The obvious appeal of Cape Town lies in the great outdoors. It starts the moment you arrive: drive west from Cape Town International Airport at dusk and you’ll be surrounded by mountains on every side: Devil’s Peak, Lion’s Head and Table Mountain glowing ruby red in the Western Cape sunset. Behind you are the vast green expanses of the winelands. Ahead are white-sand beaches, peppered with penguins, where you can spot the rocky Twelve Apostles in the distance. Drive half an hour in any direction, and it feels like a different world.
But there’s more to this city than its rich biodiversity. It’s a hub of culture, steeped in history, with a serious food scene. Beyond the sun (which shines around 300 days a year), there are antique shops, vintage clothing stores, galleries, museums and bookshops to explore, along with restaurants booked out even on Mondays. Here’s a taste of everything Cape Town has to offer.
Day 1
Check In to a hotel in Camps Bay. This beachfront neighbourhood is a central (and beautiful) base for your trip, a quick Uber from most hotspots. Camps Bay Retreat offers a luxurious stay with sea views; Hotel Lola in Green Point sits closer to the city centre, still within walking distance of the seafront. Cloud 9 Boutique Hotel in the Kloof Street area is another option, surrounded by buzzing restaurants and bars, and its rooftop bar is worth visiting regardless of whether you’re staying.
Get Around With Uber. Affordable, straightforward and the most practical way to navigate the city.
Start Off With Brunch At The Strangers Club in Green Point, a cafe, restaurant, shop and artist space selling clothing and accessories by South African designers. Order the Turkish eggs.
Pick Up Snacks For The Beach from Giovanni’s, Green Point’s well-loved neighbourhood Italian deli.
Stretch Out On The Sand at the Cliftons. Split into four smaller beaches divided by rock formations, from Clifton 1st to 4th. Bring a couple of hundred rand in cash (around £9) for beers, cocktail cans or ice lollies from the sellers carting cool boxes across the beach. You’ll know them by their siren call of: “Lolly to make you jolly!” For a quieter sunbathing spot, continue south along the coast to Bakoven Beach or Cosy Bay. Less touristy and where the locals go.
Cool Down with a post-swim ice cream at Unframed. There are three across the city. The flavours change daily and lean towards the unexpected: white chocolate lemon-infused olive oil, vegan beetroot chocolate ginger, pineapple, red pepper and lime sorbet.
Catch The Sunset At Signal Hill. Take an Uber to Signal Hill Road, then walk along the top ridge with the city on one side, the ocean on the other. No hiking shoes needed; it’s a flat walk. Settle at the northern point with a bottle of something from a local winery and watch the paragliders against the last light.
Book Dinner at Kloof Street House. One of the most reliable restaurants in the city, serving lively lunches, dinners and drinks in a Victorian building with different themed rooms and a garden set under a canopy of trees. Finish with a classic South African malva pudding. Nearby, The Cousins Trattoria is the place for pasta (book ahead) and Active Sushi for the finest all-you-can-eat sushi in the city.
Get A Late-Night Art Fix with First Thursdays. On the first Thursday of each month, galleries and bars across the city stay open late and the centre becomes a walkable hub for the arts crowd. Bree Street Gallery, covered with murals by local artists, THK Gallery for contemporary art and 99 Loop Street for rotating monthly exhibits, are all reliable stops; follow the crowds and drop into whatever catches your eye.
Keep The Drinks Going At The House of Machines, an American-style indie bar in the city centre with dim lighting, live music and a crowd that spills out onto the street. Around the corner is Culture Wine Bar for an extensive global wine list and, if you want to stay around Kloof Street after dinner Publik pours natural wine at outdoor bar stools and The Power & The Glory is known for its pickleback.
Day 2
Start Your Day With A Quick Bite At KAUAI. The Kloof Street branch is a local go-to for smoothies and light breakfasts. For a plant-based option by the ocean, try Nourish’d in Green Point.
Get A Taste Of The Cape on the Franschhoek Wine Tram. Start early: it’s about an hour’s drive from the city centre to the Franschhoek Terminal, where a hop-on, hop-off train takes you through picturesque vineyards. (There’s also a shuttle you can take from the V&A Waterfront.) There are five train lines, each stopping at different wineries. The Orange line covers six, including Babylonstoren, which is worth it for gardens full of organic fruits, Indigenous plants and even a chamomile lawn. Wine tasters and nibbles are included at each stop; some wineries offer more substantial food, too.
For a wine experience closer to the city, head to the suburb of Constantia, a 25-minute drive south from the centre, for tastings and cheeseboards. Groot Constantia, Constantia Glen and Beau Constantia (with its famous ‘loo with a view’) are producing strong wines in beautiful surroundings.
Or, Skip The Wines & Meet The Penguins down at Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town. It’s a popular spot, but seeing African penguins up close will be a highlight of the trip. There are sandy coves along this stretch of shoreline for swimming alongside them (though touching and feeding them is prohibited), or for pay the entrance fee (around R245 or £11) to observe the penguins from the boardwalk. They’re now an endangered species, so respecting the animals and their habitat is paramount. Drive back via Chapman's Peak to Hout Bay Market, around 45 minutes, for a browse and something from the food stalls.
Have A Dinner To Remember At Mzansi. This family-run restaurant in the Langa township serve Xhosa food and offers a direct way to experience Cape culture and support the local community through its adjoining art shop. The view of Table Mountain from the balcony is exceptional, and the meal is accompanied by local musicians.
Day 3
Start The Day At Oranjezicht Market on the waterfront, open every Saturday and Sunday, with hundreds of food and artisanal product vendors. Pick up breakfast, find a seat and take in the atmosphere.
Don’t Miss Mors Design at The Watershed on the V&A Waterfront, just a short walk from the market. This local, sustainably minded knitwear brand handmakes its impossibly soft jumpers and cardigans. An investment worth making.
Get Your Literary Fix At Clarke’s Bookshop in the centre of the city. Opened in 1957, it specialises in African and South African titles, including books banned during Apartheid. While you’re in the area, visit a few galleries, Float Apparel for clothes and concept store SAD Store.
Go Vintage Shopping In Observatory. Lower Main Road is worth the trip if you have any interest in vintage; much of the street is reasonably priced clothing and antiques. Highlights include Voom Voom, Bangbang, Once Again At Wendy’s and Nevernew. Second Coming is a higher-end edit, with prices to match. OBZ Books, a friendly local with lots of second-hand titles is close by.
Refuel With A Late Lunch at Ground Zero Cafe for vegetarian and vegan food and great coffee. Alternatives nearby: Cocoa Cha Chi for hummus eggs and garden seating, Cafe Ganesh for a frosty Black Label beer on the balcony and Blue Marlin for all-you-can-eat sushi. If dusk is drawing in, head to restaurant and bar Trenchtown.
Fit In A Hike At Lion’s Head. Drop off your many bags of shopping, put on some suitable shoes and start from the parking area. It’s a fairly challenging hike with some ladder scrambling, but the views from the top are worth it – especially if the sky blazes orange and pink at sundown. Don’t worry about it getting dark – there’s always a trail of people you can follow on the way back down.
Get A Final Bite At Mojo Market. Over 35 food stalls, bars, live music and a reliably great crowd.
Finish Off The Night With A Nightcap at Mødular in the city centre, which runs until the early hours. Stay long enough and you’ll be able to catch the sunrise at Sea Point to close out your weekend in Cape Town.
