The only frequent and reliable bus services are those from the centre to the Waterfront and Sea Point; infrequent buses also go down the Atlantic seaboard to Camps Bay and Hout Bay. Don't attempt to catch a bus to the southern suburbs: the train is much quicker and more efficient. All the principal terminals are around Adderley Street and Golden Acre.

Tickets are sold on buses by the driver. A single ticket from the city to Sea Point costs around R3, and about R5 to Camps Bay. If you're planning on using buses frequently, consider buying a Ten-Ride Clip Card , which from the city costs R22 to Sea Point, and R35 to Camps Bay. Valid for fourteen days, the card saves you around 25 percent on the price of individual tickets. For timetables , enquire at the Golden Arrow information booth (toll-free tel 801 212 111, ) at the Grand Parade central bus terminal. It's always advisable to check bus times and points of departure at the booth, as these can change without warning.

The official open-top bus tour of Cape Tourism, the Cape Town Explorer , is also an extremely useful, if slightly expensive (R60 per person per day), means of transport for negotiating the city-centre sights and the Atlantic seaboard beaches. There are two buses and you can hop on and off throughout the day wherever you please along the route (but you should tell the driver where you want to get on and off). Departures are hourly (Nov-Feb 9.40am-4.40pm, April-Sept 9.40am-1.40pm, Oct & March 9.40am-2.40pm) from behind the V&A Waterfront visitor centre in Dock Road. It arrives at the Cape Town Tourism office on the corner of Burg and Castle streets fifteen minutes' later; from here, it passes the City Hall , the Castle of Good Hope, District Six, Parliament , the South African Museum , the Bo-Kaap, Kloofnek Road, Signal Hill, Sea Point and the Atlantic seaboard beaches as far as Camps Bay.