Month guide · Cape Town · South Africa
Cape Town in May
What May is really like in Cape Town: weather, crowds, prices, events and what to pack.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
May is a good-value shoulder-season month. Expect average highs of 20°C (68°F), lows of 10°C (50°F), about 9 rainy days and roughly 10.4 hours of daylight. Cooler and quieter, with the first winter rain; many hotels drop their rates.
Key facts
- Average high / low
- 20°C (68°F) / 10°C (50°F)
- Rainy days
- About 9
- Daylight
- About 10.4 hours
- Sea temperature
- 14°C (57°F)
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in May
May is the 8th-warmest month in Cape Town: days average 20°C (68°F) against a yearly average high of 22°C (72°F), and nights fall to about 10°C (50°F). Rain falls on roughly 9 of its 31 days. Compared with April (23°C (73°F)), May is cooler; by June highs drop to around 18°C (64°F).
- Sunrise (15 May)
- About 07:31
- Sunset (15 May)
- About 17:53
- Daylight
- About 10.4 hours
- Sea
- 14°C (57°F)
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.
Crowds and prices
On a 1–5 scale, May rates 2 for crowds (the peak is January at 5) and 2 for hotel prices (highest in January). That makes May one of the better-value months to book.
Events in May
May has no major recurring festival in Cape Town, which usually means easier bookings.
What to do in May
Mild, settled days suit walking, viewpoints and time outdoors.
Garden · Newlands
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Bring a picnic; the lawns below the mountain are one of the best places in the city for a long afternoon.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Kids
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · Signal Hill
Lion's Head hike
The 669-metre peak between Table Mountain and Signal Hill is the city's favourite short hike: a spiral path of about 2.5 km each way with chains and ladders near the top (there is a route that avoids them).
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Active
- Outdoors
Viewpoint · Hout Bay
Chapman's Peak Drive
Drive it from Hout Bay towards Noordhoek in the late afternoon, when the light falls on the bay behind you at the lookouts.
- Time needed
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Photo spot
- Couples
Garden · City Bowl
Company's Garden
Planted in the 1650s to supply ships of the Dutch East India Company, this shady garden at the top of Adderley Street is now a public park with old trees, a rose garden and tame squirrels.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- History
What to pack
For highs near 20°C, lows near 10°C and 9 wet days: light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening; a packable rain jacket for showers; comfortable walking shoes.
Is May a good time to visit Cape Town?
A good-value shoulder-season month. If your dates are flexible, February–April and November are better overall. Compare every month.
Cape Town in other months
Questions travellers ask
+Is May a good time to visit Cape Town?
It is a good-value shoulder-season month. Cooler and quieter, with the first winter rain; many hotels drop their rates.
+How warm is Cape Town in May?
Average highs are around 20°C (68°F) and lows around 10°C (50°F).
+Does it rain a lot in Cape Town in May?
Expect rain on about 9 days of the month.