Cape Town

Natural Wonders, Breathtaking Beaches & Sublime Cuisine

People always talk about the magical Mother City, but why is Cape Town a good place to visit? It's a world in one city; a short drive can see you on a spectacular beach, at the base of towering Table Mountain, in the Cape's culinary corner, or exploring world-class winelands.

It's a multi-faceted destination that deserves to be explored. Naturally, there are dozens of scheduled tours on offer but many visitors prefer to travel to Cape Town and discover this friendly and slow-paced city at their own pace: take some time to browse African craft markets, visit the colourful Cape Malay suburb of Bo-Kaap, lounge on its best beaches, and stroll around the ever-popular V&A Waterfront with its shops, restaurants, and luxurious hotels.

Another wonderful thing about a holiday in Cape Town is that, while there are 11 official languages, almost everyone speaks English, making it easy to navigate whether you're a solo traveller, couple, group, or family. As with any destination, it's important to know your environment and what to do, or not to do – while Cape Town is considered a safe destination budding with tourists, consult your Africa Travel Expert before travelling or check our guide on how safe South Africa is for tourists.

1. Discover One Of The 7 Natural Wonders Of The World: Table Mountain

Visitors to the Mother City will quickly understand why Table Mountain is known by the Khoisan people as Hoerikwaggo or ‘Mountain in the Sea'. The vast, sprawling mountain sits proudly in the centre of Cape Town, it's iconic flat top instantly recognisable as it towers over the city. Not only is it beautiful, and impressive, but home to a staggering 8,200 plant species, 1,470 floral species, and a host of wildlife, many of which are endemic.

Standing proudly at 1,085 metres above sea level, many choose to use the cable car to explore the top. However, it's entirely possible to summit on foot using one of several paths to the top – some more challenging than others. Once on the top, exquisite, panoramic views await; look down over the coastline and its glorious beaches, across to other peaks, like Lion's Head, and onto the city bowl.

2. World-Class Winelands

Any holiday in Cape Town is incomplete without a visit to its wonderful winelands. From its Constantia vineyards to the sprawling Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl wineries, there's so much to explore. Wind around the mountain to the magnificent suburb of Constantia and begin at one of the various world-renowned estates before working your way up the hill for spectacular views. Consider the likes of Buitenwerwachting, Groot Constantia, Constantia Uitsig, Constantia Glen, Beau Constantia, and Eagle's Nest – for an intimate experience and great bubbly, stop in at High Constantia Wine Cellar.

For added adventure, consider boarding the Franschhoek wine tram, a hop-on-hop-off experience that takes you to a handful of select farms. Explore nearby Stellenbosch and Paarl for the stunning scenery, fantastic restaurants, unique experiences, and delicious wines.

3. Why Visit Cape Town? The Food, Of Course

Visitors to Cape Town are quick to realise not just how vibrant the city is, but how many incredible restaurants there are. Whether you're looking for the crème de la crème of fine dining experiences or the best local spots for your favourite cuisine, Cape Town does not disappoint. Dine overlooking the harbour at the lauded V&A Waterfront, venture up Kloof Street for local favourites or grab lunch on Bree Street. Ask your expert to advise on the best spots based on your preferences – we can almost guarantee Cape Town can deliver.

Located around an hour from the city centre lies South Africa's culinary capital and French corner of Franschhoek. Home to some of the country's top restaurants – including one of the world's top 100 – visiting this quaint town is a must.

4. Cape Town Holidays: The Best Value For Money

As a one-stop destination, vacations in Cape Town can offer a lot. One of the major draw cards has to be the beaches in Cape Town – from the glorious Camps Bay and Clifton beaches to Llandudno and swimming with penguins at Boulder's Beach, to all the others in between, there is no shortage to choose from. The city offers magnificent mountains, gourmet dining, ample culture, a world-renowned winelands, and close proximity to other enticing destinations. For those looking at the Garden Route, Cape Town is the ideal place to start your self-drive journey,

With a typically weaker local currency, a holiday to Cape Town is highly affordable for international travellers and is a wonderful base from which to start or end a multi-destination trip. It's important to consider where to stay in Cape Town based off what you would like to see and do – how far from the city do you want to be? What experiences are you hoping to include? It's also worth considering the best time to visit Cape Town – do the busier summer months suit you best or dothe slightly cooler, and more quiet, spring months call to you?

5. Day Trips & Historical Excursions

For those interested in the multi-cultural history of South Africa, and Cape Town specifically, it's worth taking a trip to the District Six Museum and a guided tour of the brightly coloured Bo-Kaap. For a further look into our history, take a ferry to Robben Island, home to the prison that once held remarkable political leaders, including former president Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu.

In terms of day trips, venture to Cape Point Nature Reserve and explore the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula. For lovers of nature, be sure to visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, easily one of the world's greatest botanical gardens, and walk the ‘Boomslang' bridge – a perfect activity for family holidays in Cape Town, especially with a picnic to enjoy on the lawns. Located a little further along the coast is the quaint seaside town of Hermanus, South Africa's whale-watching capital, where migrating southern right whales gather from August to October.

A Cape Town Holiday Combines Well With:

A host of Cape Town holiday packages combine the glorious ‘Mother City' with other destinations in Africa. Its large international airport makes connecting from Cape Town to some of Africa's other renowned destinations a breeze – here are some of our favourite combination destinations:

Kruger National Park

Lauded worldwide for its safari prowess, Kruger National Park offers the greatest diversity of wildlife in South Africa, including the infamous Big 5. Compare national parks vs private reserves and prepare to sit back, relax, and explore with experienced guides on scintillating game drives and walking safaris (where available). Ideal for couples, honeymooners, groups, and families, Kruger and its surrounding concessions offer an array of exceptional accommodations – from luxury, modern lodges to traditional camps, exclusive-use villas, and budget-friendly options.

Garden Route

Technically, the Garden Route spans from Mossel Bay and ends in Storms River, but most will consider it starting from Cape Town as a self-drive adventure. Leave your Cape Town holiday behind and hit the road – be sure to stop in at Peregrine Farm Stall, a true road trip staple. Make your way along through Mossel Bay and Wilderness on to Knysna where a gorgeous lagoon and Goukamma Nature Reserve await. Insider tip: this is where some of the country's top golf courses are located. From there it's on to Tsitsikamma and Storms River – between the two you'll find the Bloukrans Bungy, one of the world's highest bridge bungy jumping sites.

After that, it's onto the Eastern Cape, a destination known for its malaria-free safaris – speak to your Africa Safari Expert to include this in your greatest adventure.

Victoria Falls

In recent years, accessing the iconic Victoria Falls from Cape Town has become easier, making it a great combination destination. With a flight time of just under 3 hours, accessing this UNESCO World Heritage Site is easier than ever. Known to locals as Mosi-oa-Tunya or The Smoke That Thunders, Vic Falls is not only the largest uninterrupted sheet of falling water in the world, but also listed as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The waterfall also sits on the border of two top wildlife destinations, Zambia and Zimbabwe with all three destinations offering exceptional accommodations and experiences.

Table Mountain: A Wonder of Nature

It is somewhat unusual to find a 1 000-metre mountain right in the middle of a big city but then again this is not your average mountain. With its instantly recognisable flat top, Table Mountain stands proudly as one of the new 7 Wonders of Nature and dominates the city skyline. Indeed, as you explore the city, you’ll often find yourself reaching for your camera to capture Table Mountain’s famous silhouette; the best views however are from the top. Take the cable car up on a clear day or lace up your boots and huff and puff your way up the mountain on one of the many hiking trails – the extra effort really will make you feel on top of the world as you look down on the city and its beaches, the surrounding mountains and the glittering Atlantic Ocean.

Cape Town's Beaches: Our Favourite Stretches of Sand

You could spend a week in Cape Town and go to a new beach every day but it’s best to start with a few of our can’t-miss favourites: the four Clifton beaches and nearby Camps Bay are everyone’s top city beaches, located literally a few minutes from the city centre on the Atlantic Seaboard. Camps Bay is perfect if you’re in the mood for a sunset cocktail or meal as well – simply pop across the road where a long row of restaurants and cafes await. Further south (but well worth the drive) lies the soft sandy cove of Llandudno, the place to go for a romantic sunset picnic, while across on the slightly warmer Indian Ocean coastline, you’ll find Boulders Beach with its famous colony of photogenic penguins.

Boulders Beach: Home to Thousands of African Penguins

A firm family favourite, Boulders Beach is a small cove of gently sloping sand studded with enormous granite boulders that were simply made to clamber about on. Sheltered and calm, the glassy-clear, turquoise water makes for safe swimming but the real stars of the show are the thousands of black-and-white African penguins that have made Boulders Beach one of their most important breeding colonies. Wooden walkways run right through the colony so you can get really close to the penguins – great for photography! We’d recommend a few hours on Boulders Beach to soak up the sunshine, and when you’re warm enough, to brave the water – you might even find yourself swimming alongside the penguins.

Cape Point Nature Reserve: Dramatic Scenery & Deserted Beaches

At the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula lies the wild and rugged Cape Point Nature Reserve. Go on an organised tour to Cape Point and you’ll be whisked straight through the reserve to the point itself where you can walk or take the funicular up to the old lighthouse at the very tip of the peninsula. The views are certainly spectacular – a rocky finger of land juts into the deep-blue Atlantic Ocean and vertical cliffs plunge over 200m into a churning sea – but away from the crowds lie fynbos-lined trails across mountains and deserted sweeps of clean, white sand. Our advice? Spend a few hours exploring; it’s sure to be a holiday highlight.

V&A Waterfront: Shopping, Dining & Entertainment Complex

If you thought the V&A Waterfront was just a collection of shops with a harbour-front setting then you’re in for a wonderful surprise. While you can certainly shop up a storm at the glamorous boutiques and market stalls, it’s only once you venture outside that you really understand why Cape Town’s Waterfront has become South Africa’s most visited tourist attraction: gaze up at Table Mountain while sipping your morning cappuccino or dining on gourmet cuisine, listen to African drummers and street performers as you watch boats glide by or set sail on a harbour sunset cruise. If you’re travelling with children, then the Two Oceans Aquarium is an absolute must-see and remember that the Waterfront is where to go in Cape Town to catch the ferry to Robben Island.

Robben Island: Historic Prison that Held Nelson Mandela

Lying 11kms from Cape Town in Table Bay and accessible from the V&A Waterfront, Robben Island is the site of the infamous prison that held many of South Africa’s most remarkable political leaders including Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu. Spend a morning or an afternoon on a Robben Island tour and be shown around the prison by an ex-political prisoner who will share his personal account of the harsh conditions of prison life during the Apartheid regime – it’s a powerful history lesson which provides real insight into the high price that many people paid for South Africa’s hard-won democracy.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens: Picnics, Hikes & Sunset Concerts

Kirstenbosch is, without doubt, one of the world’s greatest botanical gardens but don’t think you have to be a botanist to enjoy it: anyone of any age is sure to love the incredible variety of flowering plants and mature trees, arranged in astonishing and informative displays, and set to a dramatic mountain backdrop. Being such a wonderfully peaceful place, Kirstenbosch shouldn’t be rushed, so set aside a good few hours to simply wander about – why not bring a picnic with you and find a big shady tree to set up under? Kids will love to run about on the wide green lawns and there are two restaurants within the gardens if you don’t bring your own refreshments.

Cape Winelands: World-Renowned Wine Estates Close to Cape Town

Less than an hour’s drive from Cape Town lies the serene green valleys of the Cape Winelands and the cosy little towns of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl. The crisp country air will help you build up an appetite for all things good as you sample wines at the region’s world-renowned estates or go on guided cellar tours; what better than to head to Franschhoek – the gourmet capital of South Africa and home to a handful of the country’s top restaurants and one of the world’s top 100. The Cape Winelands is an easy day trip from Cape Town but if you’ve got the time, we highly recommend spending a night or two in these beautiful and romantic surroundings.

Visiting Cape Town from January to March

January is the best time to visit Cape Town for any outdoor activity – Hout Bay, Muizenberg and the powder-soft sand beaches of Clifton and Camp's Bay are jam packed during this time. It's the perfect month for balmy beach weather on the southern tip of Africa. What makes Cape Town a unique holiday destination is that you could spend the morning on Boulders Beach with endangered penguins, stop off at a wine farm in the afternoon, and revel in the nightlife of the city – all in one day.

By February, the peak holiday season in Cape Town is coming to an end and popular destinations are less crowded. This is when to go to take advantage of great weather on Cape Town beaches, in the absence of tourist crowds.

March is not too hot, not too windy, and not too wet. It's a busy month in the Mother City for activities and outdoor events such as the Argus Cycle Tour and Two Oceans Marathon.  Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens is where to go in Cape Town to enjoy a series of summer festivals until the end of this month – with a lineup of local and international artists gracing the stages at the foot of Table Mountain.

Travelling to Cape Town from April to June

The best time for a hiking holiday in Cape Town is from late April to early June. Lions Head, Constantia Nek and Table Mountain are all very popular hiking trails on weekends and early mornings.

Autumn arrives in the city in April & May, and this is when to go to Cape Town to explore the many indoor markets, live music venues and restaurants. A highlight on the calendar for April is the Cape Town Jazz Festival, showcasing artists from all over the globe.

The best time for a Cape Town foodie safari is from late June to August. The fireside-friendly, rainy days of winter allows you to make the most of indoor venues and regular crisp, clear days for wine tasting, cycling and hiking. June is the first month of winter, but you may be surprised by how much sunshine you can enjoy during these months. This is the best time to go to Cape Town for surfing as surf conditions are just right.

Visiting Cape Town from July to August

The best time for a whale watching holiday is from July to September when migratory southern right whales arrive along the coastline. The small seaside town of Hermanus, just outside the Mother City, is a very popular whale watching destination (known as the best land-based whale watching in the world). July may be peak winter but that doesn't stop the city from remaining a top tourist destination – Robben Island, the Artscape Theatre, and Zeitz MOCCA (the Museum of Contemporary Art Africa) beckon with cultural and historical promise.

August sees the last of the winter rains as the temperatures slowly start to rise and things begin to heat up for spring. The first wildflowers start to bloom on the West Coast, and whale season is at its peak, with southern right and humpback whales seen calving in the shallow waters just offshore.

Travelling to Cape Town from September to December

Spring officially starts in the Mother City in September. You can expect mild days, but evenings can still be cool. Springtime brings a burst of blooming flowers in the greener areas around the city, up the mountain ranges and along the coast, which turn the landscape into a majestic array of vibrant colours.

October offers mild weather. The warm, sunny climate is good for visiting the beaches (which are still uncrowded) and enjoying outdoor activities. Rates on accommodation also tend to be lower at this time of year, so this is one of the best times to visit Cape Town before the peak season.

In November things start to heat up. This is when to go to Cape Town for a peaceful beach getaway, skipping the crowds, and maybe even combining Cape Town with the celebrated Garden Route. Cape Town experiences it's hottest weather in December and you can expect clear skies, long days and perfect beach holiday weather. This is the best time to visit Cape Town for scuba diving and snorkelling (if you can handle the cold water), and outdoor activities including a cable car ride up to the top of Table Mountain, wine tasting in Constantia, or marvelling at the dramatic cliffs of Cape Point.

Start Planning Your Trip of a Lifetime…

Chat with someone who’s been there. Get in touch with one of our Africa Travel Experts to help tailor-make a trip to Cape Town that’s right for you.

Top Travel Tips for Cape Town

Hire a car: Cape Town's public transport network is improving but it still has a long way to go. However, what the city does have is an excellent network of well signposted roads, so do it yourself and hire a car, or head out of Cape Town and experience an African self-drive holiday.

Bring the kids: safe swimming beaches, tons of outdoor activities and a wide range of child-friendly accommodation make Cape Town an ideal destination for a family holiday.

Prepare for all weather: sitting right on the southern tip of the African continent between two huge oceans, Cape Town’s maritime climate can deliver four seasons in one day. Always be prepared and pack a warm and waterproof top, especially if you're going hiking or taking the cable car up Table Mountain.

Stop for sundowners: Capetonians don't just watch the sunset, they celebrate it. For a front-row seat, go for cocktails at one of Camps Bay's many bars or restaurants, or take a bottle of wine and some picnic goodies to the top of Table Mountain (the last cable car down generally leaves an hour after sunset).

Watch for whales: whale watching season runs from July to October, but for the best chances of seeing massive southern right whales breaching and tail-slapping, we recommend you visit around September and do a daytrip to Hermanus on the Whale Coast – home to some of the best land-based whale watching in the world.

Don't forget the sunblock: despite often mild daytime temperatures, the Cape Town sun is harsh and sun protection is essential – especially in summer! A hat, sunblock and some common sense is all you need to be able to enjoy your day on the beach and still step out at night to show off your new tan.

Leave some space in your suitcase: The shopping in Cape Town is fantastic – from airy shopping malls to eclectic roadside markets, there is something to suit all tastes. Most shops are open from 8:30am to 5pm and on Saturday mornings – the V&A Waterfront and most other shopping centres close their stores at 9pm.

Cape Town Weather

As a general rule, Cape Town’s winter (July-August) is relatively cold and wet, with temperatures ranging between 8 and 18 degrees Celcius, and summer (November – March) is hot and dry, sometimes getting up to 35 degrees Celcius. But you may experience warm days in winter, so consider packing a pair of shorts for the beach just in case.

Read more about the best time to visit Cape Town.

Cape Town’s Landscape

Table Mountain forms the centre of Cape Town and is used by locals and visitors alike as a point of reference when navigating the city’s highways and residential streets.

On the east coast of Cape Town, you will find the steep spine of the Southern Peninsula mountains, beginning at Devil’s Peak in the southern suburbs and running all the way down to famous Boulders Beach.

The “Atlantic Seaboard” runs along the west coast past Clifton and Camps Bay, and on this side, the water is much colder. The city centre of Cape Town is the northern end of this Atlantic Seaboard.

Flights & Getting Around

For flight schedules, fares and booking terms, check directly with the airline or your chosen travel agent.

Cape Town International Airport: one of Southern Africa’s travel hubs, Cape Town is served by numerous international airlines and is the gateway for South Africa’s Cape destinations – Cape Town, the Cape Winelands, Garden Route and the Eastern Cape.

Transfers from the airport into town are conducted in modern mini buses or sedan cars, as are guided tours around the Cape. However, it’s a popular self-drive holiday destination with dozens of must-see places and many visitors choose to hire a car to see it all at their own pace.

Central Cape Town is one of the few African cities that can be easily and safely explored on foot. Most of its attractions are set in and around the city centre though you’ll need to take a taxi or arrange transport to Table Mountain, Camps Bay and the Constantia Winelands.

Start Planning Your Cape Town Holiday

Chat with someone who’s been there. Get in touch with one of our Africa Travel Experts to help tailor-make a trip to Cape Town that’s right for you.

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Combine two of Southern Africa's biggest destinations. Walk to thundering Victoria Falls from your hotel.

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