Cape Town itinerary: 1 to 7 days
Plans for one to seven days in Cape Town, day by day: Robben Island and Table Mountain first, then the V&A Waterfront, the Castle of Good Hope and the city centre, and Lion's Head, Kirstenbosch, District Six and Groot Constantia as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Cape Town in 1 day
Day 1
Robben Island
The island in Table Bay where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years; tours visit the prison and his cell.
Cape Town in 2 days
Day 1
District Six Museum
A museum in a former Methodist church that tells the story of District Six and its forced removals.
Table Mountain
The flat-topped mountain above the city, about 1,085 m high, reached by cableway or hiking trails.
Day 2
Robben Island
The island in Table Bay where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years; tours visit the prison and his cell.
Cape Town in 3 days
Day 1
Table Mountain
The flat-topped mountain above the city, about 1,085 m high, reached by cableway or hiking trails.
Day 2
Robben Island
The island in Table Bay where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years; tours visit the prison and his cell.
Day 3
Port of Cape Town
Cape Town's working harbour in Table Bay, next to the V&A Waterfront.
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
The historic harbour turned into a district of shops, restaurants and museums, with views of Table Mountain.
Two Oceans Aquarium
An aquarium at the V&A Waterfront showing the sea life of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, including a kelp forest.
Cape Town International Convention Centre
The city's large convention and exhibition centre on the Foreshore, opened in 2003.
Artscape Theatre Centre
Cape Town's main performing arts centre on the Foreshore, opened in 1971, for opera, ballet and theatre.
Castle of Good Hope
A five-pointed fort built by the Dutch East India Company in the 1660s-70s, South Africa's oldest surviving colonial building.
Cape Town in 4 days
Day 1
Table Mountain
The flat-topped mountain above the city, about 1,085 m high, reached by cableway or hiking trails.
Duiker Island
A rocky island off Hout Bay with a large colony of Cape fur seals, visited on short boat trips.
Day 2
Robben Island
The island in Table Bay where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years; tours visit the prison and his cell.
Day 3
Port of Cape Town
Cape Town's working harbour in Table Bay, next to the V&A Waterfront.
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
The historic harbour turned into a district of shops, restaurants and museums, with views of Table Mountain.
Two Oceans Aquarium
An aquarium at the V&A Waterfront showing the sea life of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, including a kelp forest.
Cape Town International Convention Centre
The city's large convention and exhibition centre on the Foreshore, opened in 2003.
Artscape Theatre Centre
Cape Town's main performing arts centre on the Foreshore, opened in 1971, for opera, ballet and theatre.
Castle of Good Hope
A five-pointed fort built by the Dutch East India Company in the 1660s-70s, South Africa's oldest surviving colonial building.
Day 4
Labia Theatre
One of Cape Town's oldest independent cinemas, in Gardens, showing art-house and independent films.
Lion's Head
A 669 m peak between Table Mountain and Signal Hill; a popular hike with views all round, especially at sunrise and sunset.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
A botanical garden of South African plants on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, with a treetop walkway.
Cape Town in 5 days
Day 1
Table Mountain
The flat-topped mountain above the city, about 1,085 m high, reached by cableway or hiking trails.
Duiker Island
A rocky island off Hout Bay with a large colony of Cape fur seals, visited on short boat trips.
Day 2
Robben Island
The island in Table Bay where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years; tours visit the prison and his cell.
Day 3
Port of Cape Town
Cape Town's working harbour in Table Bay, next to the V&A Waterfront.
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
The historic harbour turned into a district of shops, restaurants and museums, with views of Table Mountain.
Two Oceans Aquarium
An aquarium at the V&A Waterfront showing the sea life of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, including a kelp forest.
Greenmarket Square
A cobbled square in the old centre, laid out in 1696 and known for its craft and curio market.
Castle of Good Hope
A five-pointed fort built by the Dutch East India Company in the 1660s-70s, South Africa's oldest surviving colonial building.
St. George's Cathedral, Cape Town
The Anglican cathedral where Archbishop Desmond Tutu led protests against apartheid.
Day 4
Labia Theatre
One of Cape Town's oldest independent cinemas, in Gardens, showing art-house and independent films.
De Waal Park
A leafy Victorian park in Oranjezicht with over 120 kinds of trees, popular with locals and dog walkers.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
A botanical garden of South African plants on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, with a treetop walkway.
Day 5
Green Point Park
A free urban park beside the stadium, with a biodiversity garden, lakes and Table Mountain views.
Auwal Mosque
South Africa's oldest mosque, founded in 1794 in the Bo-Kaap.
Cape Town International Convention Centre
The city's large convention and exhibition centre on the Foreshore, opened in 2003.
Artscape Theatre Centre
Cape Town's main performing arts centre on the Foreshore, opened in 1971, for opera, ballet and theatre.
Iziko South African Museum
South Africa's first museum, founded in 1825, with natural history, fossils and rock art.
Lion's Head
A 669 m peak between Table Mountain and Signal Hill; a popular hike with views all round, especially at sunrise and sunset.
Cape Town in 6 days
Day 1
Table Mountain
The flat-topped mountain above the city, about 1,085 m high, reached by cableway or hiking trails.
Duiker Island
A rocky island off Hout Bay with a large colony of Cape fur seals, visited on short boat trips.
Day 2
Robben Island
The island in Table Bay where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years; tours visit the prison and his cell.
Day 3
Port of Cape Town
Cape Town's working harbour in Table Bay, next to the V&A Waterfront.
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
The historic harbour turned into a district of shops, restaurants and museums, with views of Table Mountain.
Two Oceans Aquarium
An aquarium at the V&A Waterfront showing the sea life of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, including a kelp forest.
Castle of Good Hope
A five-pointed fort built by the Dutch East India Company in the 1660s-70s, South Africa's oldest surviving colonial building.
Greenmarket Square
A cobbled square in the old centre, laid out in 1696 and known for its craft and curio market.
Grand Parade
Cape Town's main public square, where Nelson Mandela spoke from the City Hall balcony on his release in 1990.
Day 4
Labia Theatre
One of Cape Town's oldest independent cinemas, in Gardens, showing art-house and independent films.
De Waal Park
A leafy Victorian park in Oranjezicht with over 120 kinds of trees, popular with locals and dog walkers.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
A botanical garden of South African plants on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, with a treetop walkway.
Day 5
Green Point Park
A free urban park beside the stadium, with a biodiversity garden, lakes and Table Mountain views.
Auwal Mosque
South Africa's oldest mosque, founded in 1794 in the Bo-Kaap.
Artscape Theatre Centre
Cape Town's main performing arts centre on the Foreshore, opened in 1971, for opera, ballet and theatre.
St. George's Cathedral, Cape Town
The Anglican cathedral where Archbishop Desmond Tutu led protests against apartheid.
Iziko South African Museum
South Africa's first museum, founded in 1825, with natural history, fossils and rock art.
Lion's Head
A 669 m peak between Table Mountain and Signal Hill; a popular hike with views all round, especially at sunrise and sunset.
Day 6
Cape Town International Convention Centre
The city's large convention and exhibition centre on the Foreshore, opened in 2003.
District Six Museum
A museum in a former Methodist church that tells the story of District Six and its forced removals.
Groot Constantia
South Africa's oldest wine estate, founded in 1685, with a Cape Dutch manor house, cellar tours and tastings.
Cape Town in 7 days
Day 1
Table Mountain
The flat-topped mountain above the city, about 1,085 m high, reached by cableway or hiking trails.
Duiker Island
A rocky island off Hout Bay with a large colony of Cape fur seals, visited on short boat trips.
Day 2
Robben Island
The island in Table Bay where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years; tours visit the prison and his cell.
Day 3
Port of Cape Town
Cape Town's working harbour in Table Bay, next to the V&A Waterfront.
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
The historic harbour turned into a district of shops, restaurants and museums, with views of Table Mountain.
Two Oceans Aquarium
An aquarium at the V&A Waterfront showing the sea life of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, including a kelp forest.
Castle of Good Hope
A five-pointed fort built by the Dutch East India Company in the 1660s-70s, South Africa's oldest surviving colonial building.
Greenmarket Square
A cobbled square in the old centre, laid out in 1696 and known for its craft and curio market.
Grand Parade
Cape Town's main public square, where Nelson Mandela spoke from the City Hall balcony on his release in 1990.
Day 4
Artscape Theatre Centre
Cape Town's main performing arts centre on the Foreshore, opened in 1971, for opera, ballet and theatre.
St. George's Cathedral, Cape Town
The Anglican cathedral where Archbishop Desmond Tutu led protests against apartheid.
Iziko South African Museum
South Africa's first museum, founded in 1825, with natural history, fossils and rock art.
Labia Theatre
One of Cape Town's oldest independent cinemas, in Gardens, showing art-house and independent films.
De Waal Park
A leafy Victorian park in Oranjezicht with over 120 kinds of trees, popular with locals and dog walkers.
Lion's Head
A 669 m peak between Table Mountain and Signal Hill; a popular hike with views all round, especially at sunrise and sunset.
Day 5
Green Point Park
A free urban park beside the stadium, with a biodiversity garden, lakes and Table Mountain views.
Auwal Mosque
South Africa's oldest mosque, founded in 1794 in the Bo-Kaap.
Cape Town International Convention Centre
The city's large convention and exhibition centre on the Foreshore, opened in 2003.
District Six Museum
A museum in a former Methodist church that tells the story of District Six and its forced removals.
Day 6
Rhodes Memorial
A memorial to Cecil Rhodes on the slopes of Devil's Peak, with wide views over the Cape Flats.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
A botanical garden of South African plants on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, with a treetop walkway.
Groot Constantia
South Africa's oldest wine estate, founded in 1685, with a Cape Dutch manor house, cellar tours and tastings.
Day 7
Heart of Cape Town Museum
A museum at Groote Schuur Hospital in the rooms where Christiaan Barnard performed the first human heart transplant in 1967.
Baxter Theatre Centre
The University of Cape Town's performing arts complex in Rondebosch.
Rondebosch Common
A 40-hectare open common in the southern suburbs, a former military camp now protected for its fynbos.
Watch: Cape Town in 3 days
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Cape Town
November to March is the warm, dry season, with sunny days for the beaches and Table Mountain; December and January are the busiest and most expensive months. The southeaster wind often blows hard in summer. June to August is cool and rainy, but quieter, and whale watching along the coast peaks from about July to November.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Cape Town on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Cape Town on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Cape Town on GetYourGuide or on Viator
- From the airport: a private transfer in Cape Town with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for South Africa from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Cape Town with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Cape Town
- Book Robben Island ferries ahead; tours leave from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront and are cancelled in rough weather.
- The Table Mountain cableway stops in strong wind; check on the day and go up when the top is clear.
- Start hikes on Lion's Head and Table Mountain early, carry water and a warm layer, and do not hike alone.
- Kirstenbosch and the Constantia wine estates are close together; combine them on one day.
- After dark, use ride-hailing apps or the MyCiTi bus rather than walking between areas.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Artscape Theatre Centre: Adamina, CC BY 2.0
- Auwal Mosque: LiebeB, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Baxter Theatre Centre: Zaian, CC0
- Cape Town International Convention Centre: c:User:Dewet, CC-BY-SA-2.5
- Castle of Good Hope: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0
- De Waal Park: magemu, CC BY-SA 3.0
- District Six Museum: Jim.henderson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Duiker Island: Brian Dell Bdell555, Public domain
- Grand Parade: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Green Point Park: Kapstadt entdecken!, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Greenmarket Square: Maethordaer, CC BY-SA 3.0 us
- Groot Constantia: Tjeerd Wiersma from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, CC BY 2.0
- Heart of Cape Town Museum: Tiiu Sild, Public domain
- Iziko South African Museum: Josephou, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden: Zaian, Public domain
- Labia Theatre: Ben Sutherland from Crystal Palace, London, UK, CC BY 2.0
- Lion's Head: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Port of Cape Town: SkyPixels, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rhodes Memorial: SkyPixels, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Robben Island: South African Tourism from South Africa, CC BY 2.0
- Rondebosch Common: Andrew massyn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St. George's Cathedral, Cape Town: Danie van der Merwe Camera location 33° 55′ 29.15″ S, 18° 25′ 10.42″ E View this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMap -33.924763; 18.419562, CC BY 2.0
- Table Mountain: Danie van der Merwe from Cape Town, South Africa, CC BY 2.0
- Two Oceans Aquarium: Jim.henderson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Victoria & Alfred Waterfront: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
