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Cape Town City Half Day Tour

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Our Selection of Half-Day Tours have been crafted to ensure you an all rounded experience of Cape Town & its surrounds. Join African Eagle Day Tours on one of our unforgettable guided trips in Cape Town. Our tour selection has been crafted to ensure you an all rounded experience of Cape Town and its surrounds. The Mother City is seeped in history, culture and scenic wonders, and offers an abundance of things to see and do. A half day tour gives you the chance to experience the city and its attractions within your time limits, allowing you to plan your trip to Cape Town carefully so that you don’t miss a single thing. From the fascinating landmarks in the city, to the award-winning wine farms of the Cape Winelands, we have the perfect tour for you. Our tours are designed to show you the biggest highlights within each area, ensuring that time is spent seeing the key landmarks and sights. Click on the tour images or the link below to view more information about our Half Day Tour packages, or browse the list of half day tours in Cape Town below to find the tour that best suits your needs

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" WE ARE DEDICATED TO BRINGING YOU THE BEST THE CAPE HAS TO OFFER. "

Cape Town Half Day Tours

• visit the penguin beach in Simon's town
• visit the colorful Bo-kaap district
• Take pictures at Chapman's peak drive
• Explore the oldest universities, hospitals, and lighthouses
• visit the most historic and interesting city markets
• Visits the castle of good hope, parliament buildings and District six.
• Get cultural experience and township tour
• Get beautiful views of the coastlines

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Boulders Beach Penguins Half Day Tour

Half Day Cape Town City Tour

Township Tour And Cultural Experience

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Cape Town City Tour

R 4,238.00

Includes: Guide, vehicle, fuel, parking, water, refresher towels Excludes: Entrance fees, guest’s meals Duration: 4 hours 30 minutes When: All year round Where: Hotel – Hotel (Cape Town)

Service offered in English / Portuguese / French / Spanish. Please ensure to select choice of language under add-ons.

• Description

Experience the Best of Cape Town on Your South African Adventure  

If weather allows, you will visit Table Mountain. If not, Signal Hill offers equally stunning views. Table Mountain , the most popular national park in South Africa, is a geological marvel.  

Your tour includes a panoramic exploration of Cape Town’s historic sites. First, you’ll see the Castle of Good Hope, a well-preserved 17th-century fortress. Then, you’ll stroll through the Grand Parade, a bustling public square with a rich historical background.  

The next stop is City Hall, an architectural masterpiece showcasing the city’s cultural richness. Nearby is District Six, a place with a poignant history, as it was once a vibrant community forcibly displaced during apartheid.  

You’ll also explore the Parliament Buildings, with their imposing neoclassical and Edwardian styles. Continue to St. Georges Cathedral, known for its striking architecture and significance in the struggle against apartheid.  

The journey then leads you to the Company Gardens, a serene oasis in the city center. Its botanical beauty and historical significance make it a delightful stop.  

Finally, you’ll visit Bo Kaap, a neighborhood famous for its vivid and unique houses, each painted in a different vibrant hue, creating a picturesque and cheerful atmosphere that encapsulates the diversity and vibrancy of Cape Town.  

Incorporating this comprehensive tour into your South African adventure lets you experience the best of Cape Town, from natural wonders to historical landmarks and colorful communities. Don’t miss the chance to make lasting memories on this unforgettable journey through a city that encapsulates the soul of South Africa.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us .  

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Table Mountain and City Half Day Tour

Discover Cape Town's rich natural and cultural heritage

What to expect

Head up Table Mountain and experience the Mother City in all her vibrant glory, from the harbour to the markets and the colourful streets of the Bo Kaap.

• Duration: 4.5 hours
• Includes: Entrance to Castle of Good Hope and SA Museum
• Excludes: Table Mountain cable car ticket
• Meals: None
• Price: Price available on request

Camps Bay beach in front of the Twelve Apostles Mountains

People in the aquarium on a Cape Town Holiday

Lions head seen from Camps Bay Beach

A surfer in the Cape Town ocean

Table Mountain seen from the Blouberg area in Cape Town

Stand on the top of Table Mountain

Situated below Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head, Cape Town offers a rich cultural and industrial heritage, grand splendour and an assurance of activity and excitement at the V&A Waterfront. Including all the 'must-sees' of any Cape Town day tour, this option is a geographical and cultural extravaganza, showing you Cape Town, from its historical beginnings to the dazzling modern city it has become.

Daily from 08:30 until 12:45

Daily from 13:15 until 17:30

Departure times

Sea Point Hotels 07:45

Waterfront Hotels 08:00

Downtown Hotels 08:30

The tour commences with a tour of Table Mountain (weather permitting; cable car fee not included). Enjoy panoramic views over the Mother City and the Atlantic Seaboard with Robben Island in the distance lying sleepily in Table Bay harbour. In the city itself, stop at the Company Gardens. Enjoy a walk through the garden and a visit to the SA Museum. This is followed by a visit to the Castle of Good Hope. Built between 1666 and 1679 by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as a maritime replenishment station, the Castle of Good Hope is the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa.

The drive through the City Centre would also take you past the Houses of Parliament, the Grand Parade and City Hall from where Nelson Mandela first addressed South Africans after his release in February 1990. Return to your hotel upon completion of the tour.

We advise you take a warm jumper with you to the top of Table Mountain as weather can become very cold and windy.

Please note: 

• If the Table Mountain cable car is not in operation, then a visit to Signal Hill will be substituted.

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Cape Town Half Day City Tour

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• < 4 Hours

Any Hotel or Address in Cape Town City

Highlights:

• V&A Waterfront in the Port of Cape Town
• Atlantic Seaboard: Clifton and Camps Bay
• Company Gardens and Iziko South African Museum

Castle of Good Hope

• Clock Tower and Cape Diamond Museum (museum tour optional)

Description:

This tour takes you from the V&A Waterfront in the historic Cape Town Harbour to the Blue Flag beaches of the Atlantic Seashore, the brightly-painted homes of Bo-Kaap and the historic landmarks in the Cape Town City Bowl. Enjoy a few hours in the company of a knowledgeable tour guide who makes the rich history of the city come alive.

City Town City Bowl and V&A Waterfront

The morning starts with a quick stop at the V&A Waterfront, located in the heart of the historic Cape Town Harbour. The world-class retail and entertainment complex is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Africa and offers visitors a glimpse into the daily goings-on of one of the oldest working harbours in the world.

Atlantic Seaboard

We continue on to the Blue Flag beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay, travelling through the modern coastal suburbs of the Atlantic Seaboard which runs parallel to the glistening Atlantic Ocean. You’ll find some of the most affluent homes along this stretch of coastline and magical beaches dotted with striking granite outcrops.

Next is a visit to the historic village of Bo-Kaap, formerly known as the Malay Quarters and home to many descendants of the slaves who once lived there. The Dutch East India Company established Bo-Kaap (meaning Above Cape) to house slaves from Malaysia and Indonesia who were bought to the Cape in the 1760s to build the city.

The brightly-painted homes and quaint cobbled streets tell a story of the village’s rich history. You can learn more about the cultural heritage of the predominantly Muslim community at the Bo-Kaap Museum which is housed in the Cape’s oldest building still in its original form.

We move onto the Castle of Good Hope, travelling past the Company’s Garden and the Iziko South African National Museum. The Castle is a bastion fort built in 1666; it’s the oldest-surviving colonial building in southern Africa and a prime example of a ‘star fort’ which was first seen in the mid-15th century in Italy.

Today, the Castle houses the regional headquarters of the South African Army in the Western Cape, the famous William Fehr Collection of historic artworks, the Castle Military Museum and ceremonial facilities for traditional Cape Regiments.

Cape Diamond Museum

Your morning ends with a quick visit to the Cape Diamond Museum, located in the historic Clock Tower at the V&A Waterfront. The museum provides fascinating insight into the history of the South African diamond rush and features exhibits exploring the science behind diamonds.

• Transfers in an air-conditioned tour vehicle
• English-speaking tour guide
• Activities specified in the itinerary
• Lunch and beverages
• Purchases of a personal nature
• Table Mountain Cable Car Fare

Good to know:

Group tours

MoAfrika Tours and its service providers offer cost effective group tours and transfers ranging from 2 – 12 persons per vehicle, please do inform us if you would prefer a private tour (additional rates may apply).

Collection / Drop off

Collection from any Hotel or Address in the Cape Town City Bowl between 07:30am – 09:00am and 13:00 – 14:00pm

Drop-off at any hotel or address in Cape Town City Bowl from 14h00 and 17:30pm

Please note

If you plan to fly out of Cape Town International Airport on the last day of your travels, we suggest reserving a domestic flight that departs no earlier than 19h30 and an international flight that departs no earlier than 21h00.

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About this Tour

Our half day Cape Town city tour will take you through the streets of the city looking up at buildings crowded with history. You will be amazed of the architectural and charm the city has to offer. Our first visit of the day Table Mountain. The shape of Table Mountain is very characteristic with a flat top of more than 3 kilometers. One of the most representative symbols of the legislative capital of South Africa. After our visit up Table Mountain we will drive along the coast passing the following areas. Camps Bay, Maiden Cove & Clifton beaches. One of their attractions is their proximity and easy access a good choice if you want a place to rest and relax.

We will continue around the mountain into Bantry Bay, Seapoint, Green Point finally arriving to the historical center of the Mother city. Time permitting we will walk downtown through some of the historical places of interest. Proudly standing on the outskirts of the business district our walk start from the Castle of Good Hope followed by the Grand Parade and Cape Town city hall were on 11 February 1990 Nelson Mandela attempt his first speech as a free man. We also walk through the Company’s garden, Green Market square and the Bo-Kaap. This tour gives one the opportunity to sense the spirit of the city of Cape Town and designed to give you sufficient time to enjoy and feel the beat of the Mother city.

Cape Town City

• Tour Days:  Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Saturday Sunday
• Depart Time: 8:15am
• Return Time: 12:15pm
• Duration: Half-day Morning
• Scheduled Tour Rate : R1200 p.p
• Private Tour Rate : R3800 per vehicle

Guaranteed Safe Checkout

• Depart Time: 12:30pm
• Return Time: 17:30pm
• Duration: Half-day Afternoon

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Capey Tours is a private tour operator based in Cape Town and specialize in providing the best personalized tours of this spectacular city.

Welcome to Capey Tours, your premier private tour operator in Cape Town. With our experienced guides and personalized tours, you’ll get the chance to explore all that this spectacular city has to offer. Our knowledgeable guides are well-versed in the history and culture of Cape Town, ensuring that you have an authentic and informative experience.

We understand the value of your time and tailor our tours to meet your specific interests and requirements. No two tours with us are the same, guaranteeing a unique and unforgettable adventure. Whether you’re strolling along sunny beaches or immersing yourself in the vibrant city streets, our expert team will make sure you thoroughly enjoy your time in Cape Town.

At Capey Tours, we prioritize providing the highest quality service at the best possible value. We want to ensure that you make the most out of your visit to the mother city. To learn more about our services or to book a tour, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We can’t wait to show you the beauty and culture of Cape Town!

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36 Hours in Cape Town

By John Eligon Updated March 21, 2024

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By John Eligon Photographs by Samantha Reinders

John Eligon is the Johannesburg bureau chief for The New York Times.

As far as beauty goes, Cape Town is nothing short of spectacular: a city built on the Atlantic Ocean, around a mountain, allowing for stunning views in every direction. The elephant in the room, though, is the harsh legacy of apartheid, when South Africa’s white-minority government pushed the Black majority to the fringes of the city. Areas where most visitors tend to go still have a largely white population. To this day, navigating Cape Town as a person of color can bring uncomfortable moments. But South Africa celebrates 30 years of democracy this year and has, for all of its challenges, tried to embrace the mantra of the “rainbow nation” — a place of racial and ethnic diversity. In that spirit, Cape Town is shedding its Eurocentric identity and emerging as a culturally rich African hub.

Recommendations

• Chapman’s Peak Drive , one of the world’s most beautiful drives, is a 5.5-mile sojourn along a rocky coastline set against the turquoise ocean and mountain views.
• See Langa , one of South Africa’s oldest townships, with a walking tour led by the artist and guide Tozamile Mnapu .
• The African Food and Storytelling Tour , led by the food writer and activist Dennis Molewa, gets you away from the chichi European restaurants and takes you to casual African eateries that will leave your belly full and spices lingering on your tongue.
• Selective Live provides an intimate setting, with a mountain view, to watch music performances from an array of genres that include Afro jazz, African folk and hip-hop.
• Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa is the largest contemporary African art museum on the continent, with exhibits spread across a modern building that was once a grain silo.
• Imiso Ceramics has both a small studio and gallery that features large-scale sculptures by its founders, who find inspiration in their Xhosa heritage.
• The Castle of Good Hope is South Africa’s oldest colonial building, a former fort that now houses nine mini-museums that tell a story of the country’s diversity.
• Earthbox is a unique art exhibit that takes you beneath the earth for relaxation and reflection.
• Bailey’s Kloof is a hiking trail that will test your fitness at first, but is worth the coastal views.
• Theater Arts stages plays in an old Methodist church that showcase a range of experiences and backgrounds in South Africa.
• Time Out Market , an upmarket food hall, captures the diverse range of South African foods, from a chef’s take on a traditional barbecue at Mlilo , to Cape Malay cooking with a modern twist at Barakat .
• Therapy , a restaurant run by a pair of D.J.s from the vibrant Black township of Khayelitsha, offers comfort food and a hip vibe.
• Hari Kitchen , set on a vineyard in the town of Franschhoek with mountain views, serves what its self-taught chef and owner calls Afro-fusion cuisine.
• At Klein Goederust , the first fully Black-owned winery in the Franschhoek Valley, you can pair your wine tasting with a hearty Cape Malay buffet featuring spit-roasted lamb.
• Reuben’s Restaurant and Bar in Franschhoek offers creative plates inspired by family traditions.
• The Silo Hotel is perched above the Zeitz Museum, with “pillowed-glass” windows (many triangular panels of glass create a three-dimensional bubble effect), art on the walls and contemporary rooms with traditional décor, like couches with scrolled armrests and studs. Rooms start at 30,100 rand, or $1,589, per night during peak season.
• Labotessa Luxury Boutique Hotel sits on one of Cape Town’s most historic sites — Church Square, one of the first public plazas in the city, which used to serve as a slave market. It has seven modern suites starting at 13,000 rand per night.
• Kaap Mooi Luxury Guest House is tucked away amid gardens, making you feel as if you’re in an oasis away from the city, even though it is near downtown in the Tamboerskloof neighborhood. There are eight rooms with various South African themes starting at 2,200 rand per night.
• For short-term rentals , there are lots of apartments in the city center, around Bree Street, close to bars, restaurants and street shopping. If you want to be close to the ocean and the city center, try the Sea Point neighborhood, which has a lovely promenade for a run or a stroll. If you want to tuck in near the beach and stay along the stunning coastline, you can book anywhere between Clifton and Camps Bay, though you will pay a premium.
• It’s easiest to use a car in Cape Town. Taking Uber won’t break the bank, though it will cost you a little more to go out to wine country, about 45 minutes outside the city center. Bolt is another ride-hailing app that is widely used and reliable.

A mural by Tozamile Mnapu in Langa

The apartheid government prohibited Black and colored (a multiracial ethnic classification) South Africans from living in cities, instead forcing them to live in established townships in the least desirable areas. But township residents often turned their communities into areas of vibrant resistance and robust arts and culture. Langa, about 30 minutes outside central Cape Town, is one of the nation’s oldest townships. Tozamile Mnapu , a local painter, offers three-hour tours into the community (450 rand, or $24, per person). Starting from iKhaya le Langa , a community center where he also hosts art workshops, Mr. Mnapu takes visitors past street graffiti to a small art gallery above a narrow home, and another one near a gritty town center with a large monument to the resistance that residents put up against the apartheid police. Book directly with him at [email protected] or at +27 73 073 3529.

Time Out Market , the chain of upmarket food halls in several major world cities, opened its first location in Africa last year in an airy, industrial space on the main waterfront promenade. Stop by Mlilo to try the chef Vusi Ndlovu’ s global twists on a traditional “shisanyama,” or South African barbecue. Order the Senegalese lamb (180 rand) or grilled hake with Ghanaian dressing (250 rand). Just across the hall, at Barakat , the wife-and-husband team of Yolani Abrahams and Anwar Abdullatief offers takes on Cape Malay cooking, a cuisine born in the kitchens of Southeast Asians often enslaved by South Africa’s colonizers. You can’t go wrong with the pan-fried kingklip fish (195 rand) or bobotie, a casserole of sweet, curried minced beef topped with egg custard (80 rand). Have a koesister (10 rand), like a doughnut ball, for dessert.

Selective Live

You can stick around at Time Out Market (cocktail specials begin at 4 p.m.), where you can dance to tunes spun by a D.J. until 10 p.m. Or catch a short Uber ride to Selective Live , an intimate performance space and recording studio in the Gardens neighborhood near the city center. Some nights the live music could be African folk, others it could be hip-hop, and still others it could be Afro jazz. Settle into this second-floor space that feels more like someone’s living room — rather than on a stage, artists perform in a nook with a fireplace and a bookshelf. Then step out onto the balcony for fresh air and — what else? — a picturesque mountain view. Tickets start at 60 rand.

The powerful southeasterly winds make Dolphin Beach, in the Blouberg area, one of the world’s most legendary kite-surfing spots.

Trails are aplenty in this mountainous city. The most famous peaks are Table Mountain and Lion’s Head, and indeed trekking up them can provide plenty of exercise and adventure. But to avoid the crowds and get uninterrupted coastal views try Bailey’s Kloof , another scenic trail that starts along the coast about 30 minutes outside downtown. The first half hour or so is steep and moderately intense. But once you make it past that, it’s a delightful roughly two-hour loop through thick vegetation, including colorful irises, mimetes and cape snow flowers. There are detours for a pond, a cave and a rock formation. Stop and take in the delicious ocean views. Before you go, download an offline version of the area in Google Maps (in case cell service is unavailable) to help you navigate as parts of the trail are not well marked.

Cape Town hosts several art fairs annually, but even if you can’t make it to one , there are lots of opportunities to see great art. One obvious stop is the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (entry, 250 rand), the largest contemporary African art museum on the continent. Housed in a former grain silo on the waterfront, Zeitz includes an exhibition that offers commentary on African liberation movements and their connection to the Palestinian struggle, as well as photography and film works that explore connections to the spiritual world. For something more intimate, head to the Salt River neighborhood and visit Imiso Ceramics , a studio and gallery that features large-scale sculptures by the founders Zizipho Poswa and Andile Dyalvane. Their works are inspired by their Xhosa heritage, which they share with arguably South Africa’s most famous person, Nelson Mandela.

Cape Town’s dining scene may best be known for high-end restaurants. But there are also plenty of casual eateries serving classical African dishes. Dennis Molewa , who is from Germany but has lived in South Africa for 15 years, offers three-hour-long African food tours (starting at about 1,400 rand per person) through downtown that include interesting stories about the city’s history and culture. He takes you to a Somali restaurant for chapati, spaghetti and beef stew, but also a blunt conversation about anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa. At Nobantu Restaurant you’ll enjoy a traditional hearty Xhosa Sunday lunch, or what locals call a seven-colors meal (named for the array of colors on the plate). You’ll also meet flower vendors descended from enslaved Cape Malay people, sip tea in a Methodist church and indulge in stewed meats at Fatima’s , a pan-African restaurant owned by a couple from Mali.

Chapman’s Peak Drive runs five and a half miles along the winding Atlantic seaboard from Hout Bay to Noordhoek, and it is often heralded as one of the most beautiful drives on the planet. That’s hard to dispute. It’s a mix of rocky coastline and green water as far as the eyes can see. Get entranced by the ocean and mountain backdrops, but be careful not to get blown away by the stiff winds when you step out to take pictures at one of the many viewpoints. At the end of the route, stop at Noordhoek beach and take a walk. It is a vast, flat plain of sand, and almost feels as if you’re in a desert on the ocean. (Note that the road has tolls, starting at 61 rand.)

Kloof Street was once a dirt road leading from the city center to outlying farms. Today, it’s an eclectic and busy mix of clothing boutiques, art galleries, restaurants and nightlife. For dinner and drinks, you can’t go wrong with Therapy , a sophisticated space that opened last year with sleek, plush banquettes and marble tabletops. It was founded by two D.J.s, Loyiso Mdebuka and Vincent Mvelase Manzini , who are from Cape Town and were raised in the Black township of Khayelitsha. As young Black creatives, they wanted to create a hip vibe and a therapeutic experience, challenging what they saw as an African taboo against therapy. The menu delivers a range of transformed comfort food, like lamb ribs with couscous salad and harissa mayo. Three courses without drinks, about 550 rand per person.

Housed in an old Methodist church a short drive from downtown, Theater Arts is an intimate venue to see a play. Shows tackle a variety of themes, from South Africa’s regular, frustrating power outages to the efforts of young people trying to achieve success, told through a comical tale of life in Lagos, Nigeria. Built on what it says are “the tenets of affordability, inclusivity and accessibility,” the theater company provides space for emerging artists from various cultural, social, economic and skill backgrounds to develop their craft onstage. Tickets start at 150 rand.

The Twelve Apostles mountain range, visible from Camps Bay, forms the back of Table Mountain.

The Castle of Good Hope was built as a fort starting in 1666 by the colonists of the Dutch East India Company. It now stands as the oldest colonial building in South Africa. It served many purposes over the years, including a military base, a slave port and a government headquarters. Today, the castle houses nine mini-museums that tell the story of the diverse people who shaped the Cape and the nation. The Cape Heritage Museum was created by Igshaan Higgins, a human rights lawyer, during the pandemic. With artifacts that Mr. Higgins assembled over 25 years, the museum tells the stories of settler colonialism and the various groups who struggled through that oppression, including the Indigenous Khoi and San people, the Cape Muslims and the Xhosas. The castle also houses the William Fehr Collection, an assemblage of oil paintings and decorative art created by settlers that reflects on themes including slavery and the wars of dispossession.

Tune out the noise with a subterranean journey. At Earthbox , which opened last year as an immersive art exhibit on the Lourensford Wine Estate in the suburb of Somerset West, visitors walk into a bunker of sorts carved into the ground. The high walls of dirt, changing mood lighting and lulling soundtrack provide a perfect opportunity to relax, meditate or just let your mind go. Tickets range from 170 rand to 250 rand. For an additional 50 rand, you can purchase an audio guide — there’s one for meditation, and another that teaches about the ancient rocks and sediment surrounding you. Earthbox hosts regular music concerts and private dinners with local high-end chefs. After your visit, you can roam the wine estate, which includes restaurants, a wine tasting room and a market with live music, food stalls, and arts and crafts vendors.

Reuben’s Restaurant and Bar

Lose yourself in the serenity of wine country at Hari Kitchen , on the Topiary Wine Estate, with one of the best meals in the Franschhoek Valley. The chef and owner Munashe Kwaramba did not attend culinary school, but learned his style of Afro-fusion cooking by observing high-end chefs and by cooking with his grandmother in Zimbabwe. Another option just down the road is Klein Goederust , the first fully Black-owned winery in Franschhoek. On weekends, you can pair a wine tasting with a Cape Malay buffet (495 rand per person) where spit-roasted lamb is a highlight. Or on Franschhoek’s quaint main street, pop into Reuben’s Restaurant and Bar , where the chef and owner Reuben Riffel serves refined dishes like dukkah-spiced lamb and pickled fish inspired by the culinary traditions of colored families like his own.

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Cartagena: With a limonada de coco in hand, explore two walkable neighborhoods over a weekend  in this coastal Colombian city.

Glasgow:  Take in Gothic architecture, green riverside walks and a global banquet  in Scotland’s largest city.

Chicago:   ​​ Cycle miles of urban trails, tour a restored Frank Lloyd Wright masterwork and catch golden hour  along Lake Michigan.

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