Cape Town is one of my favorite cities, and it’s also one of the easiest to plan badly, because the best parts are spread out along a mountain and a coastline. Kevin and I spent four nights there in November 2019, at the start of our honeymoon, before flying on to Kruger for safari. We rented a car for the whole stay, and spent two nights in the city and two on the coast.
This guide lays out that route day by day, then shows how to shorten it to three days or stretch it to five. It is about order, timing and logistics. For the full write-ups of each stop, I’ll point you to my Cape Town things-to-do guide and my Boulders Beach penguin tips.
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The short answer
Here is how I’d sort it. This part is my reading of the facts below, not a rule:
- Three days: stay in the city, spend one day on the city sights and the mountain, and take the coast as a day trip.
- Four days: do it the way we did, with two nights in the city and two nights near Boulders Beach.
- Five days: add one big outing, such as Robben Island, on top of the four-day route.
- A car makes the coast far easier. If you’d rather not drive, tours and public transport can cover the main stops.
How this guide is put together: “we” and “I” describe our November 2019 trip, which was four nights and two bases, with a rental car. The three- and five-day versions, and everything I didn’t do on that trip, are researched and labelled as such. Facts about the attractions come from their official sites, and I link them where they matter. Prices, opening hours and schedules change, so I’ve left them out and pointed you to where to check.
Cape Town in 3, 4 and 5 days at a glance
| Day and base | Plan | Did we? |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 City |
Arrive and rest | Yes |
| Day 2 City |
Bo-Kaap, V&A Waterfront, afternoon tea, Table Mountain at sunset | Yes |
| Day 3 Coast |
Coastal drive via Camps Bay and Chapman’s Peak to Simon’s Town, penguins at sunset | Yes |
| Day 4 Coast |
Boulders Beach, Muizenberg, the drive back to Camps Bay | Yes |
| Day 5 Optional |
One big outing: Robben Island, Cape Point or a shark dive | No (researched) |
Day 1: Arrive and do very little
Our first day was a throwaway. We were exhausted from flying in, so we got to the hotel, crashed for a while and caught up on work. I’d plan the same. If you land in the morning you can do more, but don’t schedule anything you can’t afford to miss.
We stayed at the Hilton Cape Town City Centre, which put us around the corner from Bo-Kaap. We didn’t plan that, but it was a great location.
Day 2: The city, from Bo-Kaap to Table Mountain
This was our full city day, and it flows in a sensible order.
Morning: Bo-Kaap and the V&A Waterfront
We walked to Bo-Kaap early, around 8:00, when it was quiet and hardly anyone was there. It’s a residential neighborhood and the historic Muslim quarter, so keep your voice down and you’ll hear the call to prayer at certain times of day. After breakfast at the hotel we went to the V&A Waterfront, a hub for shopping, dining and street performers. It’s also where the Robben Island ferry leaves from, which matters if you add that on a later day.
Afternoon: tea at the Mount Nelson
The Belmond Mount Nelson, the pink hotel at the foot of Table Mountain, is well known for its afternoon tea. Reserve ahead. We tried to book, found it full, and then got in anyway on the day, which I wouldn’t count on. The tea is a splurge by local standards, but it was much cheaper than a comparable hotel tea would be in the US, and it’s far more food than you can eat.
Sunset: the Table Mountain cable car
We took the cable car up at sunset because we didn’t have time for the hike. We’d have hiked otherwise, but it’s a serious climb with a lot of elevation and some exposed sections. We booked tickets online, which cut down our wait, and the views were worth it. The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway says on its own site that it may close in bad weather and that you can check real-time weather there before you go. It also offers standard and fast-track tickets and says to expect queues on busy days. Go up with enough time to get back down, because the last car leaves at a set time.
Day 3: The coast road to Simon’s Town
We packed up the city hotel and drove south along the coast. We took the long way, which is more scenic than the direct road, and it took us over an hour, not the roughly forty minutes the direct route takes.
We stopped at the tidal pools at Maiden’s Cove near Camps Bay, where we flew the drone for a little while. Camps Bay is where Cape Town goes to the beach, with waterfront dining and cliff views. From there we took Chapman’s Peak Drive, which we highly recommend. It’s a toll road that hugs a cliff, and we paid the toll going south from the city and not coming back the other way. The Chapman’s Peak Drive site shows the current road status, and I’d check it before you go, because a road like that can be closed. It’s not a road you’d want to be on in a thunderstorm.
We stayed two nights in an Airbnb in Simon’s Town, very close to Boulders Beach. Before the sun set we walked down to Water’s Edge beach, where a few penguins were waddling around, and then had dinner at a seafood place our host recommended.
Day 4: Boulders Beach, Muizenberg and the drive back
Go to the penguins first thing. We didn’t, because the weather wasn’t cooperating, and it was already a madhouse when we arrived at around 10. At the south end of Boulders Beach you can walk down onto the sand near the penguins, but access is tricky and there are a lot of rocks. Keep your distance: we saw people get too close, and you shouldn’t approach the penguins or take selfies with them. SANParks says the African penguin is endangered, asks visitors to stay on the boardwalks in the penguin viewing area and not to touch or feed the birds, and notes that parking is limited in peak summer, so arrive early. Its Boulders page has the rest. I wrote up everything about the beaches in my penguin tips post.
After the penguins we went to Muizenberg Beach, the one with the colorful beach shacks. We’d thought about surfing, but the surf was terrible, and it was so windy that we were pelted with sand. We had a nice lunch, though. That afternoon we drove Chapman’s Peak again in slightly better weather and ended up back in Camps Bay, and then went to pack for an early flight to Johannesburg.
Affiliate note: this is an affiliate link. If you book through it, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you don’t have a car, you can browse Cape Peninsula and Boulders Beach tours on GetYourGuide. Check what each tour includes before you book.
Day 5 (optional): Add one big outing
We didn’t do any of these on this trip, so treat this as research. Pick one:
- Robben Island. The ferries leave from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront, and the Robben Island Museum says the tour takes about three and a half hours including the ferry. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1999. Book ahead through the museum and check the current tour days and times on its site.
- Cage diving with Great White sharks. I’ve done a Great White cage dive, and I cover it in my things-to-do guide, including a note that sightings had dropped when I wrote it. Gansbaai is about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Cape Town, so it’s a whole day.
- Cape Point. SANParks lists the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point as a Table Mountain National Park attraction, and it fits naturally with the coast route. It wasn’t part of our trip, so I’ll leave the details to their site.
Three days, or a base in one place
If you only have three days, don’t move hotels. Do Day 2 as written, then take the coast as a day trip from the city: Camps Bay, Chapman’s Peak, Boulders Beach and Muizenberg are all reachable from central Cape Town. Simon’s Town is technically part of Cape Town too, and a day trip is easy by car or on a tour. The Muizenberg leg can also be done by train from central Cape Town.
We stayed on the coast because we wanted to get to the penguins early, to see Muizenberg without hurrying, and because Airbnbs in Simon’s Town were cheap. If you’d rather keep one hotel, you can still do all of it.
Getting around Cape Town
Cape Town is spread out, so we’d rent a car if you’re comfortable driving on the left, and you should expect a manual transmission, since most rental cars were manual when we went. There are quite a few hills, and one of us kept flipping on the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal whenever we had to think for a second. If you’d rather not drive, public transport is pretty good for a major city, and you can reach most of these places by train, tour or a driver.
Baboons are another thing to know about on the coast. The area around Table Mountain has a baboon problem. Our Airbnb had a pamphlet on what to do if you see one, and a restaurant had a sign warning about them. We didn’t see any, and we’re not sure whether to be disappointed, since they’re described as big and aggressive.
Affiliate note: these are affiliate links. If you book through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can compare hotels in Cape Town or compare places to stay in Simon’s Town.
When to go, and the weather
We were there in early November, and the weather was confused: we got sun, rain, wind and fog within a couple of days. Pack layers, and plan your outdoor stops with a backup. The mountain cable car and Chapman’s Peak both depend on the weather, so keep the order of your days flexible.
Where this fits with the rest of our South Africa posts
This guide covers the order of a Cape Town stay. For what to see at each stop, read my Cape Town things-to-do guide. We went on to safari after Cape Town, and you can read about that in my Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge review.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Cape Town?
We spent four nights and it was definitely not enough time. Three days covers the highlights if you use the coast as a day trip, and five lets you add one big outing.
Do I need a car in Cape Town?
Not strictly, but the coast is much easier with one. We rented a car for the whole stay. If you don’t drive, you can reach the main stops by tour, train or driver.
Should I hike Table Mountain or take the cable car?
We took the cable car because we were short on time. The hike is a serious climb with a lot of elevation and some exposed sections, so only do it if you’re prepared. Either way, check the weather first.
When should I visit Boulders Beach?
Early. It was crowded when we got there around 10, and SANParks warns that parking is limited in peak summer.
Is Chapman’s Peak Drive worth it?
We loved it and drove it twice. It’s a toll road, so check the road status before you go.
Final thoughts
Cape Town rewards a slow, spread-out plan. The shape that worked for us was a quiet first day, a full city day that ends on the mountain, and two nights on the coast so the penguins weren’t a rush. Keep the order flexible for weather, and give yourself a car if you can.
Read next: 9 of the Best Things to do in Cape Town, South Africa and Cape Town Penguins: Tips for Penguin-Watching at Boulders Beach.
Affiliate note: this is an affiliate link. If you sign up through it, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Cape Town involves mountain roads, boats and a lot of driving on the left, so get travel insurance for your South Africa trip with SafetyWing before you go.
