Our Welcome Cape Town Walking Tour is perfectly positioned as a short and easy walk, providing a thorough introduction to Cape Town.
If you are pressed for time or simply do not want to walk too far, then this tour is perfect for you. Only two hours and slightly more than 1km, Welcome Cape Town will give you all the background insight to make the most of your visit to this astonishing city (and to South Africa as a country).
The tour focuses on the historical background from ancient and pre-colonial times, up till the formation of South Africa as a country in 1910. It explains how Cape Town came into being without delving into recent history. It answers the fundamental questions of where you are and leaves you inspired about how complex and diverse South Africa is as a country.
ZeroA: Welcome Cape Town Walking Tour (Alfred Basin)
The Alfred Basin, Cape Town’s original harbour, holds many secrets in terms of the trade routes traversing the Cape from the West to the East. It also personifies the Scramble for Africa and the eventual formation of the country, South Africa.
This short and easy, two-hour walking tour focuses on the Alfred Basin, Cape Town’s original harbour, constructed between 1860 and 1870. As well as some of the prominent historic sites such as the Amsterdam Battery and Chavonnes Battery. The Alfred Basin holds many secrets in terms of the trade/shipping routes traversing the Cape. It also personifies the Scramble for Africa and the eventual formation of the country, South Africa.
The tour presents the role of the harbour in the formation of South Africa as a country. It is a comprehensive storytelling experience, starting out in the 1870s with the 2nd Industrial Revolution, the Scramble for Africa, and British Expansionism. Before taking the guests back 1000 years to precolonial history, from the Khoi and San to the Portuguese seafarers and the establishment of a refreshment station for the Dutch East India Company. It proceeds to the competition between France and Britian for control of the sea routes, and the eventual British occupation and colonization of the Cape by 1806.
The tour then continues to the discovery of diamonds and gold and returns to the Scramble for Africa/2nd Industrial Revolution that led to the Anglo-Boer War (South African War) and the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910. The entire story is told in the context of the strategic importance the Alfred Basin, as a harbour, played in facilitating these events.
We start our exploration at Ginja Restaurant at the Victoria & Alfred Hotel. From here we proceed across the pedestrian bridge and along the walkways adjacent to the Cape Grace, the marina and canals, all the way to Battery Park. From there, the tour moves to the Silo District, encircling the Alfred Basin in the process. After a pause in front of Zeitz MOCAA, the tour takes in the Chavonnes Battery adjacent to the Clock Tower. Lastly, we cross the swing bridge and walks past the old Port Captain’s Building to return to the Victoria & Alfred Hotel.
Open tours:
Available daily (5-7pm), subject to availability, at R325 per person. Bookings must be made more than 24 hours in advance.
Private tours:
A minimum of R1300 for 1 to 4 guests or R325 per person if 5 or more.
Any food, drinks, or shopping along the way for guests’ own account.
To secure your spot on tour, send a whatsapp to 082 894 5216 or email to gerald@localplaces.co.za. We will respond with confirmation and payment details.
- Should we have another private tour already booked, a tour slot will not be available on that day. It is therefore essential to make your booking in advance!
