City Sightseeing red bus bookings can be made on open top coaches for tours of Cape Town and Johannesburg. Their buses are luxurious, with a toilet, air conditioning, USB ports and a wireless internet connections. Their biggest presence is in Cape Town, and our vote for their best tour is the day trip from the Waterfront to Cape Point, via Simons Town.
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City Pass tickets allow unlimited hop-on-hop-off trips on City Sightseeing buses; with access to some 80 attractions and queue jumping options at some of them.
Click here to make an online booking.
Special childrens' discounted rates apply for kids from four to seventeen years old. Children under the age of four years old travel for free.
Phone or WhatsApp 021-009-0043 (any day of the week, but only from 8am to 5.30pm). Email info@citypass.co.za
Website bookings: they sometimes offer discounted online bookings and specials such as kids riding for free.
Call centre bookings: telephone bookings can be made through their call centre: 021-511-6000 (only during office hours from 8am until 5pm) or 021-511-2288 or 0861-733-287
Email City Sightseeing at info@citysightseeing.co.za
Fax 021-511-2288
City Sightseeing's kiosk at the V&A Waterfront is on Dock Road, next to the Two Oceans Aquarium, with a large parking lot across the road from it, where you can park your car whilst you go on a red bus tour.
Box 379, Paarden Eiland, Cape Town, Western Cape, 7420, South Africa
Student discounting: South African students must have their identification card with them to qualify for any student specials.
Children: Check if the 3 for 1 kids special is on, where 2 kids can travel for nothing if you buy a day ticket for an adults.
Two for the price of 1 cruise special: If you are going to go on a harbour cruise, then buy it from City Sightseeing between the hours of 3pm and 5pm, if the special is on you'll get 2 for the price of 1.
Dock Road |
Tel: 021 511 6000 |
|
81 Long Street |
If you're visiting the kiosk at the Waterfront, be sure to try some of their coffee - it's from a machine, but a fifth of the price of some of the coffee at nearby restaurants.
Here's City Sightseeing's Cape Explorer bus parked at the V&A Waterfront, with the Watershed on the right in the background.
You can take food on board with you and there are also stops along the way where you can purchase a meal/drinks.
Want to hire a red bus for a private customised tour?
In Cape Town, email shaun@openbus.co.za
In Joburg, email glynn@citysightseeing.co.za
To find out about specials for schools email schools@citysightseeing.co.za
Non-profits can apply for complimentary tickets by emailing csi@citysightseeing.co.za
Info about competitions at competitions@citysightseeing.co.za
Did you love or hate your CitySightseeing trip? Provide feedback by emailing feedback@citysightseeing.co.za
City Sightseeing prides itself on the large number of languages it covers: english, german, mandarin, french, portuguese, turkish, arabic, dutch, italian, japanese, russian, swedish, swahili and spanish.
Tips are encouraged. "We do welcome tips, things being as they are, we always encourage guests to tip the staff. Tips collected are equally split amongst the staff on the bus. Guests decide how much. However, guests should not feel obligated, it's normally reserved for those who enjoyed the day out. It is very much appreciated."
Click here to see City Sightseeing SA on Instagram.
Click here to see City Sightseeing SA on Facebook.
Click here to see City Sightseeing Cape Town on Twitter.
4 Aug 2020 |
City Sightseeing restarts operations with a post-COVID ticket special. |
30 Oct 2019 |
Avuyile becomes the first female City Sightseeing skipper for their harbour tours. |
8 Aug 2016 |
City Sightseeing takes part in #FirstThursdays for the first time; welcoming visitors with free beer and Groot Constantia wine at Stop 5 at 81 Long Street. They are joined at Stop 5 by the Travel Depot, Amiti Shop, Kamili Coffee, ffee, Aquila Game R, South African Forest Adventures and Cape Town Helicopters. |
22 May 2015 |
City Sightseeing announces on Twitter that they're the first bus company in South Africa to be carbon neutral (whatever that means). |
2004 |
Singapore Ducktours purchases City Sightseeing. |
1972 |
The first City Sightseeing bus starts operations in London. |
No exact competitors in Cape Town or Johannesburg.
The antenna at Cape Point, with lighthouse keepers' houses in the background.
Here's the view from the old lighthouse of Cape Maclear and Cape of Good Hope (bits of land jutting out to sea).
Don't fall asleep on the way home, keep an eye open for some of the wildlife. This is the biggest bird in the world, an ostrich, wandering around Cape Point.
"Make sure you check and double check the area where you were seated, that you do manage to take your belongings back and important items and clothing with you."
The elevated highway above the foreshore didn't exist 65 years ago, it's part of the city that was reclaimed from the sea to extend the city limits.
Five days after our trip we received this lovely email from City Sightseeing:
"From: City Sightseeing [mailto:info@citysightseeing.co.za]
Sent: Friday, 20 May 2022 09:01
To: info@southafrica.to
Subject: A big thank you from City Sightseeing Cape Town
Hello
On behalf of my entire team, I hope you've had a great time with us on the Red Bus. We work hard to make sure everybody always enjoys a five-star experience whilst in our care. If, for any reason, you feel we did not meet your expectation, please take a few minutes and write to me personally at youneedtoknow@citysightseeing.co.za. I will investigate each comment and either reply in person or ask one of my senior managers to engage with you directly to address the issue you might have had. This way you will help us improve our business - great for future Red Bus fans and more importantly, improve your (hopefully) second experience with us!
Please also consider reviewing your positive City Sightseeing experience on Tripadvisor. Your review won't only help us get more Red Bus fans - it goes a long way to help me keep my team motivated to maintain the high standards you've come to expect from us. Besides - we're all human and love a compliment when it's deserved! To make your life easier, please click here for a shortcut to our Tripadvisor profile: Cape Town or Johannesburg
Whilst we don't operate the many attractions we stop at or sell on our website, we do have a close working relationship with them all and are happy to pass on any of your comments.
Finally, please hang onto your tickets. As a way of saying thank you for going on one of our tours, you'll get a 10% discount when presenting them on your next City Sightseeing tour at any of our nearly 100 locations dotted around the globe. I look forward to welcoming you on one of our buses again in the future!
Keep smiling, have a great day and thank you for becoming part of our global family!
Claus Tworeck
CEO (and that's not for "Chief Experience Optimiser!")
City Sightseeing South Africa"
On a bus there's the driver, host and announcer. Staff work according to a roster system, so who they work with changes, and is "like a lucky packet".
Email hr@citysightseeing.co.za for more information about jobs at City Sightseeing in South Africa (click here for more info about international jobs).