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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  • MN_Walkers
    Minneapolis, Minnesota568 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Probably best to take a guided tour
    The day we went the water to the Castle was shut off because of a water main break. As a result, although we were allowed to enter and walk around the guided tours were not on offer. It was interesting to see what we could see, but I think that we would have gotten a lot more out of our visit if we could have been guided through it.
    Visited March 2023
    Written March 23, 2023
  • Lisa
    39 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Unique historical site - worth the visit
    We enjoyed touring this castle! We almost skipped it because of negative reviews. We actually went to the District 6 Museum first, and then walked directly to the castle. That brought us in the front entrance, which was nice and had plenty of uniformed officers (since part of this castle is still used today for military). When we were inside, we could look down from the top of the walls to the back side. We never saw this coming in, but that back are was taken up by a homeless camp that looked run down. I think some of the negative reviews may have been people who parked on the other side and had to walk through that area and didn't feel safe. We felt very safe walking here on busy streets from the District 6 Museum. I say all this, because we are so glad we did not skip the castle due to other reviews. Our experience was very positive. There were several small museums with good signage and interesting history. The free guided tour is a great addition and highly recommended. We spent about 2 1/2 hours here. We also took a break and had a sandwich and cup of tea at the cafe inside the castle. If you like history, the Castle of Good Hope is a worthwhile place to visit.
    Visited April 2023
    Written April 13, 2023
  • Lilah14
    Hamilton, New Zealand56 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must do
    I really enjoyed the Castle. The guide was excellent, so informative and entertaining. The museums are well done and interesting, there's an amazing pottery exhibition, and so much to explore. Would highly recommend and would go back.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written April 29, 2023
  • Fantajan
    Pretoria, South Africa338 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A tour for all ages with a captivating guide
    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.
    Visited June 2023
    Written July 19, 2023
  • Susan R
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fascinating guided tour of the Castle of Good Hope
    We had a free tour with SHAMIER ROBERTSON, and he was awesome! He was articulate, extremely well-informed, and quite entertaining. A good mix of facts and humor. We would never have learned as much by reading the written guide on our own. One of the best guide experiences we've had yet.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 10, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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
3.5 of 5 bubbles973 reviews
Excellent
206
Very good
363
Average
280
Poor
76
Terrible
48

SteveK
Los Angeles, CA179 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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
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
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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👌🏻

👏🏻💟🇿🇦
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
1.0 of 5 bubbles
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
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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.
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, UK46 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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.
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
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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
1.0 of 5 bubbles
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
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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.

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Castle of Good Hope - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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