Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula, South Africa: things to do, when to go and how to get there

Get to know the place

A region to enjoy
at your own pace.

Cape Town (Cape Town in English; Kaapstad in Afrikaans) was founded in 1652 as a provisioning station of the Dutch East India Company, at the foot of Table Mountain. The flat-topped mountain, about 1,085 meters high, dominates the entire city: the cable car climbs to the plateau in a few minutes, and Lion's Head and Signal Hill frame the center. Below are the Castle of Good Hope, the Company's Garden, the Bo-Kaap neighborhood and the V&A Waterfront harbor, from where the boat departs to Robben Island, the prison island where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in captivity.

The Cape Peninsula stretches south for about 50 km. On the Atlantic side the road passes Camps Bay, Hout Bay and the Chapman's Peak Drive carved into the cliff; on the False Bay side it passes Muizenberg, Kalk Bay and Simon's Town, the Navy town, neighboring the African penguin colony at Boulders. At the tip lies the Cape of Good Hope area in Table Mountain National Park, with the Cape Point lighthouse. The Cape was rounded by the Portuguese Bartolomeu Dias in 1488.

The region is home to the Cape floral kingdom, recognized by UNESCO: the fynbos, the low vegetation of proteas and heaths that covers the slopes, exists only there. Kirstenbosch, the botanical garden on the mountain's eastern slope, is the easiest place to see it. Robben Island is also a World Heritage Site.

The Atlantic side sea is cold year-round; False Bay is usually less chilly. You drive on the left, and English covers everything for tourism.

This destination brings together 2 cities: Cidade do Cabo, Simon's Town.

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One destination, many paths

The cities on this trip

Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.

Where Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula is

Limites: South African Municipal Demarcation Board / OCHA ROSEA / geoBoundaries (CC BY 3.0 IGO). Adaptação do Cidade Turismo.

How to get there: Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula

✈ Aeroporto Internacional da Cidade do Cabo (CPT) · 20 km to Cidade do Cabo

Confirm before booking. Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is about 20 km from the city center, with taxis, rental cars and ride‑hailing apps. Domestic flights link the city to Johannesburg, Durban, George and Gqeberha.

Suggested arrival point: Cidade do Cabo

Cabo Ocidental · Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula Capital Suggested arrival point

Cidade do Cabo

Capital of the Western Cape and seat of the South African Parliament, Cape Town sits between Table Mountain and Table Bay. The cable car climbs the mountain; below are the Castle of Good Hope (1679), the Company's Garden, the colorful Bo-Kaap, the District Six Museum and the V&A Waterfront harbor, with the Zeitz MOCAA and the boat to Robben Island. Kirstenbosch, Camps Bay, Chapman's Peak Drive and Groot Constantia are less than an hour from the center.

Cabo Ocidental · Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula

Simon's Town

Simon's Town is the South African Navy town on False Bay, about 40 km from central Cape Town. The main street has Victorian houses, the naval harbor and the pier for sightseeing boats. Just to the south is Boulders, with the African penguin colony, and about 25 km along the peninsula is the tip with the Cape of Good Hope and the Cape Point lighthouse. On the way back toward the city are Kalk Bay and the colorful bathing huts of Muizenberg.

The local experience

Things to do in Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula

Simon's Town · Cabo Ocidental · Nature reserve

Boulders Penguin Colony

Beaches among granite boulders with an African penguin colony, viewed from wooden boardwalks, in Table Mountain National Park.

Cidade do Cabo · Cabo Ocidental · Mountain

Table Mountain Aerial Cableway

Cable car with a rotating cabin that ascends Table Mountain, the flat‑topped mountain that dominates Cape Town, to viewpoints over a thousand metres up.

Simon's Town · Cabo Ocidental · National park

Cape Point e Cabo da Boa Esperança

The tip of the Cape peninsula, with the old Cape Point lighthouse atop the cliff and the sign for the Cape of Good Hope, rounded by Bartolomeu Dias in 1488.

Cidade do Cabo · Cabo Ocidental · Mountain

Lion's Head

Peak of about 669 metres beside Table Mountain, with a spiral trail to the summit and views over the city, Camps Bay and the Atlantic.

See 12 more places in Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula

Simon's Town · Cabo Ocidental · Beach

Muizenberg Beach

Long False Bay beach with colorful bathing huts, surf schools and milder water, near the fishing harbor of Kalk Bay.

Cidade do Cabo · Cabo Ocidental · Port

Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

Working harbour transformed into a leisure district, with quays, a clock tower, aquarium, museums and the departure point for boats to Robben Island.

Cidade do Cabo · Cabo Ocidental · Museum

Zeitz MOCAA

Museum of contemporary African art housed in a 1920s grain silo at the V&A Waterfront, with an atrium carved out of the former concrete tubes.

Cidade do Cabo · Cabo Ocidental · Historic site

Robben Island Museum

Prison island in Table Bay where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years; a World Heritage Site, visited with guides who were imprisoned there.

Cidade do Cabo · Cabo Ocidental · Historic district

Bo-Kaap

A neighborhood of cobbled streets and houses painted in bright colors on the slope of Signal Hill, birthplace of Cape Malay community.

Cidade do Cabo · Cabo Ocidental · Fortress

Castle of Good Hope

A five-pointed fort built by the Dutch between 1666 and 1679, the oldest building in South Africa, with a military museum and an art collection.

Cidade do Cabo · Cabo Ocidental · Park

Company's Garden

The former Dutch East India Company vegetable garden from 1652 became the city’s central park, surrounded by Parliament, museums and the National Gallery.

Cidade do Cabo · Cabo Ocidental · Museum

District Six Museum

Museum in a former Methodist church that tells the story of the forced removal of more than 60,000 residents from the District Six neighbourhood during apartheid.

Cidade do Cabo · Cabo Ocidental · Botanical garden

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Botanical garden from 1913 on the eastern slope of Table Mountain, dedicated to native plants, with proteas, a suspended walkway and trails up the mountain.

Cidade do Cabo · Cabo Ocidental · Scenic road

Chapman's Peak Drive

About a 9 km road cut into the cliff between Hout Bay and Noordhoek, with curves over the Atlantic and viewpoints along the way.

Cidade do Cabo · Cabo Ocidental · Beach

Camps Bay Beach

White-sand beach on the Atlantic side, beneath the cliffs of the Twelve Apostles, with a promenade of restaurants and cold water.

Cidade do Cabo · Cabo Ocidental · Historic farm

Groot Constantia

The oldest wine farm in South Africa, founded in 1685, with a Cape Dutch manor house converted into a museum.

Before you go

Practical information

A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.

When to go

From November to March the weather is usually dry and hot, with long days, and the southeast wind blows strongly, especially in the afternoon. March, April and October usually have less wind and fewer visitors. From June to August there is more rain and the cable car can stop due to wind or fog. The whale season in False Bay runs from July to November.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

How many days to stay

Three days cover the city center, Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront and Robben Island. With four or five days you can add the peninsula drive (Chapman's Peak, Boulders and the Cape of Good Hope), Kirstenbosch and a day in the vineyards of Stellenbosch or Franschhoek. Those heading along the coast often continue to Hermanus and the Garden Route.

Which city to stay in

The City Bowl, the center at the foot of the mountain, lets you walk to the Company's Garden, the Bo-Kaap and the museums. The V&A Waterfront and Green Point are near the harbor and the Robben Island boat. Sea Point has a seaside promenade and many restaurants. Camps Bay and Clifton are the Atlantic beaches beneath the Twelve Apostles. On the False Bay side, Muizenberg, Kalk Bay and Simon's Town are quiet and close to Boulders and the Cape of Good Hope.

Respect the place

Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.

Get your questions answered

Frequently asked questions about Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula

How many days to stay in Cape Town?

Three to five days. Three are enough for the city center, Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront and Robben Island; with five you can include the peninsula return to the Cape of Good Hope, Kirstenbosch and a day in the vineyards.

What is the best time to go to Cape Town?

From November to March, the dry summer, for beaches and outdoor activities; March, April and October usually have less wind and fewer visitors. Winter, from June to August, is rainy, but it's whale season, which runs from July to November.

Do you need a car in Cape Town?

Not for the city center, the Waterfront and the cable car, which are covered by the MyCiTi bus and ride‑hailing apps. For the peninsula drive, Chapman's Peak and the Cape of Good Hope, a car helps; there are also day tours leaving from the center. Driving is on the left.

Can you see penguins near Cape Town?

Yes. The African penguin colony at Boulders, in Simon's Town, is about 45 km from the center, and the boardwalks bring you close to the birds. It is often combined with a visit to the Cape of Good Hope on the same day.

Is the sea water cold in Cape Town?

On the Atlantic side, at Camps Bay and Clifton, yes, year‑round. On the False Bay side, at Muizenberg and Boulders, the water is usually less cold in summer.

Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula

A region to enjoyat your own pace.