-Kaap and the city centre stops

The downtown end of the red line is Long Street. In the 2026/2027 timetable, stop 5 is the operator's tour office at 81 Long Street, next to stop 3 at the CTICC and stop 7 at the lower cableway station.¹ The operator lists 81 Long Street as one of its ticket offices and recommends it, with the Waterfront, for ticketing and information.^6,7 If you want the hop-on hop-off bus from the city centre, this is the place.

Your ticket does not tie you to the harbor. The operator says you can hop on at any official stop, and that the ticket is valid for one calendar day, or 2 consecutive days on a Premium ticket.^7,8,9 The listing for this site shows its ticket as valid for 2 days. That gives you room to give the old town a morning of its own.

The red city tour takes about 90 minutes without getting off.¹⁰ The stops covered here are close together on foot, and the bus is less useful for hopping between them than for reaching the district from the Waterfront or the mountain. Use it to arrive, then walk.

The District Six Museum is open 09h00 to 16h00, Monday to Saturday, and bookings are essential via Quicket.³ Book before you plan the rest of the day.³

The museum's own history page is plain about what happened. On 11 February 1966 District Six was declared a white area under the Group Areas Act of 1950.²³ More than 60 000 people were forcibly removed to the Cape Flats, and their houses were flattened by bulldozers.²⁴

That context shapes how to visit. This is a memorial museum and not a photo stop, and it works best when you give it unhurried time and listen to what the displays and guides tell you. A sensible plan books the morning slot and keeps the afternoon for the Castle and the Company's Garden.

The Iziko South African Museum was founded in 1825 and is situated in the historic Company's Gardens.¹¹ The garden is the green spine of the old town, with the museums along its edge, and it is where a tired walker can sit down between the Castle and the Bo-Kaap climb.

The Iziko Slave Lodge stands at the corner of Adderley and Wale Streets, and its lower-level exhibitions explore the long history of slavery in South Africa.^35,36 It pairs well with a Bo-Kaap visit.

Greenmarket Square lies among these streets as the open square at the heart of the old town. This guide quotes no hours or fees for it. Use it as a lunch break between museums, before you head back to a bus stop.

The operator's ticket includes a guided walking tour, and its combo ticket adds complimentary guided walking tours in central Cape Town, among them a Bo-Kaap cultural walk.^39,40,19 If you ride the bus to the district, join a guided walk and let the guide choose the route up the hill. The operator lists a guided walking tour as part of its ticket, so ask at the ticket office where it meets.³⁹

There is a paid alternative as well. A listing for a 2-hour Bo-Kaap and city highlights walking tour is wheelchair accessible, comes with a tour guide and starts from $39, with 321 reviews averaging 4.8. It is a different product from this site's bus ticket, and the two are worth comparing before you buy.

Premium tickets last 2 consecutive days and include the sunset bus and a cruise.⁹ The Historical Inner City and Bo-Kaap Bus Tour is free with the 1-day Premium Combo, and runs 1 hour on the bus with a guide plus a 30-minute walk.²⁰ Read the operator's terms for the one that suits your dates.