Castle of Good Hope
Castle of Good Hope
3.5
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Credited as South Africa’s oldest building, this 17th-century castle houses various military personnel, historic artifacts and artworks.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
973 reviews
Excellent
206
Very good
363
Average
279
Poor
77
Terrible
48
SteveK
Los Angeles, CA179 contributions
Feb 2022
Well worth the stop.
Highly focused, small military museum covers history of fort and broader military operations relevant to Cape history. Separate mini-museums on fort compound cover different aspects.
Military museum does a great job conveying history of area and why it matters. Modern facility with well-curated exhibits.
Military museum is included for anyone purchasing a fort ticket.
VISITED: 4 February 2022; foreign adult 50 ZAR; credit cards accepted
Highly focused, small military museum covers history of fort and broader military operations relevant to Cape history. Separate mini-museums on fort compound cover different aspects.
Military museum does a great job conveying history of area and why it matters. Modern facility with well-curated exhibits.
Military museum is included for anyone purchasing a fort ticket.
VISITED: 4 February 2022; foreign adult 50 ZAR; credit cards accepted
Written February 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liesied87@gmail.com
Kenridge, South Africa4 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
We took our Children for the 1st time and we as a family enjoyed it very much! But what stood out the most, was definitely our tour guide: Shamier Robertson 👌🏻💯
He had the entire crowd captivated, partaking and laughing. He is very knowledgeable and he's personality is just wonderful. He is very much proudly South African and we LOVED It!!
All the other staff were also friendly and the grounds were very neat👌🏻
👏🏻💟🇿🇦
He had the entire crowd captivated, partaking and laughing. He is very knowledgeable and he's personality is just wonderful. He is very much proudly South African and we LOVED It!!
All the other staff were also friendly and the grounds were very neat👌🏻
👏🏻💟🇿🇦
Written July 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan M
Johannesburg, South Africa23 contributions
Oct 2020 • Family
DISASTER!!!!!! This place is so badly kept, people should not even be charged for visiting. Dilapidated is not even the right word. 15 years ago was my first visit and it was spectacular. 15 years later we spent 10 minutes in that huge place and left. There is NOTHING left of that history to see. Some "African crafts" in one room and an "art exhibition" in what was once the "Herehuis". Grass and weeds throughout the paving. The lawns are full of weeds, the walls are cracked and painted some odd horrible uneven yellow. The lights that used to light up the outside are only wires left. The fountain inside has no water. The walkways around the place are dull and depressing. What a shame. Our government can look after nothing.
Written October 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fantajan
Pretoria, South Africa338 contributions
Jun 2023
I recently visited my family which included three generations and we all enjoyed the visit. This had a lot to do with our tour guide, Derrick, who is an encyclopedia of information on the Castle and shared its history in an entertaining and engaging way. I highly recommended taking a guided tour with him to get a solid overview of the Castle, its history, and guidance on how to further explore the venue on your own. Derrick is deeply committed to the preservation of the Castle and its history and told us about how they have been able to generate income by working with production companies to use the Castle as a film set (including for the Woman King). Given how interested our family was in the history of the site, Derrick kindly offered to give us a behind the scenes tour of a few other areas of the Castle and introduced our ten-year old son to a colleague who builds models of tanks and other military paraphernalia, including for the museum's displays. My son was absolutely captivated. Even though it was a cold, dreary day, we spent several more hours walking around and visiting the various museums/displays within the Castle. My son enjoyed the tour so much that he insisted on going back to say goodbye to Derrick and his colleague before we left.
Written July 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GeneralShamu
New York City, NY1,114 contributions
Nov 2022
Visited here after doing a township tour. Total time needed is 2-3 hours, just ensure you take part in one of the free public tours they offer every hour or so. If you show up at a non-ideal time, just explore the area inside a bit before joining the next available tour. Restrooms located inside and clean.
In terms of parking, ensure you park within the complex's outer walls and not by the street.
In terms of parking, ensure you park within the complex's outer walls and not by the street.
Written December 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris M
Liverpool, UK47 contributions
Jan 2020
This was our favourite attraction in Cape Town and excellent value at only 50 rand.
We arrived just in time for a cannon firing which the guide made great fun.
The free guided tour of the castle and grounds was very informative.
There are also 3 museums in the castle which we enjoyed looking around.
After visiting the castle we had learned a lot more about the early history of the Dutch and British in Cape Town.
We arrived just in time for a cannon firing which the guide made great fun.
The free guided tour of the castle and grounds was very informative.
There are also 3 museums in the castle which we enjoyed looking around.
After visiting the castle we had learned a lot more about the early history of the Dutch and British in Cape Town.
Written January 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Erin S
Lakewood, CA106 contributions
Jul 2022
Lots of history here; we lucked out and arrived just as the free guided tour was starting. He was friendly, fun and knowledgeable, and it made the visit more worth while. Tip: climb to the top of the roof in the corner closest to Signal Hill to see the JUSTICE tribute; it is very moving, and a great view / photo op of the city, too.
Written August 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Logisticlady
Doncaster, United Kingdom68 contributions
Feb 2020
The castle is divided into separate areas, each with lots of interesting historical information. We only had a few hours to spare so could not take full advantage of this. We were lucky enough to see the The Key Ceremony which takes place on weekdays at 10 am and the Change of Guards at 12 o'clock, both great photo opportunities . The cafe in the grounds serves wonderful icecream:)
Written April 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Louise O
4 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
We have been twice before and usually The Castle is a great outing, with a lot of rich history behind it and very well looked after. The receptionist was lovely, but unfortunately this time the visit was so dissappointing. The building is no longer looked after the way it use to be. There was a flea market within the premises, a DJ, a public zumba class, half the musuem was closed or unaccessible - it just felt like there was no history left to the building and that is so sad. No story to tell. Not worth it for overseas visitors.
Written January 19, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Haelen
Voorburg, The Netherlands407 contributions
Feb 2020
May be because, I am Dutch, but I found the fort fascinating. Our tour guide lead us through different parts of the fort and provided interesting information on the history of the fort. Besides the tour there are three little museums, which you can explore on your own.
Written March 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GiantBird
Melbourne, Australia46 contributions
It would be helpful for me to plan my time in Cape Town to know
1. How long does the guided tour take?
2. Approximately how much time might it take to see the whole site?
Note the link on the Castle website to book does not work!
Dive Inn Cape Town
38 contributions
Castle Tour with a castle guide is on the hour i think. The key ceremony us at 10 followed by the 1st canon fire, then 11 and 12 another fire. Think sunday amd Mondays they do not fire the gun. Do not know about the key ceremony. No need to book anything in advance. Best is to do with a castle guide who get tips from the guests. Or get a tour guide who can do a city tour and you get a broader experience of bits and pieces of town. Time at castle normally 1 to 1.5 hours.
Lea W
Melbourne, Australia188 contributions
I will be in Cape Town in August for a week. I know the castle is home to the Cape Town Highlanders and I wanted to know when the boys attend for their parade. I know they wear the Gordon tartan and as a former soldier in Australia who served in a Scottish Regiment who also wore the Gordon colours I would like to see them.
Dive Inn Cape Town
38 contributions
Hi ya the key ceremony at 10am is done in the old dutch uniform. Have not seen them in dress other then normal army camo uniform. But should be their in the next week again and will find out. Regards carel
thurstonbow
San Diego, CA300 contributions
Hi there. Does anyone know how long the renovations will be ongoing?
TourTheCape
Cape Town Central, South Africa138 contributions
Hi. Yes, the renovations should have been finished in October 2015, but as with most projects they end up over running time and budget.
I would say they will most likely only finish mid-2016.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Castle of Good Hope
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Castle of Good Hope:
- Cape Town Guided City Day Tour (From $45.66)
- Cape Town Highlights & Hidden Gems Including Tickets and Snack (From $83.97)
- Cape Town City Cycling Tour (From $59.09)
- Cape Town City Tour Half-Day (From $45.13)
- Table Mountain and Cape Town City Half-Day Trip (From $39.22)
- Hotels near Castle of Good Hope:
- (0.25 mi) Labotessa Luxury Boutique Hotel
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- Restaurants near Castle of Good Hope:
- (0.11 mi) Apache Spur Steak Ranch (Halaal)
- (0.27 mi) FYN
- (0.21 mi) Chefstable Capetown
- (0.25 mi) Dias Tavern
- (0.14 mi) Bin Rashied Pizza & Grills
- Attractions near Castle of Good Hope:
- (0.11 mi) Extreme Scene - Day Trips
- (0.14 mi) Friends of Dorothy Tours
- (0.14 mi) Free City Walking Tours
- (0.29 mi) Cape Town Free Walking Tours
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