Town South Africa

Hout Bay tours & holiday packages

Cape Town's magnet for fresh fish, local art and oceanside relaxation

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Visit this small fishermen's town to enjoy the catch of the day at the harbour, take a cruise around the bay or scour the local markets.

Only 20 kilometres along the Cape Peninsula from Cape Town's centre, Hout Bay is close enough to the city to visit on a day trip, but far enough to get away from it all for a weekend. The town is embraced by mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. At its working harbour, visitors can order fresh fish and chips, calamari or prawns at the restaurants or fast-food outlet at Mariner's Wharf to enjoy while looking out over the ocean.

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Adel Groenewald says

“The drive to Hout Bay is partly why I enjoy going there over weekends. The Hout Bay Harbour market is my favourite spot in town.”

More on Hout Bay holidays

There are many other activities to while away the hours in Hout Bay. Affordable boat cruises go out more than once a day from the harbour to Duiker Island (also known as Seal Island) and back. The Hout Bay Harbour market takes place every Friday and Sunday in a revamped fish factory and vendors sell everything from craft beer and fresh produce to clothes and handcrafts.

The World of Birds is the largest bird sanctuary in the southern hemisphere and guests can meet some of the 3,000 different bird species that live here. The Hout Bay Museum is a great place to learn about the town's origins. Hout Bay also caters for beach-goers. The main beach has soft white sand and the water is calm enough for children to swim in. The Atlantic Ocean is, however, known for being quite cold and pollution issues have occurred in the past.

Hout Bay Map

Hout Bay's location on Google Maps

Frequently Asked Questions about Hout Bay

When is the best time to visit Hell’s Gorongosa National Park?

The best and only time to experience the thriving Gorongosa National Park is during the dry season - which runs from April to November. However, during the rainy season of December to March, the roads are closed due to flooding. Hence the… go there.

When is the best time to visit Namibia?

June to October is the best time to visit Namibia - wildlife viewing in the dry season is the best in all national parks, especially in Etosha National Park. The newborn animals are also born in summer. go there.

When is the best time to travel through Mozambique?

The dry month of June to September is the best time to travel through Mozambique - when the bush has thinned out and the wildlife is concentrated around the waterholes and the rivers. go there.

What types of plugs are used in the Southern and Eastern African countries?

Botswana: Electric plug M 230V and 50Hz Kenya: Electric plug G 240V and 50Hz Malawi: Electrical plug G 230V and 50Hz Mauritius: Electrical plug C & G, 230V and 50Hz Mozambique: Electrical plug C,F,M, 220V and 50Hz Namibia: Electric plug… go there.

What kinds of animals will I see on safari?

Whether you are in the Southern or East Africa you will generally be able to see the big five. The difference really comes in when considering antelope as they are based on your chosen location. go there.

What vaccinations should I get?

This is all dependant on the countries that you will be visitng and due to the status of certain vaccinations changing at times, please consult our experts before getting vaccines. go there.

Is it okay to drink the water?

In some parts of Southern Africa it is safe to drink the tap water, however it is highly recommended to stick to bottled water (mostly supplied) during your trip as even drinkable African water is completely different in taste and… go there.

Reviews on our Hout Bay safaris

I really felt looked after by Megan and her colleagues at Discover Africa since the first point of contact. They really tried to understand our interests before coming up with their proposals, and came up with very useful information and…

Excellent tailor-made family trip to Namibia

from Namibia

I just wanted to thank Discover Africa and Karl Svendsen - the safari was great - we saw many more animals than expected including cheetah, leopard, many lions and even a three-day old elephant calf. Additionally, we had our own hippo…

Margaret Dean

We had the most wonderful time in Tanzania. We left yesterday and miss it already. We saw the big 5 and felt super lucky to see the lions and leopard with their kill. Our guide was also wonderful. Thank YOU for planning our trip of a…

Debbie Wei

We visited Madikwe and Madagascar for our honeymoon in 2014. It was a dream trip that was made possible by Discover Africa. The best part of their service was the ease with which it was handled. Their website is very clear and full of…

Lexi Spheris

from South Africa

I want to once again thank Discover Africa for everything. Mozambique was off-the-hook! We are already planning to go back.

Nthabiseng Mahlase

from South Africa

Yeahhhh!!!!! Me and Charl are now more excited than ever. Can't wait! It was so nice working with Discover Africa and making you a part of our whole wedding planning!

Dorinda & Charl

from South Africa