Cape Town Itinerary: What to do in 4 days in South Africa
It’s time to plan your itinerary in Cape Town, and you don’t know where to start? In this article, I bring a complete Cape Town itinerary for you to use or adapt on your trip.
In this article, see all the cool things to do in Cape Town, whether it’s your first time in the city or if you already know it. And know that to visit Cape Town, I recommend taking your time, as the region is beautiful and deserves to be visited calmly, without rushing and enjoying every corner. During my 5-day stay, I was able to see and do everything I wanted, but prior planning was required.
Therefore, I came to save you time and leave you tips on everything to do in Cape Town. There are even options for what to do if it rains and tips for packing your suitcase. After all, you don’t want to miss out on some of the main local tourist attractions.
In this itinerary in Cape Town, I present the points to visit in the city, such as the Historic Center and Sea Point.
How to do a Cape Town Itinerary
There are a number of factors to consider when you are planning your itinerary in Cape Town. What is the ideal time to go, where is the best place to stay, among many others that you need to pay attention to when planning your itinerary.
When traveling through South Africa, visiting Cape Town is almost mandatory. And knowing how many days to stay in Cape Town is essential to putting together the best itinerary possible.
Don’t plan for less than three days. The ideal is to organize an itinerary of at least five days in Cape Town so you can fall in love with the city.
All this considered, here is an example of a Cape Town itinerary:
- Day 1: V&A Waterfront, Table Mountain, and Long Street
- Day 2: Cape of Good Hope, Boulders Beach, and Chapmans Peak Drive
- Day 3: Groot Constantia, Klen Constantia, and Eagle’s Nest Constantia
- Day 4: The Old Biscuit Mill, Bo-Kaap, Signal Hill, and Sea Point
How Many Days Will You Stay in Cape Town?
In my opinion, the ideal is to stay at least four days in the city. However, exploring everything there is to do in Cape Town is so enjoyable that you can plan an itinerary lasting five days or more, and this time will be very welcome. The city has a lot to offer, especially for those who enjoy new cultures, customs, and beautiful landscapes.
Day 1 Itinerary in Cape Town
1. Table Mountain
2. V&A Waterfront
3. Robben Island
4. Long Street
Summary of the 1st Day Cape Town Itinerary
Make a point of having a full day to get to know the city. This itinerary is ideal for those who can at least stay in the city from 8 am to 8 pm. Therefore, it is possible to take advantage of some of the tours to do in Cape Town.
Start with the wonderful Table Mountain, Cape Town’s postcard, considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. You can take a tour of Table Mountain with a cable car ticket included.
It’s very important that you go in the morning, and don’t leave the tour until after 10 am because the clouds can cover everything up and ruin the view. At the top, you will find a restaurant, bathroom, souvenirs, guided tours, trails, and incredible places to take photos.
As your day will be busy, decide in advance whether you will go up by trail or cable car. The easiest trail will take you approximately 3 hours, and it is important that you take water and snacks to rest.
If you think it’s better to take the cable car, buy your ticket online in advance. The trip on the cable car takes about 5 minutes and rotates 360 degrees so that everyone can enjoy the landscape from all angles. The ticket costs R360 (around $20) per adult.
After enjoying the view of Cape Town from above, go to the V&A Waterfront. The place is like something out of a movie! Ferris wheel, artists performing everywhere, countless restaurants, and entertainment. You’ll probably start to get hungry when you get there; I suggest you go to the Food Market. And I warn you that you will go “crazy” with many food options.
If it starts to rain, you will be close to the mall. In fact, on rainy days, I recommend shopping trips, visiting the stadium built for the 2010 World Cup, and taking a city tour with the tourist bus in Cape Town.
Robben Island is where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned during the Apartheid period. Today, the place is a tourist spot for those who want to know more about its history, and part of the tour is guided by a former prisoner.
You will be at the Waterfront, where the ferry boats leave for the island. Don’t forget to buy tickets online in advance, as they sell out quickly.
It will be dusk when you return, and the V&A is beautiful at night. However, I recommend that you head to Long Street. Your itinerary will be completed with a flourish, enjoying the bars and clubs on Long Street. The night is lively and has several entertainment options, whether you enjoy having a quiet beer or want to go out dancing.
As you saw above, these are the places in Cape Town that you can’t miss on your first time in the city. Or even for veteran travelers who can’t get enough of Cape Town’s beauty and always want to revisit its most famous places. To guarantee the best experiences, advance your tickets and tours for the first day in Cape Town:
Day 2 Itinerary in Cape Town
1. Boulders Beach
2. Cape of Good Hope
3. Chapmans Peak Drive
Summary of the 2nd Day Cape Town Itinerary
On your 2-day itinerary in Cape Town, I suggest you start by going down the famous Cape Peninsula and exploring the nature that the region preserves. Remember to have everything planned because it is quite far from the metropolitan area and is a full-day trip.
Boulders Beach is a beach on the way to the Cape of Good Hope. Its biggest attraction is watching the penguins in Cape Town. Truly, they are charming. Go with your cell phone with a full charge battery and enough space to capture this place that is home to more than 2 thousand of them.
You’ll not be allowed to touch or get too close because it is prohibited as they are being protected, and contact with them could harm the safety and health of the animals.
Continuing your journey takes you to the Cape of Good Hope. If you remember your geography classes, you’ll remember that the Cape of Good Hope is described as the southernmost tip of the African continent, but that’s not exactly the case!
Many travelers say they arrived in the extreme south of the continent, but in fact, this title is given to Cabo das Agulhas, which is about 150km from the peninsula.
When taking a private tour to the Cape of Good Hope, you will find a landmark that tells you where the two oceans meet: Atlantic and Indian. Furthermore, you will be able to enjoy nature, meet some animals along the way, and capture breathtaking landscapes.
On the way back to Cape Town, you should take Chapman’s Peak Drive. I don’t even know how to explain what you’re going to see; it’s a route straight out of a movie. So, do yourself a favor and feast your eyes on the landscapes at Chapman’s.
This is a good tip for planning your itinerary in Cape Town. For those traveling in a tourist car, take the seat on the left side, the driver’s side, and get a free upgrade on your return trip.
To guarantee the best itinerary in Cape Town, I suggest you book tickets and guided tours in advance for day 2. This way, you can avoid queues and get discounts online without having to arrive at the ticket office in advance or run the risk of not seeing the must-see places in Cape Town.
Day 3 Itinerary in Cape Town
1. Groot Constantia
2. Eagle’s Nest Constantia
3. Klen Constantia
Summary of the 3rd Day of Cape Town Itinerary
Don’t do a Cape Town itinerary without including a day with a complete Wine tour in Cape Town, ok?! I set aside a whole day to tour the wineries and taste the wines; it was incredible.
But, in this itinerary, I separated three wineries that are close to each other. Firstly, take the opportunity to sleep later. After all, after following this itinerary, you will be tired and want a bed on the third day.
The first winery is the one you should take the most time to visit. Groot Constantia is the main and oldest in South Africa, and it is worth taking a bike tour in the Constantia Wine Valley. It won’t be a problem to drink and ride.
You will find restaurants, wine tasting, chocolates, guided tours, picnics, and lots of history. The tasting takes place every day; you stay in an air-conditioned room and can try five different wines.
It’s very likely that later you won’t find the landscape of others as amusing, but don’t forget to go!
Klen Constantia is described as one of the most beautiful wineries. During the tasting, you stand next to the place where they make the wines, and they explain everything about the drink you are going to taste. The most famous wine that you can’t miss is the dessert wine.
Last but not least, check out Eagle’s Nest. The difference is the green lawn, full of tables and chairs for tasting wine and eating cheese. When I visited the place, it was a Sunday, and several groups were having lunch and celebrating birthdays.
The place really has a great structure for this type of tour. Oh! They also serve a cheese board that, just by the smell, makes you want to order two to eat on site and one to eat at the hotel.
If you want to see more scenery and vineyards, I suggest hiring a wine tram. It’s the Franschhoek Wine Tram hop-on hop-off, a super creative means of transport that stops at several wineries in the Cape Town region. You will love it! Therefore, it’s time to book your favorite tours in advance and plan your itinerary.
Day 4 Itinerary in Cape Town
1. Bo-Kaap
2. The Old Biscuit Mill
3. Sea Point
4. Signal Hill
Summary of the 4th Day of Cape Town Itinerary
Let’s end the last day of your Cape Town itinerary in style. The agenda is full of places, but don’t be alarmed; you won’t spend a lot of time at each tourist spot.
Starting the day in Bo-Kaap, you will learn about the history of immigrants and walk through the neighborhood, which is a National Heritage Site of South Africa.
What draws the most attention to the place are the colorful houses, which make for great photos for your Instagram feed. It is common to find people wearing burqas or turbans because the neighborhood is home to Malay immigrants from the East.
Bo-Kaap is more than a place to take photos; it is a historical site. You can take a walking tour in Bo-Kaap with a Malay cooking class or even a Malay cooking class and lunch in Bo-Kaap.
During Apartheid, the neighborhood became a slum, people could not wear bright colors, and racial segregation still existed, which excluded Malays from South African society. When Apartheid ended, residents decided to paint their houses, each a different color, symbolizing racial diversity! Too much, right?!
Your second stop will be The Old Biscuit Mill, an art and gastronomy venue. A village located in the center of Woodstock that brings together a lot of talented people and a variety of delicious things to eat.
The Old Biscuit Mill is a great lunch stop. If you manage to plan your visit on Saturday, there is a market with food made by locals, warm bread, wines, craft beers, and more.
A seaside promenade that stretches almost to the V&A Waterfront is where Sea Point is located. You can’t leave Cape Town without visiting the beach, so I left Sea Point as a beach reference.
The place is a charming and well-known neighborhood among travelers and exchange students. Take time to walk, rent a bike, and admire Lion’s Head in the background. You can take a city tour by bike and stop by Sea Point.
You will come across several works of art throughout the boardwalk, such as giant glasses that face Robben Island, representing “Mandela’s glasses,” the name of the work of art.
For those who want to shop and take souvenirs, take advantage of the wide commerce that the neighborhood offers. Gastronomy is also strong.
They have many options, including famous bakeries, burger restaurants (how South Africans love burgers!), pizzerias, and fast food restaurants. You can have dinner here after returning from Signal Hill.
Signal Hill is at the bottom of Sea Point and is the main place to watch the sunset in Cape Town. If you have a car, there is free parking at the top, but if you are on foot, be aware that it is 350 meters high.
Arrive around 4 pm, which guarantees a good place to enjoy your last day in this wonderful city. A good tip on what to do here is to picnic. Bring a towel and snacks to pass the time and enjoy the South African landscape.
When it gets dark, don’t leave it too late! Have dinner there at Sea Point and return to your hotel or apartment to leave your bags on the way.
Remember that getting from Cape Town airport to the hotel can take time. Therefore, plan well and define the time in your itinerary for checking out of the hotel; this way, it is easier to avoid delays.
How Much Does Cape Town Cost Per Day?
To find out how much Cape Town costs per day, the calculation takes into account the means of transport used for travel, food, tours, and accommodation. And this bill varies according to the traveler’s profile.
Accommodation generally has a large impact on the total cost of the trip. So I recommend choosing carefully among the good hotels in Cape Town, as the price and expenses for the itinerary increase depending on the location.
As for tour tickets, you can find great offers by purchasing online. That’s why I recommend organizing activities in advance, especially as tickets for the main attractions may become unavailable.
Furthermore, booking your tours in advance relieves your travel budget as you pay less. When planning your Cape Town itinerary, visit websites like Numbeo to check how much public transport, food, and other relevant items cost. This way, you avoid unpleasant surprises in your travel budget.
Where and How to Buy Tours in Cape Town?
The ideal way to organize your Cape Town itinerary is to buy tickets online in advance without waiting in line at the entrance to the attractions. Furthermore, this guarantees the visit on the planned day and the right to cancel for free up to 48 hours in advance.
Attraction Packages for Your Cape Town Itinerary
The Cape Town attractions package or the famous Cape Town tourist passes allow you to save time (quick access, avoiding queues) and money, offering a ticket with full access to several tours.
By purchasing the access card, you are entitled to entry to the main museums and tourist attractions, as well as Table Mountain Cable Car, Champagne Sunset Cruises, Zeitz MOCAA Museum of Contemporary African Art, South African Museum, and more.
The first step is to choose your pass online via the website. The type of pass will depend on your time availability, with passes being offered with different numbers of days.
It will be activated the first time it passes the attraction’s scanner and will then be validated for use on consecutive days. When the purchased period ends, the pass will automatically expire, and you can no longer take the tours.
With this tourist card, travelers can enter more than 80 attractions in Cape Town for free and use the hop-on hop-off bus unlimitedly during the validity of the pass. Validity options are 2, 3, or 5 days. Attractions include the Table Mountain Cable Car, Sunset Champagne Cruises, Zeitz MOCAA Museum of Contemporary African Art, South African Museum, and more.
Cape Town Unlimited Attractions Pass
The Cape Town Unlimited Attractions Pass gives you free access to more than 20 attractions in Cape Town. Plus, you’ll save!
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