Ultimate weekend in Cape Town

Cape Town, known as The Mother City, is an exciting destination that boasts a multitude of highlights. No wonder it’s one of the most visited cities in Africa. Enjoy immersing yourself in the city’s excellent culinary scene, and don’t miss out on one of its top attractions, Table Mountain, where you can look out to stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean. Underlying the city is a sombering history, and stops such as Robben Island and District Six are essential for learning more. 

Here is our ultimate weekend itinerary to Cape Town.

When to arrive: Come on a Friday morning and enjoy a long weekend here. You may like to tie in your visit with other highlights in the country such as a thrilling safari in Kruger National Park.

How to get from the airport: There are metered taxi rides available in the arrivals area of the airport, or you can use the Uber or Bolt apps to schedule a ride. Alternatively, speak to the host or staff at your accommodation about a taxi pickup. The airport is around a 20-30 minute drive from the center given there’s no traffic. 

Where to stay: Atzaró Cape Town is a stunning property right by Table Mountain. With impeccable views and excellent rooms, it’s a top accommodation choice. Atzaró also has a property in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. The flight is just 2.5 hours, so you could combine both of these destinations in one trip.

What to pack: Sunscreen and a hat for those sunny Cape Town days. Rehydration sachets for the summer are a good idea and layers for any hikes.

Day 1 

Morning

Start with a hearty breakfast at your hotel and fuel up for your day of exploring. First stop is Cape Town’s most famous landmark, Table Mountain, which stands tall at 1086m high above the city. It’s one of the most photographed spots in the whole of Cape Town. You can take the rotating cable car up (book your ticket in advance to save money – it closes on very windy days) or you can hike up to the top. If hiking, opt for the Platteklip Gorge Trail, which is one of the quicker trails and takes around 2.5 hours. Don’t hike alone, and take plenty of water along the way. You’ll also spot the Lion’s Head mountain nearby, which provides another excellent hiking opportunity too at 669m.

How to spend the day

Take time to learn about Cape Town’s apartheid history and join a free walking tour (tips go straight to the tour guide). Tours are around 90 minutes, and you don’t need to book in advance – you can just show up at Motherland Coffee at St George’s Mall. During the Apartheid to Freedom tour, you will visit many monuments such as St George’s Cathedral, the People’s Church, which is the oldest church in southern Africa. The building is an Anglican church that held its doors open to all races during the apartheid period. Here is where Archbishop Desmond Tutu led many campaigns calling for the end of the apartheid ruling. The walking tour will also take you to other historic locations such as District Six. Once a vibrant and diverse neighborhood, District Six became a "whites only" area during the apartheid period.

After the tour finishes, you can learn more about apartheid history at the District Six Museum. It’s a moving experience where you will find many exhibits such as photographs of the area and art pieces, which offer an insight into the District Six community. Guided tours are also available here, and they are often led by people who used to live in the area.

If you’re interested in learning more about apartheid history, take the ferry from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A waterfront to Robben Island (book tickets online). The visit is a moving and humbling experience, as the island was used to hold political prisoners who opposed the apartheid ruling. Nelson Mandela was held here for close to 20 years, and the island is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site  symbolizing the fight for human rights and freedom. You can’t visit Robben Island on your own, so upon arrival you will be met with a guide. This guide will take you around the island for 45 minutes on a bus to places such as the Lime Quarry, which is where Nelson Mandela and others were forced to work. After the bus tour, you will return to the prison, where you will meet a former inmate who discusses what the experience of prison life was like. You will also be able to see other parts of the site such as Nelson Mandela’s small cell. 

Dinner

Located in the trendy Kloof Street neighborhood, Upper Union is the perfect place to have your first dinner. The restaurant offers a pasture menu (for meat eaters) and a garden menu (for vegetarians). The menu is seasonally led, so you could be tucking into fine dishes such as lamp rump or charred green tartare.

Day 2

Morning

Make today your tour day of the Cape Peninsula. Wake up early and head out to Boulders Beach, which is part of Table Mountain National Park, to see the famous penguins before the crowds arrive. You’ll see plenty of birds waddling around on the sand and dipping into the sea. There is a wooden boardwalk inside, which you can follow to see them at different vantage points. 

How to spend the day

Continue with exploring the rest of the peninsula. Take to the road and drive to Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point, which is about 30-40 minutes away from Boulders Beach. You’ll spot some interesting wildlife along the way such as ostriches and baboons. It’s all about majestic viewpoints in the area. At Cape Point you can hop on the short 3-minute Flying Dutchman funicular ride or walk up steep steps to the Old Lighthouse, where you will be treated to stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and towering cliffs. Bring layers here as it can get breezy. 

Cape of Good Hope offers numerous hiking opportunities, such as the Shipwreck Trail. The 5.3km trail starts from the Olifantsbos parking area. It takes you along cliffs and provides stellar views of the ocean and historic shipwrecks such as the 1942 wreck Thomas T Tucker. In Cape of Good Hope you’ll also find the famous sign "Southernmost point of Africa." It provides a fun photo opportunity, but note that Cape Agulhas is in fact the most southern point of Africa and is around 200km southeast from here. Continue your tour of the peninsula by setting out on Chapman Peak’s Drive. The drive is a toll road that goes all the way from Hout Bay, a lively fishing harbor, to Noordhoek, a suburb with a pretty beach. The picturesque drive offers many stops for photos, such as Chapman's Peak Viewpoint, and you can enjoy panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean. 

If you don’t have a car, there are plenty of tours that will take you along the coastline. Ask the attendants at your accommodation for further information.

Dinner

Head to Kloof Street House, set in a Victorian home, and tuck into tasty dishes such as South African bord kos made of braised lamb shoulder, rosemary potatoes and pumpkin fritters. 

Day 3 

Morning 

Head to Bo-Kaap, the historic Cape Malay Quarter in the city, found on the lower slopes of Signal Hill. In the 1830s enslaved people from parts of Africa, Malaysia and Indonesia settled here. In the area you’ll find the Auwal Mosque, the country’s oldest mosque, and you’ll hear the call to prayer ring through the neighborhood. Stroll around the area and take snaps of the vibrantly colored houses – think bright pinks and punchy greens. Head to the Bo-Kaap Museum, a restored 19th-century Muslim house, which gives more information about the community, culture and history of the area. There are plenty of photographs and displays to help you learn more.

How to spend the day

After visiting the museum, enjoy tucking into Cape Malay cuisine. Head to Bo-Kaap Kombuis for a bredie, a meat, tomato and cinnamon stew.

After your fill of food, head to the V&A Waterfront, an area that’s great for mooching. It’s a vibrant area of Cape Town and is filled with shops and restaurants. You may even catch some street music while you’re here too. The Time Out Market is a vibrant space that makes a good pitstop for a coffee. You can also wander around its shops, which offer treats like pottery and jewelry. If you’re traveling with little ones, head to the Two Oceans Aquarium featuring over 8,000 marine animals such as sharks and turtles.

Dinner

Enjoy a traditional braai experience. Karibu at the V&A Waterfront offers a giant meat feast (tuck into lamb chops and beef rump steaks) with a view of Cape Town’s twinkling harbor.

Zara Sekhavati traveled to Cape Town with the support of Authentic Travel PR and Atzaró Lodge Cape Town. Lonely Planet staff do not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage.