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I loved Cape Town, exceeding expectations that were already quite high; in this post I leave you with various information on the best of Cape Town in three days. Along with Blomefontein and Pretoria, Cape Town is one of the three capitals of South Africa. In addition, Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa and definitely deserves a visit of at least three days. In fact, the beauty of Cape Town lies not only in the historic center: the natural landscapes around Cape Town are not to be missed!
Before I describe what to see in Cape Town, I remind you that. travel insurance is strongly recommended-I relied on Heymondo, and as my reader you get 10 percent off here!
Map of what to see in Cape Town
Before I begin to describe what to see in Cape Town, I leave a map of the city center. Here are all the places that I consider worthy of a visit to Cape Town. To get around Cape Town I absolutely recommend using the Uber or Bolt apps. They are inexpensive (5 euros for 20 minutes, a rough estimate). Be warned that there is often little availability of vehicles: I have found myself waiting as long as 15 minutes before finding an available vehicle.
Best of Cape Town: Table Mountain
Table Mountain is the icon of Cape Town. This mountainous relief, whose summit is essentially flat, dominates Cape Town from its 1,086 meters above sea level. The views from Table Mountain are stunning: it is possible to see the center of Cape Town. Robben Island (where Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years (of the 27 years in total), the beaches of Camps Bay and Clifton, the mountainous relief of Lion’s Head…in short, the views are wonderful!
You can reach Table Mountain in two ways: by walking or by cable car. I chose the cable car: I highly recommend booking a skip-the-line ticket (available here), as the queue can easily exceed two hours (the cost of the skip-ride is about 50 euros, well spent). There are several trekking routes to the summit of Table Mountain: the most famous takes about two and a half hours and starts from Kastelspoort, near Camps Bay.
The cable car is often closed due to wind: I recommend putting Table Mountain at the top of your list of things to see in Cape Town. A visit to Table Mountain takes about half a day (VIDEO from Table Mountain).
You can find a mountain guide here, in case you want to walk up!
Best of Cape Town: Lion’s Head
Lion’s Head is another spectacular peak in Cape Town. The name Lion’s Head apparently comes from the fact that, during the evening hours, the mountain creates a shadow that looks like a lion’s head. I climbed to the summit of Lion’s Head at sunset: it was a beautiful experience!
In total, the elevation gain is about 500 meters: it took me about an hour to climb from the parking lot, reached by Uber. I strongly advise against doing the second part of the walk for those who suffer from vertigo. In fact, to reach the top of Lion’s Head there are two steps without protection and you have to do some small climbing (you put your hands on the rocks).
The vantage point before the staircase is already spectacular. Lion’s Head is absolutely worth it: there is also the possibility of participating in an organized hike, such as this one.
Lion’s Head is a wonderful place, as demonstrated by this VIDEO.
What to see in Cape Town: Gardens, St. George’s Cathedral and Greenmarket Square
At the base of Table Mountains are the Gardens. This area is filled with restaurants, bars, and art galleries. The Gardens’ name comes from the gardens-the park is beautiful and offers wonderful views of Table Mountain and Lion’s Head. The Gardens are one of the best places in Cape Town to relax and appreciate the beauty of nature in this spectacular city.
Near the Gardens is St. George’s Cathedral: the interior is worth a visit as it boasts beautiful stained glass windows. Admission to St. George’s Cathedral is free.
From St. George Cathedral you can take St. George Mall: this pedestrian street is very quaint and full of souvenir stores. One block away is the real souvenir center of Cape Town: Greenmarket Square.
In total, the walk through the Gardens, past St. George’s and to Greenmarket Square takes about half an hour.
Best of Cape Town: Waterfront
Cape Town’s Waterfront is not to be missed. Here, in fact, there is the opportunity to find excellent restaurants and breweries. A lunch break in Waterfront is definitely worth it! The best place to eat is Time Out Market: here you can find various kinds of ethnic cuisine. I tried a meat from Senegal that was amazing!
In addition, there is no shortage of splendid views of Table Mountain. Finally, at Waterfront, it is possible to see sea lions, which are generally found at the second pier.
Waterfront, finally, is the place for shopping: there are more than 400 stores! In Waterfront, therefore, you can easily spend half a day (VIDEO)!
Best of Cape Town: Woodstock
Woodstock is another neighborhood not to be missed in Cape Town. There are three different ways to visit Woodstock. The first is to join a guided tour (like this one) that allows you to see some of the most beautiful murals in Cape Town. I highly recommend the guided tour as not all streets in Woodstock are safe. The second thing to do in Woodstock is to visit the Woodstock Brewery, the best brewery in Cape Town (by a wide margin over the second: live music and great food complete the perfect picture). Finally, there is a sublime ethnic food market on Saturday and Sunday at The Old Biscuit Mill Market: I recommend it without a doubt!
Best of Cape Town: Bo Kaap
Bo Kaap is a very colorful neighborhood in Cape Town. It is definitely worth a visit: the colorful houses and the views of Table Mountain and Lion’s Head are truly distinctive.
Bo Kaap is part of South African history. In fact, slaves lived in this area of Cape Town. They, once they obtained their freedom, well decided to color their houses. This was the way to let everyone know that they were normal people with personalities of their own. A visit to Bo Kaap requires little time: in twenty minutes you can see the three main streets. Bo Kaap is centrally located: it is within easy walking distance from Greenmarket Square, mentioned earlier.
What to see in Cape Town: the beaches
Cape Town’s beaches are spectacular. The water is often very cold, with the temperature struggling to get above 16 degrees. On the other hand, the scenic views are often excellent. My favorite beach in Cape Town is Camps Bay Beach: the sand is very white and the views of Lion’s Head are definitely wonderful!
Another beach that I enjoyed quite a bit is Muizenberg Beach, which is especially loved by professionals. This beach is located in the direction of Boulders Beach: time to describe what to see around Cape Town!
Map of the surroundings of Cape Town
The center of Cape Town is beautiful. The surroundings of Cape Town, perhaps, are even more beautiful! Here I leave a map of my favorite places around Cape Town: they are all within an hour or less of downtown Cape Town.
Surrounding Cape Town: Good Hope and Cape Point
The Cape of Good Hope is absolutely at the top of the list of things to see around Cape Town. It is about an hour away from the center of Cape Town, and admission costs about 22 euros. At the park, you can take the classic photo op with the Cape of Good Hope sign: this is not the southernmost point in Africa (Cape Aguilhas is further south), but it is still a historically important point, especially for the history of navigation. The Cape of Good Hope was first reached by Europeans in the late 15th century: with the circumnavigation of Africa, a new way to reach the Indies was found.
If the Cape of Good Hope is mostly a tourist spot (the queue to take a photo with the sign can reach 40 minutes), Cape Point is, on the other hand, an unforgettable place. At the Cape Point Reserve (only about ten minutes away from Good Hope) there is a lighthouse, a further 15-minute walk from the parking lot: from here you can admire the Cape of Good Hope. I honestly enjoyed the place so much. In fact, I could sense the immense satisfaction of the navigators who had arrived here, at the end of the then known world, after an epic journey (VIDEO).
Visiting the Cape of Good Hope Park will take about three hours. There is a restaurant near Cape Point.
Surroundings of Cape Town: Boulders Beach
Boulders Beach is another iconic spot around Cape Town. This beach, named after large rocks, is the perfect habitat for African penguins, which can be admired here year-round. Admission to the two beaches at Boulders Beach costs about ten euros. The visit includes a walk on three wooden boardwalks: the first two allow you to admire the African penguins, the third leads to the actual Boulders Beach, where you can take a dip in the water. Here is a video of the African penguins!
The visit to Boulders Beach takes about an hour. The best way to visit Boulders Beach is to join an organized tour, including a visit to the Cape of Good Hope, available here.
Surrounding Cape Town: Chapman’s Peak and Hout Bay
The road from Noordhoek to Hout Bay is called Chapman’s Peak Drive, and it is beautiful! There are viewpoints that allow you to admire the wide, white beach (seven kilometers) of Noordhoek and Hout Bay.
Building this road was quite an undertaking. In fact, Chapman’s Peak Drive is a road built between the mountains and the sea. This road is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week-the risk of landslides is always there.
In Hout Bay, it is also possible to take part in an organized boat tour that, at a cost of six euros, allows you to see sea lions.
The day tour going to the Cape of Good Hope and Boulders Beach also passes through Chapman’s Peak.
Surrounding Cape Town: Bloubergstrand Beach
Bloubergstrand Beach is another spot that deserves a mention. From here it is possible to admire one of the most beautiful views of Cape Town. In fact, here you can perfectly see the city overlooked by the immensity of Table Mountain. If you want to say goodbye to Cape Town in style, this is the place to be!
Here is a video demonstrating the beauty of the beach: the water temperature is, unfortunately, freezing even in summer. In fact, the Atlantic Ocean in these parts barely exceeds 15 degrees even in the summer season.
In this case, the easiest way to reach Bloubergstrand Beach is to rent a car. In South Africa, I relied on DiscoverCars and it was excellent!
IN ADDITION TO THE BEST OF CAPE TOWN, YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN …
The South African Garden Route!
three-day itinerary in cape town.
In Cape Town I would devote the first day to Table Mountain, walking in the Gardens area in the early afternoon, watching the sunset from Lion’s Head to complete the day.
I would devote the second day to the Boulders Beach and Cape Good Hope combo.
The third day is time to visit Bo Kaap, Woodstock for lunch and complete the day at Waterfront.
INFORMATION ON THE BEST OF CAPE TOWN.
- Is Cape Town safe? Yes, but with proper precautions. The center of Cape Town is Long Street. I did not like this street at all, especially at night. I definitely recommend using Uber or Bolt to get from one place to another, especially at night.
- Green Point is an excellent place to sleep in Cape Town. Curiocity is an excellent hostel. Cresta Grande, on the other hand, is a nice hotel in the central area.
- Where to eat in Cape Town. The Waterfront market and, especially, the Old Biscuit Mill market, are my favorite places. Here, in fact, you can find various ethnic cuisines and have an excellent lunch (or dinner, in the case of Waterfront). I found the Ethiopian restaurants Madam Taitou and Little Ethiopia exquisite. There is also an excellent Italian restaurant near Green Point: Lievita.
- Where to drink in Cape Town? Woodstock Brewery is definitely my favorite choice. Tiger’s Milk is an appreciable chain of breweries, while at The House of Machines you can have a drink with live music. The Athletic, a short walk from The House of Machines, has excellent cocktails on its menu and a small dance floor.
- Cape Town boasts an excellent climate. Summers are never exaggeratedly hot (the temperature is unlikely to exceed 30 degrees), and winters are not freezing. In winter, that is, from June to August, it may rain often. Wind is a constant in Cape Town-I recommend checking the weather to choose when to go to Table Mountains.
- Cape Town is not expensive. A lunch or dinner plate costs about 10 euros, and it is often excellent. The menu is based mainly on meat and fish. A noncraft beer costs about two euros, a craft beer about four.
- Cape Town is beautiful! I spent four nights and three days in November 2024-it is a highly recommended city!
