Start your Cape Town itinerary with a history lesson on Robben Island and explore the V&A Waterfront afterwards. Next day, head up to Table Mountain, shop and eat your way through the Neighbourgoods Market in colourful Woodstock and then make your way to Kirstenbosch.
Continue your expedition on day 3 with a hike on the Pipe Track trail. And then take in the energy of downtown Cape Town. Next, spend a full day exploring the Cape Peninsula. From penguins on Boulders Beach all the way down to the Cape Point lighthouse. Finish your Cape Town itinerary in wine-filled landscapes of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek with some wine-tasting.
So without further ado, let’s check out how to spend your time in Cape Town.
Map of this Cape Town Itinerary
Below you find an itinerary for 5 days and some suggestions for when you have even more time to spend in South Africa’s most beautiful city. Each of the days should give you a good mix of culture and nature, but mix around according to your preferences.
There’s also no particular order, so swap around according to the weather for example. Table Mountain is often covered in clouds or it could be too windy for the ferry to Robben Island to operate. Also keep in mind that the Oranjezicht and Woodstock markets are only opened on Saturday and Sunday.
To help you with your bearings around the city and to help you plan your own Cape Town itinerary you can use the handy map below.
Day 0 | Arrival to Cape Town
Settle in to your hotel and check the weather for the coming days and decide if you need to reschedule some of the planned and pre-booked activities.
I stayed in the Doubletree by Hilton Upper Eastside (in Woodstock), but scroll down for more suggestions on where to stay for this Cape Town itinerary.
Day 1 | Robben Island and V&A Waterfront
Take the ferry to Robben Island
Today you’re diving into a dark piece of history. Robben Island stands as a symbol of South Africa’s tumultuous history which is marked by the oppression of apartheid and the triumph of resilience.
This isolated island, situated off the coast of Cape Town, was once a place of imprisonment for political dissidents. Notably including Nelson Mandela, the iconic anti-apartheid leader and later South Africa’s first black president.
Getting to Robben Island is easy, since the ferry departs from the V&A Waterfront. The amount of tickets per day is limited, so get your tickets online in advance on the official Robben Island website.
Explore the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
Back at the V&A Waterfront it’s time to grab some lunch. There’s an endless amount of options here, so take your pick from one of the many restaurants in this area.
The V&A Waterfront is quite a new development in Cape Town with many shops and restaurants, and a large mall situated around the Victoria Basin. So after lunch check out some of the shops and perhaps find a nice souvenir to take home. If you’re a coffee aficionado like me, then visit Bootlegger Coffee Company on the ground floor of the Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre.
Immerse yourself in the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art
Take a break from shopping by visiting the silos that also house the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art. This museum contains one of Africa’s largest contemporary art collections. Besides its collection the building is an architectural masterpiece, so if you love good architecture make sure to visit.
Dinner at Mama Africa
Finish the first day of your Cape Town itinerary with dinner at Mama Africa. Here you can eat African food to your hearts delight. Try one of their tasting menus, or select some of the many dishes on the menu. Usually you can dance along to the live drum music or perhaps even join in by beating the drums. The restaurant is popular, so book your table at Mama Africa in advance.
Day 2 | Table Mountain, Colourful Woodstock and Kirstenbosch
Start the day at the summit of Table Mountain
A visit to Table Mountain cannot be missed on any Cape Town itinerary. So, if the weather is nice this morning, then make your way all the way to the top.
But, how to get to the top? You could hike there by following one of five trails, but you can also take it easy by taking the cable car which I did.
Hike to the top of Table Mountain | Following one of the trails offers you free access to Table Mountain, unless you do the Skeleton Gorge Trail that starts in Kirstenbosch Gardens. This trail is also the most popular and quite short.
Going on the India Venster hike is a lot harder due to its exposure to the sun and steep ascent. However, this one does offer the best views along the way.
You can hike to the top independently, or if you don’t feel comfortable going at it solo join in on this excellent hiking tour. They can tailor the hike according to your wishes, level of fitness and current weather conditions.
Or take the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway | Alternatively, make your way to the top with the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway. The platform inside the cabin rotates giving you some pretty spectacular views of Cape Town in all directions.
The views from the top are amazing and you’ll want to take plenty of pictures. Spend an hour or two at the top and get a drink at the cafe before heading back to the cable car to make your way down again
Tip: Long queues at the cable car? Consider getting a fast track ticket. It’s double the price, but could be worth it compared to a 2 hour waiting time which is not uncommon.
Neighbourgoods Market in Woodstock
Next up on this Cape Town itinerary it’s time to make your way to the Old Biscuit Mill. This old cookie factory turned into a food and shopping walhalla, where you can find one-of-a-kind fashion, or locally designed artwork.
Don’t miss out on the Neighbourgoods Market that takes place here every Saturday and Sunday from 9 am. Foodies can try dishes from around the world in one of the many food stalls. Take a wine on the side and sit down for a chat with one of the many locals that also visit here. Or instead dance to the funky tunes played live by an awesome dj.
Tip: Visit this hotspot on Saturday, because most of the shops are closed on Sunday.
Join a Street Art Walking Tour in Woodstock & Salt River
In and around the Old Biscuit Mill you can find many colourful murals, so if you’re into beautiful graffiti then explore some more in Woodstock. You can do it yourself, or join this wonderful Street Art Walking Tour through Woodstock and Salt River.
The benefit of joining this tour is that you’ll not only see the best murals, but also get to meet some artists. On top of that you will learn more about the social and economic challenges that these neighbourhoods are faced with.
Finish the day at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Leave Woodstock behind and make your way to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. This garden, set on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain is one of the great botanic gardens in the world and should not be missed.
Follow some of the many paths here that lead you through the manicured gardens, and don’t forget to head to the Boomslang hanging bridge for some amazing views. Kirstenbosch is also the perfect place to enjoy a lazy afternoon picnic (stock up at the Neighbourhoods Market) with your partner or some friends.
Day 3 | Oranjezicht Market, Pipe Track and Downtown Cape Town
Today you’re going to visit downtown Cape Town, but you’ll get there by hiking down from the Pipe Track.
Breakfast at Oranjezicht City Farm Market
Start your day at Oranjezicht City Farm Market which is a fresh food market only a few minutes walk away from the V&A Waterfront. The market is only open during the weekend, so best time your visit right.
Oranjezicht is a great place for a delicious breakfast from one of the many food stands. Find some eggs on toast or go for a Middle Eastern shakshuka. But it’s not just food at Oranjezicht, because you can find all sorts of retailers having set up shop here. From homeware to clothing, so perhaps you can find something here to take home as a souvenir.
With breakfast in your belly, it’s time to buy some food to go at the market which you can bring along for lunch on the Pipe Track.
Spend the rest of the morning on the Pipe Track
Let an Uber take you to the Kloof Nek Parking which is where the Pipe Track starts. The track is situated along the slopes of Table Mountain and has some breathtaking views of Camps Bay.
It’s a relatively easy walk and should take about 2-3 hours to complete way and back. The track is a favourite amongst locals, so you’ll see quite a few people here walking their dog.
Before heading back to the car park find a bench overlooking Camps Bay and eat the lunch you brought from Oranjezicht. Alternatively, as you walk back down to the city from the Kloof Nek Parking stop for lunch or a juice at Nourish’d Café & Juicery on Kloof Street.
Also read: Hiking the Pipe Track Trail in Cape Town
Explore Downtown Cape Town in the afternoon
After lunch it’s time to continue your Cape Town itinerary by exploring the best of downtown. There’s a few must sees here, so follow along with me to Company Gardens first.
Company Gardens | These gardens were started by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the 17th century. They served as a refreshment station for ships that passed from Asia back to Europe and vice versa.
Nowadays, it’s a nice public park where you can find beautiful flower beds and a rose garden. On the flanks of the park you can also visit museums such as the South African Museum, the National Gallery and the Planetarium.
District Six Museum | It takes about 10-15 minutes to walk from the Company’s Garden to the District Six Museum. Inside you’ll find a beautiful collection of memories from the coloured residents that were forcibly removed here during the apartheid era. The displays don’t just recount historical events, but they also aspire to commemorate, prompt dialogue, and encourage reconciliation.
Castle of Good Hope | Dive deeper into Cape Town’s history at the Castle of Good Hope. Built by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as a fort it used to be situated on the city’s waterfront.
As Cape Town expanded the fort now finds itself in a more central location of the city. The building is interesting to visit, but the displays and upkeep feel a little dated.
Cape Town City Hall | A short walk further you can take a look at the well maintained Cape Town City Hall. In front of the building you find the Grand Parade square that usually has some activity or gathering going on. Check to see what’s happening here, otherwise move to Greenmarket Square.
Greenmarket Square | Greenmarket Square is a popular place to buy your African souvenirs. You will surely find an elephant, a giraffe or a lion here that you can take home. Hold on… of the wooden variety of course!
Bo-Kaap | Just a few more minutes walk away you can find the most colourful neighbourhood on this Cape Town itinerary. Bo-Kaap is home to the Cape Malay community, descendants of enslaved people from Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and Africa. You can learn more about their customs, food and language in the small but interesting Bo-Kaap museum.
Tip: If you’re doing my recommended Cape of Good Hope tour tomorrow, you can skip Bo-Kaap today, since it will be your first stop tomorrow.
Finish your day at Wale Street for gin, ramen and chocolate
One of the best hotspots in Cape Town for food and drink is the building at 64A Wale Street. So make sure to finish the third day of your Cape Town itinerary just there.
Inside the building that you enter through the Honest Chocolate Cafe you can also find The Gin Bar and ramen restaurant Bodega. All these places (yes, I’ve tried them all) offer the friendliest service and the tastiest food.
Start with adding a tonic to locally distilled gin, head upstairs to Bodega for ramen and then make your way down again for a chocolate dessert, back to the Gin Bar and… Needless to say there’s really no need to leave the premises before heading back to your hotel tonight.
Day 4 | Cape Town’s Cape of Good Hope Day Trip
Today is the day you’re going to explore the Cape Peninsula all the way down to the Cape of Good Hope with the Cape Point lighthouse. You can either rent a car for the day or book one of the many tours available. I considered renting a car, but decided on this Cape of Good Hope tour, because I don’t like to drive on the left side of the road.
Make sure not to miss out on the following must-sees on this beautiful peninsula:
- Cape Point Lighthouse | Climb up to the lighthouse (or take the funicular) and admire the views
- Hout Bay & Duiker Island | Visit the seals on a boat ride
- Chapman’s Peak Drive | Breathtaking views of Hout Bay
- Noordhoek Farm Village | Coffee from The Roost and/or juice from Faithjuice
- Boulder’s Beach | Visit the penguins that live on the beach here
- Simon’s Town | Great lunch stop for some fish & chips
- Cape of Good Hope | Take your picture with the sign
What I enjoyed a lot about the tour that I took is that we started the day at Bo-Kaap. Leaving colourful Bo-Kaap behind us we then continued to Maiden’s Cove Viewpoint for some incredible views of Camps Bay and Table Mountain. And then we commenced on the stops above.
The tour guide really added to the experience, because he was a wealth of information on the history of the Cape Peninsula.
Needless to say I highly recommend booking this Cape of Good Hope tour, because it’s very affordable at ZAR 850. You do however need to pay extra for entrance fees at Boulders Beach and Cape of Good Hope (ZAR 552 total).
Day 5 | Wine tasting in Stellenbosch & Franschhoek
On the 5th and final day of your Cape Town itinerary you will visit the wine region of the Western Cape. This region is most famous for Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, both of which you will visit today.
How to plan your wine tasting?
Now I’m the first person to say let’s go on a little road trip, but driving and alcohol really don’t mix well, so please don’t drive yourself today.
Taxi or Uber
What is possible is to Uber around from winery to winery. If you’re on a solo jaunt around South Africa or Cape Town then getting an Uber from winery to winery could become quite a costly operation though. So in this case perhaps it’s better to look at the Franschhoek Wine Tram option or the option of joining a wine tasting group tour.
If you have your own (small) group already, then do your research on which wineries you want to visit or follow my suggestions below. There should be Ubers around in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, but not as many as in Cape Town itself or the further away from the city you get. So keep that it mind with waiting times and how many wineries you will actually be able to visit.
Or plan your day with the Franschhoek Wine Tram
Exploring wineries in and around Franschhoek is very easy. Just get a ticket for the Franschhoek Wine Tram and plan which wineries you want to visit en-route. Check out the Wine Tram website to see where you can go and continue your research by visiting the wineries’ websites to make your decision on wineries to visit. You’ll have to make it to the Wine Tram Terminal yourself. Alternatively, get this ticket for the Navy coloured line in Franschhoek with return transportation from Cape Town.
Or take it easy and join a wine tasting group tour
Because I was travelling solo I decided to join a small wine tasting group tour. No worries about deciding where to go, nor about the timing. And on top of that a few fellow travellers to compare tasting notes with. Tasting wine for me is all about interaction and sharing your experience, so joining a small group was the perfect choice.
The tour I took was with Wine Flies and I highly recommend them. They know where to go and will take you to smaller and even boutique wineries. You won’t find the wines from these wineries in your supermarket back home. Wine Flies has two different wine tours: Monday and Tuesday they run tours that visit both Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, and Wednesday to Sunday they run their wine tasting tour in Stellenbosch.
Which wineries to visit?
I joined the Wine Flies group tour and the choice was made for me. We visited 4 wineries in total and each one of them was very special. Check them out below and either copy the itinerary, or join the Wine Flies tour above. If you’re going at it independently you might want to call ahead to confirm whether it’s possible to come and visit at your intended time.
- Villiera Wines – A perfect place to start the day is Villiera that is famous for creating sparkling wine. Try a few different ones with a side of cured meats
- Mitre’s Edge Wine Estate – Family owned wine estate where some wines are created with more unusual grapes (for the Cape Region). Excellent pairing with different cheeses
- Le Pommier Wine Estate – The perfect place for an al fresco lunch. The boboti here is simply delicious! Head to the tasting room afterwards to continue your wine tasting with a view
- Lovane Boutique Wine Estate – This is perhaps the smallest winery in South Africa with just 2 hectares of grapevines. The surroundings here are a sight in their own right, but the wines served in the wine cellar are magnificent! Taste them with some artisanal chocolate
When you’re doing the Franschhoek Wine Tram, out of the wineries mentioned above only Le Pommier Wine Estate could be part of your itinerary. My favourite wine estates however were Mitre’s Edge and Lovane. Check out the Franschhoek Wine Tram website to learn about the wineries you could visit using their service.
More time in Cape Town?
This Cape Town itinerary is set up as 5 days, but with more time available it’s easy to extend this itinerary to a week or even longer. Find some suggestions below:
- Whale watching – Always dreamt of spotting migrating whales? Go on a full day tour from Cape Town to Hermanus from mid-June to mid-December to spot Southern Right Whales
- More hiking – Head up to the Lion’s Head for sunset or hike to Signal Hill. Or maybe even better, link them both up
- Beach time – All around Cape Town are the loveliest beaches. Head to Clifton Beach or Camps Bay Beach for sunbathing. Or why not hit the waves and fly by booking a kitesurfing lesson on Bloubergstrand Beach
- Cape Peninsula – Instead of spending one day on the Cape Peninsula, stay overnight and visit the same sites as on Day 4 of this Cape Town itinerary, but spread it out over two days. Add a snorkel session with the seals of Hout Bay
- More Wine tasting – Spend more time in Stellenbosch, Franschhoek or Paarl for a culinary experience that involves more delicious wine tasting. You could stay at Mitre’s Edge or Lovane for example
Continue your journey through Africa
Perhaps Cape Town is the end of your itinerary through Africa, but maybe it’s the start. Let me give you some ideas on how to extend your time in Africa.
Check out my article on Victoria Falls and spend some days exploring the falls and surroundings. Also read the review of the trip I took with Nomad Africa Tours from there back to Cape Town. Or get off-the-beaten path by spending one week in Angola, made easy with my practical itinerary.
How to get around in Cape Town
Take an Uber to get around
The easiest and most convenient way to get around in Cape Town is by taking an Uber. There’s plenty of Uber drivers available. A trip is very affordable where most trips shouldn’t cost you more than the equivalent of a few euros or US dollars.
I found the Uber drivers to be the friendliest I’ve encountered anywhere in the world. Most drivers are from Zimbabwe, but I also met drivers from Burundi and Ghana. Excellent way to learn more about Africa in conversation with them.
Cape Town CitySightSeeing Hop-on Hop-off Bus
Another great way to connect most of the points of interest in Cape Town is by getting a ticket for the hop-on hop-off bus. The bus has frequent departues (every 20-30 minutes) and can be selected for 1 or 2 days incl. a cruise to see the seals in Hout Bay on the Cape Peninsula.
Where to stay in Cape Town
There’s plenty of choice on hotels and guesthouses in Cape Town. The safest and probably most convenient place to stay is at the V&A Waterfront. It’s a very lively area with plenty of restaurants, nightlife and shopping at your doorstep.
That said I enjoyed my stay at the Doubletree in Woodstock and the hotel’s complimentary shuttle service that would take me to the V&A Waterfront in about 15 minutes.
- Queen Victoria Hotel by Newmark | is situated in a renovated dock building right at the V&A Waterfront. If you like it opulent with crystal chandeliers, white marble and a dramatic spiral staircase, then this stylish hotel is the place for you.
- Radisson RED Hotel V&A Waterfront | Right next to the Zeitz Museum you’ll find the beautiful Radisson Hotel. The hotel aims to connect their guests with a focus on design, fashion and art. People that stayed here leave consistently good reviews and love the bright and modern decor of the rooms.
- Doubletree by Hilton Cape Town Upper Eastside | This hotel situated in Woodstock and has spacious rooms and excellent service. It’s a bit out of the way from the City Bowl, but there’s a complimentary hourly shuttle service to the V&A Waterfront.
Not quite what you are looking for?
There’s plenty of choice in Cape Town for every budget. Check out booking.com for more options and find the perfect place for your visit to Cape Town.
Final Thoughts on 5 Days in Cape Town Itinerary
You’ve made it to the end of my 5 days in Cape Town itinerary. I hope you found plenty of inspiration to make your visit to the Mother City as incredible as my stay there was. For me Cape Town marked the end of a 5-week journey through Africa. After this I flew home to Amsterdam with a stopover in Doha.
Let me know in the comments section below if you found this article helpful or if you have any questions I can help you out with. You can also reach me on instagram.
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