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AA trip to the Mother City would not be complete without a visit to the Company's Garden in the Cape Town city centre. Home to historic buildings, museums, places of worship and an art gallery, it is often simply known as ‘the Cape Town Gardens’.
It’s called ‘the Company’s Garden’ because this was the site of the vegetable and fruit gardens planted by settlers of the Dutch East India Company, when the Cape Colony was established in the late 17th Century as a refreshment station for ships travelling between Europe and the East Indies.
Although most of the plants here now serve a decorative rather than a practical function, the history of the Company’s Garden is very much the history of Cape Town since European settlement began – and the surrounding landmarks attest to this.
Here, you’ll discover a shady green place to wander and dream, close to the imposing Houses of Parliament and the historic Slave Lodge – once the residence of the slaves who played such a big part in the building of this city.
You can also visit the Iziko South African Museum, which features one of South Africa’s only two planetariums (the other one is in Johannesburg).
Don’t miss South Africa’s oldest cultivated pear tree and the rose garden built in 1929, which has maintained its original appeal. In the scented garden for the blind, close your eyes and inhale the different fragrances.
The gardens are also home to scampering squirrels, many of which are happy to pose for your photographs.
Nearby places of worship include St George’s Cathedral (seat of South Africa’s Anglican Church) and the Great Synagogue. There is also a Holocaust Centre.
Watching over the area are many statues, including those of Sir George Gray, governor of the Cape Colony from 1845 to 1862, 1920s Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa Jan Smuts, and arch-imperialist mining magnate Cecil John Rhodes.
You should also look out for the Japanese Lantern Monument, a symbol of friendship given to South Africa by the government of Japan after World War I, in recognition of South Africa’s benevolent policy towards Japanese immigrants.
You’ll also want to visit the Delville Wood Memorial Garden – which commemorates the Battle of Delville Wood, an engagement during the Battle of the Somme in World War I, in which 2 536 soldiers of the 1st South African Infantry Battalion lost their lives.
Before you leave the gardens, take a stroll along the main avenue to see some of the city’s fine arts and crafts.
Did You Know?
TTravel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Cape Town Tourism
Tel: +27 (0)21 487 6800
How to get here
The Company’s Garden is right in the heart of the Cape Town city centre, within easy walking distance of Cape Town Station, Greenmarket Square, Long Street and other well-known landmarks.
Best time to visit
The Company’s Garden is open year-round from 7am every morning, but Cape Town weather is at its warmest, driest and sunniest from October to March.
Around the area
Attractions near the Company’s Garden include Greenmarket Square, the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway and the Castle of Good Hope.
Tours to do
There are good walking tours of central Cape Town that take in the Company’s Garden; search the listed websites.
Get around
Central Cape Town is a walker’s delight. Just take the normal precautions you would in any other major world city; the City Bowl area is very well policed.
Where to stay
Try one of the avant-garde hotels in Long Street as part of your central Cape Town experience.
What to eat
Down the side streets of central Cape Town, you will find some of the most exquisite lunchtime bistros.
What's happening
Cape Town is abuzz with festivals and special events – check the listed Cape Town Tourism website for happenings during your stay.
Best buys
Local arts and crafts, either in the Company’s Garden or at nearby Greenmarket Square.
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