Cape Town has been on my bucket list for years, and this year I decided to finally make it happen. I booked my tickets back in November, even if my departure date wasn’t until the beginning of February. This gave me plenty of time to get excited, and to plan the trip properly.
One week in Cape Town is a good amount of time to see all the essentials. We did a lot of exploring, but it never felt rushed. For us Europeans Cape Town is the perfect winter escape, and with barely any time difference it works perfectly if you’re on a short break from work. Beautiful city, no jetlag, long hot summer days — if Cape Town isn’t already on your bucket list, you need to add it!
Where to stay in Cape Town
For me figuring out where to stay was the most difficult part when planning the trip to Cape Town. Did we want to stay in the centre? Was staying near the beaches a better option? If so, how would we get around without a car? We simply didn’t know. In the end we ended up staying right in the middle of everything, on Long Street, which is one of the main streets in the centre. Our hotel, Long Street Boutique Hotel, was lovely. It was also surprisingly sound-proof, so we could sleep well despite the noisy location.
If I was to go back I wouldn’t stay in the centre, though. This is mainly because it didn’t fell that safe after dark. Instead I’d probably opt to stay in Camps Bay near the beach, or even in areas such as Sea Point, De Waterkant or Waterfront. I have also heard good things about Gardens, but we never went there ourselves. With Uber easily accessible, there is no need to worry about getting between places. We used Uber a lot, and I found it safe, cheap and easy to use.
Our one week itinerary
Day 1: Get familiar with the city
We landed in Cape Town around 1 pm. At the airport we picked up local sim cards for our phones, which I recommend if you plan on using Uber to get around. We then got an Uber into the city. This took about 30 minutes.
On our first afternoon we did a walking tour to get an impression of the city. There are several free walking tours available, but we did this one. This made for a nice introduction, allowed for us to walk around a bit and even learn a few things.
After the tour we explored our area on our own for a while. Not much was open, probably because it was a Sunday. We had dinner at a lovely restaurant called Tigers Milk, located on Kloof Street. Here we had our first experience with load shedding (more about this later), so our dinner was enjoyed in the dark.
Day 2: Let the exploration begin
After a good nights sleep, we woke up feeling revitalised and ready to start exploring. I am a big fan of exploring new cities on foot, but for this trip I made an unusual exception. This is one that I would recommend to everyone spending time in Cape Town without a car: booking tickets for the City Sightseeing Bus. Yes, the red, open-top one! It takes you everywhere you want to go, and the commentary for each stop is both fun and educational. Good value, for sure!
We spent two days on the City Sightseeing bus, and on the first day we did the Red City Tour. This took us up to the Table Mountain cable car, and then all the way around the city down to the V&A Waterfront.
On this day we managed to check off two must-dos in Cape Town — Table Mountain and a Robben Island tour. If you wish to do either one or both of these, I would recommend trying to get them done as early in your trip as possible. This is because they both close down frequently due to heavy wind, so if you plan it for your last day and it gets cancelled you will miss it. We were lucky and got to do both activities on our first attempt.
Upon returning from Robben Island we went for dinner at V&A Waterfront. V&A Waterfront might be a bit touristy, but it is also really lovely both during daytime and nighttime.
Day 3: Explore a little further
We woke up early, had breakfast and once again got on the red sightseeing bus. This time we did the Blue Mini Peninsula Tour. The tour will take you to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Hout Bay and Camps Bay, to name a few.
We spent the morning in the botanical gardens. I would recommend going early because walking around gets hot! Also, if you love otters like me, then don’t expect to find them in the Otter Pond. You’ll end up disappointed.
After a beautiful morning stroll in the botanical gardens, we took the bus to Hout Bay. This is a charming, little fisherman’s town, with a beach and lots of seafood. We stayed here for lunch and got the biggest serving of fish and chips ever. Delicious local produce!
After lunch we got back on the bus and headed for the beach. We got off at Camps Bay and walked along the ocean to Clifton 4th beach, which is the closest out of the Clifton beaches. The ocean was cold so I wasn’t tempted to go swimming, but I had a nap and got a few photos taken instead.
Dinner was enjoyed in Camps Bay, overlooking the ocean and the people.
Day 4: Chill down a bit
Maybe it was due to me not feeling well, but we used this day as a bit of a chill day. We slept in, had a long, decent breakfast and then went off to explore the colourful Bo-Kaap neighbourhood. This area was previously known as the Malay Quarter, and is where the slaves of Cape Town used to rent houses. When they were eventually allowed to buy their own property they all painted their houses in bright colours to express their freedom. Today it feels like a happy place!
With no proper plans for the rest of the day, we decided to get an Uber out to Muizenberg for some beach time, and of course to see the colourful, iconic beach huts. We dipped our feet in the ocean, spent time watching the surfers and had lunch at Knead Bakery.
By the time we got back to Cape Town, it was nearly time for dinner. Not eager to venture far out, we went for a quick walk down the street and found a place that served delicious tapas.
Day 5: Wine time
You simply cannot visit South Africa and not sample their magnificent wine. There are many options available when you are deciding where to go. We went with Franschhoek and the Franschhoek Wine Tram. This option is both convenient when you don’t have a car (and also for those who do not wish to drive) and gave us an experience out of the ordinary.
We booked a full day tour from Cape Town to avoid having to arrange our own transport. The day was spent jumping between wineries, riding the cute tram and enjoying some time in the sun. It was a good one!
Some people choose to spend a night in Franschhoek after their wine tour, which is probably not a bad idea. We went back to Cape Town in the afternoon and were dropped off at the waterfront around 6 pm. From there we got an Uber to Sea Point where we had dinner at a food court called Mojo Market. A cool place with options to suit absolutely everyone.
Day 6: Cape Point and the Boulders Beach penguins
Did we save the best for last? Well, we certainly ended an amazing week on a high note. If you’re only gonna do one thing in Cape Town, a trip to Cape Point and Boulders Beach is probably what I would recommend.
There are several ways to do this excursion. Renting a car is probably the most advisable one, as it gives you all the freedom to customise your day. If you, like us, do not wish to rent a car, there are tons of guided tours to choose from. Pick the one that suits your needs! For us this ended up being the tour with City Sightseeing, which takes you to Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope and eventually to Boulders Beach to see the penguins.
Day 7: Woodstock and home time
One thing is certain, when it was time to leave Cape Town to head back home I wasn’t ready. Luckily we had a late flight, and got to do some exploring on our last day as well.
I had been wanting to visit Woodstock and the Old Biscuit Mill, so this is what we did. The Old Biscuit Mill is an open market that is particularly popular on Saturdays, which is when we happened to visit. Here you can sample food from all over the world, buy fresh produce, art or jewellery, to name a few. There were live music and a cool vibe — I enjoyed it a lot.
Woodstock is not known as the safest neighbourhood in Cape Town, something we experienced when we went for a walk to check out some street art, but venturing out to visit the market is well recommended.
Things to know about Cape Town before you go:
The water crisis
It is no secret that Cape Town has had a serious problem with water shortage, but have much will this affect a trip to the city? I think it depends. This year Cape Town apparently had a decent winter with lots of rain to fill up their water supplies. Therefore they did have enough water while we were there. However visitors are still advised to save water while in the city, as the situation can turn. So shower quickly, don’t flush the toilet unnecessarily and don’t waste water in general.
The load shedding
I didn’t know about the load shedding before I arrived in Cape Town, and I did find it rather interesting. This is basically something South Africa does to avoid a national blackout. Instead they cut the power for about two hours every day. The outages are systematic and controlled, and there is a schedule as the power is out at different hours each day.
For us load shedding wasn’t a big problem. Our hotel informed us every morning of when the power would be out that day. Sometimes it was during daytime, when we didn’t notice it at all. But it could also be between 8 pm and 10.30 pm, and we would have to eat dinner and head back to our hotel in the dark.
I’m not sure how long this is gonna go on for, and it is certainly not a reason to skip Cape Town as a destination. Just don’t get surprised if it is still a thing when you go there.
The transportation
I feel like most places I’ve travelled to has a fairly decent public transportation system. Cape Town is not one of those. There are buses, but I had read mixed things about them. To be honest they seemed fine so I’m not sure why, but we still opted against them.
We only used the City Sightseeing buses and Uber, and were able to go anywhere we wanted. For day trips we booked guided tours. There are plenty of those. Even though I get why people rent a car in Cape Town, it is definitely not necessary. You can have a great time without having your own set of wheels.
The safety
I read some horror stories about the dangers of Cape Town before going. I would love to say that they are all exaggerated, but I am sure they are not. What I can say is that I didn’t feel very unsafe in Cape Town. We took our precautions and didn’t walk around much after dark. We also received a few warnings from locals and always took those into account. I’d say Long Street, the street our hotel was on, was where I felt the most unsafe. Especially after dark, and even more so during load shedding when the streets were pitch black. During daylight hours I always felt perfectly safe.
All in all I’d say use your common sense and take the necessary precautions. And don’t forget your travel insurance — it’s better to be safe than sorry. Apart from that, Cape Town is a great travel destination that most people seem to fall in love with, and as did I. Enjoy your trip!
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