Where to Stay In Cape Town With Kids
Updated: Jul 24
Cape Town has a feeling about it that can't be described! The city oozes life, and it's beauty makes you want to spend every minute out soaking it all in. Every morning in Seapoint, we walked out onto onto the promenade with the sunrise, picking up a coffee and a croissant on the way. It's busy, even at that hour: runners, swimmers, dog walkers, old men on bicycles, prams, a whole city already out and moving. It is an outdoor lifestyle city, and the sooner you stay somewhere you can step out of and join in, the better your family's trip will be. Plus everything opens early, it's truly something I love about the city - want breakfast at 6am, you'll find bustling cafes waiting to welcome you!.
Every place on this list is somewhere we've booked, paid for and stayed at ourselves, as a family. Nothing here is a press trip or a paid placement. We've ranked them, tagged who each one suits best, and been honest about who might want to look elsewhere.
THE STAYS
1. Royal Atlantic, Sea Point
Best for: all-rounder, and the family who wants to walk everywhere
Location, location, location. Sea Point is our favourite part of the city to stay in: the promenade, the parks, the tidal pools, the cafés, the V&A Waterfront, all of it walkable or cyclable, none of it requiring you to strap everyone into a car first. The rooms have a kitchenette, which helps if you don't want every meal out. We didn't pick here because it was the prettiest place, we stayed here because it's affordable and we walked out of the front door into the best version of Cape Town every single morning.
Good to know: being in the city means street noise and narrow parking (but it is private off-street). If you want serenity, look elsewhere. If you want to step outside and be in the middle of it, this is the place and why we'd pick it again.
2. Dalebrook Apartment, Kalk Bay
Best for: exploring the peninsula and False Bay
If your Cape Town trip is going to be about penguins, hiking, fish & chips and national parks, base yourself along the False Bay stretch. We recommend this proper character apartment, a few steps above the Dalebrook tidal pool and Kalk Bay from the door: the antique shops, the harbour, the cafes. Boulders beach, Simonstown and the penguins are a short drive down the coast. We swam, we browsed, we walked, and ate.
Good to know: it comes with parking, which in this part of the world is gold. Kalk Bay is packed at weekends and finding a space is a sport, so having your own parking is a big deal Worth knowing it sleeps three, so this one suits a family of three rather than four.
3. D'Aria Guest Cottages, Durbanville
Best for: self-catering, and space to spread out
A cottage on a working wine farm, twenty minutes from the city with a veranda and your own braai. This is the one for a family who wants to cook, sprawl, do laundry and stop living out of a suitcase for a bit. There's room to run around, vineyards for a view, and a bottle of the farm's own wine is never far away. On a long trip, a few nights of self-catering resets everybody.
Good to know: Durbanville is not a very touristy area, however it's a lovely family friendly area with wine farms and outdoor activities. If you've been to Cape Town before, this one earns its place as a base for a slower, longer stay, not a first-time visit.
4. Auberge Clermont, Franschhoek
Best for: a base for exploring the Winelands
Franschhoek is small, beautiful and gloriously easy to explore, and Clermont puts you close to the main street but quietly tucked away. We stayed in a deluxe room, all three of us, and the setting does the heavy lifting: mountains, vines, quiet. It's the sort of place where you drift out for the day, do a farm or a tram or a long lunch, and drift back to a garden that makes you not want to leave again. As a launchpad for the Winelands with a child in tow, it's about as good as it gets.
Good to know: it feels set up for couples. It's quiet, elegant and stunning, and that is exactly the point, but go in knowing the register is grown-up rather than kid-focused. It worked well for us with one child who was happy in the gardens. A big, loud family group would feel it.
5. Camp Canoe, Boschendal
Best for: a nature escape, and the splurge night
It's glamping at it's best, and the kids will love it. Aside from the accommodation, the location is fantastic for visiting the surrounding farms. Best of all, it's situated on possibly the most kid-friendly wine farm in the region. The stay is so unique, we wrote a full review on it
Good to know: it's glamping, so you are outdoors properly. Wonderful for a night or two, and not the place to base a week.
WHERE TO BASE YOURSELF IN CAPE TOWN WITH KIDS
The Atlantic Seaboard (Sea Point, Green Point, Camps Bay). Our default. Walkable, outdoorsy, the promenade, the parks and the pools, and the Waterfront within reach. If it's your first time and you're only in Cape Town for a week, base here.
The Southern Peninsula (Kalk Bay, St James, Simon's Town). Slower, saltier and lovely with kids. Penguins, tidal pools, small shops. A drive from the city, but if your trip is about the coast rather than the sights, this is where we'd sleep.
The Winelands (Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, Boschendal). Worth two or three nights of its own rather than a day trip. Farms, gardens, space to run, and an hour or so from the city.
The northern suburbs (Durbanville). For long trips and self-catering only. There's good wine and quiet countryside, but you're a drive from everything else.
FAQ
Which area of Cape Town is best for families? The whole Western Cape is family friendly, even the wine farms are geared up for families! If this is your first trip I'd recommend Sea Point and the Atlantic Seaboard.
Is Cape Town good for toddlers? Very. It's an outdoor city with green space, tidal pools, beaches and playgrounds everywhere, and it's set up for eating out with kids. The wind and the cold Atlantic water are the two things to plan around rather than the city itself.
How many days do you need in Cape Town? We'd say a week minimum: four or five nights in the city and the peninsula, then two or three in the Winelands. We spent 2 weeks exploring and enjoyed the slower pace.
Do you need a car in Cape Town? Yes, public transport isn't great in South Africa in general. We use Car Rentals to compare best deals.
If you only take one thing from this: pick the area first, the bed second.
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