Cape Town · Plan your visit
Getting Around Cape Town
How to get from the airport, what works in the city, and when a guided ride is worth it.
Cape Town doesn't have the integrated public transport network you'd find in a European city, so most visitors end up using a mix of options depending on the day. Uber and Bolt cover the city well, the new MyCiTi bus has some useful routes, and a rental car gives you the most freedom — though it comes with a few South African quirks worth knowing about. Here's an honest overview.
Uber, Bolt, and city buses
For getting around the city itself, Uber and Bolt both work reliably across Cape Town and the surrounding suburbs. They're the easiest option for most short trips — airport transfers, getting to dinner, beach days. Prices are very reasonable by European or US standards.
MyCiTi, Cape Town's modern bus service, runs on dedicated routes through the central city, the Atlantic Seaboard, and the airport. It's clean, safe, and inexpensive — useful if you're staying in a neighbourhood it serves.
For getting a feel of the city in a half-day, the Hop-on Hop-off buses run set tourist routes during daylight hours and are a reliable way to combine sightseeing with transport.
Minibus taxis are part of South Africa's informal transport network — privately operated minibuses that pick up passengers along set routes. They're how many South Africans commute every day, but they're often overcrowded, drive erratically, and are not recommended for visitors unfamiliar with the system, or with the routes.
Renting a car in Cape Town
Renting a car gives you flexibility — and for travellers wanting to do day trips beyond the city, it's often the best option. A few things to know:
- You drive on the left, the same as the UK, Australia, or Japan. If you're not used to it, give yourself a quiet morning to adjust before tackling Chapman's Peak Drive.
- Roads are generally excellent — well surfaced and clearly signed. South Africa's road network is one of the best on the continent.
- Other drivers are unpredictable.
- You'll encounter unlit vehicles after dark, abrupt stops, lane changes without signalling, and pedestrians stepping into the road. Drive defensively and assume the unexpected.
- One-way rentals are possible — for example, picking up at Cape Town Airport and dropping off in Johannesburg. Rental companies charge a fee, and not all of them offer it. Worth asking when you book.
- Book in advance, especially over the December–January peak season when affordable car types sell out early.
- Bring your international driving licence.
TRAVELLING WITH US
When a guided ride is worth it
For days when you're heading out of the city — Cape Point, Hermanus, the Winelands — a guided trip with us is often easier than driving yourself. You skip the parking, the route-finding, the wrong turns through neighbourhoods you'd rather not be in, and the worry about leaving valuables in a parked car.
It also means someone who knows where to stop, where to eat, and where the photo is actually best is doing the planning for you.
Airport transfers are the other one worth flagging.
Arriving in a new country at the end of a long flight isn't the moment to be wrestling with car rental paperwork, queuing for a taxi, or figuring out an unfamiliar Uber app. We can pick you up at Cape Town International with a name sign at arrivals, drive you straight to your hotel, and answer the inevitable first-day questions on the way. Same for the trip back to the airport at the end of your stay.
