10 Days In and Around Cape Town

If flying to Cape Town from London, you’re likely to arrive in Cape Town in the morning. Take the opportunity to acquaint yourself with the city’s rich history and diverse neighborhoods. Guided walking tours are a great option, including Cape Town Free Walking Tours, which is led by locals. I would recommend the Apartheid to Freedom tour and one of the Bo Kaap tours.

If you have time in the afternoon, visit the District Six Museum. The museum is an homage to the District Six area of Cape Town, which was once home to a mixed-race community whose residents were forcibly evicted in the 1970s.

For dinner, try Ouzeri, a contemporary Greek restaurant highlighting local ingredients.

Take the 9 a.m. ferry departure to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment before the fall of apartheid. When you arrive to the prison, you will be guided by a former prisoner who will give you an unrivaled perspective. The tour takes three-and-a-half hours in total.

Have lunch on the V&A Waterfront or at Oranjezicht City Farm Market (open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday), before heading to one of Cape Town’s beautiful sandy beaches for the afternoon.

Try dinner at TTK Fledglings, which was opened by famous South African restaurateur Luke Dale Roberts, with the goal of offering mentorship opportunities to those with no access to formal chef’s or guest service training.

This is a rite of passage - you won’t regret the stunning views of the city hiking either Lion’s Head or Table Mountain. Lion’s Head is a slightly shorter option (two to three hours total), and you can always get the cable car to the top of Table Mountain!

Take the afternoon to visit some museums or do some shopping, before stopping for dinner at Upper Union in the beautiful and vibrant Kloof Street neighborhood.

Take a day trip around the beautiful landscape of the Southern Cape. Stop for lunch in Kalk Bay, try Salt or Olympia Café, followed by a visit to the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach. Drive down through Table Mountain National Park to the Cape of Good Hope, before returning back to Cape Town through Chapman’s Peak drive (one of the most beautiful drives in the world). You may even want to stop at a beach or two along the way, such as Noordhoek Beach.

Take a responsible township tour, such as AWOL’s Bicycle Tour of Masiphumelele, to experience the lifestyle of the majority of South Africans.

In the afternoon, make the one-hour drive to Franschoek, a town in South Africa’s Western Cape with centuries-old vineyards and Cape Dutch architecture, and settle into your vineyard accommodation for the evening.

Take some time to relax and sit by the pool - maybe even treat yourself to a spa treatment!

Visit some vineyards for a wine tasting. Klein Goederust is a lovely, Black-owned vineyard, inspired by the family matriarch Nomaroma Siguqa, a lifelong Cape wine farm labourer. Their Méthode Cap Classic (the South African take on champagne) is lovely. Also worth a visit is Leeu Passant Wines at Leeu Estates and La Motte, although you will not be at a loss for options here!

Don’t forget to visit Franschoek town for some lovely artisanal shopping.

For dining, try the creative tasting menu at La Petite Colombe, one of the best restaurants in South Africa.

Make the three-hour scenic drive to Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, one of South Africa’s largest privately-owned nature reserves with the stated purpose of re-wilding and re-introducing native wildlife to the area. The reserve is owned by a non-profit company focused on steering conservation to the forefront of the safari experience.

Sanbona offers several luxurious accommodation options. For couples, try Dwyka Tented Lodges, with private terrace and plunge pool. If traveling with kids, Gondwana Family Lodge offers play areas and a gorgeous pool overlooking the reserve’s vast lake.

Your stay includes two game drives per day, all meals and select drinks.

Three nights here ensures you will get the best that the reserve has to offer (not only sightings, but also relaxing afternoons by the pool!).

On your last day, make the drive back to Cape Town. Either stay an extra night, or head straight to the airport for an evening return flight.