Cape Town is the most popular tourist destination in South Africa due to its good climate, natural setting, and relatively well-developed infrastructure.   The city has several well-known natural features that attract tourists, most notably Table Mountain,  which forms a large part of the Table Mountain National Parkand is the back end of the City Bowl. Reaching the top of the mountain can be achieved either by hiking up, or by taking the Table Mountain Cableway. Cape Pointis recognised as the dramatic headland at the end of the Cape Peninsula.  Many tourists also drive along Chapman's Peak Drive, a narrow road that links Noordhoekwith Hout Bay, for the views of the Atlantic Ocean and nearby mountains. It is possible to either drive or hike up Signal Hillfor closer views of the City Bowl and Table Mountain.

Many tourists also visit Cape Town's beaches, which are popular with local residents.  Due to the city's unique geography, it is possible to visit several different beaches in the same day, each with a different setting and atmosphere. Beaches located on the Atlantic Coast tend to have very cold water from the Benguela currentwhich originates from the Southern Ocean. The water at False Baybeaches is often warmer by up to 10 °C (18 °F).  Both coasts are equally popular, although the beaches in affluent Cliftonand elsewhere on the Atlantic Coast are better developed with restaurants and cafés, with a particularly vibrant strip of restaurants and bars accessible to the beach at Camps Bay. Boulders Beachnear Simon's Town is known for its colony of African penguins. Surfingis popular and the city hosts the Red Bull Big Wave Africasurfing competition every year.

The city has several notable cultural attractions. The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, built on top of part of the docksof the Port of Cape Town, is one of the city's most popular shopping venues, with several hundred shops and the Two Oceans Aquarium.  Part of the charm of the V&A, as it is locally known, is that the Port continues to operate and visitors can watch ships enter and leave. The V&A also hosts the Nelson Mandela Gateway, through which ferriesdepart for Robben Island.   It is possible to take a ferry from the V&A to Hout Bay, Simon's Townand the Cape Fur Sealcolonies on Seal and Duiker Islands. Several companies offer tours of the Cape Flats, a mostly Coloured township, and Khayelitsha, a mostly black township. An option is to sleep overnight in Cape Town's townships. There are several B&Bs where you can spend a safe and real African night.

Cape Town is noted for its architectural heritage, with the highest density of Cape Dutchstyle buildings in the world. Cape Dutch style, which combines the architectural traditions of the Netherlands, Germany and France, is most visible in Constantia, the old government buildings in the Central Business District, and along Long Street.  The annual Cape Town Minstrel Carnival, also known by its Afrikaansname of Kaapse Klopse, is a large minstrelfestival held annually on January 2 or "Tweede Nuwe Jaar" (Afrikaans: Second New Year). Competing teams of minstrels parade in brightly coloured costumes, either carrying colourful umbrellas or playing an array of musical instruments. The Artscape Theatre Centreis the main performing arts venue in Cape Town.

Cape Town's transport system links it to the rest of South Africa; it serves as the gateway to other destinations within the province. The Cape Winelandsand in particular the towns of Stellenbosch, Paarland Franschhoekare popular day trips from the city for sightseeing and wine tasting. Whale watchingis popular amongst tourists: Southern Right Whalesand Humpback Whalesare seen off the coast during the breeding season (August to November) and Bryde's Whalesand Killer Whalecan be seen any time of the year.  The nearby town of Hermanusis known for its Whale Festival, but whales can also be seen in False Bay. Heaviside's dolphinsare endemic to the area and can be seen from the coast north of Cape Town; Dusky dolphinslive along the same coast and can occasionally be seen from the ferry to Robben Island.