4 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 and Boulders Beach penguin colony, then V&A Waterfront in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway

      Allow 3–4 hours (mid-priced). Check the cableway's live status on the morning you plan to go and take the first clear, calm day you get; the 'tablecloth' cloud can roll in by midday.

   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

      Allow 1–2 hours (low cost). Go early in the morning before tour buses arrive, and combine it with Cape Point further down the peninsula.

   5. Evening

      V&A Waterfront

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

2. Day 2: Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and Zeitz MOCAA

   Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Zeitz MOCAA and Two Oceans Aquarium, then Signal Hill in the evening.

   1. Morning

      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.

   2. Late morning

      Zeitz MOCAA

      Allow 1.5–2 hours (mid-priced). Look up from the centre of the atrium, then take the stairs rather than the lift to see the carved tubes up close.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cape Malay curry

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

   4. Afternoon

      Two Oceans Aquarium

      Touch pools and daily feeds make it one of the best wet-weather options for children.

   5. Evening

      Signal Hill

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

3. Day 3: Bo-Kaap and Lion's Head hike

   Bo-Kaap, Lion's Head hike and Chapman's Peak Drive, then Bree Street in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Bo-Kaap

      Allow 1–2 hours (free). This is a residential area with mosques; photograph the houses respectfully and avoid posing on people's front steps.

   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: Gatsby

      Takeaway shops in Athlone, Salt River and the CBD; one roll easily feeds two or three people.

   4. Afternoon

      Chapman's Peak Drive

      Allow 30–60 minutes (low cost). Drive it from Hout Bay towards Noordhoek in the late afternoon, when the light falls on the bay behind you at the lookouts.

   5. Evening

      Bree Street

      The city's best concentration of wine bars, cocktail bars and restaurants, with a slightly older, food-focused crowd.

4. Day 4: Day trip to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope

   About 1 hour 15 minutes by car each way. Getting there: Car or guided peninsula tour.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope

      About 1 hour 15 minutes by car (Car or guided peninsula tour); about 65 km.

   2. Day

      Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope

      The southern tip of the Cape Peninsula is part of Table Mountain National Park, with the Flying Dutchman funicular up to the old lighthouse at Cape Point, sea cliffs, fynbos, ostriches and baboons. Loop back via Chapman's Peak Drive and Boulders Beach for a full peninsula day.

   3. Evening

      Back in Cape Town

      Dinner: try Hake and chips.

Before you go

Reserve timed tickets for Table Mountain and the Aerial Cableway and Robben Island before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 4 nights, City Bowl and Gardens keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, V&A Waterfront ($$$$) suits families, luxury, first-timers and shopping. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 21–28 hours of visiting over 4 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.

More or fewer days

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

Questions travellers ask