Overview
Centred on the Victoria and Alfred Basins, this is Cape Town's largest shopping and entertainment district, attracting more than 24 million visitors a year — South Africa's most popular destination. Over 450 shops and 100+ restaurants sit alongside the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) and the Two Oceans Aquarium, all set against the backdrop of Table Mountain and the working harbour. The Robben Island ferry terminal is also here, making it a starting point for many itineraries. Free to enter (individual venue fees vary). About 10 minutes by Uber from the city centre.
Opening Hours
Shops 09:00-21:00; restaurants 12:00-22:00 (individual venues vary)
Travel Tips
Zeitz MOCAA is free for South African citizens after 17:00 on Wednesdays, and the architecture alone is worth a visit. A sunset dinner at a harbourside restaurant is the ultimate atmosphere.
Hotels near V&A Waterfront
Hotels and guesthouses in Cape Town, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
Other attractions in Cape Town
Table Mountain
Cape Town's iconic flat-topped mountain, reachable by cable car for panoramic city views.
Cape of Good Hope
A cape at the southwestern tip of the African continent, near the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
Robben Island
The UNESCO World Heritage island prison where Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in custody.
Bo-Kaap
A Cape Malay historic quarter famous for its pastel-coloured houses, an Instagram hotspot.
Boulders Beach
A world-famous beach home to a colony of about 3,000 African penguins.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
A world-class botanical garden on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, famous for its fynbos vegetation.
Chapman's Peak Drive
One of the world's most beautiful coastal drives, with 114 curves carved into the cliffside.