The best time to visit the Cape is in the spring and early summer from September through the end of November and maybe early December and then again from around mid-January to the end of May. Regardless of when you can go, here are some of the many things that you can do and see in Cape Town – and of course we can help you plan your trip with our Cape Town partners Wilro Cape. Accommodation, touring, transfers, private guiding – and extensions to parts north for a safari.  

Take a cable car ride to the summit of Table Mountain. Be sure to do this at the first best opportunity, whenever the mountain is ‘open’ and the cable car is operating. The weather in Cape is fickle even at the best of times and the cable car operation is suspended when cloud cover and strong winds show up. Early mornings are best to avoid the crowds. Better yet, hike up the mountain and take the cable car down. 

Visit Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden – it is a national treasure and Capetonians treat it like gold. Be sure not to miss the Boomslang canopy walk, the Cycad forest with life-size dinosaur sculptures, and the Protea garden. Figure on two hours minimum, three hours or half a day even better.  

Sign up for a private guided Peninsula tour to include Hout Bay, the magnificent Chapman’s Peak Drive, Kommetjie, Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve (take the funicular to the lookout point), and the African Penguin sanctuary at Boulders.

If you’re not staying there, visit the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront complex. It’s a working harbor so check out the drydock, take a walk along the breakwater, enjoy one of the dozens of restaurants and pubs, and support the local economy at one of the high-end stores and shops. If you’re staying in a self-catering apartment in the Waterfront, there’s a full-service Pick ‘n Pay supermarket in the Victoria Wharf Shopping Center to stock your pantry. Or pick up something healthy in the prepared food section at Woolworths. Don’t forget to check out the Two Oceans Aquarium.

A stroll on the Sea Point Promenade is always fun and entertaining, from observing the hang gliders overhead to the people watching. You can start from the V & A Waterfront if you have an hour or two – it is quite a popular running and cycling route.   

Make some time for Cape Town’s beaches such as Clifton, Muizenberg and Camps Bay, particularly in the warmer summer months from October through April. The Atlantic seaboard beaches are all very impressive; the last one at Bantry Bay also has a pool. Clifton is the only spot which is shielded when a  strong southeaster (the most common wind) is blowing. Camps Bay is famous for its eateries and clubs and the tidal pool at the end of the beach is wonderful when the wind isn’t blowing. Bakoven is beloved by locals. Oudekraal beach and surrounding beaches are all spectacular. Llandudno is probably one of the most beautiful beaches. Muizenberg Beach has a definite surf vibe, and makes for a great visit. There are lots of surf schools, restaurants and the water is a touch warmer. The beaches towards Kalk Bay are also cool, with nice tidal pools to swim in.

Stroll the Company’s Garden area where there are several worthwhile museums, notably the Iziko South African Museum. You can enter the Company’s Garden from the top (just across the street from the Mt. Nelson Hotel) or from the main entrance on the corner of Adderley and Wale Streets. 

Museum and art enthusiasts have almost too many choices in Cape Town. Budget your time carefully if you want to include all of the major ones including the Zeitz MOCAA Museum (Silo Hotel); Irma Stern Museum, Iziko South African (Natural History) Museum, SA National Gallery, SA Jewish Museum and the District Six Museum.

Visit Groote Schuur Hospital’s ‘Heart of Cape Town’ Museum for a guided tour.  Groote Schuur  is where Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the world’s first heart transplant in December 1967.  

Visit Robben Island by ferry boat. While this is a worthwhile trip, mostly to see the prison cell where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his life, the operation has been plagued by recurring management problems. Ferries sometimes  run late, some are even canceled at the  last minute. Even so this is a popular activity and it is advisable to book well in advance. The views of Cape Town and Table Bay – both coming and going on the approximate 30-minute ferry ride – is worth the price of admission.  

Browse the Long Street and Greenmarket Square markets; this can be done in conjunction with visiting the Company’s Garden. When it is crowded, beware of pick-pocketing. There are many other amazing markets all over Cape Town. Biscuit Mill Market in Woodstock on Saturday mornings gets hot and busy, but it has nice food and local goods. Oranjezicht City Farm market opposite the V&A Waterfront is a ‘must do’. It’s a great food market, so come hungry – it’s a great spot to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. This market takes place Saturday and Sunday until about 2pm as well as on some Wednesday evenings. A family-friendly outdoor market is the Mountain Market in Vredehoek on Saturday mornings.

Visit the Castle of Good Hope Museum. If the timing works out, take in the ‘changing of the guard’ and visit the William Fehr art exhibit inside the building, as well as the Cape Military Museum.

Take a guided walking tour of the Bo-Kaap area for colorful homes and delicious Cape Malay cooking.

Take a ride from Cape Town to Kalk Bay village for lunch at the famous Brass Bell; or include it in your ‘Go as you please’ arrangements.

Embark on a half- or full-day Cape Winelands tour; ideally a privately guided trip. In our opinion, Franschoek is the most interesting of the Winelands towns but Stellenbosch and Paarl are perfectly nice too. Enjoy lunch with a view at Delaire Graf and if you are an automobile aficionado, don’t miss the Franschoek Motor Museum on the Anthonij Rupert Wine estate. 

Visit Constantia Valley near Cape Town for wineries such as Constantia Glen and Groot Constantia, the latter of which was the very first wine estate to have been established in Cape Town. There are some excellent restaurants in the area for lunch. Leave some time for the Norval Foundation Art Gallery, opposite the US Embassy. 

Take a trip to the 12 Apostles Hotel on Victoria Road in Camps Bay for sunset drinks; it’s a great spot to see the sun settle over the Atlantic Ocean. 

Go hiking. Cape Town has many excellent hiking trails catering to almost every level of fitness. A good entry level hike is Lion’s Head. The Pipe Track hike along the contour line of the lower slopes of Table Mountain – below the 12 Apostles – is scenic and refreshing yet not overly strenuous at all.  

If you want to actually make it all the way to the summit of Table Mountain the shortest and least taxing option is the Platteklip Hike. While it’s far from being the most scenic of the summit hikes it is very much worthwhile and there’s no clambering or scrambling involved. You just have to have the basic leg strength and stamina to negotiate the large natural rock steps all the way up. It takes about 2.5 to 3 hours.   

If you are fit and can handle a bit of a challenge then I’d recommend the beautiful Skeleton Gorge hike, which starts in Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. It is more strenuous and quite a bit longer, and will take from 3.5 to 5 hours. 

The Table Mountain Hike which is not for beginners – but which can be done by most people who are reasonably fit – is India Venster. When you are in the Cable Car going up or down the mountain and you look down at the slopes right below the cable car, you can see the hikers on the India Venster trail. There’s some scrambling involved and a few ladders and some ‘staples’ in the rock to help you across a few tight spots. Extremely rewarding.  

Importantly: don’t do your Table Mountain or Lion’s Head hike alone. Go with a properly qualified, experienced guide such as the ones associated with Mother City Hikers, whom we use for almost all of our Cape area hikes. You can accidentally stray off the path and get lost or injured, the weather is notoriously fickle and it is always good to have a local around – someone who knows the area and can make a good decision when needed.

Take a tour on the Hop On Hop Off City sightseeing bus.

Make a reservation at one of Cape Town’s many celebrated restaurants. I personally tend to shy away from the ones where you have to put down a deposit just to be able to make a reservation, but don’t let that stop you. Our two current  favorites are the Nelson’s Eye Grill (for steak lovers), right by the Mt. Nelson Hotel and Posticino, a relaxed Italian pizza and pasta restaurant at 323 Main Street in Sea Point.  

If you’d like to talk through the options of what you can do in Cape Town and how much time you’ll need to get it all done, our team at Fish Eagle Safaris is ready to assist you. Please contact Bert at bert@fisheaglesafaris.com, Lyndon at lyndon@fisheaglesafaris.com or Jason at jason@fisheaglesafaris.com for more information, or leave a message with our answering service at 1-800-513-5222.