21......Curing the winter blues with red

The winter school holidays are on its way and with it comes the need to plan an array of activities to redirect energy and avert the boredom brought on by wet weather. Thankfully, with Cape Town’s mild winters we still have a significant number of sunny days that give rise to opportunities to explore the outdoors during our rainy season.

City Sightseeing welcomes both local and international visitors on board their renowned red, open top ‘Hop-on Hop-Off” buses throughout the year, taking the task out of organising trips and things to do around the city while the kids enjoy their winter break, come rain or shine.

With its wide range of tours to choose from, you’ll certainly be able to find one that best suits the needs of your brood. City slickers will find the Walking Tour to be an absolute treat. Explore the rich history of Cape Town on foot, with stops in the iconic and colourful Bo Kaap area, various museums, St George’s Cathedral and the oldest building in South Africa, the Castle of Good Hope. It’s also a great way to get in your 10 000 steps while you’re at it.

The Mini Peninsula Tour circles the back of Table Mountain, letting you take in the scenery of the mountain’s southern slopes, which include the beautiful gardens of Kirstenbosch, past the exquisite Constantia winelands and out of town towards charming Hout Bay, before heading back through the Atlantic Seaboard and into the city centre.

The tour lasts roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes with a selection of stops en route to keep the little ones entertained. Hop off and pop in at World of Birds, Acrobranch or Kirstenbosch or visit the Two Oceans Aquarium at the beginning or start of your trip. For those looking for a full day tour a bit further afield, the Cape Point & Peninsula Tour is for you. This guided day tour to Cape Point in a luxury air-conditioned double deck coach explores the spectacular Cape Point nature reserve, with a stop at the famous Boulders Beach, home to a colony of African penguins.

After visiting the penguins, your next stop is Cape Point, where you can enjoy a bite to eat before exploring further. Cape Point Nature Reserve offers some of the most breathtaking mountain and ocean scenery in the world, so have your camera handy. There is an optional 40 minute hike from Cape Point to the Cape of Good Hope. At Cape Point, you can also follow the footsteps of early Portuguese explorers Vasco Da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias and enjoy several short walking trails leading to the gorgeous beaches and viewpoints. After a day of exploring, soak up the scenery along the coastal drive back to Cape Town via Scarborough and Kommetjie, with spectacular views from the Ou Kaapse Weg mountain pass.

For something more leisurely, you may want to consider a wine route tour. Sit back, relax and enjoy the chauffeured drive to the Constantia Valley’s picturesque vineyards, breath taking scenery, world class cuisine, fine wines and more than 300 years of history.

Experience the magic and beauty of the valley, where kids can enjoy nature while running and roaming to their heart’s content, or if you prefer, take a stroll through the beautiful greenbelts and enjoy a sensational taste experience at one of the many restaurants in the area.

This tour will allow you to make stops at the following 3 Wine Estates:

Groot Constantia: This historic estate dates back over 300 years. • Guided or self-guided cellar tour (10H00 - 16H00) - Hourly * TASTING (3 wines of your choice)

Eagles Nest: Taste the full range of Eagles’ Nest Wines at the Tasting Room. Wine Tastings & Sales available Monday – Sunday from 10h00 – 16h30. Wine Tastings & Sales available Monday – Sunday from 10h00 – 16h30. Last tastings offered at 16h00. Wine Tasting costs R75 per person. This estate is not suitable for big groups.

Beau Constantia: Open for Wine Tasting: Tuesday to Sunday from 11h00 – 17h00; last Wine Tastings commence at 16:00. Walk-in guests will be accepted for wine & drinks on a first come, first served basis this estate is not suitable for big groups.

All City Sightseeing tours offer on board commentary in 15 languages (English, Afrikaans, Arabic, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish and Zulu). If all else fails and you really can’t convince your tweens and teens to leave their devices behind, they’ll be relieved to know that all City Sightseeing buses are equipped with free WIFi.