We love Cape Town! One of the most stunning cities in the world that has something for everyone. You can spend a whole week without being bored as there are so many things to do in Cape Town. Actually, there is never enough time to do everything. From hiking up Table Mountain, wine tasting, diving with the great white shark to meeting the penguins at Boulder Beach. Here are our absolute favorite and best things to do in Cape Town.
Read also: The best 3 weeks in South Africa itinerary: from Johannesburg to Cape Town
Where to stay in Cape Town
Cape Town is a vibrant city surrounded by the beautiful Table Mountain and stunning beaches. There are actually so many things to do in Cape Town that it’s hard to find where to stay in Cape Town. We have been to this amazing city 3 times, stayed in different neighborhoods, and listed our favorites accommodations in Cape Town here.
Hike up the stunning Table Mountain
To enjoy breathtaking 360° views of Cape Town, you need to hike up Table Mountain. You can either choose to take the cableway (R135 per person) or hike one of the challenging trails up to the top.
We hiked the Platteklip Gorge trail, which is a beautiful trail that goes directly to the top of Table Mountain. It is one of the most popular ones, but also one of the hardest! The hike is about 3 kilometers, takes you about 1,5 hours and the trail goes only up, up, and up!
COST
Tickets for the cableway are R135 per person.
Hiking the PLattekip Gorge Trail is free.
Guided hiking tours are around $75 per person.
BOOK
A guided hike up the Table Mountain through the Platteklip Gorge
EXTRA TIPS
Park your car close to the lower cable station and walk along the road for about 1 kilometer where you will see the sign to start the Plattekip Gorge Trail. Take enough food and water with you as you won’t have any vendors along the trail.
Climb Lion’s Head
Next to Table Mountain, climbing Lion’s Head is also a very popular hiking trail that takes you about 2 hours to go up and back down, which is much easier and accessible for everyone. You will have views in all directions: the city bowl, the Twelve Apostles, Camps Bay, the scenic Atlantic Ocean, and after all a spectacular view of Table Mountain.
If you want to capture one of the best views in the world, do not hesitate any longer. We’re promising you postcard-perfect pictures! If you’re by car, head towards Table Mountain, take the turn-off for Lion’s Head, and park your car at the parking lot. The trail starts right at the parking, so very easy to find.
COST
The entrance to Lion’s Head is free.
The prices of guided hiking tours are around $75 per person.
BOOK
This Sunset Hike Tour is a great choice if you like to hike with a guide.
EXTRA TIPS
Don’t forget to bring some water. Along the trail, there are no vendors or food stalls.
Walk along with the colorful beach huts at Muizenberg Beach
Muizenberg is a small beach town, located 30 minutes from Cape Town, and a paradise for surfers. It’s even considered as the birthplace of surfing in South Africa. Next to the surfers, it’s also home to the iconic colorful beach huts which are very famous and can be seen everywhere on Instagram. From Muizenberg Beach, you have also stunning views of Table Mountain. We bet you’ll love it!
LOCATION
Muizenberg Beach, Cape Town
Visit Bo-Kaap
This little treasure, hidden in Cape Town, should be on everyone’s list. If you translate it in Afrikaans, Bo-Kaap means ‘above the Cape’. Bo-Kaap is located in the shadow of Signal Hill, which overlooks the city. Stroll around the colorfully painted streets, the picturesque houses, and get charmed by this place. It’s a true photographers heaven!
LOCATION
Bo-Kaap, Cape Town
Meet Mr. Great White
Diving with great white sharks is truly one of the greatest experiences we ever experienced! And Cape Town is also the number 1 place in the world to do it. It takes place in Gansbaai, near Hermanus which is a 2.5-hour ride from Cape Town. We included a stop in Hermanus during our road trip in South Africa, but can also be done from Cape Town.
You don’t need to be an experienced diver or have your own equipment as it all happens in a secure cage with only a mask that will be provided. When the shark approach, they scream to go down, and then you just need to hold your breath for some seconds. So thrilling and a real adrenaline kick! Diving with the great white shark is a bucket-list experience you need to do.
Read also: 12 awesome things to do in South Africa
COST
Around $185 per person (full day)
BOOK
We booked our trip with White Shark Projects, which we can highly recommend! Everything is included from breakfast, dive equipment to snacks, and beverages onboard. You get a clear safety briefing before entering the water. The ultimate adventure!
Walk around V&A Waterfront with sunset
Located in the heart of Cape Town, V&A Waterfront is a popular area for shopping, dining, and doing activities like boat cruises and helicopter flights. The V&A Waterfront is, in fact, one big shopping area, where you have beautiful views of the harbor and Table Mountain, especially during sunset.
Go to the trendy food market, get some cheap gin & tonics at the Harbour House Restaurant, and have a lovely dinner in one of the great restaurants.
FAVORITE PLACES TO GO
Watershed 17 (lovely craft and design market)
The Harbour House (wonderful spot for fine dining with stunning views on the harbor)
V&A Food Market (a lovely place to have lunch, yummy authentic street food, open 7 days a week)
LOCATION
V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
EXTRA TIP
If you have a car, park at Victoria Wharf Mall, only R20 for 3 hours. And if you visit the supermarket Pick n Play you get a discount coupon of R15.
Enjoy a scenic helicopter flight
Exploring the beauty of the Cape from the sky is just unforgettable! You will have the chance to see hotspots like Cape Town stadium, the 4 Beaches of Clifton, Camps Bay, the Twelve Apostles, and of course the magnificent Table Mountain.
COST
Prices are around $200 per person (25-minute flight)
BOOK
We booked our flight with Cape Town Helicopters and loved it!
Meet the penguins at Boulder Beach
The only place in the world, where you can get so close to African penguins, that’s Boulder Beach. The beach is located just outside Simon’s Town on the way to Cape Point. From Cape Town, it’s about a 45-minute car ride. Walk along the idyllic white beach, watch the penguins on the rocks nearby or you can even swim with them if you like. Unforgettable!
COST
Entrance fee R65 per person
BOOK
This full-day Peninsula Tour will take you around the entire Cape peninsula and show you all the best places of Cape Town, including Boulders Beach
EXTRA TIP
Before you leave, always check for our little friends underneath your car because they are literally everywhere!
Drive all the way to Cape Point, the windiest place in South Africa
A visit to Cape Town is not complete without a drive to Cape Point. When you enter Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, it’s a scenic drive that leads you to the parking lot. From here you take a short walk up to the two lighthouses where you will be rewarded by endless ocean views in any direction. So cool! It’s the windiest place in South Africa, so make sure you dress a little bit warmer.
From the parking area, you can also do a lot of different hiking trails to the many lookout points. But watch out for the monkeys! The cape baboons here are waiting to steal your food and can be a little aggressive too.
LOCATION
Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve
COST
Entrance fee R303 per person
BOOK
If you like to take a guided tour so you don’t need to drive yourself, we highly recommend this tour.
‘You gotta do Chappies’
Ask a local in Cape Town for its favorite spot and you will probably hear more than one time ‘you gotta do Chappies’! Chappies is the nickname for Chapman’s Peak Drive, one of the most spectacular drives in the world. Anyone who likes awesome sceneries, this is the place you need to be! Start your drive just before sunset from Noordhoek towards Hout Bay for a spectacular return to Cape Town.
COST
As it is a toll road, you need to pay a small fee of R42 per car
Spend a day at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
Exploring the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens is the perfect day out for everyone. You’ll be able to explore hundreds of different varieties of plants while enjoying wonderful views. This beautiful place is even claimed to be one of the best botanical gardens in the world. A lovely relaxing experience!
OPENING HOURS
8 am – 7 pm (Sep – Mar)
8 am – 6 pm (Apr – Aug)
COST
Entrance fee R40 per person
EXTRA TIP
When you leave, give a small tip of R10-20 to the parking guides. A common thing in Cape Town when you park your car.
Visit Langa, the oldest township in Cape Town
Walk the streets, chat with the locals, visit the schools… A visit to Langa, the oldest township community in Cape Town, is something we will never forget. it was such an eye-opening experience, proving to us you don’t need to be rich to be happy… Must-do when you are in Cape Town!
BOOK
This half-day tour is a great choice when you’re visiting Langa from Cape Town.
Watch sunset at Camp’s Bay Beach
Cape Town has a lot of great sunset spots, but our all-time favorite is at the tidal pools of Camp’s Bay Beach. Ftom here you have the most beautiful views on Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles. No more words needed, right?
LOCATION
Camp’s Bay Beach, Cape Town
Rent a car and explore all the amazing places yourself
Definitely, the best way to explore Cape Town is by renting a car. The roads in South Africa are well maintained and easy to navigate. There are many highways, not a lot of traffic out of the cities and it gives you the ultimate freedom to explore all the amazing places at your own pace. We are a huge fan of renting a car in South Africa, so this needed to be added to the list of the best things to do!
COST
Depending on the type of your car, prices start from around $15 per rental day
BOOK
We booked our car via Sunny Cars, which we highly recommend. Another option is on Skyscanner, which offers over 1000 car companies worldwide and where you will find the cheapest rental car prices too.
ANOTHER GREAT OPTION
Is renting a camper van with Happy Campers. Their campers are compact, easy to drive, and super cozy. We can’t wait to return to South Africa and rent one on ourselves.
Spot the Big 5
Did you know that it’s possible to join a safari from Cape Town and spot the Big 5? Just a few hours driving from Cape Town, there are some wonderful private game reserves where you can spot the Big 5 in a malaria-free zone. Unforgettable experience!
COST
Prices vary from $100-$350 (safari’s from Cape Town are most of the times offered as an all-inclusive package with accommodation, transport, and activities included)
BOOK
This 2-Day safari experience at Garden Route Game Lodge is a great choice if you like to leave from Cape Town and wish to be picked up. If you have your own car or transport, you can book the beautiful Garden Route Game Lodge including a safari.
The best places to eat in Cape Town
In 2016, Cape Town is nominated by Conde Nast Traveler as the best food city in the world, so worth trying all the great restaurants right? We visited Cape Town three times, and are happy to share here all our favorite recommendations of places to enjoy the amazing food.
OUR FAVORITE PLACES
Den Anker (Belgian owned restaurant where you can have the real Belgian mussels)
The Harbour House (wonderful spot for fine dining with stunning views on the harbor)
V&A Food Market (a lovely place to have lunch, yummy authentic street food, open 7 days a week)
The Silo Rooftop Bar (our favorite rooftop bar in Cape Town! A trendy spot with a stunning pool and the best views overlooking the city, take the elevator to the 11th floor)
Restaurante Posticino (super cozy Italian Restaurant with a wide menu of delicious Italian dishes. Our fav picks Funghi grigliati, penne fresco, and pizza Posticino. Go early as it’s a very famous spot among locals and can be very crowded at times)
Sketchers Raw Food (favorite breakfast spot with the best healthy juices. Try the Kale Clean and Beet Boxer juices or the bran and pumpkin muffins. So good!)
UBON (very good Thai Restaurant with a lovely atmosphere)
Mojo Market (kind of a hipster spot with lots of food stalls, lovely place to have a drink or a bite, great vibes, and live music bands at night)
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