A week in Cape Town: the ultimate itinerary

Use your first day in South Africa’s 'Mother City' to get your bearings. The City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off bus offers a number of routes in and around town, allowing you to jump off at key points in the city. Start with the historic Bo-Kaap district, home to a vibrant Muslim community and famous for its colourfully painted homes.

Then meander through the Company’s Garden and bustling downtown. Take in Bree Street for some of the city’s best restaurants, or Loop, Long and Kloof Streets for art, design and local boutiques.

The East City is a precinct on the up; home to colourful street art and the world-famous Truth Coffee. End your day with a sunset walk on the Sea Point Promenade, before dinner on the seafront in nearby Mouille Point.

📍 Check out more of the best shops in Cape Town

Pack your shoes and your swimming kit for a day of mountains and beaches. No visit to the city is complete without making it to the top of Table Mountain. If you’re feeling energetic there are wonderful walking routes to the top, or take it easy with the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway. Local tip: book online to avoid the ticket office queues.

The path up Lion’s Head is another must-do for keen hikers, a well-marked ascent that offers 360-degree views from the summit and is especially popular at sunrise or sunset. 

With the hard work out of the way, hit the beach. Camps Bay has the ocean out front and chic bars behind while Clifton, a short walk away, offers four quiet coves much loved by locals for sunset picnics.

📍 Check out more of the best beaches in Cape Town

Take a day to get to grips with South African history. Spend your morning in the city, discovering the prehistory of the Cape in the South African Museum, before delving into the colonial and apartheid periods at the Slave Lodge, District Six Museum and 17th-century Castle of Good Hope.

Book ahead for an afternoon visit to Robben Island, the infamous prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years behind bars.

End your day in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, a busy shopping and dining precinct with colourful markets, upscale boutiques and waterside restaurants. If time allows, the Two Oceans Aquarium is excellent, as is the superb Zeitz MOCAA gallery of contemporary African art.

📍 Check out the best museums and galleries in Cape Town

Hire a car or book an escorted tour to explore the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula.

Make Muizenberg beach your first stop, for a quick surf session or a coffee from the beachfront baristas, then head for the popular tidal pools of St. James and Dalebrook. In the bohemian suburb of Kalk Bay you’ll find cafés, galleries and antique shops. Grab a pastry from Olympia Bakery before you wander the quaint fishing harbour.

Following the coastline south you’ll find the naval village of Simon’s Town, and the famous African Penguin colony at Boulders Beach. Next up is Cape Point Nature Reserve, with scenic drives and walking trails. It’s worth tackling the climb to the historic lighthouse.

When you’ve soaked up the views, the road north runs past the surfers at Long Beach before heading over the wonderful scenic drive of Chapman’s Peak. Enjoy sunset on the white sands of Llandudno, before dinner at the seafront eateries of Camps Bay.

Take a day out of the city: discover the Cape’s world-famous winelands, or keep your days coastal with a scenic road trip along Clarence Drive. 

If you opt for the vineyards, combine a wander through the historic streets of Stellenbosch – founded in 1679 – with a visit to some of the region’s most famous vineyards. Try Simonsig for a sip of South Africa’s Cap Classique sparkling wine, Beyerskloof for a taste of proudly South African pinotage, or Tokara for fine wine, art and wonderful views. Over the Helshoogte Pass, Franschhoek offers a delicious array of winelands bistros for lunch.

If you’d rather see more sea, Clarence Drive skirts the very edge of False Bay to dish up marvellous views across the peninsula, and the chance (during winter and spring) to spot whales en route. Take in the charming coastal villages of Pringle Bay and Betty’s Bay, before returning through the vineyards and orchards of the Elgin Valley.

📍 Discover the best day trips from Cape Town

Try and plan this day for a Saturday, when the gourmet markets are in full swing. The seaside Oranjezicht City Farm near the Waterfront is superb, but locals also love the Neighbourgoods Market at The Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, home to an array of design-led businesses and galleries.

Cape Town is the arts hub of Africa, and that creativity is on full display in the city’s street art. Book a guided tour for the afternoon through the nearby suburb of Salt River – a hub for the International Public Art Festival. Finish off with sundowners and dinner at The Pot Luck Club, for Asian-inspired small plates and sparkling city views.

📍 Check out more of Cape Town's best markets

While away your last day amid the vineyards and gardens of the peninsula. Spend the morning rambling through the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, a century-old collection of indigenous plants that highlights the incredible biodiversity of the Cape Floral Kingdom.

Grab a coffee from the tearoom before you set off, or pack a breakfast picnic to enjoy on the lawns. In summer, Sunday sunset concerts featuring local artists take place against the backdrop of Table Mountain. 

Come lunchtime, head for the nearby Constantia Valley, where the country’s wine industry took root more than 350 years ago. Today you’ll find a dozen cellars here, from the historic estate at Groot Constantia to the contemporary tasting room at Steenberg Farm.

For lunch look no further than Chef’s Warehouse at Beau Constantia, which delivers superb views and an impressive menu of small plates. Continue tasting after lunch – Klein Constantia is famous for the iconic Vin de Constance sweet wine – before sundowner sips at the hillside cellar of Constantia Glen.