2 days in Cape Town

Day by day

1. Day 1: Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway and Robben Island

   Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway, Robben Island, Boulders Beach penguin colony and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, then V&A Waterfront in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway

      A rotating cable car climbs to the summit plateau in about five minutes, where paths lead to viewpoints over Robben Island, Lion's Head and the Twelve Apostles. Fit walkers can hike up Platteklip Gorge in about two to three hours. The cableway stops in high wind or cloud and closes for annual maintenance for a few weeks, usually in winter.

   2. Late morning

      Robben Island

      Tours leave by ferry from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront, take about 30–45 minutes each way, and include a bus circuit of the island and a walk through the maximum-security prison, often guided by a former political prisoner.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Bobotie

      Cape Malay restaurants in Bo-Kaap and on many traditional South African menus in the City Bowl.

   4. Afternoon

      Boulders Beach penguin colony

      Boardwalks lead to viewing platforms over Foxy Beach, and a separate sheltered cove lets you swim with penguins wandering nearby. It is part of Table Mountain National Park and charges a conservation fee.

   5. Late afternoon

      Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

      The curving Boomslang canopy walkway runs through the treetops of the arboretum, and the Skeleton Gorge trail climbs from the garden to the top of the mountain. On summer Sundays it hosts open-air sunset concerts on the lawns.

   6. Evening

      V&A Waterfront

      Take a short harbour cruise at sunset for a view of Table Mountain from the water.

2. Day 2: Bo-Kaap and Lion's Head hike

   Bo-Kaap, Lion's Head hike, Chapman's Peak Drive and Zeitz MOCAA, then Signal Hill in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Bo-Kaap

      Wale, Chiappini and Rose streets are the most photographed, and the small Bo-Kaap Museum on Wale Street shows a 19th-century home. Cooking classes here teach curries and samoosas.

   2. Late morning

      Lion's Head hike

      The summit looks over Camps Bay, the Atlantic and the City Bowl. Many locals climb it for sunrise or sunset.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cape Malay curry

      Bo-Kaap eateries and cooking classes on Wale Street and nearby lanes.

   4. Afternoon

      Chapman's Peak Drive

      It is usually driven as part of a loop down to Cape Point. The road closes in heavy rain or rockfall risk.

   5. Late afternoon

      Zeitz MOCAA

      Its galleries show contemporary work from Africa and the diaspora across several floors, and the building itself is worth the visit.

   6. Evening

      Signal Hill

      Arrive at least 45 minutes before sunset on summer evenings, when the parking area fills up.

Before you go

• Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway: Buying cableway tickets online lets you skip the ticket queue, which is long in December and January.
• Robben Island: Tours sell out in summer and are cancelled in rough seas; book online several days ahead and keep a backup day free.

If it rains

• Swap in District Six Museum (City Bowl): Ask whether a former resident is guiding that day; their talks bring the exhibits to life.
• Swap in Two Oceans Aquarium (V&A Waterfront): Time your visit for one of the scheduled feeds listed at the entrance.
• Swap in Iziko South African Museum (City Bowl): Combine it with a planetarium show on a rainy afternoon with children.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 19–26 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.9 hours in June to 14.4 hours in December, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Ride-hailing. Ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Bolt are widely used, reasonably priced and the easiest way to get around at night or between neighbourhoods.

More or fewer days

• One day in Cape Town
• 3 days in Cape Town
• 4 days in Cape Town
• 5 days in Cape Town
• 7 days in Cape Town

Questions travellers ask