Cultural Cape Town Tour Including Langa and Khayelitsha Townships and Bo-Kaap

Choose from a morning or afternoon departure, and then meet your guide and air-conditioned coach at your central Cape Town hotel and travel to Bo-Kaap on Signal Hill. Also known as the Malay Quarter, the neighborhood is steeped in history, being largely a community of Malay slaves' descendants.

Gaze out at the eye-catching Cape Malay architecture and listen to your guide’s commentary as the most interesting examples are pointed out for you. Snap photos of the area’s brightly colored houses and pass by aromatic spice shops and cafes serving traditional cuisine.

Continue to Langa, the Mother City’s oldest and largest township. Explore the settlement with your guide and discover how the lively community — which was established pre-apartheid — is suffused with the history and culture of the Xhosa people, one of the largest cultural groups in South Africa. If your tour takes place on a Sunday, you’ll also attend a service at a local church.

Next, travel to Gugulethu, originally established to house migrant workers from the agrarian Transkei region in the Eastern Cape province. Witness examples of poverty and development alike, including shanty towns, guesthouses, restaurants and jazz clubs. Then, visit a local shop to watch some of the community’s artists and craftspeople at work.

Finally, make for Khayalitsha on the Cape Flats. Meaning ‘new home’ in Xhosa, Khayelitsha is South Africa’s largest township. Pass by houses of brick and mortar, as well as the unsettling sight of makeshift shacks, and learn how the fast-growing township is focused firmly on the future. Then, visit a center where locals are taught skills such as weaving before setting off on a walking tour with a local guide. You’ll also visit your guide’s shack for an up-close look at living conditions in the township.

After roughly 3.5 hours, you tour concludes with a drop-off at your hotel in Cape Town.

Please note: A minimum of two people per booking is required.