Cape Town is one of my favourite cities, mainly because of its stunning natural scenery. It’s got mountains, beaches, wildlife, wine and super-fresh seafood. The weather is decent all year round, even in its winter. And it’s packed with the sort of history which is still visible today, in particular in Cape Town’s complex racial relationships and divisions.
Cape Town (and South Africa) more widely certainly has its problems, and I’ve written about some of them here. But I still think that everyone should visit Cape Town at some point in their life.
So what can you do in four days in Cape Town? Let’s dive in.
Day 1: beaches
Start your four days in Cape Town with a beach day. And you are absolutely spoilt for choice. Pretty much all down its west coast, Cape Town is lined with golden sand and infinite ocean. Add to that the backdrop of Lion’s Head, Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles, it makes for a pretty unique scene.
We selected the Clifton beaches. These are four adjoining beaches right beneath Lion’s Head.
Beware that the sea in Cape Town is very cold year-round! This is largely because of a current which brings seawater north from Antarctica. So you might want to limit yourself to a paddle unless you’re a hardcore cold-water swimmer!
Day 2: hike Table Mountain
On day 2, hike up the iconic Table Mountain. We chose the Skeleton Gorge route which starts from the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden which, by the way, is worth a visit in itself.
Now, this is a hard hike and has some very steep sections. Make sure you’re prepared by wearing appropriate footwear and bringing lots of water and snacks.
When I attempted this hike, it had rained recently. The path crossed up through what had become a small waterfall, over steep and slippery rocks. We and several other hikers made the decision to abandon the hike for safety reasons as we did not want to slip on a rock and fall. So unfortunately we did not complete the hike all the way up to the top of Table Mountain, we made the right call from a safety perspective.
If you’d prefer not to hike, take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. This is the only cable car I’ve been on in the world that has a rotating floor! This means that everyone has a turn at getting the best views on the way up.
And when you get to the top, the view is absolutely stunning!
Day 3: Cape Peninsula drive
On day 3, hire a car or join a tour for a drive around the Cape Peninsula. This is the section of land that sticks out south of the city itself. It contains some unmissable scenery, and an unforgettable wildlife experience: the penguins on Boulders Beach.
Make sure not to miss these spots on a drive around the Cape Peninsula:
Camps Bay
Stop for a coffee at Camps Bay and simply admire the view: an arc of pale sand overlooked by Lion’s Head and the Twelve Apostles.
Seal Island
Take a boat from Hawk’s Bay to Seal Island, where hundreds of seals bask and swimming around the boat. Be prepared for the strong fishy smell!
Chapman’s Peak
The road beside Chapman’s Peak winds along the cliff’s edge and has the most incredible views, only increasing in incredibility as you go higher up. Make sure to stop at all the lookout points – one of the first ones has a view straight across the bay to Table Mountain and Lion’s Head. You can’t get much more iconic Cape Town than that.
Boulders Beach and the penguins
Boulders Beach was one of my highlights! Here, there is a colony of wild African penguins.
You are required to walk along a boardwalk in order to avoid going too near the penguins and startling them. There were lots of penguins nesting next to the boardwalk and we saw a few baby penguins and one egg. When we got to the beach itself I was delighted to see hundreds of penguins, some waddling inelegantly on the beach and others diving expertly in and out of the sea.
Remember that these are wild penguins, and be sensitive to the fact that they might be frightened if you go too near, especially if they have chicks with them. They also have sharp beaks to defend themselves, so keeping your distance is as much a safety measure for you as it is for the penguins. But take all the photos you want!
False Bay
False Bay got its name from the fact that explorers sailing to Cape Town would think that this was where they needed to land, but they should in fact have been aiming for the next bay up the coast. There are 26 shipwrecks in False Bay resulting from these navigational errors.
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is the most south-westerly point of Africa. Take a picture with the sign, stand and watch the rough sea crashing onto the rocks, or take a short hike to Cape Point.
Day 4: wine tour
On day 4, head out of Cape Town towards the vineyards. For this trip I do recommend joining a tour as you will not be able to enjoy the wine if you have to drive back to Cape Town later on!
The two wine regions that are most accessible from Cape Town are Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Franschhoek has a hop-on-hop-off wine tram meaning you can take your time with your wine tasting, and get yourself from place to place. What you want out of a wine tour is up to you. You could also choose a full-day tour, a half-day tour, or combine it with an excursion to another place such as Boulders Beach if you’re short on time or if you prefer a fast-paced itinerary.
What to do in the evenings in Cape Town
In the evenings in Cape Town, you can find a hub of activity at the V&A Waterfront. This has a shopping centre as well as numerous bars and restaurants. I suggest coming here on one or two of your evenings (if not more) and eating your evening meal with a view of the harbour.
Some of the restaurants here are more touristy than others. One evening we were persuaded to eat at a South African restaurant which (unsurprisingly) turned out to be aimed at tourists, with higher tourist pricing and all. Another evening, we stumbled upon a Mozambican restaurant which felt much less touristy and had a range of absolutely delicious food.
Extending your trip
If you’ve got longer than four days in Cape Town, you’re not going to run out of things to do. Here are some options.
Robben Island
Take a boat trip from the V&A Waterfront out to Robben Island. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it’s most famous for being the location of Nelson Mandela’s 18-year imprisonment during apartheid.
Hike Lion’s Head
Along with hiking Table Mountain, Lion’s Head is another iconic hike in Cape Town, where you’ll get spectacular views across the coastline. It takes two to three hours to hike Lion’s Head, so you could theoretically combine this with your beach day on day 1 of this itinerary.
Drive the Garden Route
Hire a car and drive the Garden Route. The Garden Route is a 300 kilometre route along South African’s southern coastline, starting at Mossel Bay (which is about a four-hour drive from Cape Town) and ending at Storms River.
If you’re driving to the start of the Garden Route, you’ll pass the southern tip of Africa, where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans converge. Consider continuing on to Gqeberha, which is two hours’ drive from Storms River.
Head further afield
If you’re thinking of heading further afield, consider travelling across South Africa to Kruger Park in the east. Unless you travel there on an epic South Africa road trip, your best option will be to fly from Cape Town to Johannesburg and travel to Kruger from there.
Alternatively, head north to the deserts and dunes of Namibia…