To understand this new cultural development you need to reach into the soul of Cape Town, by retracing 350 years of dramatic history. Specially trained tourist guides will bring to life the challenges facing the early Dutch settlers, the pain of slavery, the Cape as a colony, the tragedy of apartheid, and the joy and triumph of our new "Rainbow Nation"

Walking tours take in historical sights like the Castle of Good Hope, Grand Parade, and slavery sites like the Slave Lodge and Slave Tree. At the Parliament Buildings and District Six Museum you will hear about apartheid and get to understand the effects of racism and discrimination on the lives of ordinary South Africans.

Hear about our three Nobel Peace Prize-winners; Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela and FW De Klerk. See the building where the apartheid laws were passed and where they were later repealed after De Klerk’s dramatic speech at the opening of Parliament in February 1990.

The Cape Peninsula, however, is as old as the world, with signs that pre historic man climbed Table Mountain. Since then the San, Khoikhoi, Griqua, Nama and many other indigenous people occupied the Western Cape. In fact, their descendants are still living here today.

During the 17th century the Europeans occupied the Cape and was alternatively controlled by the Dutch and the British. Many other settlers came from France and Germany as well. Segregation and slavery was the order of the day for about 2 centuries, and unfortunately, after slavery was abolished, segregation remained, and in fact got into the law books of 1948 as “Apartheid”. Many people suffered terribly and were forcibly removed from their homes where generations have lived, to sometimes-undesirable areas.

The most well known area in Cape Town where people were removed from is District Six. A visit to the Bo-Kaap, or Malay Quarter, and its museum, and the District Six museum, is a must to understand what Capetonians went through, what made us a stronger nation through adversities, and provided Cape Town with an energetic and liberating environment, that can be very, very addictive.