Cape Town, set in stunning scenery, has a fascinating backstory and an excellent food & wine culture. Our 5-day Cape Town itinerary captures all that is great about this African city.
There is a lot to fit in on a 5-day Cape Town itinerary because there is so much to do in this intriguing city. A melting pot of native African and European colonial culture set in a truly beautiful location. Mountains drop into blue oceans where powder-white beaches provide home to penguins and seals. Clifftop drives and hilltop walks offer breath-taking views that Cape Town has become famous for.
It also has some of the best value high-quality food in the world. Eat in Constantia or in the bars and restaurants around Kloof Street and you will find culinary innovation at a fraction of the price of many other destinations.
But, there’s another side to this beautifully set location. Our 5-day Cape Town Itinerary explores the history of this once troubled town. Apartheid only came to an end 25 years ago and visiting Robben Island, District 6 Museum and a township helped us to learn more about the challenging legacy it left on this town and its people.
Cape Town is a great place to visit and it can easily be incorporated into a much longer stay in South Africa, one of our favourite holiday destinations. You can see what we got up to in our 3 week South Africa itinerary.
5-day cape town itinerary overview
DAY 1
District Six Museum
Uncle Bear Coffee & Greenmarket Square
Bo Kaap
Loop & Long Street shopping
DAY 2
Langa Township Tour
Constantia Wine Route
Kirstenbosch Gardens
DAY 3
Table Mountain
Afternoon in Camps Bay
DAY 4
Robben Island tour
Hike Lion’s head
DAY 5
Chapman’s Peak Drive & Hout Bay
Cape of Good Hope
Boulder’s Beach & Kalk Bay
5-DAY CAPE TOWN ITINERARY OVERVIEW
DAY 1
District Six Museum
Uncle Bear Coffee & Greenmarket Square
Bo Kaap
Loop & Long Street shopping
DAY 2
Langa Township Tour
Constantia Wine Route
Kirstenbosch Gardens
DAY 3
Table Mountain
Afternoon in Camps Bay
DAY 4
Robben Island tour
Hike Lion’s head
DAY 5
Chapman’s Peak Drive & Hout Bay
Cape of Good Hope
Boulder’s Beach & Kalk Bay
DAY 1 / DISTRICT SIX, CITY CENTRE & BO KAAP
Start your 5-day Cape Town itinerary with a visit to District Six Museum, which tells the story of the forcible ejection of local multi-racial communities from the Sixth District in inner Cape Town. It has both permanent and temporary exhibitions and excellent guides offering personal insights into the museum.
After the museum, grab a coffee at the excellent Uncle Bear Coffee Company before exploring the tourist market at Greenmarket Square and the old colonial buildings surrounding Company Gardens. Next, grab lunch at Yours Truly perched on a stool watching the world go by.
In the afternoon wander over to Bo Kaap. Bo Kaap has a rich multi-cultural heritage, thanks mostly to the descendants of slaves who were brought over in the 16th and 17th century. Today it’s an interesting place to stroll around and admire the colourful houses. Check out the museum. Although the exhibits are average, a good TV presentation documents the residents of Bo Kaap as they reflect on their life and the development of their community.
Explore the shops of Loop and Long street before grabbing an early evening drink at The Gin Bar on Wale Street.
District 6 Museum / 9:00 to 18:00 Mon to Sat; Guided Tours at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 and 14:00 Mon to Fri / Price: R40 or R55 guided / More: District 6 Museum Website / Location: 25A Albertus St, Zonnebloem, Cape Town
Bo Kaap Museum / 9:00 to 16:00 Mon to Sat / Price: R20 / More: Bo Kapp Museum Website / Location: 71 Wale St, Schotsche Kloof, Cape Town
DAY 2 / TOWNSHIP TOUR, KIRSTENBOSCH GARDENS AND CONSTANTIA
No Cape Town itinerary is complete without a Township tour. Head to Langa and join the morning Siviwe Township Tour. Langa is a small tight-knit township, just east of Table Mountain. Touring this township opened our eyes to how many of Cape Town’s citizens live and the ongoing legacy of apartheid. It was one of our best experiences in Cape Town which we highly recommend.
Next head over to Constantia and join the Constantia Wine Route where you can stop at numerous vineyards and try their food and wine. Groot Constantia and Fairview are a must for tastings, and Buitenverwachting is a real treat for lunch, with a café and restaurant serving excellent food. But be there before 2 pm otherwise you might have to do some fast talking to convince them to stay open for you!
Before the afternoon completely disappears in a haze, make your way to Kirstenbosch for a leisurely stroll around the botanic gardens. If you are here in summer try to tie it up with one of their outdoor summer concerts, which are truly excellent.
Siviwe Langa Township Tour / Tours are at 9:00, 12:00 or 14:00 and last 2 to 2.5 hours / Price: R350 / More: Siviwe Tours
Kirstenbosch Gardens / 8:00 to 19:00 Sep to Mar; 8:00 to 18:00 Apr to Aug / Price: R70 / More: Kirstenbosch Gardens / Location: Rhodes Dr, Newlands
DAY 3 / TABLE MOUNTAIN BEFORE HITTING THE BEACHES
Day 3 of our 5-day Cape Town itinerary takes us up the Table Mountain Cableway for stunning views over Cape Town. Booking ahead is essential as it’s a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. With or without pre-booked tickets it’s likely you will need to queue, so get there as early as possible. But fear not, your precious time is not wasted as the views across Cape Town, Lion’s Head and the endless expanse of ocean is well worth the wait. The other way to see Table Mountain is to hike the Platteklip trail to the top.
After descending in the cable car, head the short distance to Kloof Street and grab lunch at one of the many options in the area. Kloof Street House was our pick.
Time for a bit of R&R, so head over to the beach of your choice for some sun, sand and remarkably cold sea. Camps Bay is a curving wide stretch of beautiful white sand. The four Clifton beaches under lion’s head each have their own vibe. Bloubergstrand, about 20-minute drive from town, has great views back to Table Mountain and is a great spot for kitesurfing.
End the day with dinner and drinks at one of the many establishments overlooking Camps Bay. It’s sloppy tourist-driven fare, but the view, energy and sunset make up for it.
Table Mountain Cableway / First car varies from 8:00 to 8:30; last car varies from 18:00 to 20:30 depending on the time of year / Price: R290 / Tickets: pre-book here / Location: Tafelberg Rd, Gardens, Cape Town
DAY 4 / ROBBEN ISLAND & LION'S HEAD
This morning take the Robben Island Museum Tour and learn a bit more about the era of apartheid. Robben Island was used by the South African government as a prison for political prisoners and convicted criminals from 1961 until 1991. Today the island is home to a number of former inmates who work as tour guides, providing very personal – and at times – harrowing accounts of their experience in the prison. Ferries to Robben Island depart from Victoria and Albert Waterfront and booking in advance is recommended. The whole trip takes around 4 – 5 hours. Upon your return explore the V&A Waterfront and grab lunch at the Waterfront Food Market.
This afternoon hike up Lion’s Head. The well-trodden path winds its way up the mountain and offers spectacular views of Cape Town, Table Mountain, the Twelve Apostles and Camps Bay beach. The views from the top are stunning. Make your way to the top by late afternoon as the sun drops and the surrounds are lit up in all their golden glory. If you take a couple of beers with you to the top, you will have a truly memorable moment.
Robben Island Tour / Tours run every couple of hours starting at 9.00 / Tickets: Book online in advance / Price: R360
Lions Head Walk / Park 500m up Signal Hill Road, just after turning off the M62 at Kloof Neck. The path is easy to follow. There is a bit of scrambling towards the top, but if the sight of ropes and ladders leaves your palms sweaty, walk a bit further and you’ll see another path avoiding these tricky bits. The walk takes around 1 hour, 15 minutes up and 1 hour down.
DAY 5 / DRIVING THE STUNNING CAPE POINT PENINSULA
Today, enjoy a driving tour of the spectacular Cape Peninsula. Take the M6 down to Harbour Road in Hout Bay, home to a traditional fishing harbour and market, which offers some excellent seafood and a cool seaside vibe. After a walk around Hout Bay Harbour, head to Cape Point via Chapman’s Peak. This is a toll road, but you will not resent the small payment one bit; the drive is nothing short of spectacular.
Once the M6 hits the M65, turn right and go via Kommetjie, taking the circular route around the peninsula. About 1h 20m after leaving Hout Bay you will arrive at Table Mountain National Park. Pay the entry fee, then and follow the signs to The Cape of Good Hope. Walk up the hill nearby and keep your eyes peeled for whales. After you’ve soaked up the views, drive up to Cape Point, walk up to the new lighthouse and out to the point that looks down over the old lighthouse.
Back in the car, head up the east side of the peninsula to Boulder’s Beach (35min) and have a quick visit with the penguins. Continue to St James (25 min) and walk to the much-photographed brightly coloured beach huts framing a tidal rock pool.
Next head back south to Kalk Bay, to check out its coffee shops and bohemian vibe before having dinner at Livebait, a great, reasonably priced seafood restaurant so close to the front the waves are lapping at the deck. Get there while it is still light to watch the sun go down.
Chapmans Peak Drive / Anytime / Price: R47 other tariffs are here
Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope / 6:00 to 18:00 Oct to Mar; 7:00 to 17:00 Apr to Sep / Price: R147 / More: Information here / Location: Cape Point Rd, Cape Town
Boulder’s Beach Penguin Sanctuary / 7:00 to 19:30 Dec to Jan; 8:00 to 17:00 Apr to Sep; 8:00 to 18:30 Feb to Mar and Oct to Nov / Price: R76 / Location: 4 Boulders Place, Simon’s Town
FINISH
At the end of your 5-day Cape town itinerary head home or, even better, stay and explore more of our pic of the best destinations destinations this country has to offer.
Plan your own longer itinerary or simply follow our 3-week South Africa trip. It includes 5 days in Cape Town but then heads down the Garden Route, explores the semi-arid Little Karoo, has an incredible safari experience in Kruger and finishes with a couple of days in Johannesburg.
/ INFORMATION
A little pre-planning and research will help make your travels far more successful, it will also help you to understand what you are looking for in a destination. If you like our Cape Town itinerary, here’s all the information you might need to plan your own trip.
WHERE TO STAY IN CAPE TOWN
Tamboerskloof and Camps Bay are both excellent locations but for different reasons. Tamboerskloof is younger and cooler, close to the city centre with access to the café and bar scene of Kloof Street. The views up to Table Mountain are pretty great as well.
Camps Bay on the other hand is a bit older, but stunningly set on one of the most beautiful city beaches in the world. A number of cocktail bars and restaurants line the front.
CENTRAL HILLSIDE – OUR PICK
MANNABAY
A beautiful converted house decorated with contemporary African art, Mannabay has amazing views from their hillside location. The service is excellent and it’s close to the Kloot street nightlife.
GOOD VALUE CHIC
JARDIN D’ÉBÈNE GUESTHOUSE
This quaint five-bedroom guesthouse in Tamboerskloof is decorated in modern African style with luxurious organic textiles. Breakfast on the deck beside the plunge pool is the perfect way to start your day.
ALL OUT STYLE
THE MARLY
Located along Camp’s Bay’s stunning promenade, The Marly is great for unwinding on Cape Town’s most popular beach. With an enviable location, this is an excellent option for some boutique indulgence.
CENTRAL HILLSIDE – OUR PICK
MANNABAY
A beautiful converted house decorated with contemporary African art, Mannabay has amazing views from their hillside location. The service is excellent and it’s close to the Kloot street nightlife.
GOOD VALUE CHIC
JARDIN D’ÉBÈNE GUESTHOUSE
This quaint five-bedroom guesthouse in Tamboerskloof is decorated in modern African style with luxurious organic textiles. Breakfast on the deck beside the plunge pool is the perfect way to start your day.
ALL OUT STYLE
THE MARLY
Located along Camp’s Bay’s stunning promenade, The Marly is great for unwinding on Cape Town’s most popular beach. With an enviable location, this is an excellent option for some boutique indulgence.
BOOK BEFORE YOU GO
Cape Town can get very busy, so it’s a good idea to book a few things in advance of your 5-day Cape Town itinerary. The Table Mountain Cableway can close when conditions are windy, so don’t plan to go up on your final day in case it’s closed. While booking online does not skip all of the queues, it does make it considerably quicker.
If you are visiting in the summer months check Kirstenbosch events. The summer concerts in the gardens are excellent.
Cape Town is an excellent destination for sports fans. It is relatively easy to get tickets to world-class rugby and cricket at extremely good prices. Not to mention, Newlands Stadium is a stunning destination with great views over Table Mountain.
OUR RECOMMENDED TOURS
Skip the queues and book these tours before you go. Tickets are delivered to your smartphone.
TABLE MOUNTAIN
ROBBEN ISLAND
TOWNSHIP TOUR
OUR RECOMMENDED TOURS
Skip the queues and book these tours before you go. Tickets are delivered to your smartphone.
TABLE MOUNTAIN
ROBBEN ISLAND
TOWNSHIP TOUR
GETTING TO CAPE TOWN
The main airport in Cape Town is the Nelson Mandela International Airport which has direct flights from some locations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and other Africa locations. There are currently no direct flights from the USA to Cape Town. The airport is around 20km from the centre of town with easy connections into Cape Town.
TAXI / The official, authorised taxi provider at the airport is Touch-Down Taxis. Picking up a taxi from the stands out front is usually no problem. A taxi into the centre of Cape Town will cost between R300 and R400.
AIRPORT MYCITI / A shuttle bus runs from the airport between 5:30 and 21:30. The fare is around R60 to R100 depending on the time of travel.
FLIGHTS / Check latest flight times and prices.
GETTING AROUND CAPE TOWN
The MyCiti bus service operated from 5:00 to 22:00 daily connecting the major areas of Cape Town including the city centre, the Atlantic coast and Koof Rd. More information including rates and timetables is available on their website.
This is a fairly action-packed itinerary, so our recommendation is to hire a car at the airport. Car hire is good value and makes getting around a slightly spread out Cape Town much easier. Parking is generally cheap and convenient and the road network is very good. The excess for accidents on hire cares is generally low so we opted to not take insurance.
AUTO EUROPE
The best portal we’ve found for booking hire cars is AutoEurope. They have access to cars from all the major companies which are compared on a grid format that clearly displays the prices for different car sizes across each provider.
They also display what is and isn’t included in the price and offer good value insurance options. With a great interface and 24-hour customer service, we highly recommend them.
Check Cape Town car rental prices here based on your home location.
AUTO EUROPE
The best portal we’ve found for booking hire cars is AutoEurope. They have access to cars from all the major companies which are compared on a grid format that clearly displays the prices for different car sizes across each provider.
They also display what is and isn’t included in the price and offer good value insurance options. With a great interface and 24-hour customer service, we highly recommend them.
Check Cape Town car rental prices here based on your home location.
BEST TIME TO GO TO CAPE TOWN
Cape Town can be visited all year but it is best to avoid the wet colder months of July and August. If you want to spend time on the beaches then the summer months of December to March bring temperatures in the high twenties and longer days, but also higher crowds.
We recommend mid- January to mid-March to get good weather, long days, fewer crowds and the opportunity enjoy wine festivals and outdoor concerts. Beware though, the seas around Cape Town are cold almost all year round, so swimming takes a deep breath whatever time you travel.
If you are including Cape Town on a longer trip around the country, read our article on the best time to visit South Africa’s different regions.
COSTS OF OUR CAPE TOWN ITINERARY
Cape Town is a very reasonably priced destination. Car hire is cheap and food is excellent value given its high quality. In fact, we suggest you spend a little more on food and drink and get some truly great experiences. Our entire 5-day Cape Town Itinerary for two people cost R23,500 which, as of Sep 2018 exchange rates, equates to :-
US $1,550 / GBP £1,200 / EUR €1,350
3 nights in Tamboerskloof Airbnb – R5,000
3 nights in Camps Bay Airbnb – R5,100
6 day Car Hire – R2,500
Tickets and Tours – R2,800
Food and Drink – R6,600
Fuel and other sundries – R1,500
US $1,550 / GBP £1,200 / EUR €1,350
3 nights in Tamboerskloof Airbnb – R5,000
3 nights in Camps Bay Airbnb – R5,100
6 day Car Hire – R2,500
Tickets and Tours – R2,800
Food and Drink – R6,600
Fuel and other sundries – R1,500
GUIDEBOOKS & READING
As always the Lonely Planet Cape Town & Garden Route guidebook was a very valuable addition to our toolkit while in Cape Town.
For some interesting reading, The Scramble for Africa by Thomas Packenham explains the history of how African territory was divided between European powers between 1881 and 1914.
Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom is a powerful account of the struggle against apartheid with many key events taking place in Cape Town.
MORE SOUTH AFRICA READING
TOWNSHIPS / Find out what it is like on a township tour.
ITINERARY / Put all these things to do into a 5 day itinerary.
HIGHLIGHTS / Check out our favourite destinations in South Africa.
PLANNING / Tips on how to construct your own South Africa itinerary.
TIME / Find the best time to visit the different regions of South Africa.
WILDLIFE / Check out all the animals you might see on a Kruger safari.
HIKING / There’s great hiking in South Africa. None better than the Royal Natal National Park.
WETLANDS / See whales, nesting turtles and hippos in St. Lucia Wetlands.
ADVENTURE / If you’re looking for adventure in South Africa, head to the Drakensberg.
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First of all, I must say that you have taken stunning pictures of Cape Town. I loved the Bo-Kaap area where everything is so colorful and photogenic. I love to take pictures of colorful houses and therefore I would end up taking thousands of pictures there. Going to Robben Island, Table Mountain, and Cape Point Peninsula must be in my first priority here. Thanks for sharing all details.
Thanks, Yukti! I love taking photos of colourful houses as well and don’t worry, I’m sure I have thousands yet to sort through as well. You’re in for a treat if you haven’t been to Cape Town yet, it’s an amazing location.
Your posts are always so informative both in history and helpful tips! Would love to visit South Africa one day and this guide will certainly come in handy! #FarawayFiles
Thanks very much. It’s a cool place to visit – with some interesting history – so we highly recommend it.
With everything so flat here in Denmark, I am always so smitten with rocky coastal landscapes – so stunning. And that Bo-Kaap is super colorful and charming. I hadn’t thought of South Africa as a foodie destination per se, I know there is established wine culture, but your dishes look delish! Thank you for sharing and giving an idea of budget. Always good when considering a destination. Lovely photos like always. Thanks for sharing with #FarawayFiles
Thanks, Erin! You can take it from me – a self-proclaimed expert on such matters – the food in Cape Town is top notch! Everything is very “on-trend” and the scenery you’re dining in makes it all the more special.
Such a detailed post thank you. I’ve visited Cape Town before and absolutely adored it, so was a lovely trip down memory lane for me. #farawayfiles
Thanks, Kate. Glad we could provide some reminiscing for you.
I love the fantastic mix of activities you’ve highlighted in just five days. You’ve got everything here: beaches, wine, cultural trips AND beautiful landscapes. Your photos are stunning too. Great post for #FarawayFiles
There’s so much variety in Cape Town it’s ridiculous. The food, the wine, the incredible scenery, beaches, beautiful weather – it’s a fantastic destination.
I had such a great time in Cape Town, and South Africa, last fall, so had to check out what you were up to 🙂 #farawayfiles
Thank you. I hope we didn’t leave anything out!
Love this post, beautifully written. Really well put together article with excellent photographs. I had heard it was a great destination for all the reasons you have listed, but love the mix of mountains, beaches and history. Thank you so much for sharing on #farawayfiles
Thanks very much, glad you liked it! It’s a great town for exploring lots of different things and the setting is absolutely stunning.
Very informative post and some great tips, Cape Town maybe on our itinerary in 2019, so, will certainly pin for ideas.
The history here is fascinating and one of the reasons I’d love to go, thanks for sharing & love the photos. #farawayfiles
Thanks, Janis. Looking forward to hearing about your trip there.
I’ve read a number of posts on Cape Town but yours is perfect – seriously. Moreover, your photos are absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing this itinerary with us, it’s brilliant 🙂 #FarawayFiles
Wow! Thank you very much.
Another fabulous itinerary! I truly appreciate how you lay everything out including the cost breakdown. You’ve done such a good job making these far away places feel more accessible. All your photos are wonderful, but my favorites are the colorful huts and the buildings. I think I might like to print those! Thank you for sharing on #farawayfiles
Thanks so much. Those colour buildings are my favourite part of Cape Town, there’s always plenty of people taking photos in front of them.
Great informative itinerary with stunning phots. Definitely saving it for the future reference. Thanks for sharing it!
#FarawayFiles
Thanks a lot. Glad you found it useful.
This is a great post! We stayed in camps bay which was a great base for table mountain -#frawayfiles
Yes, Camps Bay is an excellent location – such a great beach with stunning views of the mountains.
Cape Town has been on my travel wish list for awhile and this seriously gave me such travel envy. I love all the colors you captured. I was familiar with Table Mountain, penguins and the wineries but not about the other interesting things on your itinerary. This is such a helpful post when we finally make it to this beautiful part of the world.
Thanks, Mary – glad you found it useful. It’s a fantastic holiday destination: beaches, wine, views, walks, culture, history. Can’t really ask for much more!
Hi Mark & Paul
Thoroughly enjoying reading your blog. Your writing is superb, your suggestions are truly inspiring and your photos are absolutely stunning!
One point though … Mark you took the CABLE CAR up Table Mountain! Shame on you – Keith made me WALK up (and I’m loads older than you!)
Love to you both
Kathy
Hi Kathy – thanks for stopping by, nice to have you here. I know it was a bit of a cop-out getting the cable car up, look like a long way though! I’m sure at the time Mark wanted to walk it and I didn’t!
Great post, as always! Cape Town has a way of stealing your heart. I never wanted to leave! This itinerary is spot on. I especially love the Cape Peninsula road trip. It is totally different than the way we did it. While yours went around counterclockwise, ours went around clockwise. The huts at St James are nice, don’t get me wrong, but I also love those of Muizemberg. You can check out my full Cape Peninsula and Cape Town recommendations on teentravelguru.com
PS. I am a BRAND NEW TRAVEL BLOGGER. I would LOVE any support. Feel free to email me with ideas. I’d also like to guest post on this (beautifuly designed!) blog sometime.
Thanks in advance!!!!
Magdalena
Thanks, Magdalena. Cape Town certainly does have a way of stealing your heart, but for us, the scenery around the peninsular is the real joy of travelling to the area. Good luck with your travel blog!