Chapman's Peak Drive is a 9 km toll road with 114 curves between Hout Bay and Noordhoek, following the rocky coastline below Chapman's Peak, the 593 m southern extension of the Constantia Berg. With car hire at Cape Town Airport, the Hout Bay end is 33 km from the airport, about 40 minutes without traffic or stops, and the whole drive fits into a loop of the Cape Peninsula that ends back at CPT the same day.
How do I get to Chapman's Peak Drive from Cape Town Airport?
In the car you collect at CPT, leave the airport on the N2 towards the city and follow the M3 south and the M63 into Hout Bay: 33 km, about 40 minutes without traffic or stops. From Hout Bay centre to Noordhoek over the drive, the M6, is 12 km by road, about 30 minutes. To start at the Noordhoek end instead, Noordhoek is 44 km from CPT, about 50 minutes, by the N2, the M3 and the M64.
How much is the toll and how do I pay?
Chapman's Peak Drive is a toll road with a tariff for each vehicle class, charged in each direction, and a hire car pays the light-vehicle rate. Cash and card are both accepted, except American Express and Diners Club, and contactless bank cards and phone payments work at the plaza. Tariffs rise most years on 1 July, so check the current light-vehicle rate on the Chapman's Peak Drive tariff page before you go. The toll is yours to pay, like all tolls, fuel, parking and fines during a rental.
Can I drive part of it without paying?
Yes. From the Hout Bay side you can get a Day Pass and use the first 3 km of the drive free, in daylight hours only.
Is Chapman's Peak Drive open today?
Check the live road status on the Chapman's Peak Drive website before you set off. The road is closed from time to time for safety, typically in high winds, heavy or continuous rain, during maintenance, or while rocks caught in the catch fences are cleared.
Which vehicles cannot use it?
Driving south to north, from Noordhoek to Hout Bay, heavy vehicles, vehicles in classes 4, 5 and 6, and any vehicle wider than 2.1 m, with or without a trailer, are prohibited. A large van may be wider than that limit; if it is, drive the road from Hout Bay to Noordhoek only.
Insurance and damage exclusions
Standard insurance does not cover damage to the wheels, the undercarriage, the windscreen or the interior, so a stone chip in the windscreen falls outside it. On a road whose catch fences hold back falling rock, the standard cover and its exclusions matter more than on a city street, and any higher cover is described on the car you choose. After any incident, tell the rental agent at once and get a police report unless the agent agrees otherwise.
How do I combine it with Cape Point?
Drive the peninsula as a loop from the airport: to Hout Bay, over Chapman's Peak Drive to Noordhoek, south to Cape Point, back up the False Bay side past Simon's Town and Muizenberg, and in to CPT. The loop is 151 km, about 3 h 30 of driving without traffic or stops, which uses part of your selected car's kilometre allowance; driving to dinner or back to your accommodation comes out of the same allowance.
| Leg | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|
| CPT to Hout Bay | 33 km | about 40 min |
| Chapman's Peak Drive, Hout Bay to Noordhoek | 12 km | about 30 min |
| Noordhoek to Cape Point | 42 km | about 1 h |
| Cape Point to Boulders Beach, Simon's Town | 23 km | about 30 min |
| Boulders Beach to Muizenberg | 15 km | about 20 min |
| Muizenberg to CPT | 25 km | about 35 min |
Cape Point is in Table Mountain National Park. The gate is cash-free and takes debit and credit cards only, with one payment per vehicle covering everyone inside at the per-person conservation fee. The gate opens at 06:00 and closes at 18:00 from October to March, and runs from 07:00 to 17:00 from April to September; times can change without notice.
What are the road rules on the drive?
South Africa drives on the left. The general limit is 60 km/h in urban areas and 100 km/h on other roads outside them unless a sign sets another. South African road rules also require every adult to wear a seatbelt where one is fitted, and the rental conditions keep the car on paved public roads.
Which hire car suits Chapman's Peak Drive?
Any car in the search can drive it; it is a public road with a toll for light vehicles. The one restriction that touches hire vehicles is the 2.1 m width limit for northbound traffic, which matters only for a large van.
Which other coast drive starts from the airport?
For a second coast drive from the airport, the coast drive to Hermanus by the R44 Clarence Drive is 124 km, about 2 h; the faster way there is 102 km on the N2 and the R43, about 1 h 30. Out on the R44 and back on the N2 is a round trip of 227 km from CPT, about 3 h 30 of driving without traffic or stops, so compare the full distance with your car's allowance before choosing between it and the shorter 151 km peninsula loop.