Description
Township Tours in Cape Town are a must for anyone wanting to discover the other side of life in Cape Town. These tours take you from the legendary District Six area, to some of Cape Town’s thriving townships such as Langa and Kayalitsha. You will also have the chance to enjoy local delicacies as well as traditional dancing, healers, local schools, charismatic churches, shebeens and many other fascinating things to see and do. The people you meet on your township tour will leave you with a new understanding of the South African ‘ubuntu’, as they share a bit of insight into daily life in the townships of Cape Town.
Some interesting history and facts about townships in the Cape include the following:
The former residential area of District Six is one of the most famous Apartheid areas – once a thriving neighbourhood, the area was abandoned when the Apartheid government conducted forced removals of up to 60, 000 people in the 1970s. The District Six Museum offers a colourful history into the area as it once was, as well as the Apartheid years and the area’s downfall, and is a popular highlight of townships tours in Cape Town.
Khayelitsha is the fastest growing township in the Cape, and is located on the Cape Flats along the N2 highway. The name is Xhosa for ‘New Home’, which was derived during its formation in the Apartheid years. Established in 1985, many residents from District Six and other areas were forcibly removed by the government and relocated to this township. Today, Khayelitsha has around has an estimated population of 406,779 residents.
Langa is another of Cape Town’s thriving townships, and was also formed in the Apartheid days after thousands of residents from other areas were forcibly relocated. The area was named after Langalibalele - a chief and renowned rainmaker who was imprisoned on Robben Island in 1873 for rebelling against the Natal government. One of the highlights on this township tour is a visit to one of the area’s famous charismatic churches – something that is sure to leave you enthralled!
Despite the tragic and often troubled history of Cape Town’s townships and informal settlements, the areas still retain a strong sense of culture, with a vibrant community atmosphere and plenty of food, entertainment and enterprise. Many community arts projects can be found along the townships, with crafts such as beading, weaving, wire goods and fabric making all to be found. The ever-present local shebeens offer another side to life – with South African beer, braais and a strong sense of community to be enjoyed. Township tours are sure to leave you with a better understanding of Cape Town’s history and cultures, making these not to be missed.
Good to know
- Tour departs daily
- Morning departure time: 08:00 – 09:00
- Afternoon departure time: 13:00 – 14:00
Included
- Professional guide
- Pick up and drop off at hotel
- Entrance fees to above mentioned visits
- Earphones to hear the guide clearly
- WiFi on board
Excluded
- Any other additional items of a personal nature
- Gratuities (optional)
Bring
- Sunscreen
- Camera
Wear
- Hat
- Comfortable clothing
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We booked two tours with this company out of Johannesburg. Our guides were Christian and Vincent and they did an outstanding job covering the history of South Africa. Both were very pleasant, met us on time and went out of their way to make us comfortable. I would not hesitate to book with them.
We booked the half day boat eco tour out of Cape Town.
We had a fantastic trip seeing Cape Fur Seals, Dolphins, Penguins, Sun fish and even though it was early in the season we saw Southern Right Whales.
The skipper was great and very knowledgeable.
I would recommend this tour to anyone.
My partner and I booked a half day tour of Johannesburg and Soweto prior to our flight home. We were lucky to be allocated Pascal as our guide. He was brilliant. He had a detailed knowledge of the city and all sites that we visited, as well as being friendly, engaging, punctual and safety conscious. We were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed the tour and would highly recommend.
No issues with these folk. African Eagle offers day Tours on short notice and always do their best to provide amenities not offered by other operators. Passionate owners, personally involved in the business. They also have the largest fleet of vehicles and often carries the overflow work of other companies. Scheduled and private Tours.
What a great tour with Mukie today. Very knowledgeable and professional. Handled himself very well. I will recommend Africa Eagle any time
African eagle is a reliable, terrific company. Thoroughly enjoyed our wine tour. I would highly recommend 👌
One of my best recommendations for anyone traveling to South Africa. Very reliable and safe. Value for money.
While the tour itself was enjoyable the driving was absolutely terrible, rules of the road were not obeyed, and additionally other drivers were put at risk. Just because you are driving a 'taxi', it doesn't mean you have to drive like a taxi ;)
We had a wonderful e-bike winelands day tour and our guide, Langton, was very knowledgeable and friendly. Would definitely do it again.
Extremely unprofessional!!! I booked a chapmans peak Ebike tour. When I arrived at chapmans peak, we found no one waiting for us. When we called we were told to drive to Rhodes Memorial in rondeboch as the start point is there eventhough we emphasised that it was the CHAPMANS PEAK tour. Drove 80+ kms for absolutely nothing. In the end we were told it was all a misunderstanding. If I could give it zero stars I would
Light Cancellation Policy
The guest can cancel free of charge until 24 hours before arrival. The guest will be charged the total price if they cancel in the 24 hours before arrival.
Terms & Conditions
The beauty of Table Mountain, Lions Head and the Atlantic Sea Board coastline from the comfort of our kayaks is unrivalled. Dolphins, seals, penguins, Sunfish and occasionally whales frequent our Cape Town.