8 Days In and Around Cape Town

I always like to start off with a historical tour of the city when I am in a place I am completely unfamiliar with. It helps me get a lot of context for the rest of my visit, and it’s a great opportunity to ask my tour guide for some local tips if I have left some flexibility in my travel plans. This time around, we will be doing an Introduction to Cape Town Tour: Dutch Trading to Democracy.

Next, we stop for lunch at The Old Biscuit Mill, host to an array of shops and restaurants, and a weekly Neighborhood Market on Saturdays.

For a bit of nature, we will then head to Kirstenboch Botanical Gardens on Table Mountain. Notably, the Boomslang (meaning tree snake) takes the visitor from the forest floor into and through the trees and bursts out above the canopy, giving spectacular panoramic vistas of the surrounding mountains, Garden and Cape Flats.

After going back to the hotel to freshen up, we go to dinner at Chef’s Warehouse at The Bailey for a meal that draws from the best of European, Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines. We round off the night with a drink in jazz and cocktail speakeasy The Art of Duplicity.

A trip to Cape Town wouldn’t be complete without seeing the wild African penguins on Boulders Beach. We head over early in the morning to avoid the crowds and to see the penguins when they are most active. After walking along the beach and taking in the beautiful ocean views, we head back to the city.

We go grab a bite to eat and spend some time strolling around the Bo-Kaap neighborhood. It is famous for its cobble-stoned streets, spice shops and brightly colored houses.

We then spend a couple of hours at the Zeit Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, billed as the world’s largest collection of contemporary works from the continent. Architect Thomas Heatherwick converted an abandoned grain silo into striking gallery spaces,

On our last night in Cape Town, we went to the coveted Fyn, an African-Japanese fusion restaurant ranked number 37 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2022.

Before leaving the city, we sneak in a quick ride up Table Mountain on the cable car to catch sweeping views of Cape Town,

We then go rent a car to start our drive over to Hermanus. We stop for lunch at Pear Tree Bistro, situated on the main piazza and serving fresh seafood.

We then go to The Thatch House Boutique Hotel to check in and take advantage of their complimentary kayak rentals to enjoy an excursion on the lagoon.

If visiting from June to December, a whale-watching tour is a must in Hermanus. Make sure to get a tour like Southern Right Charters that has flexible tour durations to maximize your time spent with the whales. This is what they say: “The boat-based whale watching experience is not capped and is from 1.5 – 3 hours maximum. It depends on traveling time to the whales; the time spent with the whales is the same.”

After lunch, we have two options.

Either we decide to spend a quiet afternoon walking up and down the beach, or going on one of the many hikes available in the area. The Cliff Path (12 km or 8 mi) seems particularly interesting, as it goes along the scenic coastline of Grotto Beach. Because it includes so many stops at beautiful beaches, you can really take your time and go at your own pace.

For thrill-seekers, you can go paragliding to catch the best views from above! Having gone paragliding once before (the day my husband proposed to me, actually), I can say that there is a quiet serenity when you are in a position to see the world from such a perspective. I highly recommend it.

Today we hit the road again to go to wine country. It’s about a 2-hour drive from Hermanus to our next hotel, Babylonstoren, and we decide to break it up with a stop in Franschhoek. This town is full of shops and restaurants, so it makes for an ideal unplanned lunch stop like at La Motte Bakery, where you can also opt for a wine-tasting experience in the Historic Cellar next door. But if you prefer to reserve ahead, I suggest La Cotte Farm’s leisurely lunch, always served with freshly baked bread and whipped herbed butter. And their signature garden salad is harvested from their gardens and consists of what their chef has picked that same day!

We then continue our drive over to beautiful Babylonstoren, a wine estate, an olive oil farm, a hotel, a garden, and multiple farm-to-table restaurants, all in one stunning place. Once we check in, we enjoy one of the many activities on site that are included in the price of the room.

Dinner is either at their flagship restaurant Babel, or in the Old Bakery, where on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays they offer Italian-inspired family-style evenings, with a pre-set menu meant to be shared with everyone. On Wednesdays and Sundays, Carnivore Evenings swaps the antipasti and pizzas for farm-reared Chianina cuts, an age-old Italian breed renowned for its natural fat marbling with a thin outer coating of fat. Skilled braai masters grill every cut to perfection while guests enjoy live accordion tunes and fine wine.

Day 6

When staying at Babylonstoren, you have access to a whole host of activities all included in your stay, so today we will make the most of the property and enjoy one or many of the following:

• A private guided garden tour and farm walk.

• Cycling and canoeing/rowing on the farm's dam.

• Guided seasonal fly fishing (for experienced guests) and bass fishing on weekdays.

• Cellar tour and wine tasting.

• Olive oil and balsamic vinegar tour.

• Afternoon drive (for a two-night stay and longer).

• Morning harvest with the gardeners.

• Bread baking with bakers.

For a change of scenery, we decided to go out for dinner to La Petite Colombe. World-famous La Colombe’s sister restaurant is nestled in an outstandingly beautiful venue, in the midst of vineyards and manicured landscapes, offering views of the Franschhoek Valley and the Franschhoek Pass.

Day 7

As much as we love wine country for its gorgeous views, incredible food and slower pace, our primary goal is to taste some of the incredible wines the region has to offer.

Babylonstoren is one of the stops on the Franschhoek Wine Tram, an easy and scenic way to get to 31 different wineries.

Not on the tram lines but definitely worth a visit, are the following:

• Tokara

• Thelema

• Meerlust

Day 8

Today is our last day in South Africa, and before heading back to the airport, we have lunch (and maybe another wine tasting!) at the Delaire Graff Estate. Picked from his private collection, over 400 pieces of art and sculpture await discovery on the Estate, making this a place one could realistically spend all day exploring.

The town of Stellenbosch, much like Franschhoek, is full of little shops and restaurants, making it a great spot to pick up some last-minute souvenirs before your flight home.