A Morning at the SAS Assegaai Submarine Museum, Simon's Town

If you're looking for something a bit different to add to your South Peninsula itinerary, the SAS Assegaai Submarine Museum in Simon's Town is worth the detour. We took the family recently and came away properly impressed, even Ryan, who isn't easily won over, was fascinated the whole way through.

The size of this thing is crazy!

The details

📍 SAS Assegaai Submarine Museum, Simon's Town

💰 R80 adults / R40 under 12

⏱️ Budget 1-2 hours (guided tour)

Walking through an actual decommissioned submarine puts the whole experience into perspective in a way no photo or documentary really can. What stuck with us most was learning just how demanding life on board actually is. Sailors go through serious psychological evaluation before they're even allowed to serve on a submarine, because the space is so tight and the conditions so extreme that there's no room for error over weeks at sea. No showers. Sailors brush their teeth using sea water. Every inch of space is accounted for, and every person on board has to be able to handle that kind of confinement without it affecting them.

The main living area for most of the sailors. 3 bunks on top of each other, small eating area - no privacy! INSANE

Then there's the galley, which is the submarine's kitchen, and it might be the single most surprising part of the tour. It's tiny. And yet three meals a day, for around 50 crew members, come out of that space. You really can't picture how it works until you've seen it in person.

Make a day of it

Simon's Town has enough packed into a small area that the submarine museum slots easily into a full day out. Pair it with the penguins at Boulders Beach, lunch at one of the many eateries, and a wander through town, and you've got a proper family day without needing to drive far between stops.

If you're staying with us in Simon's Town or nearby, this is one we'd genuinely put on your list, not just something to fill a gap in the itinerary.