Our Top Favorite Family Friendly Places in South Africa

We have been visiting South Africa once a year since we had our wedding there in 2005. My husband’s family is from Pretoria and we love visiting our family and friends there every year. We have our favorite places to go as a family and we look forward to returning to every year.

Here are our favorite family friendly places in South Africa. We explore all sorts of new and interesting kid friendly places, but these are without a doubt our go to places. South Africa is an absolutely amazing country for the whole family. There are so many reasons to love it, especially the amazing landscapes, the fabulous food, and the friendly people.

Our checklist begins here. There are a lot more things to see and do, but these are the absolute musts that work for our family:

Kirstenbosch

Kirstenbosch is a must see when in Cape Town from their summer concert series, to their treetop walk, to their gorgeous cafes. There are lots of places to run around and get lost while learning about the flora and fauna of South Africa. We spend a half a day here on each visit. A couple of hours is plenty for our family. Next visit we want to book a Sunday concert in the park. A picnic in the park is always a good idea.

Kirstenbosch Treetop Walk

Table Mountain

The aerial cableway up to Table Mountain is a must do while in Cape Town. Make sure to check the weather before committing to a date as the Cape is notoriously windy and can be closed. There are many ways to hike up Table Mountain, but for all the members of our family and our children, we booked the cableway this year. I would love to hike up next year with the whole family. Purchase tickets online (as the line is faster and shorter than arriving to all the tour buses and long lines). Check the lines, weather, and buy your tickets here.

Table Mountain

Belmond Mount Nelson For Afternoon Tea

We look forward to our afternoon tea at Belmond Mount Nelson in Cape Town all year long. This is our one food splurge and we absolutely love it. The best part? The girls eat and drink their tea, then they run over past the magnificent grounds, flowers, and pool, to the kid’s club where they play for hours while we finish eating. Here is my post from last year’s tea at Mount Nelson. (Take a walk through the colorful Bo-Kaap before afternoon tea.)

Belmond Mount Nelson

Beaches

There are so many beautiful beaches in Cape Town. While all the beaches are gorgeous, here are our favorites close to the city. Clifton, Camps Bay, Gordon’s Bay, and Hout Bay are must see when in Cape Town. Our favorite beach this Christmas was Clifton. We love walking and climbing from beach 1-4 and back again over the boulders that separate each beach. Its fun to rent chairs and umbrellas and soak it all in.

Camp’s Bay

Clifton Beach

Clifton Beach

Clifton Beach

Gordon’s Bay

Hout Bay

South African Safari

South Africa is full of amazing places to go on a safari and see the Big 5. We have been going to Kruger and Pilansberg for 15 years and they are absolutely amazing national parks. We stay in the rest camps and self drive. Here’s my post on how to go on a family friendly and budget friendly safari in South Africa. It does not need to be expensive to have an absolutely amazing experience.

South African Safari in Kruger National Park

Chapman’s Peak, Lion’s Head, and Signal Hill

For grand sweeping views of Cape Town, take a drive over Chapman’s Peak, Lion’s Head and Signal Hill. There are so many amazing places to stop and soak in the views of mountains and ocean. The otherworldly feeling that makes me fall even more in love with Cape Town happens right here on these epic drives.

Stellenbosch

South Africa has some of the most amazing wine and wineries in the world. And the wine prices are among the very lowest in the world. Many wineries have fantastic family days and activities for families. Last year we spent a full day at a winery with horse riding, bouncy castles, sand art, as well as a food festival with many vendors. Check out this blog for up to date ideas for family activities in the Stellenbosch area.

Muizenberg, Kalk Bay, and Boulder’s Beach

Take a road trip past Muizenberg Beach, Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek, and Boulder’s Beach. Kids will love the sea lions at Kalk Bay and the resident penguins at Boulder’s Beach. Make sure to eat at Kalky’s at Kalk Bay for their famous fish and chips.

Kalk Bay

Playgrounds

We love the playground at Camp’s Bay. It is perfectly nestled in between the restaurants, the wading pool, and the beach. There is also a great playground behind the restaurant street of Camp’s Bay.

Camp’s Bay Playground

Sea Point to Mouille Point

Walking from Sea Point to the Mouille Point lighthouse along the ocean is absolutely gorgeous. This is a lovely walk full of playgrounds, plenty of room along the ocean for children to run, putt putt golf, and the great little Blue Train that our girls have loved, year after year. Walk all the way to the Mouille Point lighthouse and enjoy the epic views of the mountains and the ocean.

De Waal Park

We love De Waal Park. As Cape Town’s largest public park, it’s a wonderfully shady park with plenty of room for kids to play and to relax and enjoy a picnic. In the summer there is a free summer concert series.

V&A Waterfront

There are so many wonderful activities at the V&A Waterfront. Take a ferry to Robben Island, visit the Two Oceans Aquarium, ride the ferris wheel, have the kids take the Hamley’s train, and play in the playground. There is a large shopping mall, movie theater, and plenty of wonderful places to eat.

Table Mountain

Victoria & Albert Waterfront

Here’s my post from last year about all our favorite places in Cape Town and Pretoria as well as a wish list of places we would love to go but still haven’t been.

What are your favorite family friendly places in South Africa? What did I miss that you love? Please let me know in the comments below.