Cape Town
South Africa's mother city — Table Mountain, two oceans, the Winelands next door, and the country's best food.
Trip Role
Ideal stay
Best for
Our take
The one city every South Africa trip should include.
The one city every South Africa trip should include.
- Trip Role
- Trip Anchor
- Ideal Stay
- 4-7 days
- Best For
- First-timers and a bit of everything
- Skip If
- People who hate wind, or anyone expecting a resort town
- Go If
- It's your first trip — it's the obvious anchor.
Why go
Cape Town is the country's anchor destination — a city between mountain and two oceans, with the Winelands, Cape Point, and whale coast all within a day's drive. The place almost every South Africa trip starts and the one city worth the most days.
What we love
Table Mountain from everywhere, and ocean, mountain, wine and food all within 40 minutes.
What to know
International airport; a car helps for the Winelands and Cape Point. Summer (Dec–Feb) peak and dry; winter wet and grey.
What's here
Also in Cape Town
- Camp's Bay Tidal Pool · Tidal Pool
- Dalebrook Tidal Pool · Tidal Pool
- Dungeons · Surf Spot
- Glen Beach · Surf Spot
- Kelp Forest Dives Cape Town · Dive Spot
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden · Garden
- Lion's Head · Hike
- Llandudno Surf · Surf Spot
- Muizenberg · Surf Spot
- Noordhoek · Beach
- Oranjezicht City Farm Market · Market
- Sandy Bay · Surf Spot
- Scarborough · Surf Spot
- St James Tidal Pool · Tidal Pool
- Table Mountain · Mountain
Best things nearby
Constantia
Cape Town's own wine valley — the closest vineyards to the city, and the easiest half-day.
Franschhoek
A food-led valley of Huguenot heritage — tasting rooms that double as lunch destinations, and the wine tram.
Hermanus
The world's best land-based whale-watching town — southern right whales metres from a cliff path, June to November.
Knysna
The Garden Route's lagoon-and-headland town — the Knysna Heads, oysters, and the route's most-visited base.
Langebaan
A lagoon town on the West Coast — kitesurfing, a blue-water lagoon, and the West Coast National Park.
Paarl
A historic Winelands town under a giant granite dome — Paarl Mountain, the Afrikaans Language Monument, and serious reds.