Top family activities in Cape Town for Easter 2023!

Easter weekend is a time for family gatherings with great food, great company and great fun! In South Africa you’ll find hot cross buns, chocolate eggs and roast lamb, as well as local treats like pickled fish and braai vleis! While many of us may gather at home on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the rest of the long weekend is the perfect opportunity to enjoy fantastic familyfriendly activities in and around Cape Town.

From Easter egg hunts and movie nights under the stars to family hikes and exploring the V&A Waterfront, there is something to peak the interests of families of all ages and interests! Read on to find out more about what to do during Easter Weekend 2023, which takes place from 7 - 10 April this year. Have a “hoppy” Easter!

Do an Easter egg hunt!

Stretching all the way back to our childhoods, Easter egg hunts are a classic Easter activity! Many of us will remember the pure fun and excitement of hunting for eggs in our gardens and the joy of filling baskets with chocolatey treats! This year, several hotels and wine farms across Cape Town and the winelands will be hosting fun-filled Easter egg hunts, along with more Easter events! Head to the Belmond Mount Nelson for a full weekend of Easter festivities as well as to the One&Only hotel near the V&A Waterfront for Easter fun and Cabo Beach Club for a full day of beach fun for the family!

Rhebokskloof Wine Estate and Skilpadvlei Wine Farm just outside Stellenbosch are also hosting Easter events.

Do you have older kids who may need something a little more challenging? What about an escape room? HintHunt will be hosting special Easter themed escape rooms where you will hunt for Easter eggs while you search for clues!

Watch a movie at the Galileo Open Air Cinema

Enjoy Cape Town’s beautiful outdoors along with some new and classic films this Easter weekend when you attend the Galileo Open Air Cinema! The Galileo offers outdoor movie screenings at venues around Cape Town and you and the family can experience a movie under the stars combined with great venues and snacks! There will be various screenings over the Easter weekend. Enjoy a few laughs watching The Lost City at Kirstenbosch Gardens on Friday, 7 April, enjoy a rom-com favourite with About Time at Stellenbosch Vineyards on Saturday, 8 April, and make the most of a special Easter Sunday screening of The Rise of the Guardians at Six Gun Grill at Newlands Cricket Stadium on Sunday, 9 April!

Embrace nature on a family on a hike

Head outdoors this Easter weekend! Enjoy Cape Town’s famous outdoor areas with a family hike. Select a route to suit everyone’s fitness levels and ages. You could try a popular trail like Lion’s Head, the routes winding up the Table Mountain National Park mountain range from Kirstenbosch Gardens or one of the routes up Table Mountain itself. You can also take a look at some Hout Bay Hikes here. Be sure to drink lots of water and wear sunscreen. Head out in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the heat!

Explore the V&A Waterfront

The V&A Waterfront is one of the top attractions for visitors to Cape Town, and this Easter, there are a variety of fun things to see and do for the whole family! Enjoy world-class shopping and eating, play cave golf or take in a new blockbuster at the recently reopened cinema.

Excitingly, the V&A Waterfront Kids Market Easter Edition is back for 2023! This is a chance for aspiring young entrepreneurs to showcase their unique and creative businesses in a fun and fulfilling environment! The market runs from Saturday 8 April to Sunday 9 April between 10am and 3pm.

Another super memorable activity is a harbour cruise. Choose to take a leisurely boat trip, a sunset cruise or even a pirate-style boat trip on the Jolly Roger! Looking for something slightly different? Take a trip to Seal Island in Hout Bay or cruise around the canals in the Waterfront to see the vibrant district from the waterways.

Go kayaking in Hout Bay

Why not hit the ocean waves this long weekend? Enjoy a kayak adventure in Hout Bay and paddle along the beautiful coastline. See the stunning Chapman’s Peak and keep an eye out for seals, dolphins, penguins and sunfish! This activity is great for both beginners and experienced kayakers (it is useful to note that this activity will be weather dependent). Sea kayaking tours are also available in Mouille Point and Simon’s Town. Book ahead of time to avoid disappointment.

Get your creativity flowing at Clay Cafe

Looking for something more on the creative side? Head to Clay Cafe. This is a great option for families with members of all ages! Pre-book a table at either the Hout Bay location or Clay Cafe in the CIty venue and get ready to spend a few hours getting creative! Clay Cafe provides the pottery and paints and will fire and glaze the pieces for you which you will need to collect in a few weeks time. Simply pick the item(s) you’d like to paint (mugs, plates, plant pots, batman sculptures… you name, it’s probably there!), grab your tools and start creating! Tasty food, coffee and sweet treats are available and there is an outdoor area for kids to play in at the Hout Bay venue.

Cycle (or scoot!) along the promenade

Feel like a kid again while the family zooms along the Sea Point Promenade! There are a number of ways to explore the promenade with two of the most popular being to rent a bike and cruising along the walkway on an e-scooter (the same company also rents out e-bikes). The route along the promenade is flat and there are no cars, making it a safe and fun route for all ages - just be on the lookout for pedestrians! There are also bike rental stations in Camps Bay and the Silo District at the Waterfront for a different point of view. Grab your helmets and get ready to pedal (or zoom!) away a few hours of the day!

Experience the marine world at the Two Oceans Aquarium

Discover the wild wonders of the ocean at Cape Town’s Two Oceans Aquarium! Located at the V&A Waterfront, it offers a fully fun educational experience for people of all ages. See sharks swim, watch penguins gobble fish, wander through the exhibits and get a closer look at marine life at the touch pool and microscope exhibit. It’s sure to be a super fun afternoon out which doubles up as a lesson in why it is vital to look after our Oceans.

Make the most of this Easter weekend with one of these fun-filled family activities! Whether you choose to go on an epic easter egg hunt, hike through Cape Town’s famous fynbos-filled landscapes or watch a movie outdoors, it’s sure to be special as long as you spend it with your loved ones. To everyone who is celebrating, have a wonderful Easter!