Historical City Running Tour of Cape Town

Our historic city running tour begins in the V & A Waterfront, offering opportunities to run through the most visited tourist attraction south of the pyramids in Egypt, with wonderful views of the ocean, as well as an opportunity to pose for a photo in the yellow frame that perfectly captures our beautiful Table Mountain, new wonder of the natural world. Also stop off to capture your photo with our four South African Nobel Prize winning Laureates. 

From here we’re perfectly placed to learn about the initial exploration of Cape Town by the Portuguese in the 15th century, running past the statue of Bartholomew Diaz on the Heerengracht. Follow the tree-lined street that changes name to Adderley Street after Sir Lord Charles Adderley; an Englishman who played a role in defending plans to convert the Cape into a convict station like Australia.

From here follow the footsteps of van Riebeeck, our Dutch founder, to visit his first fort on what is now the Grand Parade, as well as the five-sided Cape Town Castle, designed by French architect Vauban. Run over Strand Street, with a magnificent view of the beautiful Italian Renaissance style City Hall. It is form this landmark building that Mandela gave his freedom speech when he was released from prison in February 1990.

Running through this section of downtown Cape Town you enjoy some beautiful art deco style buildings, and have an opportunity to learn about the history of slavery in our Mother City. Visit the first Dutch Reformed Church & run past the spot where a tree stood, marking the place where slaves were auctioned to their masters.

After this sad history, the Company’s Gardens offer a beautiful green respite in the bustling city centre, and you can enjoy the beautiful botanical gardens and squirrels that inhabit this green lung of the city.

Running down Queen Victoria Street we have the opportunity to see the back of the Cape Supreme High Court, the site of race classification during the 1950’s under the apartheid government, as well as a replica of the apartheid benches that separated amenities for “blacks only” and “whites only”.

We then run up Wale Street (the only hill on the route!) and enter the lively Bo-Kaap to soak up the atmosphere of this Muslim community and capture some beautiful pics of the brightly coloured homes & cobbled streets. Catch a glimpse of the karamat on the slopes of signal hill and learn some more of the history of Islam in the Cape, before heading into the trendy and stylish De Waterkant neighbourhood. From here we run along the fanwalk, built for the 2010 world cup as a pedestrian avenue linking the city with the stadium, before heading back to the waterfront via the Green Point Urban park and the Mouille Point lighthouse, with views of the Cape Town football stadium built for the 2010 world cup.