The Ultimate Guide to Travel to Cape Town, South Africa

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When it comes to picking out our favorite city to travel to, we always end up choosing Cape Town. With fun neighborhoods like colorful Bo-Kaap or eclectic Woodstock, tasty eats in the city bowl area, or lovely beaches in Camps Bay, if you head to South Africa, travel to Cape Town is a must.

So on this podcast episode, we’re breaking down all you need to know before you go including best day trips from Cape Town, where to stay, best restaurants in the city, top things to do, and so much more!

This bustling and exciting city offers so much to tourists whether they love nature and hiking or shopping and sun!

And if you’ve got 5 days in Cape Town as we did during our 2 weeks in South Africa itinerary, we’ve got the best places to visit and enjoy during your time there!

Would you visit Cape Town, South Africa in your travels? What is your favorite city to travel to? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @wwhoneymoon, message us on Instagram @worldwidehoneymoon, or email me at [email protected].

Time Stamps Travel to Cape Town, South Africa:

0:24- Intro
0:40- Updates/chat
4:19- Topic
6:24- Thoughts prior to arriving in Cape Town
10:55- First impressions of travel to Cape Town
15:12- Where to stay in Cape Town
19:30- When to visit Cape Town
22:03- Things to do in Cape Town, South Africa
27:50- Day trips from Cape Town
30:40- Where to eat and drink in Cape Town
37:24- Best meal in Cape Town
40:49- Biggest surprise about travel to Cape Town
44:33- Would we go back?
47:02- Wrap up

Helpful Links and Further Reading:

Blog posts about South Africa:
Podcast episodes about South Africa:
- First-Timers Guide to a South African Safari
- Travel to the Cape Winelands
Where to stay in Cape Town:
- Airbnb- new to Airbnb? Get $40 off your first stay here!
- Budget: Waterfront Village (Read reviews on TripAdvisor and book here!)
- Mid-Range: Blue View Villas & Apartments (Read reviews on TripAdvisor and book here!)
- Luxury: The Silo Hotel (Read reviews on TripAdvisor and book here!)
Things to do in Cape Town:
- Table Mountain
- Lion’s Head (we love this sunset or sunrise guided hike!)
- Old Biscuit Mill & Woodstock
- Streetwire
- City Bowl and Greenmarket Square
- Bo-Kaap
- Camps Bay
- V&A Waterfront
- Robben Island
- Helicopter over Cape Town
- Kirstenbosch Gardens
- Groot Constantia
- Pro-tip: If you plan to do a lot, consider getting the Cape Town City Pass!
Day trips from Cape Town:
- Cape Winelands (we recommend hiring a driver)
- Shark Cage Diving (we loved this tour with Marine Dynamics that helps with animal conservation)!
- Cape Peninsula and Cape of Good Hope Tour
Where to eat and drink in Cape Town:
- Truth Coffee
- Origin Coffee
- V&A Food Market
- The Codfather
- Burrata
- Shortmarket Club
- Groot Constantia
- Test Kitchen
- The Village Idiot
For cheap flights to South Africa, we booked on Skyscanner and got a great deal for $850 round-trip from Cleveland! They combine several airlines and search to find the best deal. You can also set price alerts to book when the price drops!
Consider travel insurance! We buy World Nomads for its comprehensive coverage like medical, dental, trip cancellation/interruption, and more!
We booked our trip through Safari 365!
A note about safety:
- Cape Town is like most cities where you’ll want to use common sense. Petty theft is common, so we brought my anti-theft crossbody bag and kept our valuables in the hotel safe. Be sure to not walk alone at night and avoid walking even short distances at night. Instead, Uber is super cheap!