This is surely a fun activity for the entire family if you enjoy a little bit of a workout and sportive action. Your kids must be a little bit older in order to be able to join this adventure – at least they should be able to stand on a board by themselves and keep the balance. But even with little children, it’s a fun thing to do as you can always have spectators joining the party in the Dunes. So maybe this is a great gift idea for Dad this year!
The sandboarding action takes place in the Witsands Aquifer Nature Reserve not far from Cape Town. After a 45 minute drive, you’ll arrive at the Atlantis Sand Dunes where you’ll be greeted at the entrance gate and ticket office. There, you’ll need to purchase a separate sandboarding activity fee which is excluded from the actual ticket price. The fee amounts to R68 for adults and R42 for children aged 3-17/pensioners/students. You can also purchase a Spectator Ticket for R50 per person (if there’s more than 2 people “just” watching the show, it will be R100 per person).
From there, an experienced tour guide will drive you in and out of the dunes with their special 4×4 vehicles and the fun can begin.
Important: this activity is weather dependant and can only take place in dry conditions and with low wind. They also need a minimum booking of 3 people for a tour to take place.
Classic Sandboarding Walk Up Dunes
With this option, you can train some of those leg muscles as you have to walk up the dunes every time you reach the bottom with your sandboard. You will also receive a short safety training before you start and then you can enjoy 2.5 hours of pure boarding fun in the sun.
The staff on site will assist you in training and perfectly wax your sandboard, all you need to do is walk up the dune and sandboard down. As there is no kiosk or bar close by, make sure to bring along enough water (1L per person) as well as a hat, sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen. You also need to wear comfortable shoes and thick socks (if you have) that can easily be strapped into the sandboard.
Cost: R700 Adults, R600 Children (12 years and under)
Time Slot: 11:30 & 14:00
Ultimate Sandboarding Ride Up Dunes
If you are a little bit more lazy and prefer the comfortable option, you should book the Ultimate Sandboarding Activity. The duration is 2 hours, but you will be able to get more sandboarding done because a 4×4 vehicle will drive you to the top of the dunes every time you come down and you don’t have to make the painful way up the dune on foot. Everything else stays exactly the same as with the Classic Sandboarding Option. Only the price is slightly different for this one.
Cost: R900 Adults, R800 Children (12 years and under)
Time Slot: 11:30 & 14:00
Private 4×4 Sandboarding
If you’re more of a private person and want to enjoy the experience with family and friends exclusively, this one is for you. You’ll get a private 120 minute session , the 4×4 drive into the dunes, some safety & training then 4×4 lift to the top of the dunes.
Cost: R1,600 per person including all permits
Time Slot: 11:00 & 16:30
Our Experience
To be fair, I have to say that I did it a very long time ago and our two kids were still stars in the universe. So we haven’t done this activity recently, but I can definitely say that it is lots of fun from a grown-up perspective and I’m sure that older kids will just enjoy it as much! It’s really fun to get this snowboard feeling on sand and slide down sand dunes. Cool pictures are guaranteed by the way. BUT if I could do it a second time, I would definitely choose the Ultimate Sandboarding Option. I did the “cheap” one when I was young and climbing up those dunes is really exhausting. And back then I was in my twenties. So it could only be worse now 😅
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Checklist
- Opening Times: Monday – Sunday 09:00 – 17:00
- Age Group: 4 – 99
- Rates: Adults = from R700 per person, Children (12 years and younger) = from R600 per child
- Baby Changing Facilities: No
- Kids Menu: n/a
- Fun Factor: 5/5
- Price Category: High
- Free WIFI: No
Website
https://sandboardingcapetown.com/
Phone: +27 (0) 21 054 0124
