The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest building in South Africa. Built between 1666 and 1679 by the Dutch East India Company, better known as the VOC (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie), this pentagonal fortification replaced a small clay and timber fort built in 1652 by Commander Jan van Riebeeck, founder of the maritime replenishment station at the Cape of Good Hope.

In 1664 there were renewed rumours of war between Britain and the Netherlands and they feared a British attack on the Cape. During that same year Commander Zacharius Wagenaer was instructed to build a five-pointed stone castle. On 26 April 1679 the five bastions were named after the main titles of Willem, the Prince of Orange. The western bastion was named Leerdam; followed in clockwise order by Buuren, Catzenellenbogen, Nassau and Oranje.

In 1936 the Castle of Good Hope was declared a national monument. As a result of an extensive, ongoing restoration programme launched in the 1980s, the Castle of Good Hope remains the best preserved fortification of its kind built by the VOC in regions where it had interests.

The Castle of Good Hope was the regional headquarters of the South African Army in the Western Cape, and houses the Castle Military Museum and ceremonial facilities for traditional Cape Regiments.

"The Castle of Good Hope was not built in consecutive order, so you will jump around from one time of history to another as you explore the Castle..."
Jay Heale

Times
The Castle of Good Hope opens daily at 09:00 and closes at 16:00.
We are open from Monday to Sunday. The Castle is closed to the public on Christmas day (25 December) and New Year’s day (01 January).

Tours
Guided tours are conducted by Castle guides from Monday to Saturday at 11:00, 12:00 and 14:00.We also offer self-guided tours by means of a map in seven (7) different languages.

The Castle of Good Hope also offers "Horse and Carriage" Tours. The Carriage departs from the Castle and takes you on a historical route of Cape Town. The price is R120-00 for adults, R60-00 for children and R90-00 for pensioners. This price includes your entry to the Castle of Good Hope and all it has to offer."

Traditional ceremonies
Traditional ceremonies take place during weekdays.
The Key Ceremony was performed in the Castle from its earliest days and depicts the unlocking of the Castle of Good Hope. This ceremony takes place at 10:00 and 12:00 during weekdays.

The firing of the signal cannon directly after the Key Ceremony is symbolic to indicate the significance of cannons at the Castle of Good Hope.
The Castle Guard performs both these ceremonies.

Entrance fees

Adults R20-00
Pensioners R15-00
Students R10-00
Children R10-00
Booked School Groups R5.00

Half price on Sundays, except during school holidays.

Disabled facilities
Disabled parking is available at the entrance to the parking area in Darling Street. We also provide a video room enabling the disabled to witness a bird’s eye view of the Castle of Good Hope. The Castle is also in possession of Braille text.

The Castle of Good Hope offers conference facilities, catering for all corporate functions, weddings, private functions, cocktail parties, breakfasts on the beautiful bastions, dinners in the dungeons and locations for film and fashion shoots.