Travel guide · South Africa
Cape Town travel guide
Table Mountain, two oceans, Cape Malay food and winelands an hour away
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Cape Town wraps around the base of Table Mountain, with the City Bowl and V&A Waterfront facing Table Bay, the Atlantic beaches of Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay to the west, and the warmer False Bay shore of Muizenberg and Kalk Bay to the south. Most visitors combine city sights such as Robben Island, Bo-Kaap and Kirstenbosch with drives down the Cape Peninsula and into the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek winelands. A car or ride-hailing app is the practical way to get between areas. Plan 7 days for a first visit; the best months are February–April and November.
Key facts
- Country
- South Africa
- Best time to visit
- February–April and November
- Ideal stay
- 7 days
- Main airports
- CPT
- Mid-range daily budget
- $100–$200 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Table Mountain, Robben Island, African penguins and Cape Point
Why visit Cape Town
- Table Mountain rises straight out of the city: ride the rotating cableway or hike Platteklip Gorge to a summit plateau with views over Robben Island and the Atlantic.
- Within an hour's drive you can see African penguins at Boulders Beach, the cliffs of Cape Point and the vineyards of Stellenbosch.
- Cape Malay cooking in Bo-Kaap, fresh hake and chips in Kalk Bay and a strong restaurant scene on Bree Street give the city a food culture of its own.
- Robben Island and the District Six Museum tell the story of apartheid and Nelson Mandela's imprisonment through first-hand accounts.
- Summer evenings mean sundowners on Signal Hill or Camps Bay and Sunday concerts in Kirstenbosch garden.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 19 things to do.
Nature · Table Mountain National Park
Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway
The flat-topped mountain rises about 1,085 metres above the City Bowl.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Nature
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Historic site · Table Bay
Robben Island
The island prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in detention is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Time needed
- About 4 hours including ferries
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Iconic
Beach · Simon's Town
Boulders Beach penguin colony
A colony of endangered African penguins lives among the granite boulders near Simon's Town, about 45 minutes south of the city.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Nature
- Iconic
- Photo spot
Garden · Newlands
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Set on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch grows plants native to southern Africa, including proteas, cycads and fynbos.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Kids
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Waterfront · V&A Waterfront
V&A Waterfront
Cape Town's working harbour is also its busiest leisure district, with restaurants, the Victoria Wharf mall, the Watershed design and craft market, harbour cruises and street performers.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Shopping
- Food
- After dark
Neighbourhood · Bo-Kaap
Bo-Kaap
The brightly painted houses on the slopes of Signal Hill are home to the city's historic Cape Malay community, descended largely from people brought to the Cape from Southeast Asia in the 17th and 18th centuries.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- History
- Food
Where to stay
City Bowl and Gardens is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 8 areas.
$$ · Best for first-timers, food lovers, nightlife and solo travellers
City Bowl and Gardens
Central streets below Table Mountain, from Bree Street restaurants to Kloof Street cafés
$$$$ · Best for families, luxury, first-timers and shopping
V&A Waterfront
Working harbour with hotels, the aquarium, Zeitz MOCAA and the Robben Island ferry
$$$ · Best for couples, nightlife and first-timers
De Waterkant and Green Point
Cobbled lanes of pastel cottages, Cape Town Stadium and the city's LGBTQ+ quarter
$$ · Best for budget, solo travellers, families and quiet stays
Sea Point
Apartment blocks along a seafront promenade with a public pool and ocean sunsets
What to eat
- Bobotie — Spiced minced meat baked with dried fruit under an egg-custard topping, served with yellow rice and chutney.
- Cape Malay curry — Mild, aromatic curries of chicken, lamb or vegetables, sweetened with dried fruit and flavoured with cinnamon, cardamom and turmeric, usually served with rice and sambals.
- Gatsby — A long submarine roll stuffed with chips, sauce and a filling such as masala steak, polony or chicken, cut into portions and shared.
- Hake and chips — Battered or grilled hake with chips, often eaten straight from the paper on the harbour wall.
- Braaied snoek — Snoek is a bony, oily local fish traditionally grilled over coals and basted with an apricot jam and butter glaze.
- Biltong — Air-dried, spiced strips of beef or game such as kudu, sold sliced or in sticks.
When to go
The best times to visit Cape Town are February to April and November, when days are warm and dry, the summer holiday crowds are smaller and the wind is often calmer than in December. December and January are hot and lively but the busiest and most expensive. June to August is the wet, cool low season, good for whale watching and low prices but with days lost to storms.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Summer | December–February | Hot, dry and sunny with long evenings, beach days and outdoor concerts; also the windiest and most crowded season, with peak prices around the holidays. |
| Autumn | March–May | Warm, settled weather, calm days for hiking and the grape harvest in the winelands; rain returns by May. |
| Winter | June–August | Cool and wet with passing cold fronts, green mountains, whales in False Bay and the lowest hotel rates; the cableway closes on stormy days. |
| Spring | September–November | Wildflowers on the West Coast, peak whale season at Hermanus and warming days, with the southeaster returning in November. |
Getting there and around
Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is about 20 km east of the city centre, typically 20–30 minutes by car outside rush hour. Ride-hailing pick-ups and taxis operate from the terminal, and the MyCiTi airport bus runs to the Civic Centre station in the CBD.
Cape Town is spread out, so most visitors combine ride-hailing apps within the city with a hire car for the Cape Peninsula and winelands. The MyCiTi bus network links the airport, CBD, Waterfront and Atlantic seaboard, and red hop-on hop-off buses cover the main sights.
Plan your days
Four days covers Table Mountain, the Waterfront and Robben Island, Bo-Kaap, Kirstenbosch and a Cape Peninsula drive. A week adds a winelands day, a Hermanus whale trip in season and time on the beaches, with spare days for when wind closes the cableway.
Practical information
- Currency
- ZAR
- Language
- English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa
- Plugs
- Type M and N sockets, plus two-pin Type C; 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Municipal tap water in Cape Town is treated and generally safe to drink.
- Emergency number
- 112 from mobiles; 10111 police; 10177 ambulance
- Tipping
- Tip about 10–15% in restaurants if service is not already included, and round up for ride-hail drivers.
Opportunistic theft is the main risk for visitors: keep phones and bags out of sight, use ride-hailing after dark, and never leave valuables in parked cars. Hike in groups on well-used trails, and swim only where lifeguards or shark spotters are on duty.
Flights to Cape Town
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Cape Town?
Four days covers Table Mountain, the Waterfront and Robben Island, Bo-Kaap, Kirstenbosch and a Cape Peninsula drive. A week adds a winelands day, a Hermanus whale trip in season and time on the beaches, with spare days for when wind closes the cableway. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Cape Town?
The best times to visit Cape Town are February to April and November, when days are warm and dry, the summer holiday crowds are smaller and the wind is often calmer than in December. December and January are hot and lively but the busiest and most expensive. June to August is the wet, cool low season, good for whale watching and low prices but with days lost to storms.
+What is Cape Town known for?
Table Mountain, Robben Island, African penguins, Cape Point, Winelands, Bo-Kaap, Atlantic beaches and Cape Malay cuisine. Table Mountain rises straight out of the city: ride the rotating cableway or hike Platteklip Gorge to a summit plateau with views over Robben Island and the Atlantic.
+Is Cape Town expensive?
Cape Town is affordable for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $100–$200 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Cape Town?
Not for the city itself, where ride-hailing is easy, but a car is the best way to explore the Cape Peninsula, Chapman's Peak and the winelands at your own pace. Many visitors hire one for two or three days of their stay.