Cape Town Central
Cape Town has one of the world's top locations for a major city. Sandwiched neatly between the rolling Atlantic Ocean and the extraordinary flat-topped Table Mountain, central Cape Town is a compact, beautiful city with a rich culture – or rather cultures – and an excellent restaurant and nightlife scene.
Any number of different languages are spoken by its people, including Afrikaans, Zulu and Xhosa, but everyone speaks at least some English and you will find people always happy to help. Access for travellers with disabilities is surprisingly good, and has improved greatly in the last year or two due to preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2010.
If you're a slightly nervous traveller or have a severe disability you may be best off sticking to the most easily accessible areas of Cape Town: the V&A Waterfront, Table Mountain, the Two Oceans Aquarium and the many excellent shopping malls.
If you do venture out to Cape Town's main streets – Long Street, Adderley Street, Kloof Street and the surrounding areas – then be prepared for roaring traffic, crazy drivers, constant roadworks, and bumpy, cluttered pavements with too few dropped kerbs for anyone's liking.
One of the best ways of seeing Cape Town and the surrounding region, particularly if you are short of time, is to take a tour. You can do anything from a hop-on, hop-off city sightseeing bus to a full-blown safari.
Tourist information
There are several tourist information offices around town. The main one, on the corner of Castle/Burg streets, has an internet café as well as the information and booking desks. There are several steps up to the main entrance, but you can enter via the Pinnacle building doors just to the right of the main entrance, and take the lift up to the first floor.
- Name: Cape Town Tourism
- Address: The Pinnacle Building, corner of Castle & Burg Streets, Cape Town
- Tel: +27 21 487 6800
- Web: www.capetown.travel
- Email: info@capetown.travel
- Hours: 8am-9pm daily
- Location: View on Google Maps
There are also helpful information points in the Clocktower Mall on the V&A Waterfront and at the airport.
See also Cape Town Routes Unlimited for information on Cape Town and the Western Cape province. They no longer have an office in Cape Town.
- Name: Cape Town Routes Unlimited
- Tel:+27 21 405 4500
- Web: www.tourismcapetown.co.za
V&A Waterfront
General: The Victoria & Albert Waterfront is one of Cape Town's most picturesque areas, and the place most visitors head to first. It was founded in 1860 by Queen Victoria's son Alfred and is now a busy harbour lined with shops, hotels, restaurants and bars. It's a great, safe place to spend a day or more, and contains some of the best steak and seafood restaurants in Cape Town.
The V&A Waterfront is where you can catch the ferry to Robben Island.
Access: The V&A Waterfront is mostly flat, with a couple of steep ramps here and there and a swing bridge over the harbour entrance. There are a couple of disabled parking bays near the Alfred Mall but your best bet is to park in the V&A Mall underground car park.
You can hire manual wheelchairs from the tourist information office: book in advance on +27 21 408 7600. The wheelchair hire is free, but you will need to leave a 50 rand refundable deposit.
You'll find accessible toilets in the V&A Mall and the Clocktower Mall, both of which have automatic doors, lifts and level entry to shops.
The African Craft Market is all on one level and great for browsing for souvenirs or gifts. It sells exactly what it says on the packet. Pop out the other side to the excellent Two Oceans Aquarium.
The hop-on, hop-off City Sightseeing bus leaves from the kiosk outside the Two Oceans Aquarium and is accessible for wheelchair users.
Contact:
- Name: V&A Waterfront
- Tel: +27 21 408 7600
- Web: www.waterfront.co.za
- Location: View on Google Maps
Table Mountain
General: The quintessential Cape Town experience: a trip up its extraordinary flat-topped mountain in a modern cable car. The car travels up 1086 metres to an excellent modern café restaurant (if slightly on the expensive side).
Access: There are dedicated disabled parking bays outside the lower cable car entrance on Tafelberg Road, as well as space for drop-off and pick-up. Be warned the road gets crowded during peak visitor times. The cable car is accessible for wheelchair users and slow walkers. At the top, there are level and sloping boardwalks to some areas but you won't be able to roam free over the top of the mountain.
Warning: To avoid disappointment, call to check if the cable car is working before setting out. Bad weather or maintenance issues mean that closures are fairly frequent.
Contact:
- Name: Table Mountain National Park
- Address (cable car): Tafelberg Road, Cape Town
- Tel: +27 21 424 8181
- Web: www.tablemountain.net
- Location: View on Google Maps
Robben Island
General: Ferries depart at 9am, 11am, 1pm and 3pm, weather permitting, from Nelson Mandela Gateway, at the V&A Waterfront. The ticket sales office is located at the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town. The standard tour to Robben Island is 3.5 hours long, including the two half-hour ferry rides. In summer, book ahead as tours are usually packed.
Access: Awaiting detailed information.
Contact:
- Name: Robben Island
- Address: Ferries leave from Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
- Tel: +27 21 409 5169
- Web: www.robben-island.org.za
- Location: View on Google Maps
Kirstenbosch Gardens
General: Kirstenbosch boasts that is was the first botanical garden to be established in the world, in 1913. Whether this is true or not, it's a fine place to spend an afternoon or even a day – take a picnic or visit the coffee shop, tea room or posher restaurant if you need a break. You can even buy gourmet picnics from the coffee shop itself. The garden contains only indigenous South African plants and has excellent displays on the various themed areas. There are regular concerts on Sunday afternoons in summer, with a separate ticket.
There are large car parks with marked disabled bays at Gates 1 and 2. You can also get the accessible City Sightseeing Bus direct to the door.
Access: The gardens are big (528 hectares), steep (reaching up to the side of Table Mountain) and rather confusingly laid out, but SANBI have done a good job of making them as accessible as possible. Go to the information point at Gate 1 first of all, where you can pick up a map and get advice on the best places to go.
The main areas, particularly the paths linking the three main entrance gates, are accessible for wheelchair users with good surfaces and ramps, but do take a charged-up wheelchair battery or a strong companion as they can be very steep. Some of the higher paths around the fynbos and protea gardens are hard for anyone with difficulty walking.
You can hire a free wheelchair at any of the entrance gates – there are six available in total so you only need book in advance in peak times. There are disabled toilets at each of the entrance gates and in the conservatory. The coffee shop, restaurant and tea room are all accessible for wheelchair users, as are the two shops at gates 1 and 2. Turnstiles at the three gates have accessible gates right next to them which will be opened by the guard when needed.
The succulents conservatory is accessible: follow the sign to the left and you'll find a ramp up to the plants, via a disabled toilet. Another good garden for wheelchair users is the flattish Sculpture Garden.
If you have an assistance dog, take along a doctor's letter or proof of disability – it will avoid any arguments at the gate. Usually dogs are strictly not allowed in the gardens and some of the guards may have difficulty accepting guide or assistance dogs at first.
Visually impaired visitors should note that signage is good on the main, lower paths, but gets increasingly difficult the higher up the park you go. The map also becomes rather more confusing at this point! There is a Braille Trail and, opposite, a Fragrance Garden designed specially for people with visual impairments.
Contact:
- Name: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
- Address: Rhodes Drive, Newlands, Cape Town
- Tel (info): +27 21 799 8783
- Tel (ticket office): +27 21 799 8782
- Web: www.sanbi.org
- Web (access information): www.sanbi.org
- Location: View on Google Maps
Two Oceans Aquarium
General: The Two Oceans Aquarium is one of the highlights of the V&A Waterfront. Kids will love it especially. It contains over 3,000 sea animals and 300 sea plans from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. It's open every day from 9.30am to 6pm – check the website for feeding times of sharks and other events.
Access: Almost all areas are accessible to wheelchair users. Slow walkers and people who tire easily may wish to take advantage of the manual wheelchairs available from Visitor Services. During busy periods book one in advance on +27 21 418 1970.
Contact:
- Name: Two Oceans Aquarium
- Address: Victoria & Albert Waterfront, Cape Town
- Tel: +27 21 418 3823
- Web: www.aquarium.co.za
- Location: View on Google Maps
Company's Gardens
General: This lovely green spot in the centre of Cape Town was originally a vegetable garden for the Dutch East India Company's sailors. There's a monument to Cecil Rhodes and an old canon as well as a rose garden and tame squirrels and pigeons everywhere. Great for a picnic. The South African Museum and South African National Gallery are both located here and the Slave Lodge is just across the road.
Access: Most paths are level and accessible, although the whole area slopes gently upwards towards the SA Museum. The public toilets in the bottom right-hand corner claim to have a disabled toilet, but go there at your peril - not only is the disabled toilet usually padlocked, but the whole place smells like a sewer. Far better to use the decent disabled toilet in the pleasant cafe-restaurant, located half-way up the slope on the right hand side.
Contact:
- Name: Company's Gardens
- Address: Government Avenue, Cape Town; entrance off Adderley or Queen Victoria Streets
- Location: View on Google Maps
South African National Gallery (Iziko)
General: Located to one side of Company's Gardens. Showcasing a fair spread of South African art as well as the usual suspects. The permanent collection is fairly unexciting, so check out which temporary exhibitions are on before making the trip.
Access: Disabled visitors can park in a designated bay next to the museum. If you're entering from Company's Gardens, you'll find there are steps up to the museum. Head up past the museum on your left, then turn left and left again to approach the museum from the right.
There are several steps up to the main entrance. There is a concrete ramped entrance round the left-hand side of the building. At the top of the concrete ramp is a bell for assistance, but it's best to send a friend into reception first, as the gate is often padlocked.
Once inside, all exhibition rooms are at ground level with no steps. Surfaces are wood. The main toilets are basically equipped for wheelchair users with a single handrail – ask staff if you need to use them.
Contact:
- Name: South African National Gallery
- Address: Government Avenue, Company's Gardens, Cape Town
- Tel: +27 21 467 4660
- Web: www.iziko.org.za/sang
- Location: View on Google Maps
South African Museum (Iziko)
General: Located at the top end of Company's Gardens. A large and moderately interesting natural history museum, with skeletons and stuffed animals in every corner. The centrepiece of the museum is a huge skeleton of a blue whale, with galleries surrounding this over three levels. There are also exhibitions on rock art and the geology around Table Mountain.
Attached to the South African Museum is a planetarium with shows about the night sky. See www.iziko.org.za/planetarium for the current programme.
Access: Disabled visitors can park in the small car park just off Queen Victoria Street. There is a concrete ramp up to the main entrance.
Once inside, almost all areas are accessible on level galleries linked by lift or by sloping ramps with handrails. Surfaces are mostly thin carpet with a few areas of wood. There's a large, well-equipped disabled toilet by the main toilets on the first floor.
There is access and a designated wheelchair space in the planetarium.
Visually impaired visitors should contact the Education Department about visiting the Discovery Room, where there are items to touch and feel.
Contact:
- Name: South African Museum
- Address: 25 Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town
- Tel: +27 21 481 3800
- Web: www.iziko.org.za/sam
- Location: View on Google Maps
District Six Museum
General: Small but touching community museum focussing on the time when District Six, a slum area of Cape Town during the apartheid era, was declared whites-only. 60,000 residents were forced to move out and their homes were demolished. Former residents got together to create the museum using stories and moving photos.
Access: Access is rather difficult, as the building is historic and there are building restrictions. There are four large stone steps up to the main entrance. Send a friend in, and you will be escorted to a level entrance round the back of the building. The ground floor is all level and accessible on wooden floors. There is a makeshift disabled toilet at ground level, and a small café that can be entered via the Horstley Street exhibition room.
The upper level is up a flight of wooden stairs (with handrail). There is a small lift, but it is not currently working and due to lack of funding appears unlikely to be working for quite a while – call to check if unsure.
People with visual impairments should note that the text descriptions are fairly small and wordy.
Contact:
- Name: District Six Museum
- Address: 25a Buitenkant Street, Cape Town
- Tel: +27 21 466 7200
- Web: www.districtsix.co.za
- Location: View on Google Maps
Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)
General: Enormous modern conference and convention centre smack in the middle of town. There are several auditoria and various exhibition spaces, along with a grand ballroom and banqueting facilities suitable for the Queen of Sheba. World-class expos like the Design Indaba have been held here.
The CTICC is also the location of the excellent Marimba restaurant, an African-themed restaurant with a cigar bar and regular live music. Highly recommended!
Access: The whole of the CTICC has been designed to be accessible for wheelchair users and visitors with other disabilities. There are designated drop-off points and disabled parking bays in the underground car parks, plenty of wheelchair-accessible toilets, and Braille buttons in all the lifts.
Marimba restaurant is part-run by a partner of Enabled Online Travel and has been designed with disabled guests in mind.
Contact:
- Name: Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)
- Address: Convention Square, Cape Town
- Tel: +27 21 410 5000
- Web: www.cticc.co.za
- Location: View on Google Maps