You’ve made it to the most amazing city in the world! I hope you had a window seat on the way in.

• Uber is the best way to get around in Cape Town (especially after dark, when it is not advised to walk outside). To book rides seamlessly, install an Airalo eSIM and stay connected without needing a physical SIM card!

MORNING: V&A Vibes

Immerse yourself in the vibrant energy of the Mother City by visiting the V&A Waterfront, taking in the sights, sounds, and tastes of Cape Town!

• Explore The Watershed, offering beautiful local crafts and designer goods.

• Witness the incredible Cape Town skyline including Lion’s Head, Table Mountain, and Devil’s Peak. Stroll through the shops and vendors, vibe to the live performers playing epic African music, visit African Trading Port for allll the African souvenirs & goods. Get some food at the brand-new Time Out Market or La Parada (sit by the bar facing Table Mountain — I love the patatas bravas & bikini toastie). Browse the Watershed for even more cute local artisan brands like Spirit Jewellry or Maiden Africa.

• Look out to the water to see the seals frolicking in the marina (they like to hang by the Clock Tower) and head over to the ferris wheel to see if you can spot any dolphins in Granger Bay.

• Pick up anything you forgot from the shopping centre; perhaps a SIM card from Vodacom or CellC if you haven’t got one yet. CLICKS is your go-to for sunscreen, toiletries, or anything of that nature. If you’re a shopaholic, FOM (Freedom of Movement) is my obsession for quality South African lifestyle swag: leather purses/bags, jackets, sneaks, safari wear etc. Cape Union Mart is also great for adventure gear.

AFTERNOON: Table Mountain

It’s time to get immersed in nature by heading up to one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature! Prepare for sky-high views of this stunning city.

• Consider doing this on a tour such as this Half-Day Table Mountain and City Tour or on your own (it’s safe to Uber)

• Head to the top of Table Mountain on the rotating cable car with epic 360-degree views!

• Tickets can be purchased onsite or online (info here)

• You can also hike to the top; there are many routes but the easiest (and safest if you are by yourself) is Platteklip Gorge, which takes about 1.5-2 hours, and you can take the cable car down.

• Once at the top of Table Mountain, stroll around the unique barren landscape and take in the views of the city centre, waterfront, Signal Hill, Lion’s Head, and Camps Bay. The mountain is home to a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna, with many plant species found nowhere else in the world. Keep an eye out for the unique fynbos vegetation, including various colourful and rare flowers.

• If you are feeling mega adventurous, try abseiling down the side of Table Mountain — consider these tours with a hike and without.

EVENING: Rooftop Views

If you’re free for sunset and wanting a drink or a bite with a view, consider heading back to V&A — Book in for The Silo Hotel Rooftop for one of the most breathtaking views in the city, or pop up to Radisson Red Rooftop next door for something more casual)

FULL-DAY: Hop-On Hop-Off

Orient yourself in this amazing city by riding the classic red bus, admiring the views, choosing your own activities and stopping wherever (and for however long) you please!

• There are various routes; I recommend the Blue Mini Peninsula Tour. The accompanying audio guide provides context to the spectacular sights. You will cruise through the city centre, stop in Constantia (the winelands right in Cape Town), stroll through the stunning Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, get some fish & chips at Hout Bay fishing village

• Tickets can be purchased here (recommend the Classic for R295)

• If you would prefer to have a private driver (a professional driver I work with, or me!), this can be arranged at a cost of R3000. Cost of admissions/activities are not included.

Depending on your timing, I would recommend staying and catching sunset at the Camps Bay strip and spending the rest of your evening here.

Here are some Camps Bay restaurant recommendations:

• La Belle Bistro for tasty eats and amazing second-storey balcony views of the ocean and Camps Bay strip

• Zenzero for something a bit higher end and lower down (street level) with amazing wood fired pizza

• Mantra Cafe is really vibey with leafy decor and on-point ambience, or Tiger's Milk is a classic laid-back favourite with pub-style food (burgers, pizza, tacos, etc)

• Head up to Chinchilla rooftop for a cocktail or enjoy dinner here as well.

• Honestly with these views you can’t really go wrong with any of the restaurants in Camps Bay!

MORNING: Sunrise Lion’s Head Hike

• This is my #1 Cape Town recommendation — it is MAGIC!

• I’ve never had a problem and the hike is usually super busy so you will be around people, but safety incidents have been reported. It’s challenging but if you are a reasonably confident hiker, IT’S WORTH IT!

• Keep an eye on the weather as if the forecast is full clouds (or rain) you may want to shift this to a different morning! Optimal to be at the top about 40 minutes before sunrise, and the hike takes about 40 minutes-1 hour depending on your hiking style. Sunrise at this time will be about 6:45 so start hiking at about 5:55am.

• About mid-way there is an option for an easier route and a more difficult route (with ladders and chains). Enjoy the breathtaking 360-degree view at the top and watch the magical sunrise.

• Bring water, layers, recommended to bring a headlamp

AFTERNOON:

After the hike, you may want to grab a bite to eat and potentially have a nap. The rest of the day is open to whatever you’re feeling; might I recommend paragliding off of Signal Hill?!

EVENING: Go for dinner in the City Centre

• Tips for the City Centre:

  • Bree Street and Kloof Street are where it’s at! I wouldn’t advise walking on Long Street (kind of sketchy and a lot of clubs that I used to frequent way too often lol)

  • The below options are all great for either food or drinks or both!

• Restaurants & Bars:

  • Kloof Street House — a whimsical Victorian-style mansion with different rooms and coves and a stunning fairy lit courtyard. Delicious & thoughtful dishes!

  • Tjing Tjing — head up to the rooftop for delicious Japanese fusion with a cool upstairs setting and small outdoor open air section.

  • Athletic Club — an epic old Victorian style building with something for everyone. Live jazz takes place in the basement, and the top floor has comfy living room settings with a fun dance floor that is jam packed on weekend nights (come early to avoid the line)

  • Dark Horse for modern ambient cocktail vibes with a small rooftop patio right in the buzzing heart of town

  • Asoka is a chic, scene-y cocktail bar with a delicious eats, even more delicious Pornstar martinis, a beautiful fairy lit olive tree in the centre and a dance floor in the later hours.

  • Culture Wine Bar gives me New York vibes in a second-floor brick setting with candlelit street views and live jazz.

  • Yours Truly or Tiger’s Milk Kloof Street for chill laid-back resto-pub vibes

Head out to explore the Cape Peninsula, where you will cruise past scenic cliffs, beautiful beaches, quaint towns, and even see African penguins!

FULL-DAY

• Rent a car or I can arrange a tour for you with a professional driver/guide

• You’ll drive through Hout Bay, a fishing town that shows a drastic juxtaposition of the wealth disparity of Cape Town with the township built right around the town.

• Cruise along Chapman’s Peak Drive, named one of the most scenic roads in the world. There are multiple viewpoints to stop and take a pic or 30.

• Take a look at the blindingly white-and-blue 5-mile long beach, Noordhoek

• Go all the way to the southwestern most tip of Africa at Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope — it is STUNNING!

• Head over to Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town, where you can go see Cape Town’s most dapper residents: African penguins! Take the stroll along the boardwalk to the beach area where you can join them for a dip.

• Kalk Bay is a scenic hillside coastal town with colourful buildings, quirky and stylish local shops, and welcoming spots to eat like Chardonnay Deli or Ohana Cafe.

• Muizenberg is a chill surfer town with a long stretch of sand and its famous colourful beach huts, providing plenty of photo opps.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES:

• Weekend Markets (open till 2pm): Oranjezicht City Farm Market (my fave, highly recommend coming for breakfast or lunch!), Neighbourgoods Market at Old Biscuit Mill (vibey, incredible food, amazing people watching)

• Sunrise or Sunset walks or hangs: Bakoven Beach, Maiden’s Cove, Saunders Rocks

• Beaches: Clifton (1, 2, 3, or 4), Camps Bay, Bakoven, Saunders, Llandudno

• Hikes: Kloof Corner (easy 20-minute hike), Kasteelspoort, Platteklip Gorge

• Tours:

  • Surf lesson

  • Atlantis Dunes Quad Bike Tour

  • Winelands tour

  • Townships Tour — R750 per person (pay in cash after the tour)

  • Robben Island Ferry Ticket and Prison Tour

  • Full-day Robben Island, Bo-Kaap & Table Mountain tour

  • Hout Bay: Seal Snorkelling Experience

Here are some tips to enhance your experience in the Mother City.

Note: This page may contain affiliate links for experiences that I wholeheartedly recommend. By using this link, you support me with a small commission at no extra cost to you!

• #1 safety rule is to avoid walking at night. When it’s dark, hop in an Uber!

• Mind your belongings. Look around before taking your phone out on the street, keep your purse in front of you, don’t leave your stuff unattended

• Wifi is highly available but a sim card (CellC, Vodacom, MTN) or e-sim (Airalo) is advised so you can call an Uber when needed

• Can use Bolt as an alternative to Uber

• South Africa often has power cuts called “load shedding” where the electricity is out for 2-2.5 hours, sometimes 1-3 times a day. Many establishments have generators to combat this but many don’t. I would recommend asking your local accommodation manager, Googling “loadshedding in Cape Town today”, or monitoring the app EskomPush.

• For flying internationally, ensure your passport has two blank pages and is valid for more than 6 months from expiry date

• Please ensure to book travel insurance — use your discretion for what works for you, feel free to consider my link for SafetyWing Travel & Medical Insurance here, which is what I use for all my travels!

• Cash isn’t really needed in Cape Town but ZAR is recommended for tipping on your safari (recommended R200 per person per day for your guide, tracker, and general staff)

• If driving in Cape Town: drive on the left side of the street, no turning at red lights, the petrol station attendants will fill up your gas for you, review ts + cs of your vehicle provider. If you park on the street, parking attendants may come up (between 8-5 on weekdays in select areas) and issue you a ticket to pay a small fee, which can be done by tapping your credit card — these attendants are wearing uniforms and have card machines. There are also “informal” parking attendants (usually the ones waving frantically to show you a spot lol) who are there to “supervise” you car and are seeking money through tips, which you can optionally offer or not offer upon returning to your car. All other parking garages are paid with ticket at the parking metre.

• For any real-time questions, you can message me on WhatsApp at +16048552621!