Cape Town Travelers Recommend

Visitors to Cape Town usually love the city's urban flair, vibrant nightlife, and proximity to outdoor activities, but you may not realize there are great wildlife safari trips you can take from Cape Town, too. Here are some options for heading out on safari.

Full-Day Tours

Even the most time-pressed visitors to Cape Town have the opportunity for an African safari experience, thanks to a variety of day trips from the South African capital. The Aquila Private Game Reserve represents the closest place to the city where it’s possible to see the Big Five—African elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, and Cape buffalos—as well as the endangered Aquila black eagle and some 70 other bird species. Learn about lion conservation during a day trip to Inverdoorn Nature Reserve, known for its wide variety of free roaming species. Those who prefer the water can spot the Marine Big Five—southern right whale, great white shark, bottlenose dolphin, African penguin, and Cape fur seal—aboard a wildlife-watching cruise.

Multi-Day Tours

Multiple days mean multiple chances to observe South Africa’s varied wildlife, and tours from Cape Town typically range from two to eight days. Along the Garden Route, go hiking through Tsitsikamma National Park, stroll the beaches of Jeffreys Bay, canoe the waters of Wilderness National Park, observe elephants at Addo Elephant National Park, and explore Oudtshoorn, known as the ostrich capital of the world. Shorter itineraries take travelers to Klein Karoo on the Western Cape to see the Big Five and other wild animals.

With its vast expanse of vineyards set against a backdrop of sloping green mountains and startling blue sky, the Cape Winelands are one of South Africa’s most enchanting landscapes, and a visit is as much about the gorgeous scenery as the wine itself. Here are your options for exploring the Cape Winelands from Cape Town. 

Half-Day Tours

If time is of the essence, opt for a half-day wine tour, or splash out on a VIP half-day Cape Winelands tour and fly in from Cape Town by helicopter. Soar over the vineyards on a thrilling flight, and then touch down at one of the region’s esteemed wine estates for an indulgent wine tasting lunch before being whisked back to the city. 

Full-Day Tours

Full-day tours allow plenty of time to discover the principal wine routes of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl, where you can learn more about the winemaking process during a winery tour, and sip a variety of fine South African wines during a guided wine tasting. For a more personalized experience, opt for a small-group or private tour, or choose a tour that includes added extras such as a ride on the Franschhoek Wine Tram, a visit to Cape Point, or a bike tour of the vineyards.

Multi-Day Tours

With time to spare, combine a Cape Winelands day tour with Western Cape attractions such as Boulders Beach, Cape Point, and Table Mountain National Park; a Cape Town city sightseeing tour; or activities such as a whale-watching cruise or shark cage diving from Cape Agulhas. Multi-day tours typically include accommodation, some meals, and entrance fees making them a great-value option for those looking to explore more of the West Coast.  

Things to Know

• The closest of the wineries in Cape Winelands is about 45 minutes from Cape Town by road.

• Full-day Cape Town tours to the Cape wine region typically last eight or nine hours. 

• The legal drinking age of 18 applies for all wine tasting in the Cape Winelands.

• Round-trip transport is included for all day trips, a helpful inclusion given South Africa’s strict drinking and driving laws.

With three days in Cape Town, you have plenty of time to soak up the city’s atmosphere, see its most famous sights, absorb its history, and head out of town into the surrounding countryside. Here are a few ways to experience the very best of Cape Town in 72 memorable hours.

Day 1: Explore the City

Start your day by taking in sweeping city and ocean views from the top of flat-topped Table Mountain. Visiting in the morning helps you avoid the heat and clouds that tend to arrive later. Your options for getting up the mountain include hiking tours, biking tours, and skip-the-line access to the cable car, which is often included in full-day tours of the whole city.

Afterward, take a sightseeing tour to better get your bearings and see more top sights. Hop-on hop-off bus tours allow you the flexibility of being able to set your own itinerary as you explore the entire city—you can jump off anywhere you like along the route and spend as little or as much time as you wish at each stop. Alternatively, you can take tours of specific sites of interest, such as the townships, Robben Island, and Bo-Kaap.

Day 2: Head for the Cape

The Cape of Good Hope, a sprawling section of Table Mountain National Park, attracts day-trippers with its sweeping ocean views, quiet beaches, and dramatic promontory called Cape Point. Just over an hour by car from downtown Cape Town, it’s easy to reach on a day trip. 

Full-day group and private tours from the city to the cape usually take a scenic route filled with mountain and ocean views. You’ll likely make stops at Hout Bay Harbour and Boulders Beach, known for its colony of African penguins, and pass through the coastal towns of Fish Hoek and Muizenberg. Some tours also include time to explore Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in the UNESCO-listed Cape Floral Kingdom and optional boat trips to Duiker Island, known for its large number of fur seals.

Day 3: Go Wine Tasting

Spend your final day in Cape Town sampling some of the finest wines produced in the region. Full-day group and private tours take you into the scenic wine country of Stellenbosch and Paarl Valley, where you can enjoy the Cape Winelands’ wines and learn about the production processes from the winemakers. Most tours also offer the opportunity to explore the area’s historic towns, such as Franschhoek, noted for its Cape Dutch–style architecture, and the university town of Stellenbosch, the second-oldest town in South Africa. 

An alternative to taking a scenic drive there is to fly in on a helicopter—some tours whisk passengers from the city’s V&A Waterfront directly to wine estates where they enjoy meals and wine tastings. 

Cape Town is one of the world’s most striking cities, stunningly set between the Atlantic Ocean on one side and Table Mountain on the other. It’s home to a sophisticated V&A Waterfront and colorful neighborhoods such as Bo-Kaap. Here’s how to make the most of a 24-hour visit.

Morning: Go Up Table Mountain

Beat the heat and get a great perspective on Cape Town by heading up Table Mountain first thing in the morning. The views from the top take in the entire city and its surroundings, but the skies tend to get cloudy later in the day. If you’re feeling active, climb to the top on a (fairly challenging) guided hike or cycle down on a guided bike tour. Otherwise, join a tour with skip-the-line tickets for the cable car so that you don’t waste time in the often long lines. Some tours include Table Mountain as part of a larger city tour.

Afternoon: See the City’s Sights

Get your bearings and absorb some history with a sightseeing tour. Hop-on hop-off bus tours allow you to experience the highlights with the added flexibility of being able to set your own itinerary—you can get off at any of the stops and spend as long there as you wish. Most tours offer a selection of different routes, and some go out of the city and into the surrounding Cape Winelands. Alternatively, a private guided tour also offers the flexibility of customizing your itinerary with the added benefit of more in-depth exploration.

Night: Immerse Yourself in Local Culture

Get a taste of local culture on a themed evening experience. For an insider’s view of local culture, try a jazz tour that takes you into homes of local musicians and noted nightspots to listen to live performances—most also include dinner, often at the musician’s home. Another option is a dinner and traditional show experience—shows typically feature drum performances and dancers plus a hearty meal of pan-African dishes.

Two days in Cape Town allows you time to thoroughly explore the city—from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the top of Table Mountain—and get a closer look at some of the city’s most culturally rich neighborhoods. Here’s how to spend two days in South Africa’s most beautiful city.

Day 1: Explore the City from Mountain to Ocean

**Morning:**Get a great perspective on the layout of Cape Town by heading up Table Mountain for sweeping views. Options include hiking, biking, and skip-the-line cable car tours. Combine a visit to Table Mountain with other attractions like the infamous Robben Island.

**Afternoon:**Take a sightseeing tour to see Cape Town’s top sights and learn about its history. Hop-on hop-off bus tours allow you the flexibility of being able to set your own itinerary. Alternatively, a private guided tour lets you customize your itinerary with the added benefit of more in-depth exploration.

**Night:**Get a taste of local culture on a themed evening experience, such as a jazz tour that takes you into homes of local musicians and noted nightspots to listen to live performances—most also include dinner, often at a local musician’s home. 

Day 2: Explore Cape Town’s Countryside and Neighborhoods

**Morning:**Explore the wild scenery that lies just outside of the city on a morning tour to Cape Point. Guided half- and full-day tours (group and private) generally drive along the oceanside Chapmans Peak Road, past Hout Bay Harbour and Boulders Beach, known for its colony of African penguins, to Cape Point where the views from the Cape of Good Hope are spectacular.

**Afternoon:**Get a lesson in Cape Town’s cultural history with a tour of the colorful Bo-Kaap neighborhood, home to a large community of Cape Malays. Tours generally include entrance to the Bo-Kaap Museum and some include a traditional South African meal in a private home.

**Night:**Conclude your visit to Cape Town with an evening filled with music, dance, and delicious traditional eats. Pre-book experiences that combine dinner with a traditional show to guarantee your spot.