Tunnel and Dungeon Tour
Sat Jan 31, 10:00 - Sat Jan 31, 12:30
Castle of Good Hope
ABOUT
Discover Cape Town’s lost River.
If you would like to explore the Victorian & Dutch Tunnel below the City of Cape Town and visit the Castles Dungeons, be sure to attend this exciting event on Saturday 31 January 2015 at 10h00.
Explorers need to be physically fit and surefooted, as parts of the tunnels can be slippery and as there are obstacles to hurdle and ladders to climb. This expedition is great for adults and kids over 8 years of age. Children need to be accompanied by an adult.
The trail starts and ends in the gardens of the Castle of Good Hope. Secure parking is available at the castle. Spaces are limited to 20 spots per adventure, so book early to secure your spot. Tickets are R300p/p and R200p/p for children under 16.
FAQ
Booking
Our tunnel tours are very popular and all visits must be pre-booked. There is no facility to ‘pay at the door’ and no casual visitors will be permitted. Please make your booking 2 weeks in advance.
Eligibility
The minimum age for visitors is 10. We do not recommend the elderly or infirm to join a tour because the tunnels are slippery and have a number of obstacles and ladders to climb.
Fitness
The tunnels are deep, dark and slippery. Walking through them and climbing a 3 meter vertical exit ladder both require reasonable agility. Tunnels are confined spaces and the atmosphere can be unpleasant for some and cause breathing problems for those who suffer from asthma, bronchial illness or angina. The Tunnels could also induce claustrophobic distress for some visitors. If you have any doubts about your fitness to participate in a tour, please consult your GP.
Clothing
Dress for comfort, such as trousers or jeans or shorts with a long-sleeved top. We do not recommend wearing skirts. Open shoes or high heels are not allowed. Please wear old comfortable closed shoes such as “gumboots/hiking boots” that you can walk in water with. You will be provided with safety helmets which must be worn at all times.
Cancellation
A tour will be cancelled by Goodhopeadventures if there is heavy rain. We will use the contact details you have provided to let you know in advance, where possible, if a tour has been cancelled, but the unpredictability of the weather means that notification may not always be possible until you arrive for the start of the tour. If a tour is cancelled, we will contact you to arrange to transfer your booking to another date.
Group visits
Tunnel tour is restricted to a total of 20 people per group because of the confined space.
Liability
Goodhopeadventures accepts no liability for any loss, damage or personal injury howsoever caused. Please sign the Indemnity form to be handed in before the tour.
Lighting
The tunnels are dark throughout their length, so please bring a Headlight or Torch with spare batteries. We do also sell powerful headlights with batteries for R80- each on site.
Location
We meet at the Castle parking area which is of Darling street behind the Castle running parallel to Table Mountain. Go past the Guards Hut, then drive over the Moat and park next to the Tunnel Team. You will not see us from the street, and please do not park anywhere else.
Length of tour
Short tour: It takes about 45 minutes inside the tunnel to slowly travel 850 metres for the history/adventure tour of the 20 km of tunnels beneath Cape Town. Below the Castle to Strand street and up Canterbury street. Maximum 20 persons.
Long tour: It takes about 120 minutes inside the tunnel to slowly travel 3km for the adventure tour from Upper Buitenkant to the Castle. Maximum 16 persons.
Photography
You are welcome to take pictures in the tunnels and, of course, of our photogenic tour guides!
Rats
It is very rare to see a rat. The noise of the tour scares them away.
Refreshments
Please bring your own water bottle. No glass is allowed in the tunnel.
GALLERY
FASCINATING FACTS
Cape Town is world famous for the majestic beauty of Table Mountain which seems to embrace the City in rocky arms and seeing tourists and residents alike walking around her streets looking up at the spectacular sight is a common occurrence.
Less well known is that there is another, mostly overlooked, but fascinating realm to explore in Cape Town right under her centuries old streets. Full Circle was privileged to be shown some of these tunnels by Matt Weisse of Good Hope Adventures and what an enlightening adventure it proved to be!
If anyone loves Cape Town and/or its history whether you’re a resident of or visitor to the City a few hours with Matt in Cape Town’s tunnels will reveal the City to you in a whole new light and I’m not just speaking about the headlamp you must bring along with you.
Matt provides a truly amazing historical look at Cape Town unlike any person or tour I have ever listened to or been on. He is passionate, incredibly well-researched and informed and is a veritable walking encyclopedia on the history of Cape Town as a City. The Tunnel Tour is worth it simple to listen to Matt! His talk will leave Capetonians proud and horrified at the same time.
The next time you drive into town along Strand Street passed the Castle, look to your left at the Castle wall and think about the fact that ships used to moor where you are driving and your car would be under water.
There is not enough space to go into the history of the City’s tunnels here but they basically began as canals built in various stages as the City’s waste water system that used to flush into Table Bay. When, like most larger European cities at the time, the canals became overwhelmed by the bourgeoning population there were epidemic outbreaks and the City’s leaders acted quite quickly and chose to cover up the canals. Over time the waste water system was updated and improved until now most of these old water canals lie unused beneath the City, although Mountain and spring water does still flow through them into the sea.
Surprisingly, the tunnels are remarkably ‘clean’ and you are unlikely to see a single sewer rat although there is a faint ‘musty’ smell in some places. You are more likely to see groups of cockroaches which are unexpectedly inactive and just seem to collect in family groups. Most are the normal colour but the odd one may be white.
Not all the tunnels are old sewers however, and there is an old Post Office Tunnel, some ‘secret’ tunnels for military purposes and even some old bank vaults and old private tunnels.
It really is fascinating to see the old brick and stone work and recognize the various periods of construction as pointed out by Matt. It is quite staggering how much the City has changed since the first white settlers landed here and it is equally impressive to see all the hand-formed stone-masonry which is as good as it was 300 years ago!
Tunnel Tours are not only of interest to history buffs and tourists though. They are a great place for business to hold corporate team-building and motivational events.
There are too many tunnels and things to see in one day and we will very definitely be going back for further explorations… it really is that interesting!
Less well known is that there is another, mostly overlooked, but fascinating realm to explore in Cape Town right under her centuries old streets. Full Circle was privileged to be shown some of these tunnels by Matt Weisse of Good Hope Adventures and what an enlightening adventure it proved to be!
If anyone loves Cape Town and/or its history whether you’re a resident of or visitor to the City a few hours with Matt in Cape Town’s tunnels will reveal the City to you in a whole new light and I’m not just speaking about the headlamp you must bring along with you.
Matt provides a truly amazing historical look at Cape Town unlike any person or tour I have ever listened to or been on. He is passionate, incredibly well-researched and informed and is a veritable walking encyclopedia on the history of Cape Town as a City. The Tunnel Tour is worth it simple to listen to Matt! His talk will leave Capetonians proud and horrified at the same time.
The next time you drive into town along Strand Street passed the Castle, look to your left at the Castle wall and think about the fact that ships used to moor where you are driving and your car would be under water.
There is not enough space to go into the history of the City’s tunnels here but they basically began as canals built in various stages as the City’s waste water system that used to flush into Table Bay. When, like most larger European cities at the time, the canals became overwhelmed by the bourgeoning population there were epidemic outbreaks and the City’s leaders acted quite quickly and chose to cover up the canals. Over time the waste water system was updated and improved until now most of these old water canals lie unused beneath the City, although Mountain and spring water does still flow through them into the sea.
Surprisingly, the tunnels are remarkably ‘clean’ and you are unlikely to see a single sewer rat although there is a faint ‘musty’ smell in some places. You are more likely to see groups of cockroaches which are unexpectedly inactive and just seem to collect in family groups. Most are the normal colour but the odd one may be white.
Not all the tunnels are old sewers however, and there is an old Post Office Tunnel, some ‘secret’ tunnels for military purposes and even some old bank vaults and old private tunnels.
It really is fascinating to see the old brick and stone work and recognize the various periods of construction as pointed out by Matt. It is quite staggering how much the City has changed since the first white settlers landed here and it is equally impressive to see all the hand-formed stone-masonry which is as good as it was 300 years ago!
Tunnel Tours are not only of interest to history buffs and tourists though. They are a great place for business to hold corporate team-building and motivational events.
There are too many tunnels and things to see in one day and we will very definitely be going back for further explorations… it really is that interesting!
DIRECTIONS
Tunnel and Dungeon Tour
Castle of Good Hope
Darling St and Buitenkant St, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa
Get Directions