Attraction
Table Mountain
Cape Town's flat-topped mountain rises above the city, reached by a cableway with rotating cars from Tafelberg Road or on foot via routes such as Platteklip…
The best things to do in Cape Town combine mountain, ocean and history in a way few cities can match. Table Mountain rises straight above the city centre, Robben Island sits out in Table Bay, and within an hour you can be watching penguins at Boulders Beach, standing on the cliffs of Cape Point or tasting wine in the Constantia valley. The main areas for visitors are the City Bowl, with the historic centre, the Bo-Kaap and Kloof Street; the V&A Waterfront, home to Zeitz MOCAA and the Robben Island ferries; and the Atlantic Seaboard beaches of Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay.
The food scene is one of the strongest in Africa, ranging from Cape Malay cooking in the Bo-Kaap and seafood in Kalk Bay to tasting menus at FYN and La Colombe, with excellent coffee roasters and wine bars in between. Allow at least four or five days to see the city and the peninsula properly, and a week if you want to add the winelands of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek or a whale-watching trip.
Attraction
Cape Town's flat-topped mountain rises above the city, reached by a cableway with rotating cars from Tafelberg Road or on foot via routes such as Platteklip…
Attraction
Ferries from the V&A Waterfront take visitors to Robben Island, the UNESCO-listed former prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in jail.
Attraction
Founded in 1913 on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch displays South African plants, from proteas and fynbos to cycads, across landscaped gardens and trails.
Attraction
At the tip of the Cape Peninsula, Cape Point combines sea cliffs, two lighthouses and fynbos within the Cape of Good Hope section of Table Mountain…
Attraction
In Simon's Town, boardwalks and sheltered coves at Boulders let visitors watch a colony of endangered African penguins that began with two breeding pairs in 1982.
Attraction
Cape Town's working harbour has been redeveloped into a waterfront district with shops, restaurants, hotels, the Zeitz MOCAA museum and the Robben Island ferry terminal.
Café
Truth Coffee Roasting on Buitenkant Street is a steampunk-styled warehouse café where coffee is roasted on site and breakfast is served all day until 16:00.
Café
Long-established speciality roaster Origin Coffee Roasting runs a café and brew bar on Hudson Street in De Waterkant.
Café
Founded by chef Jacques Erasmus in 2009, Hemelhuijs on Waterkant Street is an elegant daytime restaurant serving breakfast and lunch from Monday to Saturday.
Café
On Kalk Bay's Main Road, Olympia Café is a long-established bakery and deli restaurant known for fresh bread, pastries and relaxed breakfasts and lunches by the…
Café
Cape Town roaster Deluxe Coffeeworks runs small, no-frills coffee bars around the city, including its Buitenkant Street café in Gardens, focused firmly on coffee.
Café
On Sea Point's Regent Road, Kleinsky's is a deli and bakery serving bagels, breakfasts and New York-style classics from 08:00 to 17:00 every day.
Hotel
Opened in 1899 below Table Mountain, the pink-painted Belmond Mount Nelson is Cape Town's grande dame, set in nine acres of gardens with two pools and…
Hotel
Set in the upper floors of the converted grain silo above Zeitz MOCAA, The Silo Hotel has bulging glass windows with views from Table Mountain to…
Hotel
On a private quay between the V&A Waterfront and the yacht marina, Cape Grace is a five-star Fairmont-managed hotel with harbour and Table Mountain views.
Hotel
In the restored former South African Reserve Bank and Temple Chambers buildings on Wale Street, Taj Cape Town is a five-star hotel with 176 rooms and…
Hotel
Built around the former home of Lady Anne Barnard in Newlands, The Vineyard is a family-owned hotel set in large riverside gardens below Table Mountain's eastern…
Hotel
Linked directly to the Cape Town International Convention Centre, The Westin is a large hotel on the Foreshore with 483 rooms, a rooftop pool and harbour…
Bar
Reached through the Honest Chocolate café on Wale Street, The Gin Bar is a small, relaxed bar devoted to gin, with a newer Bubbly Bar alongside.
Bar
On the sixth-floor rooftop of the Gorgeous George hotel, Gigi is a poolside bar and restaurant serving cocktails, wine and food from breakfast until late.
Bar
Facing the beach on Camps Bay's Victoria Road, Café Caprice is a long-running bar and restaurant where sunset drinks turn into dinner and dancing.
Bar
Inside Cape Grace on the edge of the V&A Waterfront marina, Bascule Bar is an intimate whisky bar with more than 500 whiskies and bookable tastings.
Bar
Billed as the first tenant of the V&A Waterfront, Mitchell's Scottish Ale House is a long-running pub on Dock Road serving local and imported beers on…
Bar
On the ground floor of the Mojo Hotel in Sea Point, Mojo Market is an indoor food hall with over 35 stalls, five bars and daily…
Restaurant
Peter Tempelhoff's FYN serves seasonal modern African tasting menus shaped by Japanese culinary thinking, from a fifth-floor dining room on Parliament Street.
Restaurant
On the Silvermist estate above Constantia, La Colombe serves multi-course set menus that combine South African ingredients with French technique and theatrical presentation.
Restaurant
Gold Restaurant in Green Point pairs a shared 14-dish pan-African tasting menu with an optional djembe drumming session, dancing and Malian puppetry.
Restaurant
Luke Dale Roberts' The Pot Luck Club serves inventive sharing plates from the top floor of the old silo at Woodstock's Old Biscuit Mill.
Restaurant
The Cape Town branch of Johannesburg's Marble cooks South African produce over a large wood-fired grill in the historic Union Castle Building at the V&A Waterfront.
Restaurant
Set in a Victorian house on Kloof Street, this brasserie serves free-range meat, seafood and cocktails in richly decorated rooms and a leafy garden.
Thing to do
The path up 669-metre Lion's Head spirals around the peak to a summit with views over Table Mountain, the City Bowl and the Atlantic coast.
Thing to do
On the slopes of Signal Hill, the Bo-Kaap's colourful houses, mosques and Cape Malay heritage make it the most rewarding neighbourhood for a short walk in…
Thing to do
A road climbs to the top of 350-metre Signal Hill, a popular sunset spot with views across the city centre, the harbour and the Atlantic Seaboard.
Thing to do
Below the Twelve Apostles, Camps Bay's wide Blue Flag beach is lined by palm trees and a strip of restaurants and bars along Victoria Road.
Thing to do
On False Bay, Muizenberg's long sandy beach and gentle waves at Surfer's Corner make it Cape Town's main spot for learning to surf.
Tour operator
City Sightseeing runs Cape Town's red hop-on hop-off buses, plus free 90-minute walking tours from its Long Street office and day tours to Cape Point and…
Tour operator
Coffeebeans Routes runs storytelling-led cultural experiences in Cape Town, from jazz nights and food walks to history routes, connecting visitors with local musicians, artists and hosts.
Tour operator
From Simon's Town jetty, Kayak Cape Town leads two-hour guided sea kayak trips along the False Bay coast to the penguin colony at Boulders Beach.
Tour operator
Cape Town-based Wine Flies runs guided wine tours to Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, with cellar visits, chocolate and cheese pairings, half-day options and private tours.
Tour operator
From Hout Bay harbour, Drumbeat Charters runs short boat cruises to the Cape fur seal colony on Duiker Island, plus longer trips and high-speed eco tours.
Four or five days covers Table Mountain, Robben Island, the V&A Waterfront and a day trip to Cape Point, and a week lets you add the winelands.
The V&A Waterfront suits first-time visitors, the City Bowl (Gardens, De Waterkant and the city centre) is best for restaurants and walking, and Sea Point or Camps Bay are ideal for the beach.
Ride-hailing services and metered taxis take around 20 to 30 minutes outside rush hour, and the MyCiTi airport bus runs to the Civic Centre station.
For many visitors it offers good value, especially for food and wine, though luxury hotels and the December and January holidays are pricey.
Most visits are trouble-free with sensible precautions: use ride-hailing at night, avoid isolated areas, keep valuables out of sight and hike in groups.