Yacht Charter Cape Town

If you are looking at yacht rental in Cape Town, the data is narrow but clear: three private charters of 3, 5 and 8 hours, all on the same 65-foot motor yacht, The Only One, run by Only One Yacht from the V&A Waterfront Marina. They are crewed charters and not self-drive hires. For the cheaper shared boats, my page on boat tours in Cape Town compares 12 trips.

My pick is the 5-hour charter at $5,634. It is long enough to reach Camps Bay, anchor for a swim and still be back without rushing, and its hourly cost is lower than the 3-hour trip. The 8-hour charter is better value per hour at $833, if your group wants a whole day. Prices are in US dollars from the listings, checked in October 2026, and the links are affiliate links, as I explain on my about page.

Only One Yacht

5-Hour Private Yacht Cruise with Drinks & Canapés

• 5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: My pick: 5 hours on a private 65-foot yacht with drinks and canapes, $5,634.

from

$5,634

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Yacht Rentals Cape Town

Yacht rentals in Cape Town sold through GetYourGuide are private group bookings: the listing category is private group and the text says the entire yacht is exclusively yours. The Only One is described as a 65 ft (20 m) Princess luxury motor yacht with an air-conditioned salon, a formal dining area and a sun deck, cruising at 20 knots. The 3-hour and 5-hour listings say she takes up to 12 guests on day charters.

None of the three has reviews on GetYourGuide yet, so I’m judging on the listings. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start on all three, which is useful because wind and sea conditions in Cape Town can change a plan. A Cape Town yacht rental at this level is a celebration or corporate outing more than a casual trip, and the price per hour falls as the charter gets longer. If you are comparing yacht rental in Cape Town against a shared boat, the shared sunset sailings start at $39 a ticket, so the private yacht only makes sense for a group that wants the whole boat.

Only One Yacht

3-Hour Private Luxury Yacht Charter with Drinks

• 3 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The shortest charter: 3 hours from the V&A Marina, $3,574, drinks and canapes included.

from

$3,574

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Boat Rental Cape Town

A boat rental in Cape Town can mean two things: a boat you drive, or a boat with a crew. All three listings here are the second kind. A professional, fully licensed captain and a dedicated stewardess are part of the price, and the captain tailors the route to conditions and your preferences. I did not find any self-drive boat hire in my data, so I can’t give prices or licence rules for one.

If a Cape Town yacht rental is more than you need and you want to see the city from the water without paying for a whole yacht, the three sunset sailings at $39 to $56 are the alternative, and I compare them on my sunset cruise in Cape Town page.

Yacht Hire Cape Town

Here is the Cape Town yacht rental comparison in one table, built from the listings.

Charter	Operator	Price	Per hour	Duration	Boat	Reviews	Cancellation
3-hour private luxury yacht charter	Only One Yacht	$3,574	about $1,191	3 hours	65 ft Princess motor yacht	None yet	Free up to 24 hours before
5-hour private yacht cruise	Only One Yacht	$5,634	about $1,127	5 hours	65 ft Princess motor yacht	None yet	Free up to 24 hours before
8-hour private yacht charter	Only One Yacht	$6,664	about $833	8 hours	65 ft Princess motor yacht	None yet	Free up to 24 hours before

The longer you hire, the cheaper each hour is, so I’d only book 3 hours if you have a firm time limit. All three include a captain, a stewardess, drinks and snacks or canapes. The 3-hour and 8-hour listings say the trip is not suitable for people prone to seasickness or with mobility impairments, and the 8-hour one also lists wheelchair users.

Boat Charter Cape Town

For a boat charter in Cape Town, the route matters as much as the price, and the listings describe three different outings. The 3-hour charter cruises along the Atlantic coast to Clifton, which is about 5.6 km from the V&A Waterfront in a straight line, with the option to anchor for a swim. The 5-hour charter continues past Sea Point and Bantry Bay to Camps Bay, with the Twelve Apostles behind, and anchors in a secluded bay.

The 8-hour charter has the most room to roam: the listing mentions extending towards Hout Bay (about 17.5 km away) or cruising out towards Robben Island (about 12.5 km), with swimming stops, drinks and canapes through the day, and the yacht positioning for sunset before returning. Robben Island is a sail-past option and not a visit, and the island’s own ferries are run by the museum, as I note on the Cape Town boat tours page.

Only One Yacht

8-Hour Private Yacht Charter with Drinks & Snacks

• 8 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The full day: 8 hours, route options to Hout Bay or Robben Island, sunset on the way back, $6,664.

from

$6,664

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Sailing Charter Cape Town

I found no sailing yacht charter in my data: the Only One is a motor yacht. If you want to be under sail, the closest options are the sunset trips, where the Wild Horizons listing describes a 58-foot gaff-rigged schooner and the Waterfront Charters listing names the sailboats Esperance and Serenity One. Those are shared trips at $39 to $45, and the routes follow the wind.

That is a very different product from a private charter, so I’d choose by occasion. A sailing boat is about the wind and the view. A motor yacht like The Only One is about space, comfort and covering distance at 20 knots, which is why the 8-hour charter can reach Hout Bay and Robben Island in a day.

Charter Boats Cape Town

Charter boats in Cape Town are listed under many names, and only this one yacht rental is in my GetYourGuide data. What the listings tell you about booking is consistent: you board at the V&A Waterfront Marina, behind the Cape Grace Hotel, meet the captain and crew, get a safety briefing and depart. Fuel, safety equipment and life jackets are included in the 8-hour listing’s text.

The crew serves local beers, South African wines and sparkling wine, soft drinks, snacks and canapes. The 5-hour listing describes a 65-foot yacht with a sun deck that lets guests sunbathe or watch the coast. For a group dinner, I’d ask the operator what food can be added, as the listings only mention snacks and canapes. Anything else I’d check with them directly.

What to Check Before You Book a Yacht Rental in Cape Town

Because none of the three charters has reviews yet, I’d read the booking page carefully and ask the operator a few questions. First, whether the price covers the whole yacht or is per guest, and whether the 12-guest limit applies to the date. Second, what the plan is if wind or swell makes the Atlantic coast uncomfortable, since the listings say the captain tailors the route to conditions. Third, what the dietary and alcohol arrangements are, as the stewardess serves the drinks.

Also check the mobility and seasickness notes in the listings, which exclude some guests, and the exact meeting point at the marina. A Cape Town yacht rental is a one-off, so a clear answer on each point is worth a short email before you pay. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours ahead, which gives you a safety net if the forecast turns.

How I’d Choose

• The Cape Town yacht rental I’d book for most groups: the 5-hour charter at $5,634.
• Shortest and cheapest yacht rental in Cape Town: the 3-hour charter at $3,574.
• Best value per hour, full day: the 8-hour charter at $6,664, about $833 an hour.
• A shared evening instead: a sunset sailing from $39.

Whichever Cape Town yacht rental you pick, check on the booking page whether the price is per group, how many guests the boat is licensed for on the date, and what weather plan the operator uses. For other trips, see whale watching in Cape Town, the snorkeling in Cape Town trips, or the full list of Cape Town boat trips.