10-Day Cape Town Itinerary

Check in near the City Bowl

Land at Cape Town International and settle into a guesthouse around Gardens or the Bo-Kaap edge, shaking off jet lag with a slow coffee.

Wander Bo-Kaap's colourful lanes

Stroll Wale and Chiappini Streets past the pastel Cape Malay houses and the old Auwal Mosque, Cape Town's oldest.

Cape Malay cooking demo

Join a home kitchen in Bo-Kaap to learn chicken breyani and koesisters, a sweet, spiced doughnut tradition brought by Malay slaves.

Bobotie supper on Long Street

Try bobotie, the spiced mince-and-egg custard bake that's Cape Town's signature dish, at a Long Street bistro.

Cableway up Table Mountain

Take the rotating cable car to the flat summit for sweeping views over the Atlantic seaboard, Robben Island and the Twelve Apostles.

Fynbos trail along the summit

Follow a short summit walkway spotting fynbos plants and dassies before heading back down.

Company's Garden and Museum Mile

Wander the shaded 17th-century Company's Garden, then pop into the South African National Gallery nearby.

Braai night at a Kloof Street grill

Sit down to a proper South African braai, boerewors and lamb chops sizzling over the coals, with a Stellenbosch red.

Ferry to Robben Island

Take the early ferry from Nelson Mandela Gateway across Table Bay to Robben Island for the guided prison tour.

Mandela's cell and the limestone quarry

A former inmate guides the group past Nelson Mandela's cell and the limestone quarry where prisoners laboured for years.

Browse the V&A Waterfront

Back on the mainland, browse harbourside shops and the Watershed craft market for Ndebele beadwork and ceramics.

Seafood platter at the harbour

Order a Cape seafood platter of West Coast oysters, linefish and calamari with a Waterfront sunset over the working harbour.

Drive Chapman's Peak Drive

Wind along Chapman's Peak Drive, one of the world's great coastal roads, with cliffside views toward Hout Bay.

Cape of Good Hope nature reserve

Walk trails through the fynbos-covered reserve, watching for ostriches, eland and the occasional baboon troop.

Old lighthouse at Cape Point

Climb or funicular up to the old lighthouse at Cape Point for views where the Atlantic and Indian Ocean currents meet.

Fish and chips in Kalk Bay

Stop in the fishing village of Kalk Bay for fresh linefish and chips at a harbourside shack on the way back.

African penguins at Boulders Beach

Follow the boardwalk to Boulders Beach and its granite coves, home to a colony of wild African penguins.

Swim among the penguins

Take a dip at the sheltered, boulder-ringed swimming beach where penguins waddle right past sunbathers.

Simon's Town naval quarter

Wander Simon's Town's Victorian high street and its naval museum, once the Royal Navy's southern base.

Sundowner in Muizenberg

Watch surfers and a False Bay sunset from a colourful beach hut at Muizenberg before dinner.

Drive out to Stellenbosch

Head an hour inland into the Winelands, past vineyards and Cape Dutch gables toward historic Stellenbosch.

Cellar tasting at a Stellenbosch estate

Tour a family-run estate's cellar and taste Cape chenin blanc and pinotage among the vines.

Long lunch in Franschhoek

Continue to Franschhoek's gourmet strip for a leisurely lunch, French Huguenot heritage meeting Cape cuisine.

Sunset drive back to the city

Wind back over the mountain passes as the light turns golden over the vineyards, arriving in Cape Town for a quiet night.

District Six Museum

Learn the story of District Six, a vibrant multiracial neighbourhood bulldozed under apartheid, through survivors' recorded memories.

Walk the old District Six streets

Walk the still-empty lots near Zonnebloem where whole city blocks once stood before demolition.

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art

Explore the Zeitz MOCAA, a converted grain silo at the Waterfront holding one of the world's top contemporary African art collections.

Tasting menu in Woodstock

Try a modern Cape Malay-fusion tasting menu at a Woodstock restaurant known for reinventing township and heritage dishes.

Street art walk in Woodstock

Follow a self-guided mural route through Woodstock's warehouses, once factories, now covered in large-scale street art.

Old Biscuit Mill Saturday market

Browse the Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill for gourmet stalls, craft stands and local designers.

Antique hunting in Kalk Bay

Browse Kalk Bay's quirky antique and bric-a-brac shops lining the main road above the fishing harbour.

Live jazz on Long Street

Catch a live set at a Long Street jazz bar, a Cape Town institution since the anti-apartheid era.

Late breakfast in Camps Bay

Sleep in, then order a leisurely breakfast at a beachfront cafe looking out over the Twelve Apostles mountain range.

Swim at Camps Bay

Relax on the white sand at Camps Bay, though the Atlantic stays bracingly cold year-round.

Spa afternoon

Book a rooibos-infused massage at a City Bowl spa to unwind after nine days of exploring.

Sunset dinner on the Camps Bay strip

Watch the sun drop into the Atlantic from a beachfront table on the Camps Bay strip over grilled kingklip.

Final souvenirs at Greenmarket Square

Pick up last Ndebele fabric, wire art and rooibos tea from the stalls at historic Greenmarket Square.

Last look from Signal Hill

Drive up Signal Hill for a final panoramic view over the City Bowl, harbour and Table Mountain before packing up.

Farewell lunch at the Waterfront

A final Cape Malay curry lunch overlooking the harbour before heading to the airport.

Transfer to Cape Town International

Head to the airport for the evening flight home, Table Mountain fading in the rearview mirror.