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Hop on hop off Cape Town Table Mountain: the Waterfront stops

Answer in brief

The hop on hop off red line starts outside the aquarium at the V&A Waterfront and reaches the Table Mountain cableway's lower station, where tickets are sold separately.

Waterfront stops

  • Zeitz MOCAA costs R350 for adults2
  • The aquarium opens 09h30 to 18h009
  • The cableway may close in bad weather4

3 options compared

What the options cost your group

Type your party size and compare the tickets side by side

2 people
  1. Day ticketCruise option · for each guest from $32

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    View
  2. Cable car comboBus plus mountain · for each guest from $61

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  3. Walking tourCity highlights · for each guest from $39

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    View

Converted at the ECB reference rate, from-prices as listed by GetYourGuide. The precise amount is shown when you book.

The red line begins at the harbor and climbs to the cableway. This page walks the stops in that corner, with hours, fees and the weather rules that decide your mountain day.

Editorial team, capetownhoponhopoff.click · Updated November 7, 2026 · A 6 min read

Main facts

  • The startStop 1 is outside the Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront.1
  • The art stopZeitz MOCAA costs R350 for adults, and under 18s enter free.2
  • The mountainThe red line stops at the cableway's lower station, and tickets are separate.3
  • WeatherThe cableway may close in bad weather.4
  • BookingThis site's ticket is listed from $32.

Where the red line starts

The red line begins at the harbor. In the 2026/2027 timetable, stop 1 is the operator's ticket office outside the Two Oceans Aquarium, stop 2 is at the V&A Waterfront outside Zeitz MOCAA, and stop 3 is at the CTICC on Walter Sisulu Avenue.1 The operator's family article puts V&A Battery Park at stops 2 or 3.5 Those three stops sit in one compact area, which makes the Waterfront a good place to start a day.

Ticket offices matter here. The operator lists its offices at the V&A Waterfront, outside the Aquarium, and at 81 Long Street, and says you can also buy from the driver, with card payments preferred.6 The operator recommends the Waterfront and Long Street terminals for ticketing and information.7

If the red bus at the Waterfront is the end of your loop, remember that the red tour takes about 90 minutes without getting off.8 A hop-on hop-off day around the harbor means choosing what to stop for, rather than seeing everything. Decide the night before which two stops matter most, write their stop numbers on your phone and treat the rest as a bonus.

The stops compared

Waterfront and mountain stops side by side

StopWhereHoursCost
AquariumStop 1109h30 to 18h009Check the aquarium's site
Zeitz MOCAAStop 2110 am to 6 pm10R350 adult2
CTICCStop 31Not statedNot stated
CablewayStop 71Varies by season17Sold separately3

Fees are the venues' own and may change.

The aquarium stop

The Two Oceans Aquarium is open from 09h30 to 18h00, 7 days a week, and it is open 365 days a year.9,12 That makes it a reliable rainy-day stop, and the daily opening means no day-of-week planning.

The aquarium describes itself as home to more than 8 000 animals from South Africa's oceans.13 Its visitor page lists wheelchair-friendly flooring, parking bays for wheelchair users, first-aid assistance and nappy changing facilities on site.14 Families with small children will find that list reassuring.

The operator's article names the aquarium as Stop 1, and the harbor cruise leaves from the same stop.15,16 You can pair a morning with the animals and a boat ride without moving the bus ticket. Check the aquarium's own site for the price on the day, as this guide quotes no entry fee.

What the tickets start at

Cape Town ticket prices, from prices in dollars

  • Sunset bus17
  • Day ticket32
  • Wine bus ticket33
  • Walking tour39.26
  • Cable car combo61

All five are from prices as the listings state them.

Zeitz MOCAA and the museum stop

Stop 2 is outside Zeitz MOCAA, a museum that describes itself as the world's largest museum dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora.19,1 It is open Monday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm, with last entry at 5:30 pm.10 Adults pay R350, and under 18s enter free.2

The museum offers free daily 1-hour tours, Monday through Friday at 12:30 PM.11 Strollers are welcome but must be parked in designated areas during specific exhibitions.20 For a family with a child, the free under 18 entry is a real saving against an adult's price.2

A visit fits between two buses. Allow time for the building and a tour, and keep the last entry in mind when you check the clock.10 If you have limited hours, choose the art or the animals. Doing both leaves little time for the mountain.

Match your day

Which stop first?

Pick the line that sounds like you and read the answer

  • If The sky is clear

    Go up the mountain first

    The cableway may close in bad weather.4

  • If It is raining

    Start at the aquarium

    It is open 365 days a year.12

  • If I like art

    Stop at Zeitz MOCAA

    Under 18s enter free and adults pay R350.2

  • If I bring children

    Aquarium, then the museum

    The aquarium lists nappy changing facilities.14

  • If I am unsure of the weather

    Buy the combo

    The unused part can be redeemed within 14 days.18

Pick your stop

Aquarium, art or mountain

Under 18s free

Art museum

Stop 2

  • Hours10 am to 6 pm
  • AdultsR350
  • ToursFree weekday tour
See the day ticket

Weather first

Cableway

Stop 7

  • TicketSold separately
  • Combo14 days
  • ClosureBad weather
See the day ticket

Up to the cableway

Stop 7 is the lower cableway station on the red line.1 The operator says the red route stops there, and that cableway tickets are purchased separately from the bus ticket.3 The operator's combo ticket covers both, and if either portion is used, the other can be redeemed within 14 days.18 With the combo you get off at the Table Mountain stop and show the ticket at the Lower Cable Station to redeem the cableway pass.23

That 14-day window is the weather valve.18 The operator warns that the cableway may close during bad weather, and that its operating hours vary with the season and the conditions.4,17 The operator's timetable adds that the dates of the annual maintenance closure will be advised in May 2027.21

The mountain itself changes fast. The Kirstenbosch safety page says that in summer clouds can descend on the top of Table Mountain, blanketing it in mist with no warning, and that the wind can gust and blow very strongly.24,22 Look at the mountain from the Waterfront before you commit to the stop, and use the combo's flexibility if it is clouded over.

A harbor day

From the first bus to the mountain

  1. 09h30

    Aquarium opens

    The doors open at 09h30 every day.9

  2. 10 am

    Zeitz MOCAA opens

    The museum opens at 10 am.10

  3. 12:30 PM

    Free museum tour

    The 1-hour tour runs on weekdays.11

  4. Midday

    Red bus to the cableway

    Stop 7 is the lower cableway station.1

  5. 5:30 pm

    Last museum entry

    Last entry is at 5:30 pm.10

  6. 18h00

    Aquarium closes

    It closes at 18h00.9

Boats and walks around the harbor

The operator places the Waterfront Harbour Cruise at Stop 1.16 Premium tickets, valid for 2 consecutive days, include the sunset bus and a cruise, while Deluxe tickets cover 3 consecutive days with 2 cruises.25 This site's own ticket lists an optional cruise.

The operator's combo also includes complimentary guided walking tours in central Cape Town.26 One of them is a Bo-Kaap cultural walking tour.27 Pair the Waterfront day with a walking morning in the city centre on another day of the ticket.

Walk-up buying is possible, but the operator says online booking gives the best price.6 The refund rules are plain as well: online vouchers are valid for 14 days from the travel date, and a refund carries a R20 fee when requested at least 24 hours before the tour.28

Video

Guide to the Cape Town cable car and Table Mountain

We Live in Cape Town on YouTube · Nothing is fetched until you hit play.

The Red Route stops at the cableway’s lower station, but cableway tickets are purchased separately.
City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site)3

Before you go

What to check and what to carry

Check first4

  • The cableway status on the day4
  • Combo or separate cableway ticket3
  • Museum last entry at 5:30 pm10
  • Maintenance closure notice for May 202721

Bring along4

  • A windproof layer for the mountain22
  • Water for a long day
  • A stroller plan for the museum20
  • A card for walk-up tickets6

Putting a Waterfront day together

Start at the Waterfront with the aquarium or the museum, which both open by 10 am at the latest.9,10 For the Table Mountain cable car with the hop-on hop-off bus tour, take a red bus toward the mountain in the middle of the day, check the cableway weather from the station and decide on the spot.4

The listing for this site says buses run from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with earlier and later runs in summer, and leave every 15 or 30 minutes depending on the season. Cableway queues are the main wild card. Give the mountain a flexible window and not a fixed slot.

Prices for the tickets you may need are listed below. This site's ticket is from $32, the cable car combo from $61 and the walking tour from $39. All are from prices, not quotes.

Reading the timetable around the Waterfront

The operator's one-day bus ticket is listed at R375 for an adult and R225 for a child, and it is valid for one calendar day during operating hours.29,30 Children aged 0 to 3 ride free with an adult, and children aged 4 to 17 pay the child rate.31 These are the operator's own prices in rand, shown beside the dollar from price of the listing for this site.

Watch the dates. The timetable says that on 14 March 2027 the Cycle Tour affects the routes, and so does the Marathon on 23 May 2027.32 The operator adds that its tours run every day of the year except during certain major events.33 If your trip crosses one of those dates, ask the ticket office at the aquarium stop before you plan the loop.

Evening plans start from the same corner. The sunset bus leaves from Stop 1 at the V&A Waterfront only, and the timetable says that on 19 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 and on 14 March 2027 it goes to Blouberg and not up Signal Hill.34,35 Check which version your date gets before you build a dinner around it.

FAQ

Questions answered quickly.

Where is stop 1 of the red line?
Outside the aquarium.

It is the operator's ticket office outside the Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront.1

Does the bus ticket include the cableway?
No.

Cableway tickets are purchased separately unless you buy the combo.3

How long does a combo ticket stay valid?
14 days.

If either portion is used, the other can be redeemed within 14 days.18

What if the cableway is closed?
Use the window.

The cableway may close during bad weather, so the 14-day window helps.4,18

When is the aquarium open?
09h30 to 18h00.

It is open 7 days a week and 365 days a year.9,12

How much is Zeitz MOCAA?
R350 for adults.

Under 18s enter free.2

Can I take a stroller into the museum?
Yes, with limits.

Strollers must be parked in designated areas during specific exhibitions.20

Where does the harbor cruise leave?
From stop 1.

The operator places the Waterfront Harbour Cruise at Stop 1.16

Sources

  1. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Cape Town timetable 2026/2027 (PDF) ↩
  2. Zeitz MOCAA (official site) · Plan your visit ↩
  3. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Cape Town Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour ↩
  4. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Bus and Table Mountain Cableway ticket ↩
  5. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Family planning article ↩
  6. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · FAQ Help Centre, Cape Town ↩
  7. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · FAQ Help Centre, Cape Town ↩
  8. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · FAQ Help Centre, Cape Town ↩
  9. Two Oceans Aquarium (official site) · Visit us ↩
  10. Zeitz MOCAA (official site) · Plan your visit ↩
  11. Zeitz MOCAA (official site) · Plan your visit ↩
  12. Two Oceans Aquarium (official site) · Visit us ↩
  13. Two Oceans Aquarium (official site) · Visit us ↩
  14. Two Oceans Aquarium (official site) · Visit us ↩
  15. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Family planning article ↩
  16. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Blue Route Discovery Pass ↩
  17. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Bus and Table Mountain Cableway ticket ↩
  18. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Bus and Table Mountain Cableway ticket ↩
  19. Zeitz MOCAA (official site) · Plan your visit ↩
  20. Zeitz MOCAA (official site) · Plan your visit ↩
  21. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Cape Town timetable 2026/2027 (PDF) ↩
  22. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Safety on the Mountain ↩
  23. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Bus and Table Mountain Cableway ticket ↩
  24. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Safety on the Mountain ↩
  25. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · FAQ Help Centre, Cape Town ↩
  26. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Bus and Table Mountain Cableway ticket ↩
  27. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Bus and Table Mountain Cableway ticket ↩
  28. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · FAQ Help Centre, Cape Town ↩
  29. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Cape Town Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour ↩
  30. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Cape Town Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour ↩
  31. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · FAQ Help Centre, Cape Town ↩
  32. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Cape Town timetable 2026/2027 (PDF) ↩
  33. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · FAQ Help Centre, Cape Town ↩
  34. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Sunset Bus Experience ↩
  35. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Cape Town timetable 2026/2027 (PDF) ↩

Related guides

More stops, plans and questions

GuideThe red bus stops in orderGuideCamps Bay stopGuideKirstenbosch stopGuideBo-Kaap and city centre stops

Last call for the bus

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