Cape Town, a remarkable seaside city, offers an array of attractions from its breathtaking beaches and mountains to its vibrant streets filled with music and culture. The city’s proximity to nature stands out as one of its top highlights. Ascend Table Mountain for a spectacular city view that will leave you speechless.
For those who prefer not to hike, a cable car is available. At the summit, you’ll witness the famous “tablecloth” of clouds that often drapes over the mountain’s peak.
Lion’s Head Mountain provides another excellent hiking opportunity. Plan your hike to coincide with sunset for a truly mesmerizing experience at the summit. Remember to bring a flashlight to navigate the dark path on your way down.
In the city there’s the colourful neighbourhood of Bo-Kaap, where every house is a different colour. This is a photographer’s dream. You can head over here and explore on your own or locals give free walking tours where you can learn more about the neighbourhood as you go.
Cape Town is surrounded by beautiful beaches but one of the best places for catching some waves is Llandudno Beach. This small picturesque spot is a surfer’s paradise and a great place to chill. If water sports aren’t your thing you can always have fun playing at the shoreline.
If you’re looking for a great day trip we have a couple of recommendations. First is driving from Cape Town to the Cape of Good Hope. There’s so much to see along this route and it’s one of the most stunning drives you can experience.
Take the Chapman’s Peak route. Your first stop should be Hout Bay. There’s a lookout point here where you can see the entire bay.
Further down the route you’ll reach Nordhoek Beach, a huge beach with incredibly white sands. It’ll be super windy here but it’s definitely a good place to stop for a nice view and some great pictures. At this point you’ll want to drive across the peninsula to Simons Town where you’ll find Boulders Beach.
Here you can see wild African penguins in their natural protected habitat. You can get up close by walking over the raised boardwalks or even head down onto the beach itself. But remember the penguins live here so be respectful of their personal space.
From here the Cape of Good Hope is only half an hour away. This is where you can stand at the most southwestern tip of Africa. It’s an iconic spot and an unmissable photo opportunity.
Cape Point is a further five minutes away by car and there’s a short hike from the car park out to the end of the point where you can even see wild baboons if you’re lucky. Just make sure they don’t steal your lunch. This whole area is part of the Table Mountain National Park and the natural beauty preserved here is outstanding.
The sun can be really harsh so make sure you pack sunscreen for your hike. Head back to Cape Town and you’ve just completed one of the best days out you can have. For a more laid-back day out you should definitely check out Stellenbosch.
It’s one of the world’s most famous wine territories. Not only will you see the beautiful local vineyards but you can even book a wine tasting tour where you’ll spend the whole day sampling wines from around the region. Now we’re by no means wine connoisseurs but some of our favorite vineyards were Meerlust, Tokara, Lavenier and Moratti.
And we managed to go to all of them on a tour that cost just 1,050 rand with a pickup from Cape Town included. That works out at about 63 British pounds or 87 US dollars for the entire trip.
They haven’t paid us or anything but we love the trip so much that we’ve put a link in the description for you guys to check out. Use them at your own discretion. If you don’t have time for a full day trip out of the city then we’ve got you covered.
Check out Kirstenbosch Gardens. It’s regarded as one of the best botanical gardens in the world and sits right on the slopes of Table Mountain. Walk along the overhead canopy walkway for the best experience with stunning views all around.
Another great experience you can have is kayaking with dolphins. You leave from the Victoria and Albert Waterfront for this epic adventure and whilst there’s obviously no guarantee that you’ll see dolphins the trip itself is worth it alone for the amazing views of Cape Town and the rare opportunity to kayak in the ocean which if you’ve never done it before is a real treat. Alright so we’ve been all over Cape Town by this point from the oceans to the mountaintops and everything in between but if you really want to see the city at its finest there’s no better option than a helicopter ride.
Now this is one of the pricier attractions but you can find some pretty good deals online and there’s nothing like seeing Cape Town from above with its incredible beaches, rugged mountains and clear blue waters. You won’t be disappointed with this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Well that’s all we have time for this week but please leave your recommendations for Cape Town in the comments below.