South Africa · HOP-ON HOP-OFF BUS TOURS

The 15 Best Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours in South Africa

30 tours  ·  from $17 a head

The red buses cover Cape Town and Johannesburg on fixed loops and most tickets run one or two days. These 15 compare route coverage, the cruise and cable car add-ons, and whether a second day is worth the difference.

Cape Town: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Optional Cruise - Start with the red city route
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Cape Town: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Optional Cruise

1.Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Optional Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3,929 reviews · 1 - 2 days · from $23Our pick

Use a one or two-day City Sightseeing ticket to reach Cape Town’s main sights by open-top bus. Ride the red, blue, and purple routes, stop at Table Mountain, Camps Bay, Kirstenbosch, Hout Bay, and Groot Constantia, and add a harbour, canal, or sunset cruise when available. Audio commentary comes in 15 languages, with a kids channel.

“Making sure all the buses have WiFi. It was quite an inconvenience to hear there wasn’t some on a bus.”

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Cape Town: Table Mountain Cable Car, Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour - Starting at the V&A Waterfront
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Cape Town: Table Mountain Cable Car, Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

2.Table Mountain Cable Car, Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 3,157 reviews · 1 day · from $45

This $45 Cape Town combo gives you a one-day pass on three sightseeing bus routes, a return Table Mountain cable car ticket, and guided city and Bo-Kaap walks. Ride from the V&A Waterfront, use the red route for the cable car, and save the mountain visit for another day if wind or cloud closes the cableway.

“Really enjoyed the whole day Absolutely amazing views and the open top bus was great fun”

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From Cape Town: Franschhoek Wine Tram Hop-on Hop-off - How the Franschhoek Wine Tram works
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From Cape Town: Franschhoek Wine Tram Hop-on Hop-off

3.Franschhoek Wine Tram Hop-on Hop-off

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,972 reviews · 8h 30m · from $50

Spend about 8.5 hours traveling from Cape Town to Franschhoek by comfortable Xplorer coach, then hop between four or five wine estates by tram and open-air tram bus. Taste wines, book lunch or a picnic, hear local wine-making stories, and enjoy mountain views without driving. Estate fees and food cost extra.

“Lovely experience. Met people and the vibes was great! The tour guides really kept to the time schedules. Would do this again!”

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Cape Town Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour with Optional Cruise - The blue peninsula route: Kirstenbosch, Hout Bay, and the coast
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Cape Town Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour with Optional Cruise

4.Cape Town Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour with Optional Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,793 reviews · from $20

Explore Cape Town on a flexible 1 or 2-day hop-on hop-off pass covering the city, Atlantic coast, Kirstenbosch, Hout Bay, and Constantia wineries. Use the audio guide in 15 languages, join free downtown and Bo-Kaap walks, and add a harbor cruise. Plan around traffic, Table Mountain weather, and early final departures.

“I just wish we had a tour guide in person on the bus. The ride was absolutely good, we saw many good places.”

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Johannesburg: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus with Optional Soweto Tour - Starting at Rosebank’s Zone shopping center
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Johannesburg: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus with Optional Soweto Tour

5.Hop-On Hop-Off Bus with Optional Soweto Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 985 reviews · 1 day · from $23

Use the open-top bus to explore Rosebank, Constitution Hill, downtown Johannesburg, the Apartheid Museum, Gold Reef City, Newtown, the Zoo, and more. Audio commentary comes in eight languages. Add the two-hour Soweto tour for a live guide, Mandela House, Hector Pieterson, Orlando Stadium, and Vilakazi Street.

“how humerus is our Mzantsi guide, especially soweto tour”

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Johannesburg Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour with Soweto Option - Starting at Rosebank and the Melrose Arch stop
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Johannesburg Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour with Soweto Option

6.Johannesburg Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour with Soweto Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 768 reviews · from $16

Ride Johannesburg’s open-top sightseeing bus from Rosebank, using eight-language audio commentary, free Wi-Fi, and flexible hop-on, hop-off stops. See Constitution Hill, the Apartheid Museum, Gold Reef City, Nelson Mandela Foundation, and more. Add a two-hour guided Soweto extension for a closer look at Orlando West and East.

“The bus narration on the main bus was very informative. The Soweto tour was good, the guide was great but was very cramped on the smaller bus. For folks thinking to spend time at some of the stops it's tough. Both Constitution Hill and the Arpatheid museum need several hours each.”

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Full-Day Franschhoek Hop On Hop Off Wine Tram Tour from Cape Town - The 8:15 a.m. coach from Cape Town
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Full-Day Franschhoek Hop On Hop Off Wine Tram Tour from Cape Town

7.Full-Day Franschhoek Hop On Hop Off Wine Tram Tour from Cape Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 579 reviews · from $28

Travel from Cape Town to Franschhoek by comfortable coach, then choose your own wine estates on the hop-on hop-off tram and bus network. The Navy line includes Boschendal, Vrede en Lust, Plaisir de Merle, Allée Bleue, Bartinney, and other estates. Tastings and lunch cost extra, and most people visit four or five stops.

“the coach use to transport us to the wine area was very luxurious and comfortable. the day out we used the wine bus first in the morning and the tram in the afternoon. all the winerys were excellent and we stayed for lunch at one stop and stayed 2 hours (most stops you got 1 hour to enjoy). the day never felt rushed and we had all the information required to make the most of our day”

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Cape Town City Pass: Save Over 50% on 80+ Top Attractions - Using the red bus to get your bearings
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Cape Town City Pass: Save Over 50% on 80+ Top Attractions

8.Cape Town City Pass: Save Over 50% on 80+ Top Attractions

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 348 reviews · 1 - 5 days · from $97

Use the digital Cape Town City Pass for 1, 2, 3, or 5 consecutive days. It covers 80+ attractions, including Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront, museums, wine estates, cruises, wildlife parks, and adventure activities. A City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off bus ticket is included, with skip-the-line entry at selected sites.

“A more detailed map of where the activities are especially those not on the HOHO routes”

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Soweto: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus, City Tour and Apartheid Museum - Starting at Rosebank or using the Sandton shuttle
Apartheid & Mandela History Tours, Apartheid History Tours in Johannesburg, City Tours, Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours, Museums, Soweto & Township Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Tours in Johannesburg, Township Tours in Johannesburg

Soweto: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus, City Tour and Apartheid Museum

9.Hop-On Hop-Off Bus, City Tour and Apartheid Museum

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 250 reviews · 1 day · from $50

Pair a Johannesburg hop-on hop-off bus ride with a two-hour Soweto tour led by a local guide. Visit Vilakazi Street, Mandela House, Hector Pieterson, Orlando Towers, and Constitution Hill, then use the bus route to reach the Apartheid Museum. Guides such as DT and KG have been praised for clear, lively storytelling.

“The bus tour was excellent in terms of what it showed us. I’ve lived in joburg my whole life and thought it would be cool to try it out and I was pleasantly surprised. Even I learnt a few things and got to see parts of the city that I hadn’t glimpsed in a while.”

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From Stellenbosch: Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tour Southern Route - Start at Kleine Zalze for polished wine and scenery
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From Stellenbosch: Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tour Southern Route

10.Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tour Southern Route

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 105 reviews · 1 day · from $29

Spend a flexible day on Stellenbosch’s Southern Route, choosing among Kleine Zalze, Blaauwklippen, Annandale, Alto, Peter Falke, and Cavalli. A driver-guide handles transport and central Stellenbosch pickup, while you choose your stops, tastings, meals, and pace. Recent service included a highly praised driver named Lance.

“Was a very nice tour to fantastic wine estates with trustful shuttles on the way. Perfect, thank you!”

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Durban: City Sightseeing and Walking Tour - Moses Mabhida Stadium, an architectural and sporting landmark
City Tours, Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Tours in Durban, Walking Tours

Durban: City Sightseeing and Walking Tour

11.City Sightseeing and Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 98 reviews · 4 hours · from $99

See Durban with a local guide such as Freddy, Zamani, Imani, or Fortune, visiting Victoria Street, Moses Mabhida Stadium, uShaka’s Village Walk, Kwa-Muhle Museum, the Botanical Garden, City Hall, the harbour, and Umgeni Hindu temple. Transport, guide, and entrance fees are included, but lunch and the stadium Sky Car cost extra.

“Our guides were absolutely top class. They were good at keeping us informed pre tour. They were prompt at collecting us. Our guide Freddy was very informed and showed us every part of Durban with interest and enthusiasm”

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Cape Town: Stellenbosch Hop-On Hop-Off Tractor Transfer - Starting at Eikendal on the R44
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Cape Town: Stellenbosch Hop-On Hop-Off Tractor Transfer

12.Stellenbosch Hop-On Hop-Off Tractor Transfer

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 93 reviews · 1 day · from $24

Spend a day touring Stellenbosch’s Golden Triangle by tractor, stopping at grand estates, boutique producers, and historic wine farms. You get about 65 minutes at each stop for tastings, food, or a stroll before the next tractor. English-speaking guides, including Melody and Lee on some departures, add local wine and history notes. Tastings and meals cost extra.

“Wine testing and the ride was awesome what an experience the people we shared the ride with were awesome”

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Hop-On Hop-Off Cape Town Canal Cruise - Stop 1: Battery Park and Greg Wright Architects
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Hop-On Hop-Off Cape Town Canal Cruise

13.Hop-On Hop-Off Cape Town Canal Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 78 reviews · from $4Best value

Take a 30-minute hop-on hop-off cruise through Cape Town’s canals between the CBD and Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. Headsets carry multilingual commentary as you pass hotels, apartments, Battery Park, the convention center, and views toward Table Mountain and Lion’s Head. Choose a one-way or round-trip ticket, valid all day.

“I thought it would be something new to do. Ended up loving it, planning to take the rest of my family”

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Stellenbosch Wine Tractor hop-on-hop off wine tasting tour - What to expect at the eight listed estates
Food & Drink, Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours, Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours in Stellenbosch, Tour Reviews, Tours, Tours in Stellenbosch, Wine Tours, Wine Tours in Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch Wine Tractor hop-on-hop off wine tasting tour

14.Stellenbosch Wine Tractor hop-on-hop off wine tasting tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 72 reviews · from $22Top rated

You’ll ride a hop-on hop-off wine tractor through Stellenbosch’s Helderberg farms, stopping at estates such as Eikendal, Avontuur, Longridge, and Alto. A welcome taster is included, but estate tastings and meals cost extra. Plan on about 3 to 10 hours, with 65 minutes at each farm you choose.

“Cute and different way to alder a handful of wineries! We come from California and are in between 2 wine regions and taking a tractor was a fun new way to go from winery to winery. It was only us and 1 other couple so it was a very relaxed Read more”

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Vine Hopper: Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tour - Southern Route - Six stops on the Southern Route
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Vine Hopper: Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tour – Southern Route

15.Vine Hopper: Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tour – Southern Route

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 64 reviews · from $25

Spend about eight hours on a hop-on hop-off wine circuit through Stellenbosch’s Southern Route. Choose from five departure times, visit six estates including Kleine Zalze and Peter Falke, and rejoin the minivan when ready. Guides such as Marshall and Jerome add local stories and humor, while wine tastings and meals are paid separately.

“The tour operator Marshal was enthusiastic and great. Enjoyed the tour and definitely the wine. Thank you”

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